New express lanes along Interstate 66 from Gainesville to Centreville, Virginia, are now open to traffic.
The lanes were unveiled by officials in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday. The nine-mile western section of the lanes opened on Saturday.
"It's official! 66 Express Lanes (EB & WB) are now fully open," the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said.
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The change will affect commuters heading in to work. Those drivers will now have access to two new lanes in each direction.
Driving on the new express lanes is currently free. VDOT said they are not going to charge tolls on the new portion of the roadway for about a month.
After the initial period, the tolls will go into effect and the lanes will operate the same way that the express lane system around the region operates. This means drivers will be able to pay to get around rush-hour traffic.
The remaining 13 miles of work on I-66 from Centreville to the Beltway is still being worked on. It is expected to open in December.
