Traffic

TRAFFIC ALERT: Downed Traffic Light Closes Lee Highway

By Alex Koma

The westbound lanes of Lee Highway near N. Oak Street in Rosslyn are now closed, after a traffic light collapsed and fell on the roadway.

County police have now set up a detour in the area and are advising drivers to follow posted signs around the section of the road.

The road was first closed around 10:30 a.m.

Photo via @ArlingtonVAPD

TRAFFIC ALERT: Outbound Lanes of Key Bridge Closed

By Alex Koma

Heads up if you’re heading home to Arlington via the Key Bridge tonight — a vehicle fire has closed both lanes heading out of D.C.

D.C. police say some traffic is still flowing into the city, but are otherwise warning of big back-ups heading toward Rosslyn.

Police added that the fire has been put out. No word yet on when the lanes will reopen.

Improvements Underway on S. Walter Reed Drive, With More Changes to Come

By Melanie Pincus
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S. Walter Reed Drive is slated for several changes that, among other alterations, are designed to make the roadway more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly.

Construction kicked off last month (July) between 11th Street S. and 13th Street S. That work is scheduled to be completed later this year and primarily targets S. Walter Reed Drive’s intersection with 12th Street S., improving crosswalks and building curb extensions and new ADA-compliant curb ramps.

Also included in the project is the reconstruction of three raised medians to run along that portion of the roadway and alterations to an existing bike boulevard, which will be moved from 12th Street S. to 11th Street S. between S. Highland and S. Cleveland Streets.

Drivers should expect one travel lane to be closed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays to accommodate construction. Pedestrians will see sidewalk detours and temporary crosswalks, and on-street parking will be restricted.

A long-awaited set of changes to a different portion of S. Walter Reed Drive — from S. Arlington Mill Drive to S. Four Mile Run Drive — is set to get underway in mid-September.

That plan has been in the works for years, and the county awarded a $1.8 million contract for it in May. Construction aims to add ADA-compliant bus stops, new crosswalks and curb ramps, more street lighting and improved signals for drivers and pedestrians.

The project also intends to make travel between the Four Mile Run Trail and the Washington & Old Dominion Trail safer and to realign westbound S. Arlington Mill Drive in an effort to make the crossing more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. The county has been piloting the realignment at the intersection of S. Walter Reed Drive and S. Arlington Mill Drive with a temporary installation since June 2017.

Additional changes to the designated portion of the roadway will include a slight widening of travel lanes and resurfacing.

Lane Closures Set for Arlington Memorial Bridge This Week

By Vernon Miles

Plans are underway to address Arlington Memorial Bridge’s crumbling facade and deep structural issues, but over the next week it will mean extra traffic for morning commuters across the bridge.

From today (Monday) until Friday (Aug. 17) two lanes of Arlington Memorial Bridge on the G.W. Parkway will be closed to prepare the bridge for full rehabilitation later this fall. The rightmost westbound lane will be closed from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. and the center eastbound lane will be closed from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The parkway will also see late evening closures over the coming week to prepare the bridge for rehabilitation later this fall. From Wednesday, Aug. 15 until Sunday, Aug. 19, one northbound lane of the parkway will be closed south of Memorial Circle, near the Potomac River. Closures will start at 7 p.m. and end at 5 a.m.

The plan is to move the construction equipment from the road to a fenced staging area on the river. Workers on-site will direct traffic as heavy equipment is moved into the construction site.

Cyclists and pedestrians on the Mount Vernon Trail may also experience delays during this process. While the trail won’t close, the equipment will be passing over the trail and workers onsite will be directing traffic on the trail.

The full bridge rehabilitation later this fall will reduce the bridge to three lanes of traffic: one eastbound, one westbound, and one that will shift to accommodate rush hour traffic.

In 2016, the Federal Highway Administration informed the National Park Service (NPS) that, without repairs, the bridge will require full closure in 2021. According to NPS, the current schedule of closures will help strengthen the bridge; adding new concrete to the roads, reinforcing the rusted steel drawbridge, and making repairs to the underside of the road. The full rehabilitation later this fall will replace the drawbridge span, replace most of the concrete across the bridge with prefabricated concrete panels.

The NPS is also closing lanes on the Windy Run Bridge to keep up with additional bridge rehab needs, with work running through the fall.

Photo via National Park Service

Construction on Columbia Pike’s West End Nears a New Phase

By Melanie Pincus
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A new water main is almost finished being installed along a portion of Columbia Pike as construction continues on the roadway, according to a July 31 construction update from the county.

The water main work represents part of construction that runs along Columbia Pike from Arlington’s border with Fairfax County through Four Mile Run Drive. Expected to last about three years from its kickoff in February, the project includes moving overhead utilities underground, changing out older water and sewage pipes and making street improvements.

Drivers should continue to expect lane closures and other traffic changes during construction, and should keep an eye out for left turn restrictions in work zones. Pedestrians will see sidewalk detours.

The county expects sanitary sewer updates to begin this month. Planned streetscape improvements will aim to establish wider sidewalks, enhance traffic signals and add new street lights, among other changes.

This work is part of broader Columbia Pike Multimodal Street Improvements, which hope to make the roadway “a safer, more accessible route for all users,” according to the project page.

In all, planned and completed improvements run along Columbia Pike from the county line to S. Joyce Street with work expected to continue through 2021.

Shirlington Road Closure Planned for Signature Theatre Open House

By Melanie Pincus

Signature Theatre’s annual open house will take place in the Village at Shirlington between noon and 8:30 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 5), accompanied by a road closure.

The Arlington County Police Department will close Campbell Avenue from S. Arlington Mill Drive to S. Randolph Street from around 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. for the event.

Harris Teeter shoppers should plan to use the alternate entrance to the store’s parking garage while the road closure is in place, and street parking will be limited in the area.

The open house aims to introduce Signature Theatre’s 2018-19 season. Attractions include free performances, discounted tickets to upcoming shows and show merchandise at clearance prices.

Photo via Arlington County

GW Parkway Lane Closures Start Today Due to Bridge Repairs

By Alex Koma

The National Park Service is warning drivers about severe traffic backups on the GW Parkway starting today (Monday) and running through the fall, as rehab work on the Windy Run Bridge gets going.

Workers have spent the last few weeks removing guard rails and center curbs, as well as doing some paving work, in order to prepare for work on the bridge, located in northeast Arlington near the Woodmont and Riverwood neighborhoods.

Starting today, the NPS plans to reduce the parkway from four lanes down to three, and expects to:

  • Lower the work zone speed limit to 35 miles per hour
  • Direct all traffic into three narrow travel lanes
  • Shift travel lanes to accommodate rush hour traffic

The NPS plans to always keep one lane open in each direction, reversing the third lane as needed to match the direction of traffic in the morning and evening rush hours on weekdays.

That means the reversible lane will run northbound from noon to 8 p.m. and run southbound from 8 p,m. to noon. On Saturdays and Sundays, the reversible lane will only run southbound.

“Drivers should expect a lower speed limit, narrower lanes and a substantial police presence until this fall,” park superintendent Alexcy Romero wrote in a statement.”We need to shift traffic so that workers can safely rehabilitate the road surface of Windy Run Bridge.”

The bridge was built back in 1959, and the NPS plans to “restore the bridge deck by removing and replacing its top layer” in order to extend its life.

While work on Windy Run should wrap up before the year is out, the NPS also warns that “all of the bridges and roadway on the northern part of [the parkway] will also soon need maintenance work.” The NPS recently closed a public comment period on some of that planned work, and expects to release more details in the coming months.

Photo via the National Park Service

Cherrydale ‘Five Points Intersection’ Work to Wrap Up Soon

By Melanie Pincus

An overhaul of the “Five Points Intersection” in Cherrydale should be completed soon, with night work to finish pavement markings and paving scheduled from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting Monday (July 30) and continuing through Thursday (Aug. 2), weather permitting.

Work got underway last September, and changes included upgrading all traffic signal equipment, adding or modifying several lanes and improving crosswalks.

The County Board awarded a contract for the revamping last April after several years of study and discussion of the intersection, which is located at Lee Highway, Old Dominion Drive, N. Quincy Street, Military Road and N. Quebec Street.

The county advises drivers to avoid the intersection during the upcoming night work.

Photo via Arlington County

Crystal City Twilighter 5K to Close Roads Saturday Night

By Melanie Pincus

The Crystal City Twilighter 5K will kick off tomorrow night (July 21) at 8:30 p.m., accompanied by several road closures.

Here are all of the affected roadways, according to the county:

6-11 p.m.

  • The entirety of Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 20th Street

8-11 p.m.

  • Northbound lanes of Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 26th Street
  • Northbound lanes of Crystal Drive between 12th Street and 20th Street
  • Northbound lanes between 12th Street and 15th Street
  • North and Southbound lanes of Long Bridge Drive as well all traffic around 6th, 10th, and Ball Streets

There will also be limited access to parking garages and restricted street parking on affected roads.

Photo courtesy Crystal City BID

Lane Closures on I-395 Kick Off This Weekend, Hefty Delays Likely

By Alex Koma

Expect some major traffic backups on I-395 starting this weekend, due to construction work set to run from Springfield through the D.C. line.

Starting tonight, two general purpose lanes will close on the highway from Friday nights through Monday mornings every weekend through Aug. 26.

The construction will mainly include the rehabilitation of bridges on the highway, including the bridge over Four Mile Run, as workers build an eight-mile extension of the I-395 toll lanes from Edsall Road near Springfield to S. Eads Street near the Pentagon.

The Virginia Department of Transportation says closures will alternate between the highway’s northbound and southbound lanes as work progresses, and two general purpose lanes will remain open in each direction during “peak-travel daytime hours.”

VDOT also plans to make the highway’s HOV lanes available to all travelers starting at the entrance just north of Edsall Road to the D.C. line, running in the same direction as construction occurring at the time. Officials are advising drivers heading past the Pentagon to D.C. or south of Springfield to use those lanes, while local drivers should use the general purpose lanes.

The 395 work is also causing some traffic headaches on local roads near the Pentagon’s south parking lots. VDOT is aiming to have the extended express lanes open by the fall of 2019, and the whole project wrapped up by 2020.

Photo via VDOT

VDOT Warns Drivers of Delays on Washington Blvd Bridge Tonight

By Alex Koma

Watch out for some delays along the S. Washington Blvd bridge near the Pentagon tonight (Thursday).

The Virginia Department of Transportation says workers will be shifting the two westbound lanes to left, closer to the middle of the road, from about 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. They’re advising drivers to avoid the area, near the Pentagon’s north parking lots, or prepare to encounter some backups.

VDOT adds that the shift is to “allow for railing and pedestrian fence installation along the west side of the bridge deck,” as work on the renovation project nears its end. Construction has been ongoing since 2015, and VDOT hopes to have it wrapped up by sometime this fall.

The County Board recently asked state officials for permission to name the newly renovated bridge “Arlington Veterans Bridge.”

Photo via VDOT

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