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Dangerous I-395 Ramp Closes: Now What?

A dangerous I-395 ramp has closed as part of an improvement project, changing traffic patterns for Virginia drivers.

A dangerous I-395 ramp has closed as part of an improvement project, changing traffic patterns for Virginia drivers.

A dangerous I-395 ramp has closed as part of an improvement project, changing traffic patterns for Virginia drivers.

Photo Credit: VDOT

The ramp from southbound I-395 to eastbound Boundary Channel Drive (Exit 9/Clark Street) and the eastbound Boundary Channel Drive ramp to southbound I-395, closed as of Friday, Dec. 1, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced.

According to NBC Washington, motorists were directed by their GPS devices to cut across fast-moving traffic, causing several crashes.

The change is permanent and part of the Boundary Channel Drive at I-395 Interchange Improvements project.

So, what are motorists to do?

Southbound I-395 drivers will use the Exit 10A ramp to access both westbound and eastbound Boundary Channel Drive via the roundabout.

Eastbound Boundary Channel Drive drivers will use the roundabout to access southbound I-395 via the same loop ramp currently used by westbound Boundary Channel Drive drivers to access southbound I-395.

The Boundary Channel Drive at I-395 Interchange Improvements project will improve safety and traffic flow and provide new options for bicyclists and pedestrians in one of the region’s busiest corridors. 

The project includes reducing underutilized roadway capacity on Boundary Channel Drive in order to construct a 12-foot-wide westbound shared-use path and an eight-foot-wide eastbound sidewalk. 

The half-mile shared-use path will create a new link from the Mount Vernon Trail to the Pentagon and Long Bridge Park by tying into the existing path that parallels the southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway ramp to southbound I-395. 

Other project improvements include installing roundabouts on Boundary Channel Drive just east and west of I-395, reconfiguring the ramps between I-395, Boundary Channel Drive and Long Bridge Drive, and adding crosswalks along Boundary Channel Drive and Long Bridge Drive. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2024.

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