This browser does not support the Video element.
Diverging diamond interchange to open in Stafford County
Have you ever heard of a diverging diamond interchange? Ready or not, one is about to debut in Northern Virginia.
STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - Have you ever heard of a diverging diamond interchange? Ready or not, one is about to debut in Northern Virginia.
It’s part of a $195 million project aimed at reducing congestion in Stafford County’s Courthouse Road area. The interchange will open December 7 over Interstate 95 at Exit 140.
DOWNLOAD: The FOX 5 DC News app for local breaking news
Here’s how it’ll work, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation: The new interchange briefly shifts vehicles on Courthouse Rd to the other side of the road on new overpass bridges, which allows drivers to merge left onto the I-95 northbound and southbound ramps without stopping at a traffic signal.
VDOT released a simulation video of the intersection, which FOX 5 showed to drivers. Initial reviews were mixed.
“I think it’ll improve traffic for our local community, and I think we’ll see less slowdowns and jams here in northern Virginia,” Grant Ellis said.
“It looks like there’s a lot of room to move around,” Jennifer Atkins added. “So actually it looks pretty nice.”
Others, however, were a little less optimistic.
“52 years old, been driving since I was 16,” Steve Ostrosky said. “I am going to freak out the first time I approach that.”
VDOT is holding a community meeting on the diverging diamond interchange on December 2 at Colonial Forge High School. For additional details on the interchange and associated changes on the roadway, you can click here.