In the
CommonwealthA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
,
Interstate 95 runs 179 miles (288.1 km) through the state. It runs concurrently for 3 miles (4.8 km) with
Interstate 64Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
in
RichmondRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, and meets the northern terminus of
Interstate 85Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
in
PetersburgPetersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
. Though Interstate 95 was originally planned to go straight through
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, it was instead routed around it, along the eastern portion of the
Capital BeltwayInterstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
. From Petersburg to Richmond, I-95 was the
Richmond-Petersburg TurnpikeThe Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was a toll road located in the Richmond-Petersburg region of central Virginia, USA.After World War II, major traffic congestion occurred in the area around Richmond and Petersburg along U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 301...
.
The point where it enters the Capital Beltway, the
Springfield InterchangeThe Springfield Interchange, also known as the Mixing Bowl, is the interchange of Interstate 95, Interstate 395, and Interstate 495 in Springfield, Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C....
, is one of the busiest interchanges in the United States. I-95 continues into
MarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
along the
BeltwayInterstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
over the
Woodrow Wilson BridgeThe Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Potomac River between the independent city of Alexandria, Virginia and Oxon Hill in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. While over the water near the Virginia shore, it crosses the southern tip of the District of...
.
Route description
From North Carolina to Petersburg
Interstate 95 continues the pattern of being a four-lane highway from North Carolina. The welcome center forbids trucks, but truck stops at the first two interchanges provides a substitute place for truckers to stay before reaching
EmporiaEmporia is an independent city located within the confines of Greensville County, Virginia, United States. The population was estimated to be 5,927 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Emporia with surrounding Greensville county for statistical purposes...
. North of here, I-95 and US 301 are often intertwined with each other as they encounter interchanges with Virginia Secondary State Routes. In the Owens-Stony Creek area in Sussex County, the road not only runs parallel to US 301 but shares bridges with I-95, many of which have access to Route 301 from connecting roads. This pattern ends at Exit 33 at the corner of a fairly popular truck stop and travel center. Crossing the Sussex-Prince George County Line, the first site along I-95 is another rest area that also serves as the Petersburg Area Tourrist Information Center. The road makes a slight northeast turn between Carson and Templeton, then turns straight north again before approaching the south end of
Interstate 295Interstate 295 is an eastern and northern bypass of the cities of Richmond and Petersburg in the U.S. state of Virginia. The southern terminus is a junction with Interstate 95 southeast of Petersburg...
just before crossing the southern border of the
City of PetersburgPetersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
at Exit 47. A series of frontage roads connecting the interchanges with
US 460U.S. Route 460 in Virginia runs east–west through the southern part of the state. It has two separate pieces in Virginia, joined by a relatively short section in West Virginia...
,
US 301U.S. Route 301 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Sarasota, Florida to Glasgow, Delaware. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the North Carolina state line near Skippers north to the Maryland state line at the Potomac River near Dahlgren. US 301 forms the local complement...
and the northern terminus of
Interstate 85Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
. Immediatley after the interchange with Interstate 85, remnants of the former toll booths for the
Richmond-Petersburg TurnpikeThe Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was a toll road located in the Richmond-Petersburg region of central Virginia, USA.After World War II, major traffic congestion occurred in the area around Richmond and Petersburg along U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 301...
can be found.
Petersburg through Richmond
North of Petersburg, I-95 crosses the Appomattox River and enters the City of Colonial Heights and then Chesterfield County. Pocahontas Parkway and an extroadinarily high Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge over I-95 and the James River just south of the
Richmond City LimitsRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. A CSX 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 an R.J. Reynolds office and an old bridge manufacturing plant. As I-95 itself crosses the James River,
Main Street StationRichmond Main Street Station is a historic railroad station and office building in Richmond, Virginia. Originally built in 1901, it is currently served by Amtrak, and is planned in the future to become the northern terminus of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor as well as an intermodal station...
can be seen on the north bank, and the road winds around the station itself. The first interchange after it crosses the James River is the tolled
State Route 195Virginia State Route 195 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as the Downtown Expressway, the state highway runs from Interstate 195 east to I-95 within the independent city of Richmond. SR 195 is a toll freeway that connects the West End of Richmond with Downtown...
and from there the road winds towards the multiplex with
Interstate 64In the U.S. state of Virginia, Interstate 64 runs east–west through the middle of the state from West Virginia to the Hampton Roads region, a total of . It is notable for crossing the mouth of the harbor of Hampton Roads on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, the first bridge-tunnel to...
. I-64/95 curves to the northwest to cross under US 1/301, only to turn back north briefly, and curve northwest again, as it approaches VA 161. This pattern ends when I-64 turns west at the same intechange 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 separatley, the latter of which has separate carriageways on both side of I-95. Another interchange with
Interstate 295Interstate 295 is an eastern and northern bypass of the cities of Richmond and Petersburg in the U.S. state of Virginia. The southern terminus is a junction with Interstate 95 southeast of Petersburg...
exists in Glen Allen. However I-295 does not terminate here, and the south-to-eastbound and west-to-northbound off-ramps between the two can be accesed in the medians of both roads.
Central Virginia toward Washington, D.C.
Throughout much of Central Virginia, I-95 climbs a series of mountains, and contains wide tree-lined medians. Close to the 100 mile mark in Doswell, signs for the Kings Dominion amusement park are blended in with standard destination signs. Near Fredericksburg, another interchange with US 1 is also the location of the multiplex with
US 17U.S. Route 17 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Punta Gorda, Florida to Winchester, Virginia. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the North Carolina state line in Chesapeake north to its northern terminus at US 11, US 50, and US 522 in Winchester. US 17 is a major highway...
from Massaponax to Falmouth. The wide tree-line divider resumes north of here. At Exits 143 in Aquia, the northbound off and on ramps connect directly to US 1, even though the interchange is specifically for VSR 610. Crossing over the Chopawamsic Creek takes I-95 through Quantico MCB, which contains some restrictive interchanges. After Quantico, the bi-directional HOV lane begins, and runs through the center of I-95 through most of the rest of its journey toward DC.
Further north in Prince William County, there are four rest areas; two for trucks in Dumfries, and two for cars in Dale City. The truck rest areas contain their own weigh stations, and are located near Exit 152. The car rest areas have uniquely positioned entrance and exit ramps. The southbound car rest area is so close to Exit 156 that it is only accessible from the southbound collective-distributor road. In Lorton, a scissor interchange exists with US 1.
Lorton Auto Train StationLorton is a railroad terminal in Lorton, Virginia. It is the northern terminal for Amtrak's Auto Train which operates between this station and Sanford, FL. When Auto-Train was originally established in Lorton in 1971, the station house was still under construction...
is conveniently located at Exit 163. Due to public opposition of efforts to build I-95 through Washington D.C. and
College Park, MarylandCollege Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S...
, I-95 is diverted onto a multiplex with
Interstate 495Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
at the
Springfield InterchangeThe Springfield Interchange, also known as the Mixing Bowl, is the interchange of Interstate 95, Interstate 395, and Interstate 495 in Springfield, Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C....
. From here, I-95/495 trudge east through Franconia where it runs over the WMATA Blue Line, Rose Hill, and Huntington where it runs under the WMATA Yellow Line, and finally Alexandria where it crosses the
Woodrow Wilson BridgeThe Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Potomac River between the independent city of Alexandria, Virginia and Oxon Hill in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. While over the water near the Virginia shore, it crosses the southern tip of the District of...
into
MarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
Auxiliary routes
- Interstate 195
Interstate 195 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as the Beltline Expressway, the highway runs from Virginia State Route 195 , a toll road that continues south into Downtown Richmond, north to I-64 and I-95 on the northern edge of Richmond. I-195 passes through the West...
is a short spur from north of downtown RichmondRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
south into downtown.
- Interstate 295
Interstate 295 is an eastern and northern bypass of the cities of Richmond and Petersburg in the U.S. state of Virginia. The southern terminus is a junction with Interstate 95 southeast of Petersburg...
is a bypass to the east of RichmondRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, from I-95 south of PetersburgPetersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
, across Interstate 64Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
east of Richmond and I-95 north of Richmond to I-64 west of Richmond.
- Interstate 395 is a branch from Springfield
Springfield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States and a suburb of Washington, D.C. The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 30,484 as of the 2010 census. Homes and businesses in bordering CDPs including North Springfield,...
north into downtown Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
It was part of I-95 until 1977.
- Interstate 495 is the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
, a full loop around Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Since 1977, I-95 has run along its east half.
- Interstate 595 was a planned branch from I-395 south to Washington National Airport along U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs 2,377 miles from Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border south to Key West, Florida. U.S. 1 generally parallels Interstate 95, though it is significantly farther west between...
.
- Interstate 795 was a planned number for present I-95 from I-295 south of Petersburg
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
to Interstate 85Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
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 TurnpikeThe Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was a toll road located in the Richmond-Petersburg region of central Virginia, USA.After World War II, major traffic congestion occurred in the area around Richmond and Petersburg along U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 301...
section of I-95.
- State Route 895 is the Pocahontas Parkway, a connection from I-95 south of Richmond
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
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.
HOV facilities
Interstate 95 extends the twin-lane barrier-separated
HOV LaneIn transportation engineering and transportation planning, a high-occupancy vehicle lane is a lane reserved for vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers...
s that begin on I-395 at the 14th Street Bridge in Washington. These lanes have been extended several times, most recently to just south of
Woodbridge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,941 people, 10,687 households, and 7,769 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,047.8 people per square mile . There were 11,026 housing units at an average density of 1,052.1/sq mi...
.
As part of the
Quantico CreekQuantico Creek is a tidal tributary of the Potomac River in eastern Prince William County, Virginia. Quantico Creek rises southeast of Independent Hill, flows through Prince William Forest Park and Dumfries and empties into the Potomac at Possum Point....
bridge rebuilding project, a currently unused three-lane 300 feet (91.4 m) long bridge was constructed in the median just south of the southern HOV terminus for use if and when the HOV facilities are extended. It was previously used as a detour bridge and retains its lane striping from such use.
The new I-95 HOV/HOT lanes project will create approximately 29 miles (46.7 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 and includes: Constructing two new reversible HOV/HOT lanes for 9 miles (14.5 km) from Route 610/Garrisonville Road in Stafford County to Route 234 in Dumfries, where the existing HOV lanes begin. Widening the existing HOV lanes from two lanes to three lanes for 14 miles (22.5 km) from the Prince William Parkway to approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the Springfield Interchange in the vicinity of Edsall Road. Making improvements to the existing two HOV lanes for 6 miles (9.7 km) from Route 234 to the Prince William Parkway. Adding new or improved access points in the areas of Garrisonville Road, Joplin Road, Prince William Parkway, Fairfax County Parkway, Franconia-Springfield Parkway, I-495 and in the vicinity of Edsall Road. The new HOV/HOT lanes project will no longer include the originally planned construction of 6 miles (9.7 km) of HOV/HOT lanes on I-395 in Alexandria or Arlington County or upgrades to key interchanges at Shirlington and Eads Street in Arlington County. Those lanes will continue to be restricted to HOV, transit, eligible hybrids and motorcycles during rush hours. However, VDOT is advancing plans to construct a new ramp at I-395 and Seminary Road for the Mark Center, concurrent with the HOV/HOT lanes project. The ramp will be open to HOV and transit only. Construction on the ramp could begin as early as 2012.VDOT will also expand park-and-ride lots and fund other local transit improvements to maximize the benefit of the new HOV/HOT lanes network. Construction of the 14-mile HOT lanes project on I-495 is more than 50 percent complete and the lanes will open to traffic by early 2013. VDOT is also advancing studies to support the ultimate extension of HOV/HOT lanes on I-95 south of Route 610 into Spotsylvania County.
Exit list
As was common in other states, the present Interstate 95 routing in Virginia utilized pre-existing expressways and turnpikes. As sections opened, the existing sequential exit numbering was not modified; as a result, traveling from an old turnpike onto a new section of pavement (or vice versa) could result in a jump in exit numbers up or down. For instance, when entering from the south the section of I-95 previously signed only as the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike, the exit number jumped from 13 to 2. Similarly, when traveling from the Turnpike onto a new section of I-95 north of it, the exit number jumped from 17 to 35. One result of this was that a driver traveling from border to border in the state on the same Interstate routing would encounter
three Exit 2s before leaving.
In the late 1980s,
VDOTThe Virginia Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. Headquartered in Downtown Richmond, VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads, bridges and tunnels in the...
undertook a major redesignating of exit numbers throughout the state from the haphazard sequential system to the mileage-based scheme used today.
Usage
In 2010, volume at Newington, northbound, from 6-9 am, is about 8,800 vehicles in the two HOV lanes, 18,300 vehicles in the three lanes with no restriction.
External links