Road work to close I-66 west ramp

By Elisa Glushefski

Published: August 4, 2008

Commuters in western Prince William County have a few things to look out for this week.

From 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Wednesday and Thursday, the Exit 43A ramp from Interstate 66 west to U.S. 29 south will be closed for bridge work as a part of the Gainesville Interchange Project, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Those wanting to take that exit will be detoured to Exit 43B, which will take them to a traffic light. At the light, motorists can turn left to get onto U.S. 29 south.

VDOT has been working since June to deconstruct the old eastbound portion of the I-66 interchange in Gainesville, since shifting traffic to a newly constructed bridge, said VDOT spokesman Mike Salmon.
When the project is complete, that bridge will become an acceleration lane so that “through traffic on I-66 will not be impeded by slower traffic merging on,” Salmon said.

VDOT expects to shift traffic on the westbound portion of the overpass to another new bridge in October or November so that they can begin taking down the other span and the through lanes are expected to be complete in about a year, Salmon said.

This week VDOT is beginning moving utilities on Va. 55 as a part of the $195 million I-66/U.S. 29/Linton Hall Road improvements.

Roughly three quarters of the work will be done away from the road, but motorists should be prepared for occasional lane closures related to the work during the week between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Salmon said.

Workers will be building a duct bank for Verizon, MCI and Quest Communications lines on the north side of Va. 55 from the U.S. 29 intersection to Gallerher Road, according to a VDOT news release. Additionally, Columbia Gas is installing a new gas line adjacent to the duct bank.

The Gainesville interchange is will raise U.S. 29 over the railroad tracks in Gainesville and widen that highway from four to six lanes from Interstate 66 to Virginia Oaks Drive. Gallerher Road also will be raised above the tracks.

Actual road construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2011 and be completed in 2014..