If you're driving on the Capital Beltway this weekend, you might want to pay attention to some fairly significant lane closures.

According to a press release, major lane closures are planned during daylight hours this Saturday, Dec. 16, at Route 1 in Alexandria, VA, on Interstate 95. Crews will be completing paving work as part of the Route 1 Interchange construction.

• All lanes on Route 1 South between Franklin Street and I-95/Capital Beltway will be closed. Drivers heading this direction will be detoured onto I-95 South/Beltway Inner Loop to the Telegraph Road South Exit to access I-95 North/Beltway Outer Loop and then back to Route 1 South.
• Route 1 North will be constricted down to one lane between I-95/Capital Beltway and Franklin Street.
• The ramp from I-95 South/Beltway Inner Loop to northbound Route 1 will be closed. Motorists will continue on the Inner Loop to the Telegraph Road South Exit to access I-95 North/Beltway Outer Loop to Route 1 North.

The lane closures are expected to take place Saturday between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Work may extend past 6 p.m. on Saturday or continue on Sunday during the same hours, if needed, to complete the pavement operation.

The closures will allow some paving that must be done to prepare for switching traffic in early/mid 2007 onto the new, eastern side of the Route 1 overpass. This work is weather-sensitive and needs to be completed before extremely cold winter weather conditions occur.

Once all Route 1 traffic is switched onto the newly completed first half of the overpass, the old Route 1 overpass will be demolished and the second half will be built. When finished in late 2008/early 2009, the Route 1 overpass will provide six lanes, as compared with four lanes currently.

Go to www.wilsonbridge.com or 877-INFO WWB (463-6992) for the latest lane closure information.