The expansion in Virginia of the 95 Express Lanes to the Fredericksburg area is scheduled to be complete late next year, putting the project more than a year behind schedule, toll operator Transurban announced Monday.
Wp Get the full experience.Choose your plan ArrowRight
The new timeline comes months after the Virginia Department of Transportation and Transurban said the project was caught up in a contractual dispute over soil conditions. That dispute has been settled and construction of the new toll lanes is now 60 percent complete, on pace for opening in December 2023, the toll operator said.
The project, a public-private partnership between Virginia and Transurban, will deliver a milestone in the state plan to create a network of more than 90 miles of high-occupancy toll lanes in Northern Virginia.
Work on the 10-mile extension began in 2019 and was expected to be finished this October. The project delays, along with the contract dispute, have been attributed to challenges with soil conditions, including a plastic clay and silt material that officials said requires a different approach to construction.
Extension of 95 Express Lanes in Virginia unlikely to open next year
Transurban and its contractor, a joint venture between Branch Civil and Flatiron Construction, recently settled a dispute over the costs and timeline of the project, according to Transurban. The additional months and the mitigation required to deal with the soil challenges will increase the original cost of $565 million by about $100 million. Transurban is financing the project.
Amanda Baxter, vice president of the Virginia market and operations for Transurban North America, said the late 2023 timeline is achievable after builders move beyond the “unpredictable” delays related to the soil issue.
“These megaprojects are very complex, and these types of things do happen,” she said. “We went into this year knowing that we wanted to find a path forward and we had good dialogue with our contractor on the opportunity to advance this project.”
Advertisement
In an arbitration hearing last October, Branch Civil and Flatiron Construction contended that geologic conditions in the construction zone affected their ability to keep the project on schedule. An arbitrator ruled that it was entitled to a price adjustment and more time to complete the project. Transurban said construction never stopped during the arbitration process.
The toll operator is extending the reversible 95 Express Lanes from Route 610 in the Garrisonville area to Route 17 near Fredericksburg. Virginia transportation officials say the Fredericksburg extension will increase lane capacity by 66 percent in the peak travel direction along one of the most congested stretches of the highway.
Local leaders said the additional travel lanes through Stafford County cannot come fast enough to a section of I-95 known for nightmarish traffic. The project should eliminate backups that form at the terminus of the 95 Express Lanes, near Exit 143 at Garrisonville Road, where the toll road merges with general travel lanes.
Advertisement
“I-95, primarily in Stafford County, continues to be faced with some of the most challenging commutes in the nation,” said Andrew Spence, director of community engagement for the county. He said the project “will provide some needed congestion relief.”
Virginia explores extending 495 Express Lanes out to Wilson Bridge
Once open, carpoolers will be allowed to ride free, while solo drivers can use the lanes at a cost. Officials say all drivers will benefit because more motorists in the toll lanes should also relieve congestion in the general lanes. The Virginia Department of Transportation, which provides oversight of the project, said in December it expected Transurban and its contractor to find a solution to minimize delays.
In a statement Monday, Fredericksburg District Engineer Marcie Parker said the agency welcomes the outcome of negotiations “that benefits the people most affected by this megaproject: the travelers on I-95.” She added, “We will continue in our oversight role to ensure that the project is delivered safely, is built with quality and is completed as soon as possible.”
Advertisement
Transurban officials said they were aware of the soil conditions when the project started and that its contractor conducted soil testing, but acknowledged that the repercussions of the poor soil were larger than expected. “The breadth and depth of that issue was much broader than a testing regime would allow you to know,” Baxter said.
Construction since June 2019 has created additional traffic headaches for drivers in the corridor, although lighter traffic volumes during the coronavirus pandemic helped to minimize the effects. Most of the work is being done in the median of the route.
Crews recently demolished the American Legion Road overpass and are working to rebuild it to accommodate the express lanes. That work, which will take about nine months, puts a detour in Stafford County for people who live along the road.
Advertisement
In the coming months, crews will lift and install beams over the highway for future access points to the express lanes, which will affect traffic in both directions.
“You’ll really see an uptick in the construction activities,” Baxter said. She added that although the target opening date is December 2023, Transurban is offering incentives in hopes the contractor could open the toll lanes sooner.
Transurban operates a network of more than 50 miles of express lanes in Northern Virginia lanes along interstates 95 and 395, as well as the Capital Beltway. It is working on a three-mile extension near the American Legion Bridge.