Could Virginia’s express lane extension plan go into Maryland?

Virginia recently expanded its express lane network, with new lanes opening in the Tyson and McLean areas. So what happens when those lanes end right around the American Legion Bridge?

Maryland leaders are now being questioned about the possibility of express lanes reaching their side of the Potomac.

Virginia has basically gone as far as it can with express lanes on this section of the Beltway. The American Legion Bridge belongs to Maryland, and anything that’s going to happen across this bridge or into the Maryland Beltway, that is solely on the state of Maryland.

Should even more express toll lanes now head across the legion bridge and continue into Maryland? News4 asked some Maryland drivers and support for a new, quicker travel option across the Potomac.

“It would be nice to go to Tysons again,” said Matt, a Maryland driver. “It’s kind of impossible to get there with the traffic.”

“Because it’s time-saving and there’s so much traffic on the Beltway coming to and from, I think it would be a nice addition,” said Stephanie, another Maryland driver. “I don’t want to go through the hassle of making it, so, but other than that would be in favor.”

Any new improvement will take construction — and a lot of it.

Chris Conklin with Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation told News4 much of their focus, along with the state right now, is on building a new American Legion Bridge or making serious upgrades to the existing structure.

“From what we understand, the state is working hard to come up with a viable financial plan to enhance, repair and replace the American legion bridge,” he said.

That could mean federal funding or some sort of toll revenue plan for the bridge.

Experts News4 has talked to say the existing Legion Bridge in its current form will need serious upgrades or need to be replaced completely by the end of this decade — as in four years or so.

Maryland’s Department of Transportation sent News4 a statement about the Legion Bridge, saying, “Current activities funded in Maryland’s capital budget include completing field investigations necessary for final design and construction, acquiring permits and developing a life cycle study for the Legion Bridge to determine various options to maintain the existing bridge in a state of good repair.”

During a ribbon cutting for the new express lanes in Virginia, outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin talked about the need for Maryland leaders to begin improvements on their side of the beltway.

“We collectively urge Maryland to get on with it,” he said.

Sources also say the Moore administration in Maryland is looking forward to better agreement about how to reshape this part of the Beltway with incoming Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

Officials also told News4 money for a new Legion bridge could be tight, because Maryland has other bridge projects in the works, including replacing the collapsed Key Bridge in Baltimore and safety improvements to the Bay Bridge.