VDOT Expects Fewer Crashes After I-395 Ramp Closure In Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — The Virginia Department of Transportation will be permanently closing the Boundary Channel Drive ramp to southbound Interstate 395 in Arlington on Friday.

As part of the project, the ramp from southbound I-395 to eastbound Boundary Channel Drive also will be closed permanently, effective Friday morning, according to VDOT.

The Boundary Channel Drive at I-395 Interchange Improvements project will improve safety and traffic flow and provide new options for bicyclists and pedestrians in one of the region’s busiest corridors, VDOT said.

The area of I-395 near Boundary Channel Drive in Arlington has been the site of numerous crashes over the years, as motorists try to cross over four lanes of traffic in order to exit onto Route 1 South.

Reporter Dave Statter of STATter911 has posted several videos of motorists causing major crashes by entering southbound I-395 at the Boundary Channel Drive ramp and then attempting to cross the entire width of the interstate.

In its announcement on Wednesday about the permanent ramp closures, VDOT cited Statter’s work.

“We have some news to report. As of Fri 12/1 at 5 a.m., the Boundary Channel Dr onramp to I-395 SB will be permanently closed. @STATter911 is our guy, but we’ll be happy to see less of his crash videos from this location,” VDOT wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Statter thanked VDOT for the shout-out and its decision to close the ramp.

“Getting rid of that ramp removes a big safety hazard but, sadly, I have confidence the motorists of I-395 will still do plenty to keep me busy,” Statter said in response.

Along with the permanent ramp closures, VDOT said these new traffic patterns will take effect at 5 a.m. Friday:

• Southbound I-395 drivers will use the Exit 10A ramp to access both westbound and eastbound Boundary Channel Drive via the western roundabout.
• Eastbound Boundary Channel Drive drivers will use the western roundabout to access southbound I-395 via the same loop ramp currently used by westbound Boundary Channel Drive drivers to access southbound I-395.

The Boundary Channel Drive at I-395 Interchange Improvements project also will include reducing underused 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.

The project is scheduled for completion in early 2024, VDOT said.