During construction, the existing eight-lane (four lanes per carriageway) Beltway was widened to a 12-lane facility, consisting of four general-purpose lanes per side and two HOT express lanes per side, located to the left of the general-purpose lanes. Construction required the replacement of more than 50 overpasses and bridges and the reconstruction of ten interchanges. The project also added direct connections between the Capital Beltway I-495 and the existing I-95/I-395 high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.

Construction began in June 2008 and was completed ahead of schedule and on budget, opening to traffic on November 17, 2012. Buses, motorcycles, and vehicles with three or more people are permitted to use the express lanes for free; other vehicles must pay a toll. The toll rates change dynamically according to traffic conditions, which, in turn, regulates demand for the lanes and keeps them operating at high speeds. Tolls are collected solely via electronic means using E-ZPass transponders; no cash toll booths are available. All vehicles using the Express Lanes, including those traveling for free under the high-occupancy vehicle provision, must have a transponder.

The speed limit on the lanes was increased from 55 mph to 65 mph on June 24, 2013, after a Procuring Authority study concluded an increase in speed would not pose a safety risk.

The Project Company was responsible for monitoring quality control and quality assurance of the design and construction, in accordance with the contract and the project management plans it had developed. The Project Authority provided compliance monitoring through independent verification and assurance to ensure contract requirements were met. In addition, project schedule progress and contract compliance were monitored and certified through a general engineering consultant, appointed by the Procuring Authority.

A risk management protocol was adopted by both the Procuring Authority and the Project Company, which was focussed on financial and schedule risk. Primavera P6 was used as the base software to manage the project schedule and to assess potential project schedule risk. In addition, the project team met weekly to resolve identified project risk and scope change items. The risk management protocol also tracked the Procuring Authority's potential financial liability for its retained risks.