Interstate 95 in Virginia

Interstate 95
I-95 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by VDOT
Length	178.73 mi[1][2] (287.64 km)
Existed	1957–present
NHS	Entire route
Major junctions
South end	I-95 at North Carolina border near Skippers
Major intersections	US 58 in Emporia I-295 near Petersburg I-85 / US 460 in Petersburg SR 150 / SR 895 in Bensley US 250 in Richmond US 1 / US 301 in Richmond I-64 / I-195 in Richmond US 17 near Fredericksburg I-495 in Springfield US 1 in Alexandria
North end	I-495 at District of Columbia border in Alexandria
Location
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Counties	Greensville, City of Emporia, Sussex, Prince George, City of Petersburg, City of Colonial Heights, Chesterfield, City of Richmond, Henrico, Hanover, Caroline, Spotsylania, City of Fredericksburg, Stafford, Prince William, Fairfax, City of Alexandria
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Virginia Routes Interstate US Primary Secondary Byways History HOT lanes
← SR 94 → SR 96

Interstate 95 (I-95) runs 179 miles (288 km) within the

It enters the Capital Beltway at the Springfield Interchange, also known as the Mixing Bowl. I-95 continues over the Potomac River on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge into Washington, D.C. (for 0.11 miles [0.18 km] on the bridge) and then into Maryland on the Capital Beltway.

The route between Fredericksburg and Springfield is consistently one of the most congested routes of highway in the US, particularly during holidays and rush hours. The causes for this congestion are lack of alternative routes, fewer lanes than needed, and the spread-out suburbs of the Washington, D.C. area.^[3] To solve this problem, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) started a project to widen I-95 to six lanes between the cities, as well as adding express lanes and new offramps to U.S. Route 17 (US 17) and State Route 3 (SR 3) through Fredericksburg. The project was started in 2018 and is planned to be completed by the end of 2023.^{[4][needs update]}

On January 4, 2022, a major traffic jam occurred, leaving some people stuck in traffic for more than 24 hours due to heavy snowfall.^[5]

Route description

North Carolina to Petersburg

I-95 continues the pattern of being a four-lane highway from

Petersburg to Richmond

North of Petersburg, I-95 crosses the Appomattox River and enters the city of Colonial Heights and then Chesterfield County. An extraordinarily high Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge carries SR 895 (Pocahontas Parkway) over I-95 and the James River just south of the Richmond city limits. A CSX Transportation railroad line runs parallel to the northbound lane in the vicinity of the Port of Richmond, and the Commerce Road Industrial Area, a region that includes a Philip Morris USA office and an old bridge manufacturing plant.^[9] As I-95 itself crosses the James River, Richmond Main Street Station can be seen on the north bank, and the road winds around the station itself.^[10] The first interchange after it crosses the James River is the tolled SR 195 freeway and from there the road winds toward the concurrency with I-64. I-64/I-95 curves to the northwest to cross under US 1/US 301, only to turn back north briefly, and curve northwest again, as it approaches SR 161. This pattern ends when I-64 turns west at the same interchange as the northern terminus of I-195. From here I-95 curves back to the northeast and has two interchanges with US 1, and later US 301 separately, the latter of which has separate carriageways on both side of I-95. Another interchange with I-295 exists in Glen Allen. However, I-295 does not terminate there, and the south-to-eastbound and west-to-northbound offramps between the two can be accessed in the medians of both roads.

Central Virginia to Washington, D.C.

Throughout much of central Virginia, I-95 climbs a series of hills and contains wide tree-lined medians. Near

Further north in

I-95 extends the twin-lane barrier-separated high-occupancy toll lanes (HOV lanes) that begin on I-395 at the 14th Street bridges in Washington. These lanes have been extended south several times, most recently to just north of Stafford right before the Garrisonville Road exit.

As part of the Quantico Creek bridge rebuilding project, a three-lane, 300-foot-long (91 m) bridge was constructed in the median just south of the old southern HOV terminus for use when the HOV facilities were extended. It was previously used as a detour bridge and retained its lane striping from such use.

In December 2014, this bridge became part of the Southern HOV/HOT lane extension project that now runs to just north of Garrisonville Road (exit 143) in Stafford.^[12][13]

The new I-95 HOV/HOT lanes project created approximately 29 miles (47 km) of HOV/HOT lanes on I-95 from Garrisonville Road in Stafford County to the vicinity of Edsall Road on I-395 in Fairfax County.^[14]

In July 2016, VDOT began construction of an additional one-mile (1.6 km) extension of the HOV/HOT lanes on I-95 south of Garrisonville Road in Stafford County. This addition opened in November 2017.^[15]

Welcome centers, rest areas, and weigh stations

• Northbound Virginia Welcome Center: Milepost 1, north of the North Carolina state line
• Northbound Petersburg Welcome Center: Milepost 35 between exits 33 and 37
• Carson Weigh Stations: Milepost 40 between exits 37 and 41
• Ladysmith Rest Areas: Milepost 108 between exits 104 and 110
• Southbound Fredericksburg Rest Area: Milepost 132 between exits 130 and 133
• Dumfries Rest Area and Weigh Stations: Milepost 153 between exits 152 and 156
• Dale City Rest Areas: Milepost 155 between exits 152 and 156

Usage

In 2010, volume at Newington, northbound, from 6:00–9:00 am, is about 8,800 vehicles in the two HOV lanes and 18,300 vehicles in the three lanes with no restriction.^[16]

Auxiliary routes

Current

• I-195 is a short spur from north of downtown Richmond south into downtown.
• I-295 is a bypass to the east of Richmond, from I-95 south of Petersburg, across I-64 east of Richmond and I-95 north of Richmond to I-64 west of Richmond.
• I-395 is a branch from Springfield north into downtown Washington, D.C.
  It was part of I-95 until 1977.
• I-495 is the Capital Beltway
  , a full loop around Washington, D.C. Since 1977, I-95 has run along its eastern half.

• I-95 Business was a former business loop of I-95 through Emporia between exits 8 and 12, running mostly along US 301.
• I-595 was a planned branch from I-395 south to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport along US 1
  .
• I-795 was a planned number for present I-95 from I-295 south of Petersburg north to I-85 in downtown Petersburg; I-95 would have bypassed Petersburg and Richmond to the east on I-295. The renumbering was never done because tolls were removed from the Richmond–Petersburg Turnpike
  section of I-95.
• Pocahontas Parkway
  , a connection from I-95 south of Richmond east to I-295. It was not numbered as an Interstate because the project opened as a toll road using federal funds, thus disqualifying it from Interstate status.

Exit list

County	Location	mi[2]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Greensville	​	0.00	0.00		I-95 south – Rocky Mount	Continuation into North Carolina
	SR 629 – Skippers
	​	8.25	13.28	8	US 301 – Emporia
US 58 – South Hill, Emporia, Norfolk		Signed as exits 11A (east) and 11B (west)
Greensville	​	12.99	20.91	12	US 301 north	Northbound exit only
	​	13.51	21.74	13	SR 614 – Emporia
Sussex	​	17.30	27.84	17	US 301
	​	20.25	32.59	20	SR 139
	SR 645
	Stony Creek	30.92	49.76	31	SR 40 – Stony Creek, Waverly
	​	33.37	53.70	33	SR 602
SR 141 west
	Templeton	40.88	65.79	41	US 301 / SR 35 / SR 156 – Courtland
	Kingwood	45.42	73.10	45	US 301
	​	46.53	74.88	46	Washington, Richmond International Airport	I-295 to 95 north exit 1
SR 629 (Rives Road)
		48.89	78.68	48	Wagner Road ( Southside Regional Medical Center
		50.61– 51.06	81.45– 82.17	50	SR 109 / US 301 (Crater Road) / Wythe Street / Washington Street – Fort Gregg-Adams	Northbound signed as "US 460 east to SR 109/US 301/Wythe St./Washington St."; southbound signed as "US 301/US 460 Bus." only; signed as exits 50A (US 460), 50B-C (US 301), and 50D (Wythe St./Washington St.) northbound
		51.71	83.22	51	I-85 south / US 460 west – Durham, South Hill, Blackstone	Northern end of US 460 concurrency; Northern terminus of I-85; northbound signed as "South Hill/Blackstone"; southbound signed as "Durham"
		52.14	83.91	52	Bank Street	Northbound exit only
		52.15	83.93		Washington Street / Wythe Street ( Historic Old Towne Petersburg
Appomattox River		52.79	84.96	Appomattox River Bridge
City of Colonial Heights		53.00	85.30	53	Southpark Boulevard
		53.98	86.87	54	SR 144 (Temple Avenue) to SR 36
SR 746 (Ruffin Mill Road)	Signed as exits 58A (east) and 58B (west) southbound
	Chester	60.81	97.86	61	SR 10 – Hopewell, Chester	Signed as exits 61A (east) and 61B (west)
		62.62	100.78	62	Chesterfield
	​	64.66	104.06	64	SR 613 (Willis Road)
	US 360 west / I-295 – Richmond International Airport	Signed as exits 67A (east) and 67B (north) northbound; no access from I-95 south to SR 895 east
City of Richmond		69.35	111.61	69	SR 161 (Bells Road)
		73.16	117.74	73	Maury Street / Commerce Road
		73.61	118.46	James River Bridge
		74.01	119.11	74A	SR 76 south)
		74.30	119.57	74B	Franklin Street	Southbound exit only
		74.63	120.11	74C	US 250 (Broad Street) to US 33	No access from I-95 south to US 250 east
		75.55	121.59	75	I-64 east / 7th Street – Williamsburg, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Richmond International Airport	Southern end of I-64 concurrency; I-64 exit 190
		75.85	122.07	76A	US 1 / US 301 (Chamberlayne Avenue)	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		76.09	122.45	76B	US 1 / US 301 (Belvidere Street)	No northbound exit
		78.06	125.63	78	SR 161 (Arthur Ashe Boulevard)
		78.84	126.88	79	SR 76 south) – Charlottesville	Northern end of I-64 concurrency; I-64 exit 187
		79.91	128.60	80	SR 161 (Hermitage Road / Lakeside Avenue)	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Henrico	Brook Hill	80.82	130.07	81	US 1 (Brook Road)	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	​	81.12	130.55	82	US 301 / SR 2 (Chamberlayne Avenue)	Former northern terminus of Richmond–Petersburg Turnpike
	SR 73 west (Parham Road)	Signed as exits 83A (east) and 83B (west)
	​	84.41	135.84	84	Rocky Mount, NC, Richmond International Airport	Signed as exits 84A (south) and 84B (north); I-295 exit 43; Rocky Mount, NC signed northbound; Williamsburg and Virginia Beach signed southbound
SR 656 – Atlee, Elmont	Signed as exits 86A (east) and 86B (west)
	Lewistown	89.09	143.38	89	SR 802 (Lewistown Road)
	Ashland	91.74	147.64	92	SR 54 – Ashland, Hanover	Signed as exits 92A (east) and 92B (west) northbound
	​	97.75	157.31	98	SR 30 – Doswell, West Point, Kings Dominion	Southbound exit splits to separate ramp to Kings Dominion
Caroline	Carmel Church	104.18	167.66	104	SR 207 to US 301 – Carmel Church, Bowling Green
	SR 229 west
SR 606 – Thornburg
	​	125.84	202.52	126	Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg	Southern end of US 17 concurrency; signed as exits 126A (north) and 126B (south) northbound
City of Fredericksburg		129.54	208.47	130	SR 3 – Culpeper, Fredericksburg	Signed as exits 130A (east) and 130B (west)
Rappahannock River		131.83	212.16	Rappahannock Falls Bridge
US 17 Bus. – Warrenton, Falmouth, Fredericksburg	Northern end of US 17 concurrency; signed as exits 133A (US 17 Bus.) and 133B (north) southbound
	​			♦	I-95 Express north	South end of proposed I-95 Express lanes extension for construction to start in 2019
	​	135.61	218.24	136	Stafford Airport	Exit opened December 22, 2005
	​	139.83	225.03	140	SR 212 east
	​	141.00	226.92	♦	I-95 Express north	Current south end of I-95 Express lanes
	SR 213
		143B	SR 213
	​	145.30	233.84	♦	I-95 Express north	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Prince William	​	147.65	237.62	148	Marine Corps Base Quantico
	Triangle	149.97	241.35	150	SR 619 – Triangle, Quantico, Prince William Forest Park	Signed as exits 150A (east) and 150B (west) southbound; commercial vehicles to Marine Corps Base Quantico must use exit 148
	​	151.00	243.01	♦	I-95 Express north	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Dumfries	152.36	245.20	152	SR 234 – Dumfries, Manassas	Signed as exits 152A (south) and 152B (north)
	Dale City	155.91	250.91	156	SR 784 – Dale City, Rippon Landing	Since 2012, signed as exits 156A (east) and 156B (west); northbound entrance includes direct entrance ramp from Opitz Boulevard, and direct exit ramp to I-95 Express lanes
	​	157.00	252.67	♦	I-95 Express	No direct northbound exit
	​	158.13	254.49	158	SR 294 (Prince William Parkway) – Woodbridge, Manassas	Signed as exits 158A (east) and 158B (west)
	​	158.13	254.49	♦	SR 294 (Prince William Parkway) – Manassas, Woodbridge	Southbound exit and northbound entrance for I-95 Express lanes; exit includes direct exit ramp to Horner Road Commuter Parking Lot
	Woodbridge	160.05	257.58	160	SR 123 – Occoquan, Lake Ridge, Woodbridge	Signed as exits 160A (south) and 160B (north) northbound; no access from I-95 south to SR 123 south
	​	160.05	257.58	♦	SR 123 – Occoquan, Lake Ridge	Southbound exit and northbound entrance for I-95 Express lanes
Fairfax	Lorton	161.17	259.38	161	US 1 north – Fort Belvoir, Mount Vernon	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
					US 1 south – Woodbridge	Southbound exit and northbound entrance for I-95 Express lanes
					Module:Jctint/USA warning: Unused argument(s): exit
		US 1 south – Woodbridge	Southbound left exit and northbound entrance
	163.66	263.39	163	SR 642 – Lorton
	I-95 Express north	Northbound exit only
		166.00	267.15	♦	Alban Road / Boudinot Drive	Southbound entrance only for I-95 Express lanes
		166.80	268.44	166	SR 286 (Fairfax County Parkway) / Backlick Road (SR 617) / Fullerton Road / Heller Road – Newington, Fort Belvoir	Signed as exits 166A (south) and 166B (north); Heller Rd. not signed northbound; Backlick Rd./Fullerton Rd. not signed southbound
		167.00	268.76	♦	I-95 Express south	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		167.81	270.06	167	SR 617 south (Backlick Road) / Fullerton Road	Southbound exit only
	Springfield	169.05	272.06	169A-B	SR 644 – Franconia, Springfield	No southbound exit; signed as exits 169A (east) and 169B (west)
				♦	SR 289 (Franconia-Springfield Parkway)	I-95 Express lane interchange
				♦	I-95 Express north	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
				♦	SR 644 west – Springfield	Southbound exit and northbound entrance for I-95 Express lanes
		169.05– 171.01	272.06– 275.21	170A-B	I-495 north – Washington, Tysons Corner	Part of Springfield Interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance; signed as exits 170A (I-395) and 170B (I-495); I-395 exits 1A-B
				♦	I-395 Express north	I-95 Express lane interchange; part of Springfield Interchange
				♦	I-495 north – Tysons Corner	I-95 Express lane interchange; part of Springfield Interchange
				♦	I-95 Express south	Part of Springfield Interchange; north end of I-95 Express lanes
				170B	I-495 north – Tysons Corner	Southern end of I-495 concurrency; part of Springfield Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Franconia	171.97	276.76	173	SR 613 (Van Dorn Street) – Franconia	Formerly signed as exit 3 (following old Capital Beltway numbering)
	​	173.51	279.24	174	Eisenhower Avenue Connector – Alexandria
	​	174.31	280.52	—	I-95 north / I-495 Local east – Alexandria	South end of Thru Lanes
	Huntington	175.06	281.73	176A-B	SR 241 / SR 611 south (Telegraph Road / North Kings Highway) / to Eisenhower Avenue – Alexandria	Signed as exits 176A (south) and 176B (north); formerly signed as exit 2 (following old Capital Beltway numbering)
176.27		283.68	—	Eisenhower Avenue	Southbound exit and northbound entrance for Thru Lanes only
City of Alexandria		176.57	284.16	177A-B	US 1 – Alexandria, Fort Belvoir	Signed as exits 177A (south) and 177B (north); formerly signed as exit 1 (following old Capital Beltway numbering); entrances include direct entrance ramps onto Thru Lanes; no access to northbound Thru Lanes from US 1 north
				177C	Mount Vernon	Southbound exit only
Potomac River		177.64	285.88	Woodrow Wilson Bridge VA–DC and DC–MD lines
					I-495 Local north (Capital Beltway) – Baltimore	Continuation beyond Virginia
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Electronic toll collection       HOV only       Incomplete access       Unopened

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 95 in Virginia.

Interstate 95
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