Phase 5 of the SIIP involved widening the Beltway west of I-95, relocating the Outer Loop of the Beltway in the I-95 interchange area, and realignment of the ramp from I-395 southbound to I-495 westbound, and widening the Capital Beltway from I-395 westward to near VA-620 Braddock Road. Phase 5 was placed under construction in August of 2001, and was completed in May 2004 at a cost of $95.5 million.

Phases 4 and 5 of the SIIP included extensive construction of sound barrier walls along the western, southern and eastern edges of the interchange and approaches. Notice the sound barrier walls under construction along the edge of the Beltway.

Shirley Highway is I-95 south of the Beltway, and is I-395 north of the Beltway. The Capital Beltway is I-495 throughout, and carries I-95 also east of Shirley Highway.

Flanking roadways have been built for the ramp highways to and from Shirley Highway, and mainline Beltway traffic is temporarily operating there as the mainline Beltway roadways and bridges are being demolished and reconstructed.

Notice the sound barrier walls under construction along the edge of the interchange.

Flanking roadways have been built for the ramp highways to and from Shirley Highway, and mainline Beltway traffic is temporarily operating there as the mainline Beltway roadways and bridges are being demolished and reconstructed.

In the center of the photo is the B-613 bridge under construction that will be part of the relocated Beltway Outer Loop roadway. The B-613 bridge is 1,395 feet long.

The elevated ramp under construction in the foreground is the B-610 bridge that will be the 2-lane express flyover ramp (the I-95 southbound through route) from the Beltway Inner Loop (from Wilson Bridge) to I-95 south.

In the center of the photo is the B-613 bridge under construction that will be part of the relocated Beltway Outer Loop roadway.

The Beltway Outer Loop roadway is being relocated in the interchange area, inboard of its original location to the west of the interchange, to provide roadside space for wide high capacity ramps to be built between the Outer Loop and Shirley Highway (I-95 and I-395), without needing expensive right-of-way acquisition of many adjacent homes and apartment buildings; and outboard of its original location to the east of the interchange, to provide median space for the pair of elevated ramps with the flyover bridges that connect the I-95 through traffic movements between the I-95/I-495 Beltway and I-95 Shirley Highway.

Phase 4 of the SIIP involved these three major portions: constructing the I-95 southbound roadway from the Capital Beltway to the VA-7900 Franconia-Springfield Parkway, constructing a 4,870-foot-long flyover bridge for traffic heading west on I-495 to I-95 south (the I-95 southbound through route), and widening the Capital Beltway from I-395 east to VA-613 Van Dorn Street. Phase 4 was placed under construction in November 2000, and was completed in October 2004 at a cost of $178.5 million.

Phases 4 and 5 of the SIIP included extensive construction of sound barrier walls along the western, southern and eastern edges of the interchange and approaches.

Notice the sound barrier walls under construction along the edge of the interchange.

The bridge in the mainline of the Beltway, passes over the 2-track CSXT railroad mainline (which carries freight trains, Amtrak trains, and Virginia Railway Express commuter trains), and passes over the 2-track WMATA Metrorail Franconia/Springfield Route (Blue Line trains). The pre-existing pair of 4-lane bridges is being replaced by a pair of longer bridges that will each have 7 lanes. The new Outer Loop bridge has been constructed, and Beltway traffic is temporarily operating there with 4 lanes each way while the pre-existing Inner Loop bridge is demolished and a new Inner Loop bridge is being built. The replacement of these bridges was tedious due to railroad regulations that limited construction to only a few hours per day. The new bridge (B-635) has 4 spans, one over each railroad, and two to provide storm drainage.  The B-635 bridge is 507 feet long.