Drivers heading south on Interstate 95 from Washington can use reversible lanes for longer starting Tuesday night

The Virginia Department of Transportation said Tuesday that it is extending the benefit for three extra hours each night to all  traffic until Sept. 23, meaning the lanes will remain open to traffic until midnight on Mondays through Thursdays.

The reversible lanes will re-open to northbound traffic at 2 a.m. on those nights, according to VDOT.

The idea is to give some relief from summer traffic and construction, as officials did last summer.

But there is no change to the actual hours for HOV lanes: Only vehicles with three or more people are allowed in the HOV-3 lanes from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.