I-66 East Closes Friday for 9/11 Tribute

Virginia State Police warn area motorists to avoid the Dulles Toll Road and Interstate 66 Friday afternoon, as more than 1,800 motorcyclists pay tribute to the victims of September 11, 2001.

Police plan to block eastbound traffic on I-66 from the Capital Beltway to Route 110 southbound. No traffic will be allowed to access the on-ramps to I-66 eastbound between Fairfax and Arlington counties. 

The four-day motorcycle procession from Somerset, Pennsylvania, to the Pentagon and finally the World Trade Center is part of this year's America's 9/11 Foundation tribute. 

Riders are expected to enter Loudoun County from Maryland at about 2 p.m. Friday. They will pass Leesburg and take the Dulles Greenway to the toll road, then ride along I-66 into Arlington.

State police provided this breakdown of the procession.

Loudoun County/Town of Leesburg

• The riders are expected to enter Loudoun County from Maryland between 2 and 4 p.m. 
• Loudoun County Sheriff and state police will stop traffic at intersections on Route 15 from the Maryland state line to the Leesburg town line. Traffic from roads on the east side of Route 15 will be able to travel north. All traffic wishing to go south must find an alternate route or experience major delays.
• Suggested detour: Take Route 15N into Maryland, then take Route 340 west toward Brunswick, to Route 17 south through Brunswick, to Route 287 into Loudoun County. 
• Also expect significant traffic delays in and around Leesburg. 
• The ride will travel south on Route 15/Business (King Street) into Leesburg, continuing southbound through the Historic Downtown.
• Map and more information.

Dulles Greenway

• The procession continues onto the Route 15/7 Bypass east to the Dulles Greenway.
• Access from the Bypass to the Dulles Greenway will be closed to traffic. 
• Once on the Greenway, riders will remain in the far left lane. General vehicle traffic will remain in the far right lane. Traffic cones will be set up to separate the riders from general eastbound traffic as they ride the entire length of the Greenway and proceed through the Greenway Toll Plaza. 

Dulles Toll Road

• Intersections along the Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) and Dulles Access Road will be controlled by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police. 
• Riders will remain in the far left lane in the eastbound lanes of the Dulles Toll Road.
• Heavy traffic congestion and significant delays are expected for drivers traveling to and from the airport.

Interstate 66

• The riders will exit the Dulles Toll Road, proceed onto the Connector Road and enter I-66. 
• Eastbound lanes will be closed to traffic from the Capital Beltway to Route 110 southbound. No traffic will be allowed to access the on-ramps to I-66 eastbound between Fairfax and Arlington counties. 
• Heavy traffic congestion and delays are expected on I-66 and I-495. 
• Suggested detour: Travelers headed to the District should take I-495 north to the George Washington Memorial Parkway or I-495 south to Route 50 east (Arlington Blvd).
• Once the riders reach Route 110 in Arlington, the Arlington County Police Department, Virginia State Police and partnering law enforcement agencies will escort the motorcycles into Crystal City.