VDOT To Close I-395 Ramp At Boundary Channel Drive In Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — The ramp from southbound Interstate 395 to westbound Boundary Channel Drive in Arlington will be closed for several months starting Tuesday, Jan. 24 so crews can make improvements to the ramp, the Virginia Department of Transportation said Wednesday.

The Boundary Channel Drive project will improve safety and traffic flow and provide new options for bicyclists and pedestrians in one of the region’s busiest corridors, according to VDOT.

The $19.6 million project will include reducing underutilized roadway capacity on Boundary Channel Drive in order to build a 12-foot-wide westbound shared-use path and an eight-foot-wide eastbound sidewalk. The half-mile shared-use path will create a new link from the Mount Vernon Trail to the Pentagon and Long Bridge Park by tying into the existing path that parallels the southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway ramp to southbound I-395.

Other project improvements include installing roundabouts on Boundary Channel Drive just east and west of I-395, reconfiguring the ramps between I-395, Boundary Channel Drive and Long Bridge Drive, and adding crosswalks along Boundary Channel Drive and Long Bridge Drive.

A ceremonial shovel toss for the project took place in September in the parking lot at the Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center on Long Bridge Drive in Arlington. The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority is contributing $4.3 million to the cost of the project.

During the project, drivers will be able to access westbound Boundary Channel Drive by using the southbound I-395 Exit 9 (Clark Street) ramp, where there will be a temporary stop sign for left turns onto westbound Boundary Channel. This traffic pattern will be in place until mid-2023, according to VDOT.

Drivers will still be able to access eastbound Boundary Channel Drive, Long Bridge Drive and South Clark Street by using the Exit 9 ramp.

RELATED: VDOT To Break Ground On Project Near Long Branch Park In Arlington