Concerns rise over proposed 495 South express lanes in Prince George's County

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — Prince George's County residents voiced strong opposition Wednesday night to a proposal to extend express lanes on one of the busiest routes connecting Maryland and Virginia.

At a public meeting, many residents shared concerns about the plan to extend the 495 express lanes across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, a vital route for commuters.

Patricia Monroe, a representative for the South County Environmental Justice Coalition, joined several other concerned citizens in expressing their disapproval. 

"Bottom line is no," Monroe said, holding up a sign that read "No to Express Lanes."

Monroe also highlighted that the lanes were initially intended to accommodate rail traffic when the Woodrow Wilson Bridge was constructed. 

"Those lanes were initially built when the Woodrow Wilson Bridge was built to put rail," she said.

The proposed expansion would extend the express lanes from the Springfield, Virginia interchange across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to the Maryland 210 interchange.

Michelle Holland, the Communications Manager for VDOT’s Mega Projects Program, explained that the need for the expansion is due to unreliable travel and limited options in the area. 

"There's not good, reliable travel, and there’s not a variety of travel options so we knew there was a need," Holland said.

This project is focused on the last 11-mile corridor of the Beltway in Virginia that lacks express lanes, and VDOT argues that the new lanes would improve traffic flow. 

"You can travel them for free if you have three or more people in your vehicle," Holland noted. "We have a new and added bus service on the express lanes. They also travel free, so there are a lot of transit enhancements and a lot of benefits."

This project all started with an environmental study in 2022 when VDOT was looking for a way to make improvements including "safety, additional travel choice, reduce congestion and produce consistency with local and regional plans."

Holland also mentioned there there are three alternatives: one being two alternative express lanes in each direction, another being one express lane is each direction. 

"A no-build alternative which means we do nothing and we don't think that's a viable option," Holland said.  

However, not all residents are convinced. Barbara Coufal, a Maryland resident, pointed out the recurring traffic issues whenever toll lanes end and merge into general lanes. 

"Whenever the toll lanes end, the traffic on the toll lanes must merge into the general lanes and always cause a huge backup. And the huge backup is gonna be right here in Oxon Hill," she said.

Coufal also expressed frustration that the voices of Maryland residents may not be receiving the same consideration as those from Virginia. 

"You’re not reaching out to the majority of the people on this side of the bridge. You’re reaching out to everyone on the other side of the bridge, and we need fairness and equity," Monroe echoed.

Some residents, like Coufal, attended a meeting in Virginia before returning to another in Maryland to ensure their concerns were heard. "They wanted us to go ask questions at the tables so we couldn’t listen to each other," she added.

Local officials are also lending their support to residents’ concerns. Edward Burroughs III, a county council member, emphasized that these concerns are shared by county leadership. 

"Their concerns are our concerns as the county government. The county council voted to oppose this already, and I’m happy that the citizens came here to articulate directly to VDOT," Burroughs III said. Burroughs III also said the county council voted to oppose this over a year ago. 

By June, VDOT plans to present alternatives and recommendations to residents of both Maryland and Virginia and have the board vote on this later this year. 

Click here, if you would like to share your information or opinions in an online comment form. There a two more meetings scheduled in Virginia for next week.