Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille said the city has always and will always be opposed to High-Occupancy-Toll, or HOT lanes, on I-395 through the city.
The Virginia Department of Transportation on Thursday dropped plans to add the lanes along a six-mile portion of I-395 running through Arlington and Alexandria.
VDOT's new plan to address congestion will now address traffic concerns at the Mark Center, the location of the Army’s new office space for 6,400 defense employees, by building a ramp connecting HOV lanes on I-395 to Seminary Road.
The addition of the ramp at Mark Center is a solution the city has supported all along, Euille said, though Alexandria officials are still working on short-term fixes to traffic around the Mark Center. VDOT’s project may take three years to complete, with construction slated to begin sometime next year.
VDOT dropped I-395 from their plans primarily due to an Arlington County lawsuit challenging the project. While Alexandria never joined Arlington’s case, Euille said the city is still pleased by the result, and doesn't want to revisit the possibility of expanding I-395 again.
“We weren’t part of the suit with Arlington County, but all along we opposed [HOT lanes] because of the quality of life impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods,” Euille said. “We’re please that it’s been withdrawn, at least for now.”
