It’s a rough morning for anyone driving on either end of Glebe Road in Arlington.
In addition to the closure of a portion of N. Glebe Road due to a large water main break, a portion of S. Glebe Road is temporarily closed due to a crash.
The crash, involving a box truck and at least one car, has prompted the closure of Glebe at 24th Street S., near I-395, in both directions, according to the Arlington County Fire Department.
“Expect major delays and seek alternate routes,” ACFD said.
So far, there’s no word on injuries.
Updated at 9:15 a.m. — The road is back open after the earlier closure.
Crash on Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N. (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash on Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N. (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash on Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N. (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N. (map via Google Maps)
A multi-vehicle crash is currently blocking Old Dominion Drive near Marymount University.
The crash, at the intersection with 25th Street N., happened around 1 p.m. and involves 3-4 vehicles, including a Mercedes and a Jeep that were heavily damaged in a T-bone style collision. The force of the impact pushed the Jeep up onto a sidewalk.
No injuries were reported, according to an Arlington County Fire Department spokesman. Police are on scene directing traffic.
Staff photographer Jay Westcott contributed to this report. Map via Google Maps.
Crews working on repaving Clarendon Circle (Staff photo by Airey)
Crews working on repaving Clarendon Circle (Staff photo by Airey)
Crews working on repaving Clarendon Circle (Staff photo by Airey)
Crews working on repaving Clarendon Circle (Staff photo by Airey)
Rendering of new Clarendon Circle design (Image via Arlington County)
A rendering of improvements at the intersection of Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards (via Arlington County)
Crews have finished repaving some section of Clarendon Circle (Staff photo by Airey)
Map of new Clarendon Circle design (Image via Arlington County)
Rendering of new Clarendon Circle design (Image via Arlington County)
Rendering of new Clarendon Circle design (Image via Arlington County)
Washington Blvd near the “Clarendon Circle” intersection in December 2018 (Staff photo by Alex Koma)
(Updated at 10:10 a.m.) The reconfiguration of Clarendon’s worst intersection is one step closer to finishing as crews begin paving.
Working began repaving the roads that together form the notoriously dangerous “Clarendon Circle” — a.k.a. the intersection of Wilson, Clarendon, and Washington Blvds — this past weekend.
The paving work will continue for the rest of this week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is expected to close some traffic lanes and cause temporary detours, the county’s Department of Environmental Services warns on its webpage for the project.
“Increased traffic congestion is expected, and drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes and avoid Clarendon Circle during this work if possible,” DES said on its website.
On Monday, for instance, through traffic on Wilson Blvd was blocked and redirected to Washington Blvd. On Tuesday, steam and a burning rubber smell clouded the intersection as crews directed traffic around a cluster of paving equipment.
Work on the project is expected to wrap up by Veterans Day, this coming Monday.
The county has long aimed to redesign the intersection to be safer for pedestrians and cyclists and less confusing for motorists, with a goal of reducing crashes. The project design selected will realign Wilson and Washington Blvd, shorten crosswalks, and widen sidewalks.
Construction kicked off last year after the Arlington County Board awarded a $2.5 million contract to Ardent Construction Company.
Since then, the county has made several changes to the tricky nexus of roads, including cutting off N. Irving Street and banning left turns onto Wilson from Washington — though many drivers at least initially ignored the ban.
Traffic is backed up along King Street while drive through customers wait 40 minutes for a chicken sandwich at Popeyes (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Traffic backed up along King Street while drive through customers wait 40 minutes for a chicken sandwich (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The wait for walk-in customers is about 40 minutes (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Nick Jirasophakul bites into the new Popeyes chicken sandwich (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Nick Jirasophakul bites into the new Popeyes chicken sandwich (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Customers enter the lobby of the Popeyes on King Street (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Traffic is backed up along King Street while drive through customers wait 40 minutes for a chicken sandwich at Popeyes (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The much-hyped Popeyes chicken sandwich is back and causing some traffic chaos in at least one corner of Arlington.
The sandwich returned to Popeyes restaurants on Sunday, weeks after the chain sold out nationwide amid a national craze. With the return of the sandwich, however, has come problems — some moreserious than others.
Around lunchtime today, the sandwich was causing a traffic jam in front of the Popeyes at 4675 King Street — on Arlington’s western border, not far from Wakefield High School.
One lane was effectively blocked along westbound King Street approaching the Walter Reed/Beauregard Street intersection as drive-thru customers waited over 40 minutes to get their hands on the savory combination of bread, fried chicken and sauce. In the eastbound lanes, drivers trying to turn left into the cathedral of cluck also caused heavy traffic.
Leaving the restaurant, college student Bryce Davis of Ft. Washington, Md. was empty-handed.
“I waited at least 30 minutes and left without a sandwich,” he told ARLnow. “The wait is ridiculous. With social media and everything, there is too much emphasis placed on just a chicken sandwich. I heard it’s pretty good, though.”
For Nick Jirasophakul, an Alexandrian who works at a local car dealership, the sandwich was worth the slog.
“I think it’s worth the wait,” he said, chowing down with coworkers. “The sauce really ties it together. The sauce is good and it’s crispy.”
Similar to the drive-thru wait, Jirasophakul and his coworkers reported waiting about 40 minutes inside.
“This is my second time” getting the sandwich, Jirasophakul said. “It’s better the second time.”
Photos and reporting by staff photographer Jay Westcott
The time has come for big change for local commuters: after two years of work, the I-395 HOV lanes inside the Beltway are becoming express toll lanes later this month.
The switch over is slated to take place on Sunday, Nov. 17.
Among the changes of which drivers should take note:
The number of reversible lanes is increasing, from 2 to 3
While the lanes remain HOV-3 — that is, free to use for vehicles with three or more occupants — you will need to have an E-ZPass Flex transponder switched to HOV mode
Tolling and HOV restrictions will now be in place at all times, rather than just non-holiday rush hours
Vehicles with 1-2 occupants will need to pay tolls that will increase and decrease with demand, like on I-66. Tolls can only be paid via an E-ZPass device.
The new tolling will run from Edsall Road, at the end of the I-95 Express Lanes, to the 14th Street Bridge
Exiting to the Pentagon and Pentagon City will be easier thanks to a reconfigured S. Eads Street interchange
Those entering the HOV lanes bound for the 14th Street Bridge at Eads Street in Pentagon City will need an E-ZPass
The tolls will offer “busy drivers a convenient new choice,” will help reduce traffic in the regular lanes of I-395, and will generate $15 million annually for transit projects, according to toll lane operator Transurban.
The project is also adding a fourth southbound regular lane between Duke Street Edsall Road to alleviate backups.
(Updated at 10 a.m.) The 44th Marine Corps Marathon returns to Arlington and D.C. this Sunday, October 27, bringing thousands of runners to the area along with lots of road closures.
Opening ceremonies for the races begin at 6 a.m. along Route 110 between the Pentagon and the Arlington National Cemetery. The 5oK race kicks off at 7:30 a.m., then the wheelchair/hand cycle race starts at 7:40 a.m., and finally the marathon and 10K begin at 7:55 a.m. Approximately 30,000 runners are participating in the race.
MCM events in Arlington include a finish festival in Rosslyn and opportunities to cheer the runners on along the streets of Crystal City.
Many of Sunday’s road closures begin in the early morning and last until later in the day.
Per a press release from the Arlington County Police Department, the following county roads will close on Sunday:
3:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Marshall Drive from North Meade Street to Route 110
3:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. North Meade Street from Marshall Drive to North Lynn Street
3:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Route 110 from I-66 to Richmond Highway
3:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Wilson Boulevard from North Nash Street to Route 110
3:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Lynn Street from North Meade Street to Lee Highway
3:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Fort Myer Drive from North Meade Street to Lee Highway
3:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. North Moore Street from Wilson Boulevard to Lee Highway
3:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. 19th Street North from North Lynn Street to North Nash Street
3:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Route 110 ramp from Washington Blvd. to Pentagon North parking
6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Lee Highway (eastbound) from North Lynn Street to Kirkwood Road
6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Spout Run Parkway from southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) to Lee Highway
6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. GWMP northbound from Spout Run to Memorial Circle Drive
6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Francis Scott Key Bridge (all lanes)
6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. I-66 Westbound ramp for Exit 75
6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. I-66 Eastbound ramp for Exit 73
6:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. HOV lanes from 14th Street Southwest to HOV ramp at South Eads Street
5:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. South Eads Street from South Rotary Road to Army Navy Drive
5:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Army Navy Drive from South Fern Street to 12th Street South
6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. 15th Street South from Crystal Drive to South Eads Street
6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. 12th Street South from South Eads Street to Crystal Drive
6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Crystal Drive from 12th Street South to 23rd Street South
6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Long Bridge Drive from 12th Street South to I-395
6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. 6th Street South from Long Bridge Drive to South Ball Street
6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. 10th Street South from Long Bridge Drive to South Ball Street
6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. South Ball Street from 6th Street South to 10th Street South
3:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Boundary Channel Drive from I-395 to Pentagon North Parking
3:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Washington Blvd. from Columbia Pike to Memorial Circle
In addition, per an agreement between marathon organizers and WMATA, Metro will be open two hours early on Sunday and provide extra service on the Blue and Yellow lines.
Additional travel tips from the press release, after the jump.
“Drive Like Your Kids Live Here” sign on N. Stafford Street (Staff photo by Kalina Newman)
The county has kicked off its four-block traffic calming project along N. Stafford Street, north of Washington-Liberty High School.
The project, between Lee Highway and 15th Street N. in Cherrydale, is part of the county’s “Neighborhood Complete Streets” program.
A key feature of the project is the implementation of a “chicane,” or curved design, on the street. The Institute of Transportation Engineers suggests curving a street slows traffic by forcing drivers to “steer back and forth instead of traveling a straight path.”
The traffic calming is necessary because the current road design allows drivers to speed down it.
“The existing roadway is long and straight, has a lot of topography which creates a lot of slope, and these are characteristics of the road that allow vehicles to pick up speed,” said an Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services (DES) official at a recent meeting about the project.
The official noted that observed speeds on the road were not enough to justify “vertical” traffic calming measures like speed bumps, but did call for something “less obtrusive,” like the chicane.
The county is planning to remove remove three to five parking spaces to make room for the chicane changes.
The project includes other upgrades and changes.
Crews could be seen yesterday (Thursday) replacing the stop signs at the intersection of N. Stafford Street and Lee Highway. One worker noted the sign was “rusty and outdated,” and the replacement sign would have “better reflectivity so drivers know to stop.”
Workers will also soon be installing a new curb ramp at the intersection of 19th Street N. and N. Stafford Street, plus a new all-way stop at the intersection of 17th Street N. and N. Stafford Street, according to DES spokesman Eric Balliet.
The traffic-calming project is intended to:
Slow vehicle speeds
Reduce/eliminate crashes
Meet engineering best practices
Provide a better pedestrian experience
Arlington officials picked N. Stafford Street for the project after asking for public nomination of dangerous streets across the county. According to the project page, it was the “top ranked street from the first round of [Complete Streets] applications.”
In a public survey by DES, 41% of responders said they would feel “safer” with the proposed changes on N. Stafford Street, while 11% said they would feel “much safer.”
A spokeswoman for the Arlington County Police Department said police have not recorded any crash at the intersection of N. Stafford Street between Lee Highway in the last four years.
The N. Stafford Street improvements are being considered a pilot project. County staff will observe and measure conditions on the street for at least one year, per the project website.
The project will cost an estimated $20,000 for striping, signage, and concrete work. Funding was allocated in the county’s FY 2019-28 Capital Improvement Plan.
(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) A rescue operation is underway on the GW Parkway, after a vehicle reportedly overturned, trapping the driver.
The incident was first reported around 3 p.m. in the southbound lanes of the Parkway, near the Humpback Bridge — just north of I-395.
Initial reports suggest the vehicle flipped onto its side, trapping at least one person inside. Firefighters were working to stabilize the vehicle and rescue its occupant.
Drivers should expect significant backups in both the northbound and southbound lanes of the Parkway, which are reported to be blocked approaching the crash scene.
As of 3:30 p.m., the victim had been freed from the vehicle and was soon to be transported via ambulance to a local hospital. As of 4:15 p.m., all lanes had reopened.
#FinalUpdate: SB GW Parkway, one patient has been extricated from vehicle on it’s side and is being transported to a local hospital. Expect delays to continue in area of Humpback Bridge as scene is cleaned up. pic.twitter.com/99iyFcwkbE
Crash. GW Parkway NB/SB north of I-395. Arlington County, VA. All lanes are blocked in both directions. Northbound traffic is being diverted to I-395, southbound traffic is being diverted to VA-110 and VA-27. Expect delays.
The National Park Service said in a press release today (Monday) that the bridge will be closed to all traffic — including cars, pedestrians, and cyclists — to make space for repair work on the southern side of the bridge.
The closure will be in effect from 10 p.m. on Friday, November 1, to 5 a.m. on Monday, November 4.
The current, temporary lane configuration on the bridge is expected to remain the same following the re-opening of the bridge, with one lane open for eastbound travel to D.C., another lane open for westbound travel to Virginia, and one lane kept reversible for rush hour traffic.
“Drivers and cyclists should exercise caution and expect to see construction workers in the road 30 minutes before and after the scheduled times for traffic shifts,” said NPS spokesman Jonathan Shafer in a statement. “Detours for pedestrians and cyclists will be signed.”
Shafer also warned pedestrians and cyclists to stick to crosswalks and “refrain from taking shortcuts across these busy roads.”
The weekend shutdown follows twoother shutdowns last year, which also closed the bridge to weekend travelers.
Since kicking off repairs last year on the bridge’s facade and structure, Shafter said crews have reached the halfway point, after finishing the following steps:
Replacing the concrete structures that support the south side of the bridge.
Installing new precast concrete panels to replace half of the bridge deck.
Placing new steel beams on the south side of the bridge.
Cleaning, repairing and reinstalling the bridge’s historic granite balustrade.
Earlier this year, NPS also announced plans to redesign Memorial Circle in front of the bridge, on the Virginia side of the Potomac River.
A pair of roads on the southern end of Crystal City opened to two-way traffic earlier today.
The new traffic pattern comes after several months of construction to facilitate the change. It’s the third phase in a multi-year process of opening former one-way streets in Crystal City to two-way traffic, through construction and and roadway restriping.
As we reported in 2011:
The first phase of the project will add a southbound lane to the portion of Crystal Drive between 12th Street and 15th Street, just north of the Crystal City water park. It will also convert a one-way section of S. Clark Street between 12th and 15th Streets to a two-way road. Construction on this phase of the project is expected to begin in the spring of 2012 and wrap up in winter 2012.
A second phase is expected to begin construction in fall 2012. That phase will add a southbound lane to the one-way portion of Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 27th Street. Changes will also be made to 27th Street, which runs between the Courtyard by Marriott and the Hyatt Regency hotels.
“The Crystal Drive Two-Way Conversion project will begin to establish the street network needed to support future development and transit improvements planned by the Crystal City Sector Plan and Crystal City Multimodal Study,” Arlington County said on the project website. “The intent of the project is to improve the navigability of Crystal City by converting Crystal Drive and the surrounding street network from a one-way to a two-way directional roadway.”
In addition to converting traffic lanes, the project will also add new traffic signals, street trees, ADA-compatible intersection upgrades and a new southbound bicycle lane.
More on today’s changes, from Arlington County’s website:
On Friday, Oct. 4, after the morning rush hour, Crystal Drive between 26th and 27th Streets South will be changed from one-way northbound to two-way traffic. 27th Street between Crystal Drive and South Clark Street also will be changed to two-way operations.
This section of Crystal Drive will have one travel lane in each direction. 27th Street will have two eastbound lanes to access Crystal Drive and Potomac Avenue, and one westbound lane providing direct access to the Hyatt and Route 1.
Police and the County’s construction team will be on-site throughout Friday to monitor the switch and help direct traffic. If possible, avoid this area during the changeover on mid-day Friday, and be prepared for the new traffic pattern when using these streets in the future.
Reminder: Later this morning stretches of two Crystal City roadways will permanently switch from one-way traffic to traffic in both directions. Not that there's anything wrong with that. https://t.co/i09rW4BPufpic.twitter.com/E2IoVifolA
— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) October 4, 2019
