LORTON, Va. - Drivers who plan on traveling on one of the D.C. area's busiest roads in the next few hours should beware.

A key stretch of I-95 is about to shut down in both directions in just a matter of minutes. Right now, crews are in the process of closing the busy highway near the Lorton Road exit.

Commuters who regularly travel on I-95 know just how treacherous traffic can be. "95 is insane. I try to avoid it," said Colby Nisson, a commuter. "I don't like to go there."

"In the evening you can't even go down 95 it's so bad. [There is] bumper-to-bumper traffic. Coming up in the morning [it's the] same thing," added Robert Copeland, a commuter.

It's a problem the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is working to address -- unloading barrels, construction equipment and signs in preparation for a six-mile lane widening project.

I-95 from the Fairfax County (web | news) Connector to Highway 123 in Fairfax and Prince William Counties is a stretch where traffic bottlenecks. "It gets tight in here because we're going from four lanes in the north from the Springfield area to three lanes as you get into Prince William County (web | news) so this project will put a fourth lane on each side," said Steve Tutinik of VDOT.

But along with progress will come some growing pains. All lanes of traffic will shut down Monday night along I-95 between Route 1 and Lorton Road at midnight. The traffic standstill will last for 30 minutes and then repeat just after 1 a.m.

"Tonight we're taking down the old sign stand cause as we widen the highway we have to have a wider sign to go over it," said Tutinik.

It's sure to create major traffic tie-ups but drivers are hopeful that this will be well worth it in the end.

"[It's a] short-term sacrifice for a long-term benefit so everyone can go home with a smile on their face," said Hamdael Omar, a commuter.

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