Click here to find current toll price estimates and past toll prices for any entrance or exit to the I-66 Express Lanes Inside the Beltway.
If you travel the lanes without an E-ZPass, you can still pay a missed toll online, pay a toll violation online, or wait to receive a toll violation notice invoice by mail.
The I-66 Inside the Beltway Express Lanes cover nine miles of I-66 between the I-495 interchange and U.S. Route 29 in Rosslyn near the Route 110 and Theodore Roosevelt Bridge split.
Current | Express Lanes Hours | |
Eastbound |
6:30 – 9 a.m.
Monday through Friday
|
5:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Monday through Friday
|
Westbound |
4 – 6:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday
|
3 – 7 p.m.
Monday through Friday
|
Express Lanes hours are extended from the current HOV-restricted hours to better manage traffic over a longer period and avoid congestion at the beginning and end of the restricted periods.
Rush hour tolling Inside the Beltway will NOT be in effect on federal holidays:
The lanes are open to all traffic, except trucks, at all other times outside the weekday rush hours designated above, with no tolling, HOV requirements, or E-ZPass needed.
During operating hours, single-occupant drivers who use the lanes will pay their tolls with an E-ZPass. No toll booths or options to pay cash exist.
During operating hours, high-occupancy vehicles with 2 or more occupants (HOV-2+) must have an E-ZPass Flex switched to the HOV mode to ensure they are not charged a toll. Effective Dec. 5, 2022, this changes to three or more people (HOV-3+).
No. Previous exemptions for vehicles bound for Dulles International Airport are no longer in effect. Drivers traveling to and from Dulles Airport on I-66 Inside the Beltway during the Express Lanes hours must pay a toll with an E-ZPass if traveling alone, or have two or more occupants and an E-ZPass Flex switched to HOV mode to travel for free.
No. Previous exemptions for Clean Special Fuel License Plate vehicles (or hybrids) are no longer in effect. Drivers traveling with a Clean Special Fuel License Plate on I-66 Inside the Beltway during the Express Lanes hours must pay a toll with an E-ZPass if traveling alone, or have two or more occupants and an E-ZPass Flex switched to HOV mode to travel for free.
Yes. Buses travel toll-free and will experience more reliable trips due to the managed express lanes. Buses need an E-ZPass Flex or a standard E-ZPass programmed to a bus classification.
Yes. Motorcycles travel toll-free and do not need an E-ZPass to access the lanes.
You can access the Express Lanes at all existing entrances and exits on I-66 Inside the Beltway.
The Virginia Department of Transportation will own, operate, and maintain the I-66 Express Lanes Inside the Beltway.
Tolls will be used by VDOT to operate and maintain the lanes, and then will be reinvested in the I-66 Corridor to help fund multimodal improvement projects such as new transit routes and park and ride lots to provide commuters with new travel choices.
The posted speed limit remains 55 miles per hour.
No. Trucks are prohibited from traveling on this stretch of I-66 at all times.
Tolls are dynamic and will fluctuate depending on the amount of traffic on the Express Lanes.
As with other Express Lanes facilities, dynamic pricing will manage demand for the lanes to provide users a reliable trip. When traffic volumes increase, tolls will rise, and when traffic volumes decrease, toll rates will fall.
Express Lanes provide a more reliable trip by managing traffic demand for buses and carpoolers while giving a new choice for single-occupant vehicles.
Drivers will see two pricing signs before committing to take the Express Lanes. Signs will show the prices for up to three destinations. Even if your exit is not displayed, you will be able to get a general idea of the toll to your destination based on the other prices.
No. Drivers will lock in their toll price at the second pricing sign, just before entering the Express Lanes.
The free mobile app for the Express Lanes is designed to provide current toll price estimates and historical pricing data. As more information is gathered, you will have a better idea of what people have paid to use the Express Lanes on certain dates/times on average. This information may help you plan your commute and make your decision about whether to use the Express Lanes.
If a technical issue prevents the dynamic pricing message signs from displaying the current toll prices for a period of time, toll prices will be still be in effect. The Express Lanes team will do everything possible to avoid this scenario and there are multiple backup systems in place to ensure the technology functions correctly. In the event the signs are blank, we will work as quickly as possible to get the signs working again.
Yes, you must have an E-ZPass or E-ZPass Flex properly mounted in your vehicle to use the Express Lanes. In addition, your E-ZPass account must always have a positive balance. No toll booths or options to pay cash exist.
If you use the Express Lanes without an E-ZPass, an image of your license plate will be captured and you will receive a violation notice requiring the payment of the toll plus an administrative fee.
If E-ZPass Flex holders do not use their transponder in the HOV mode for a period of more than six months, a one-time only fee of $10 is charged. This fee covers the added costs that are incurred by VDOT to purchase E-ZPass Flex transponders from the manufacturer. The $10 charge can be avoided by swapping the E-ZPass Flex for a standard E-ZPass.
If your E-ZPass Flex is in “toll mode” when you enter the Express Lanes, you will be charged a toll. To ensure that you get your toll-free trip when traveling HOV-2+*, it’s important to make sure you switch your E-ZPass Flex to HOV mode before you get on the Express Lanes.
*Effective Dec. 5, 2022, this changes to three or more people (HOV-3+).
A state trooper could pull you over and issue a ticket for violation of HOV. Incorrect use of the E-ZPass Flex in HOV mode – including switching between travel modes while on the Express Lanes – may also result in a ticket or being charged. That’s why it’s important to make sure you select the travel mode on your E-ZPass Flex before you get on the road.
P.O. Box 1234, Clifton Forge, Virginia 24422-1234