Enjoy Life in the Fast Lane for Free this Weekend

Have you always wanted to try the 495 Express lanes in Northern Virginia, but don’t have an EZ Pass or thought it may not be worth the toll? This weekend, you can take the Express lanes for a test drive at no cost, and with no need for an EZ Pass, according to the Washington Post’s Dr. Gridlock.

Dr. Gridlock received a question from a reader who had received an email announcing the free usage weekend, and wondered how the event would be advertised on the electronic signs along the Express Lane’s route.

The 495 Express Lanes run for 14 miles in the middle of the Capital Beltway, from approximately one mile south of the George Washington Parkway/Georgetown Pike exit to where 95 and 395 intersect in between Springfield and Franconia.

The regular price for using the lanes varies between $0.20 and $1.25 per mile, based on the amount of traffic on the lanes at a given time. Electronic signs change with the pricing, but once you enter the lane, your price will not change during your journey.

Earlier this year, Patch reported on the possibility of Maryland constructing similar dynamically priced lanes.