Washington, DC Area: 495 Express

[widg3t]

I run into a similar issue. I commute to McLean and Ashburn from Arlington, and usually the fastest route recommended (with Avoid Tolls = OFF) is 495 Express Lanes. I know from experience that one of the faster toll-free ways is to take 50W to 495N (non-express) but when I tell Waze to look for alternate routes, it doesn't ever offer the non-express route on 495.

[CBenson]

I suspect that your issue is not directly related to the mapping of the express lanes. I think the problem is simply that there are many routes from south Arlington to Ashburn that differ by less than 5 miles that waze can choose from, but waze only gives the 3 alternate routes. If waze's data doesn't match your experience, your route may be left off the list of options.