For a lot of commuters, the trip up I-395 is about to get more expensive.
Thousands of commuters relish the "Open to All" sign that lights up over the HOV lanes on 395 heading northbound at 9 a.m. each weekday morning.
But come Sunday morning, Nov. 17, that's over.
The current High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes that run northbound weekday mornings and southbound in the evenings will convert into toll-based (HOT) express lanes. Those lanes will open on Sunday, Nov. 17.
Once the switch occurs, commuters who drive solo or with just one passenger will have pay a toll that will vary based on time of day and demand. You can check the price of your trip before leaving by downloading the Express Lanes mobile app from Transurban and plugging in your entry and exit points for an estimate.
You will need an E-ZPass or an E-ZPass Flex to use the lanes, similar to the I-495 Express Lanes.
If you carpool with three or more people, you'll be able to ride free, but you will need an E-ZPass Flex that is set to HOV mode.
The express lanes, operated by Transurban, will run northbound in the mornings and southbound in the evenings on the eight miles of roadway from Edsall Road in Fairfax County to the 14th Street Bridge in the District.
Pricing for the express lanes will update about every 10 minutes on overhead signs. Here's what we know:
- Carpools of 3 or more can ride toll-free with an E-ZPass Flex® set to "HOV ON."
- All existing I-395 HOV entry and exit points will become 395 Express Lanes entry and exit points, except for the Seminary Road ramp that faces south, which will stay HOV-only.
- At any point before Dec. 1, carpoolers who don’t have an E-ZPass® can contact the Express Lanes team to register their license plate number for seven days of toll-free travel on the Lanes. The grace period is to give drivers time to order an E-ZPass® Flex online or pick one up from an area retailer.
I-66 Express Lanes opened in December 2017, and since then the Falls Church area has seen a significant increase in traffic. The Falls Church News Press reported that Falls Church Police Chief Mary Gavin said the tolls on I-66 “has put more traffic on the side roads,” and traffic is now the public's top complaint to her department.
Whether the 395 Express Lanes force more traffic onto major north-south routes such as Van Dorn Avenue remains to be seen.
If you drive on the lanes but don't have an EZPass, you will receive a bill in the mail that includes a service fee.
Drivers can get an E-ZPass by signing up online, calling (877) 762-7824 or in-person from E-ZPass Customer Service Centers or E-ZPass
If drivers have more questions about the 395 Express Lanes, they can head on over to the 395 Express Lanes website, call (855) 495-9777, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m., or connect on Facebook or Twitter.
