Beginning August 13 through the end of the month, the 495 Express Lanes team will be testing the Express Lanes tolling and traffic management systems through a series of “test-drives” at highway speeds in the 495 Express Lanes, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

Drivers traveling on the adjacent Beltway lanes are advised to stay alert when traveling on the Beltway during this time, as the lanes are not yet open to the traveling public. The on-road vehicle testing is part of a thorough series of system tests that are underway on the 495 Express Lanes – all of which are necessary to ensure that the 495 Express Lanes tolling and traffic management equipment and systems (on the roadway and in the Operations Center) work properly and can manage Express Lanes traffic at all times.