Virginia State Route 267

In response to the development along the Dulles Access Road and the number of motorists who backtracked through the airport to commute to outer suburbs, the Virginia Department of Transportation determined a need for a limited access highway to serve points along the Access Road without subjecting airport traffic to congestion. It was built in 1984 by the Virginia Department of Transportation as a toll highway, because conventional funding was not available. The toll road begins just inside the Capital Beltway near West Falls Church at a connector to Interstate 66 to Washington, D.C., travels westward through Fairfax County past Dulles, and terminates at the entrance to the Dulles Greenway, a privately owned toll road that is a continuation of Route 267. Officially, the road is named the Omer L. Hirst – Adelard L. Brault Expressway, in honor of two Virginia state legislators. However, the road is rarely referred to by that name.[10] The speed limit is 55 miles per hour (90 km/h), and the original construction had two lanes in each direction.

The main toll plaza of the Dulles Toll Road. At the time this photo was taken, the toll was 75¢. It has since increased.

A third lane was built to serve HOV traffic in 1992. For a short period between the end of construction and the start of HOV limits, drivers of single passenger vehicles used the lane and contacted government officials opposing the HOV policy. In response, Congress (which did not have direct control over the highway) passed special legislation prohibiting the imposition of HOV restrictions on the route.[11] As a compromise to resolve the situation, Virginia decided to lift the HOV restriction and to construct a fourth lane in each direction to serve HOV traffic.[12] However, unlike the third lane, officials did not allow non-HOV use at the end of construction in 1998, and avoided a repeat of the controversy.[13] As a practical matter, the right of way could not fit any additional lanes other than the current six in each direction. However, Rep. Frank Wolf again threatened to pass federal legislation prohibiting the fourth lane to be limited to HOV traffic.[14]

In 2005, five companies submitted proposals to VDOT to privatize the toll road which included payments to Virginia that could be used for transportation. In response MWAA made its own proposal to take over operation of the toll road from VDOT, assuming associated debts, and commit to building a rapid transit line in the median.[15] VDOT agreed and, on March 27, 2006, MWAA took over from Virginia the operation of the Dulles Toll Road, including the outstanding debt and the obligation to construct the Silver Line in the median strip of the toll road.[16] The first phase of the Silver Line (east of Reston) opened in July 2014,[17][18] while the second phase (west of Reston) opened in November 2022.[19]

View of SR 267 from the Wiehle Avenue exit

From the Beltway, motorists exiting onto SR 267 toward Dulles Airport must choose between lanes marked Airport Traffic Only and To All Local Exits; the Airport Traffic Only lanes lead to the two westbound lanes of the Access Road. Eastbound traffic is routed differently; Dulles-originating traffic can choose destinations between Herndon exits (putting them on the mainline Toll Road) or further on (starting them on the Access Road), and transfer exits are provided from the Access Road to the Toll Road before the Herndon exits, Reston exits, and the Beltway. Access Road traffic to State Route 7 gets a separate exit ramp from those of the Toll Road, and then the two eastbound segments merge before the junction with Interstate 66.

Through December 31, 2013, a main toll plaza west of the Beltway interchange collects a $1.75 toll in both directions for two-axle vehicles. Toll booths located on westbound exit ramps and eastbound entrance ramps collect tolls of $1.00, except at the Route 7 interchange, where tolls are only collected from Route 267 east to Route 7 east. Vehicles with more than two axles are charged higher rates.[20] All tollbooths are equipped with electronic toll collection systems which accept E-ZPass or a compatible system. Fifty cents of each toll is attributable to the financing of the Silver Line to Dulles Airport.[21] On November 14, 2012, the MWAA Board of Directors voted to increase the toll by 25¢ (from $1.50 to $1.75 at the main toll plaza and from 75¢ to $1.00 at the ramp toll booths) effective January 1, 2013; and to increase the toll by an additional 75¢ to $2.50 at the main toll plaza effective January 1, 2014. The 2013 and 2014 toll increases primarily help pay for Phase 1 Silver Line Metrorail construction costs.[22]

Mainline toll plaza at the eastern end of the Dulles Toll Road, just west of the interchange with the Capital Beltway.

HOV-2 restrictions are in effect during weekday rush hours, 6:30 to 9:00 am eastbound and 4:00 to 6:30 pm westbound, limiting the left lane to vehicles with two or more passengers between State Route 28 and the main toll plaza. Motorcycles and approved clean fuel vehicles displaying a Clean Special Fuel license plate are exempt from this rule, meaning single passenger vehicles of this nature may use the left lane. Traditional hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius that do not plug in are no longer exempt from HOV rules.[23] During rush hour, the appropriate directions of Interstate 66 between the Beltway and U.S. Route 29 just outside Washington are toll roads. Single-passenger vehicles bound to or from the airport using the Dulles Access Road must pay tolls using an E-ZPass. Vehicles with 2 or more people may switch their E-ZPass Flex into HOV mode to avoid being charged for tolls. These regulations are enforced by the Virginia State Police.[24][25]

Aerial photo of the Dulles Greenway toll plaza

The road was envisioned as early as the 1970s, when new residents were attracted to Loudoun County because of the relatively low cost of real estate. The Greenway proposal prompted the enactment of the Virginia Highway Corporation Act of 1988[29] that authorizes the construction of new toll roads without the use of eminent domain[30] under rates set by the Virginia Corporation Commission.[29] The law requires the facility to be turned over to the state after a stated time period.[31] The road was completed and opened in 1995, but the original owners defaulted on its loan due to lower than projected use.[32] It receives no public funds, was built with no subsidies, and is policed at its own expense, competing as a wholly private enterprise with the state-built and -maintained roads.[33] Tolls are computed to assure that the owner will recover the original investment plus a return on that investment. The losses incurred during the early years of the project are rolled forward to justify higher tolls in later years. Subsequent improvements, which were constructed in exchange for the aforementioned extension of the toll road to 2056, include adding a third lane in each direction, resurfacing the entire road in 2009, and the construction of an improved eastbound exit ramp to Dulles Airport in 2009.[34]

The main toll plaza for the Dulles Greenway is located just west of the exits for Route 28 and Dulles Airport. Additional toll plazas are located on westbound entrance ramps and eastbound exit ramps with the exception of Battlefield Parkway (Exit 2) in Leesburg. The toll varies depending on the toll plaza traversed. As of January 2013, the base toll collected for two-axle vehicles ranges from $3.00 ($2.55 with E-ZPass) at the Shreve Mill Rd plaza to $5.10 at the main plaza to and from the Dulles Toll Road (which includes the $1.00 toll for the Dulles Toll Road).[35] Vehicles with more than two axles are charged higher rates. The maximum toll rises to $5.90 (including the 75¢ Dulles Toll Road toll) during congestion pricing hours, which are 6:30 am to 9:00 am eastbound and 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm westbound.[35] A previous increase in the base fare and the introduction of congestion pricing occurred in January 2009,[36] and tolls rose an additional 30 cents per trip on January 1, 2012.[37] Vehicles traveling through the main toll plaza to or from the Dulles Toll Road are charged two tolls: one for the Dulles Toll Road, and one for the Dulles Greenway. Cash tolls are accepted during limited hours, and credit cards and E-ZPass transponder payments are accepted at all times.[38]

The Greenway is also one of two routes where a subscription membership (exclusive to E-ZPass) allows for an additional discount. Alternate (free) routes include State Route 7 and State Route 28, both of which are generally more congested.[39]

The Greenway was later widened to six lanes from the mainline toll plaza to Leesburg. Use of the Greenway has grown, reflecting the increased population of Loudoun County. In 1996, the Greenway served 6.3 million trips, growing to 21 million in 2006.[39] However, for the first three months following the January 2009 toll increase, usage dropped 8% compared to the first three months of 2008.[32]

The 1988 statute authorizing the private toll road permitted toll increases above the rate of inflation under a three-part test: (1) the new fee must not "materially discourage" drivers from using the road, (2) the company must not make more than a "reasonable rate of return" from the increase, and (3) the road's benefit must match its cost.[40] Critics claim that the drop in use following the 2009 toll increase is evidence that the test has not been met. Representative Frank Wolf, the Congressman representing the area served by the road, stated, "It's highway robbery. It's a disgrace. Everyone knows that these tolls are ripping people off and there's not much we can do about it."[32]

SR 267 uses sequential exit numbering rather than the distance-based exit numbering used throughout most of Virginia.

County	Location	mi	km	Exit[41]	Destinations	Notes
Loudoun	Leesburg	0.00	0.00	1	US 15 / SR 7 – Leesburg, Warrenton, Frederick, MD	Signed as exits 1A (south/west) and 1B (north/east)
		1.14	1.83	2A	Battlefield Parkway	Signed as exit 2 eastbound; serves Leesburg Executive Airport
	​			2B	Compass Creek Shopping Center	Westbound exit only, opened May 15, 2019[42])
	​	3.22	5.18	3	SR 653 (Shreve Mill Road)	Tolled westbound entrance and eastbound exit
	Ashburn	5.48	8.82	4	SR 659 (Belmont Ridge Road)	Tolled westbound entrance and eastbound exit
		6.54	10.53	5	SR 901 (Claiborne Parkway) – Ashburn Farm, Broadlands	Tolled westbound entrance and eastbound exit
		8.33	13.41	6	SR 772 – Ashburn, Broadlands	Tolled westbound entrance and eastbound exit
		9.73	15.66	7	SR 607 (Loudoun County Parkway)	Tolled westbound entrance and eastbound exit
	Sterling	10.81	17.40	8	SR 606 (Old Ox Road)	Tolled westbound entrance and eastbound exit; signed as exits 8A (west) and 8B (east)
		12.16	19.57	Dulles Greenway Mainline Plaza
		12.54	20.18	9A	SR 28 south – Centreville, Dulles Airport	Tolled westbound exit and eastbound entrance; no westbound signage for Dulles Airport
		13.74	22.11	9B	SR 28 north – Sterling	Tolled interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	Dulles	12.54– 13.98	20.18– 22.50	—	Dulles Airport (via Dulles Access Road)	No eastbound exit; eastbound access via exit 9A opened June 30, 2009[43]
		13.98	22.50	Route transition between Dulles Greenway and Dulles Toll Road
Fairfax	Herndon–McNair line	14.70	23.66	10	SR 657 – Herndon, Chantilly	Tolled westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		15.45	24.86	—	Dulles Airport (via Dulles Access Road)	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	Herndon–Reston line	16.43	26.44	11	SR 286 (Fairfax County Parkway) – Herndon / Monroe Park & Ride	Tolled westbound exit and eastbound entrance; no westbound exit to Park & Ride
	Reston	17.40	28.00	12	SR 602 (Reston Parkway)	Tolled westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		18.44	29.68	13	SR 828 (Wiehle Avenue)	Tolled westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	Reston–Wolf Trap line	20.32	32.70	14	SR 674 (Hunter Mill Road)	Tolled westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	Wolf Trap	20.78	33.44	—	Dulles Access Road east	Authorized buses only; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		21.76	35.02	—	Dulles Airport (via Dulles Access Road)	Westbound exit only
		23.10	37.18	15	Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts – The Barns, Center for Education	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; access via SR 676
	Tysons–Wolf Trap line	23.73	38.19	16	SR 7 (Leesburg Pike) – Leesburg, Tysons Corner	Tolled eastbound exit to SR 7 east; signed as exits 16A (east) and 16B (west) eastbound
	​	24.18	38.91	Dulles Toll Road Main Toll Plaza
	Tysons–McLean line	24.36	39.20	17	SR 684 (Spring Hill Road)	Tolled interchange
		24.90	40.07	—	Dulles Airport (via Dulles Access Road)	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		25.96	41.78	18A	I-495 south / I-495 Express south – Richmond	Westbound entrance and eastbound exit; exits 45A-B on I-495
				18B	I-495 north – Baltimore	Signed as exit 18 westbound; exits 45A-B on I-495
		26.22	42.20	19	SR 123 (Chain Bridge Road) to I-495 south – McLean, Tysons Corner	Signed as exits 19A (south) and 19B (north); I-495 not signed eastbound
		26.63	42.86	—	Dulles Airport (via Dulles Access Road)	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; eastern terminus of Dulles Access Road
				Eastbound toll gantry[44]
	Pimmit Hills–McLean line			—	West Falls Church station	Authorized buses only; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		28.68	46.16	—	I-66 east – Washington	Exit 67 on I-66 west; tolled eastbound for non-HOV2+ vehicles during AM rush hours
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access        Tolled       Route transition

All exits are unnumbered.

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Loudoun	Dulles			Washington Dulles International Airport	Continues to airport terminals via Saarinen Circle
				Garage Parking, Cell Phone Lot, Hotel	Access via Aviation Drive
				SR 267 Toll west – Leesburg, Rental Car Return, Economy Parking	Eastbound exit only
				SR 28 to SR 7 / US 50 / I-66 west – Sterling, Centreville	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
				Rental Car Return, Economy Parking, Cargo, Jet Aviation	No eastbound exit
Fairfax	Herndon–McNair line			SR 267 east to SR 657 / SR 286 (Fairfax County Parkway) – Herndon, Chantilly	To exits 10-11; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
				SR 267 east / Reston Parkway / Wiehle Avenue / Hunter Mill Road	To exits 12-13-14; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
	Wolf Trap			Dulles Toll Road west	Authorized buses only; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	Tysons–Wolf Trap line			SR 7 (Leesburg Pike) – Tysons Corner, Leesburg	Eastbound exit only; westbound entrance from Dulles Toll Road
	Tysons–McLean line			To I-495 Express south / SR 123 (Chain Bridge Road)	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance to Dulles Toll Road
				I-495 – Baltimore, Richmond	Eastbound exit only; exits 45A-B on I-495 (Capital Beltway)
				To I-66 east – Washington	Lanes merge with Dulles Toll Road
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access