New GW Parkway Traffic Pattern In McLean To Take Effect Saturday

MCLEAN, VA — The National Park Service will implement a new traffic pattern on the George Washington Memorial Parkway between Interstate 495 and Route 123 on Saturday as part of its $161 million North Parkway Rehabilitation Project.

To prepare for the traffic shift, construction crews will begin to install temporary lane dividers on Thursday. Motorists should expect single lane, northbound closures from Thursday at 8 p.m. to Friday at 2:45 p.m. during these preparations.

Once the lane dividers are in place, motorists should expect delays through the narrow travel lanes and plan alternate routes, the NPS said. The parkway will have a 40-mph speed limit along the stretch where the North Parkway Rehabilitation Project is being conducted.

Crews will implement the new traffic pattern between 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 22. The NPS expects the three-lane traffic pattern to be in effect through December 2025.

Here are the expected times that the three lanes on the northbound side of the parkway will shift:

Weekday morning rush hour (5:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.)

• Two lanes southbound
• Drivers who need to exit at Route 123 or CIA headquarters must use the right lane.
• One lane northbound.

Weekday evening rush hour (2:45 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.)

• Two lanes northbound
• Drivers who need to exit at Route 123 or CIA headquarters must use the right lane.
• One lane southbound

Weekdays (9:30 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.) and weekends

• One lane southbound
• One lane northbound

Crews have installed a temporary lane in the median of George Washington Parkway between I-495 and the Route 123 interchange. This temporary lane will serve as a reversible lane, which provides flexibility to change direction for morning and evening rush hours, the NPS said.

Message boards and orange construction signs along the parkway will provide information and directions. Drivers can see construction updates and opt-in to receive emails about traffic impacts and project milestones on the North Parkway Rehabilitation Project webpage.

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