x
Breaking News
More () »

This stretch of I-295 in DC will be under construction until 2022

Longterm fixes are coming to 295, a highway that 128,000 people drive every day, but drivers will face years of traffic first.

WASHINGTON — Construction work is ramping up work on one of D.C.’s busiest stretches of highway, where the District Department of Transportation said as many as 128,000 people drive each day. Crews overseeing a revamp of I-295 in D.C. say work is intensifying right now.

"We have some significant projects happening on D.C. 295," DDOT Director Jeff Marootian said. "We are working with a sense of urgency to make roads safer across the District."

The second phase of work along the four-mile stretch of highway focuses on fixes to interchanges such as the Malcolm X Interchange and Suitland Parkway. That work is not slated for completion until 2022, DDOT documents said.

On Tuesday, WUSA9 was shown how crews are building a new ramp from D.C. 295 onto Suitland Parkway, so that drivers will no longer have to loop onto Howard Road. DDOT said it is one of a half-dozen projects stretching across D.C. 295. While agency officials underscored that the goal is to make traffic better in the long run, city officials did admit that work does make driving harder right now.

RELATED: Here's how fixes to a major DC artery will make traffic better for everyone

"We will certainly take advantage of the good weather to get more construction projects done and we will continue to work around the clock to get these safety improvement projects complete," Marootian said.

RELATED: Here's why slug lines may be the solution to easing traffic congestion on I-66

South Capitol Bridgebuilders said it is the main contractor on the project featuring a crew of hundreds. Because of that, speed limits have been reduced down to 40 miles per hour in some areas. DDOT said speed cameras are in place and you could face a fine as high as $200 for violating the speed limits. 

Download the brand new WUSA9 app here. 

Sign up for the Get Up DC newsletter: Your forecast. Your commute. Your news. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out