I had actually noticed the effect
Apr. 7th, 2010 02:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gshMerging gets easier on I-66, backups ease
April 7, 2010 - 12:02pm
Adam Tuss, wtop.com
WASHINGTON -- When it comes to the highways, two flowing lanes of traffic are better than one. And some commuters are rejoicing in the fact that the Virginia Department of Transportation has made a change to a tricky merge point, opening up some lanes.
Drivers have been complaining about the backups caused by a merge from Interstate 66 East to the Inner Loop of the Capital Beltway. Because of High Occcupany Toll lane work in that area, VDOT had set up a travel pattern where High Occupancy Vehicle traffic had to merge with those in the regular lanes before continuing onto the Inner Loop.
Analysis showed that once that shift was put in place, travel times on I-66 eastbound between U.S. 50 and the Beltway between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. increased from 20 minutes to 43 minutes.
However, VDOT has now corrected the problem, giving the HOV and regular traffic their own lanes as they merge.
"Yes, we made a fix. The lanes on the ramp from 66 East to 495 North are now separated by barriers," says VDOT spokesperson Joan Morris.
Some commuters tell WTOP the backups have been cut down significantly because of the change.
April 7, 2010 - 12:02pm
Adam Tuss, wtop.com
WASHINGTON -- When it comes to the highways, two flowing lanes of traffic are better than one. And some commuters are rejoicing in the fact that the Virginia Department of Transportation has made a change to a tricky merge point, opening up some lanes.
Drivers have been complaining about the backups caused by a merge from Interstate 66 East to the Inner Loop of the Capital Beltway. Because of High Occcupany Toll lane work in that area, VDOT had set up a travel pattern where High Occupancy Vehicle traffic had to merge with those in the regular lanes before continuing onto the Inner Loop.
Analysis showed that once that shift was put in place, travel times on I-66 eastbound between U.S. 50 and the Beltway between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. increased from 20 minutes to 43 minutes.
However, VDOT has now corrected the problem, giving the HOV and regular traffic their own lanes as they merge.
"Yes, we made a fix. The lanes on the ramp from 66 East to 495 North are now separated by barriers," says VDOT spokesperson Joan Morris.
Some commuters tell WTOP the backups have been cut down significantly because of the change.
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