Lane Ranger: I-95, Va.234 accident waiting to happen

A problem exists at the Va. 234 and Interstate 95 south ramp in Dumfries.

By: | Inside NoVA
Published: February 23, 2009

A problem exists at the Va. 234 and Interstate 95 south ramp in Dumfries. Eastbound Va. 234 traffic turning left onto I-95 south has a yield sign which allows Va. 234 east traffic to proceed onto the ramp.

There have been many near misses where the two traffic flows come together on the southbound ramp. Many drivers feel the yield sign means force their way into the traffic flow or speed up and race the right-of-way traffic to I-95. Many others will stop at the merge to actually yield to traffic from the Va. 234 traffic light and risk being rear-ended by others. I believe this location is an accident waiting to happen, not because of the design of the ramp but rather the poor attitudes of the drivers. Would it be possible for VDOT to take a look at this ramp and improve the mark-ings on the road, the signage, and/or the enforcement?

Jim Lang

Dumfries

Jim, we took your question to Mike Salmon at the Virginia Department of Transportation and he said the ramp should actually work as two free flowing lanes merging into one lane with no one yielding.

Salmon said they are currently working on a pavement and signing plan for that highway entry ramp. Those im-provements should be implemented sometime in the spring, Salmon said.

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