Content area
Full Text
With a design that project engineers say looks more confusing than it actually is, 14 overburdened lanes that create the most dangerous intersection on Washington's Capital Beltway will be transformed into a 24lane web of divided flyways and ramps. Construction on the eight-year, $350-million project began in March.
The mixing bowl, as the interchange is known, is located about 15 mi (24 km) south of Washington, D.C., where the Capital Beltway, or Interstate 495, intersects Interstate 95, Interstate 395, and Highway 644. Traffic merges from both the left and right sides of the road, and vehicles must cross four lanes in less than a mile to reach certain exits. The area averages 150 accidents per year, which is almost 40 percent greater than the state average, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). The interchange was not designed to handle even half its current volume of 375,000 vehicles per day. The new intersection is designed to handle an expected 500,000 vehicles a day by 2020.