 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 | |||
| North end |  I-95 / 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 95 (I-95) runs 179 miles (288 km) within the commonwealth of Virginia between its borders with North Carolina and Maryland. I-95 meets the northern terminus of I-85 in Petersburg and is concurrent with I-64 for three miles (4.8 km) in Richmond. Although I-95 was originally planned as a highway through Washington, D.C. (following the route of what is now I-395), it was rerouted along the eastern portion of the Capital Beltway concurrent with I-495. From Petersburg to Richmond, I-95 utilized most of the Richmond–Petersburg Turnpike, a former toll road (the south end of the toll road was on I-85). In addition to Richmond, the route also runs through the medium-sized cities of Emporia, Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Fredericksburg, and Alexandria.
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 was completed on December 7, 2023.[4]
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]
- ^ Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ Staff (2014). "2014 Traffic Data". Virginia Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
- Greensville County and City of Emporia (PDF)
- Sussex County (PDF)
- Prince George County and City of Hopewell (PDF)
- Dinwiddie County and City of Petersburg (PDF)
- Chesterfield County, City of Richmond, and City of Colonial Heights (PDF)
- Henrico County (PDF)
- Hanover County (PDF)
- Caroline County (PDF)
- Spotsylvania County and City of Fredericksburg (PDF)
- Stafford County (PDF)
- Prince William County, City of Manassas, and City of Manassas Park (PDF)
- Fairfax County, City of Fairfax, and City of Falls Church (PDF)
- Arlington County and City of Alexandria (PDF)
- ^ Thomson, Robert (May 8, 2012). "Southbound I-95: Drivers warn of heavy traffic, offer tips to avoid the worst of it". WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- ^ "I-95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension | Virginia Department of Transportation". www.vdot.virginia.gov. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ "'Starving, freezing': Sen. Kaine among hundreds snowed in, stuck for hours on I-95 in Virginia". FOX 5 San Diego. January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.