Traffic

County Crews On Scene of Water Main Break in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County crews are working to repair a water main break along a busy stretch of road in Rosslyn.

The rupture was discovered in a 12-inch main around 10 a.m. this morning, according to Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Katie O’Brien. The nearby Hyatt hotel and 20-50 residents are impacted by the water main break, she said.

Repairs are expected to wrap up during the evening rush hour, perhaps around 6 p.m. Drivers should expect traffic impacts along the 1300 block of Wilson Blvd.

Currently, only one lane of eastbound Wilson Blvd is getting by the repairs, while the westbound turn lane at Nash Street is also blocked.

Accident on I-66 Causes Delays

By ARLnow.com
1/3

A reported crash and subsequent fluid spill is causing delays on westbound I-66.

The crash was first reported near the Glebe Road exist just after 2 p.m. Both lanes of the highway are now back open; previously, one lane had been closed.

As of 2:20 p.m. westbound traffic had backed up nearly to Rosslyn.

Virginia State Police and a towing crew are on the scene, with the vehicles involved on the shoulder of the highway. Absorbent material has been placed over the spilled fluid.

Car Runs Off Road Along Washington Blvd

By ARLnow.com
1/10

The driver of a car ran up onto an embankment in the Waycroft-Woodlawn neighborhood this morning.

The crash happened around 9:15 a.m. at the intersection of Washington Blvd and N. Evergreen Street, just west of Ballston. No significant injuries were reported.

Shortly after the crash, a nearby resident emailed ARLnow.com to argue that Arlington County should be doing more to make the intersection safer.

“Residents at the northeast corner of N.Evergreen Street have yet again had a car land in their yard,” wrote Sharon Dorsey. “This is an incredibly dangerous area [with] daily horns blaring when drivers play chicken in the merge lane.”

“Neighbors in and around this area have engaged with a number of agencies within Arlington County over the years to make this safer,” she continued. “Currently, a Neighborhood Conservation project to narrow the mouth Evergreen Street and connect sidewalks is on the books but will not be completed for a number of years… The issue will not be resolved until Arlington County and VDOT work together to restructure the entire intersection, add in turn lanes north and south and remove (or restrict to buses) the eastbound merge lane on Washington Blvd.”

Separately, a crash involving a car and an elderly pedestrian was reported this morning at the intersection of Washington Blvd and N. Quincy Street. The pedestrian’s injuries were not reported to be life-threatening.

Photos by Samantha Moore

Glebe Road Closed Due to Rollover Crash

By ARLnow.com

Fairfax County police car lightsN. Glebe Road is currently closed between Chain Bridge and N. Military Road due to a single-vehicle rollover crash.

The crash happened around 10 a.m. The driver was able to “self-extricate” from the vehicle, which was flipped on its roof, according to scanner traffic.

Glebe Road is closed while a tow crew works to remove the flipped vehicle and clean debris from the roadway.

The driver’s injuries are believed to be minor.

Rollover Crash Closes WB Route 50 Monday Morning

By ARLnow.com

Rolled-over vehicle on Route 50 (photo courtesy ACPD)

(Updated at 12:30 p.m.) A crash involving at least two vehicles, including one that rolled over on its roof, closed westbound Route 50 for part of the morning commute.

The crash was reported around 7:30 a.m. at the intersection with Irving Street.

One person had to be extricated from the rolled-over vehicle. That individual, an adult male, was transported to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, said Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

From the Arlington County police and fire departments, via Twitter:

Photo courtesy ACPD

ACPD: We’re Working to Better Address Construction-Related Traffic

By ARLnow.com

Traffic chaos in Rosslyn at Lee/Lynn

(Updated at 12:40 p.m.) Following the rush hour mess at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Lynn Street earlier this week, the Arlington County Police Department says it’s working to better coordinate its response to construction-related traffic issues.

This week’s issues, the police department explained, were caused in part by road paving that’s part of a big development project.

“Heavy traffic in Rosslyn this week was [exacerbated] by street paving as part of the ongoing construction at Central Place,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow.com. “The paving is now complete and we are seeing a return to normal traffic volume in the area.”

Savage said the department has a detail that directs traffic at the congested intersection on weekday mornings, but doesn’t have a similar detail for the evening rush hour.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to address traffic issues in Rosslyn, the police department funds a special detail in which two officers direct traffic during the morning rush hour at the intersection of Wilson Boulevard and Lynn Street in order to keep traffic from blocking the box,” she said. “This has a positive impact on the immediate area but traffic still backs up at the intersections west of that location due to infrastructure capacity.”

“While our detail has specific hours, our officers do conduct additional enforcement at the intersection on a random rotating basis with the goal of compliance with traffic laws even when police are not present,” Savage added.

ACPD says it is working with county development officials to improve the department’s construction traffic response.

“The police department is coordinating with the Development Services Bureau to better address traffic issues related to the construction,” said Savage.

However, Savage added, “We must balance our available police resources with all requests for traffic enforcement throughout the County.”

DCA Expects Heavy Holiday Traffic to Start This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Taxis queued up at Reagan National AirportReagan National Airport officials are warning travelers to expect heavy holiday traffic at the airport starting this weekend.

Traffic congestion at DCA is expected to be at its worst from 7-9 a.m. and 2-6 p.m. The peak holiday travel period is expected to last through Wednesday, Jan. 4.

From a Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority press release:

Travelers using Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport this holiday season are advised of possible roadway congestion associated with record volumes of travelers flying at the airport. Drivers on airport roadways experienced delays during the 2016 Thanksgiving travel rush. Airport officials urge the public to plan ahead and consider alternatives to driving when making plans to use Reagan National between December 16, 2016, and January 4, 2017.

Suggested strategies and alternatives include:

  • Riding Metrorail to and from the airport
  • Using the second airport exit from the George Washington Memorial Parkway coming south from Washington, D.C. This route provides more direct access to Terminal A and Economy parking.
  • Allowing extra travel time to reach terminals, lots and garages
  • Avoiding airport roads if the airport is not your destination

Airport roadway congestion often peaks from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 2 to 6 p.m., coinciding with local rush hours and the busiest movement of airline passengers. Congestion often extends beyond these times on days immediately before and after major holidays.

Customers parking at Reagan National are advised to reserve parking in advance at flyreagan.com/epark and check parking availability on overhead signs or at flyreagan.com/parking.

Traffic Chaos at Busy Rosslyn Intersection

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Yesterday’s evening rush hour brought traffic chaos to the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn.

All week traffic problems have plagued the intersection, one of Arlington’s busiest, during peak driving times. The culprit: Lynn Street is down to two lanes, due to construction on the Central Place project.

With traffic backing up, drivers jockeyed for position in the intersection, often “blocking the box” in the process when the light changed. Road rage would often ensue.

The Arlington County Police Department has been getting a high volume of calls from frustrated drivers seeking a police presence at the intersection, according to scanner traffic, but most of those pleas are not being answered with action.

“I’m here and there’s nothing we can do,” one officer said after responding to the scene.

A supervisor, earlier in the day, instructed dispatchers to clear calls complaining about heavy traffic — as long as the lanes were closed, traffic would remain heavy. Police would only respond to incidents in the intersection like accidents or road rage disputes that might become full-fledged physical fights.

It was the same story two years ago. As we reported in Oct. 2014, Central Place work had Lynn Street down to just one lane, leading to lots of horn honking and tempers flaring. Eventually, the issues cleared up as lanes were reopened a day or two later.

Two Hurt, Utility Wires Downed in Yorktown Blvd Crash

By ARLnow.com
1/9

Two people were taken to the hospital following a two-vehicle crash in the Yorktown neighborhood this afternoon.

The crash was reported around 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of Yorktown Blvd and N. George Mason Drive.

An elderly male driver was disoriented after the crash and had to be assisted out of his vehicle, according to scanner traffic. He and the other driver, an adult female, were transported to the hospital via ambulance. The injuries were not considered to be serious.

One of the vehicles, a Honda sedan, smashed into a utility pole after the initial crash, shattering the mid-section of the pole and downing numerous utility lines across both roads.

George Mason Drive is blocked at the crash scene, as is Yorktown Blvd east of the intersection.

BREAKING: Three Arrested After Police Chase Ends on I-395

By ARLnow.com
1/8

(Updated at 12:45 p.m.) The northbound lanes of I-395 are partially blocked just past Glebe Road, approaching the Pentagon, after a police chase ended in the middle of the highway.

Initial reports suggest the car was being chased for an assault on law enforcement, possibly as a result of the car ramming a Fairfax County Police cruiser.

Fairfax County Police and Virginia State Police officers chased the car up I-395 until it reportedly lost control and was boxed in by several police cruisers. The chase ended around 12:25 p.m. Arlington County officers trailed the chase and helped to assist with traffic control, according to scanner traffic.

Three occupants of the car were instructed to come out with their hands up, and were arrested at police gunpoint without further incident. No word yet on what charges they may face.

As of 12:35 p.m., one lane of northbound I-395 had reopened to traffic after being completely blocked for a short time.

Update at 11:30 p.m. — The chase started when officers tried to pull over the car in connection to a theft from a department store in Tysons Corner, according to Fairfax County Police.

From FCPD:

Around 11:40 a.m. today (Tuesday, December 6), the Tysons Urban Team (TUT) team was investigating a larceny case at a department store in Tysons Corner Center. The suspects fled in a car. Officers located it nearby and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver did not stop and a pursuit was initiated. The pursuit traveled out of Fairfax County. Virginia State Police and Arlington County Police assisted us.The pursuit ended along I-395 and Washington Street. Initial information determined three people were taken into custody.

Pre-Thanksgiving Traffic Already Looking Pretty Miserable

By ARLnow.com
1/2

If you were planning to drive out of town for Thanksgiving this evening and haven’t left yet — good luck.

Highways are already crowding with heavy traffic around the D.C. area, particularly on some of the main routes leaving town: I-95, I-270 and I-66.

In fact, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving from 5 to 6 p.m. has “the lowest average travel speed on the interstates and other prime travel routes” in the D.C. area, according to the regional Transportation Planning Board.

VDOT, meanwhile, says that drivers should expect some of the heaviest Thanksgiving traffic between mid-morning and the evening on Wednesday.

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