Interstate 95 South – the Inner Loop of the Capital Beltway – will have heavy traffic, construction and delays this weekend as the second half of the project’s Beltway Shift and most severe lane closures are scheduled to occur.

Traffic analysis for the weekend projects backups of 10 to 15 miles and delays of 60 to 90 minutes, even if 75 percent of travelers use alternative roadways.

From 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 12, until as late as 5 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 15, the Beltway’s Inner Loop will be reduced from four lanes to only one lane starting just before the Interstate 295 interchange in Virginia, continuing across the Wilson Bridge and ending past the Route 1 interchange in Virginia.

In addition, the following ramps will be closed:

• Ramp from I-295 south to the Inner Loop, with a posted detour to the Outer Loop, which allows drivers to loop back to the Inner Loop at the Maryland 414 interchange.
• Ramp from Route 1 north to the Inner Loop, with a posted detour to the Telegraph Road interchange via Huntington Avenue.
• Ramps from the Inner Loop to north and southbound Route 1, with posted detours to the Telegraph Road interchange.
• Ramp from the Inner Loop to Mt. Vernon (Church/Washington Street), with a detour to the Route 1 interchange. The Mt. Vernon (Church/Washington Street) ramp will remain closed until 2008 to accommodate ongoing construction.