In order to address some of the traffic congestion on the Beltway, the Northern Virginia region completed its first-ever regional long-range transportation plan from 1987 to 1989. The 2010 plan included a recommendation of the completion of a regional HOV network. From 1995 to 1997, the Virginia Department of Transportation undertook a Major Investment Study (MIS) of the I-495 corridor and beginning in 1998, VDOT conducted an environmental review of potential improvements to the I-495 corridor, including lane expansion with the possibility of high occupancy lanes and reconfigured interchanges. In all, the studies identified and evaluated twenty different improvement strategies.
The MIS recommended two strategies for further study: 1) highway improvements that support HOV/bus use, and 2) transit planning for rail line connectivity. The next phase of the Capital Beltway study, the preliminary engineering and environmental analysis, identified the best combination of Beltway improvements based on engineering feasibility and environmental impact.
Given the regional impact of the project, representatives from federal, state, and local transportation agencies aided in the review and the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and identified three construction alternatives with 10 interchange connectivity enhancements.
As part of the EIS process, VDOT held three public hearings to solicit community input. Local government officials and citizens objected to various aspects such as the extensive cost (estimated as high as $3 billion in 2002) and the environmental and eminent domain impacts. Concurrent with this process, Fluor Enterprises submitted their own unsolicited bid to design and build High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on the Capital Beltway.