Traffic

SUV Flips on Roof During Rt. 50 Wreck

By ARLnow.com

An SUV flipped on its roof as a result of a three-vehicle accident on Route 50 during Monday’s evening rush hour.

The wreck happened around 5:30 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of Route 50. According to initial, unconfirmed reports, one of the vehicles involved made a sudden lane change, forcing the other two to swerve to avoid it. The SUV was reportedly one of the vehicles that swerved, an evasive action that caused it to lose control and flip upside down in a grassy area next to the roadway.

The driver of the SUV did not appear to suffer serious injuries, but was treated by medics and taken to local hospital via ambulance, according to witnesses. Route 50 remained open in both directions following the accident, but 1-2 eastbound lanes were blocked during the emergency response, causing significant backups.

In addition to the Lexus SUV, the two other vehicles involved were a Mercedes-Benz coupe and a BMW sedan. The BMW suffered damage to its passenger-side rear quarter panel, door and tire as a result of the accident.

 

 

Ribbon Cutting Scheduled for Glebe Road Bridge

By ARLnow.com

 

A ribbon cutting ceremony has been scheduled to celebrate the completion of the new Glebe Road bridge over Route 50.

The event will be held Wednesday morning near Thomas Jefferson Middle School, just to the southeast side of the 100-foot-long bridge. Among those expected to ribbon cutting are County Board Chair Mary Hynes, state Sen. Barbara Favola, Del. Patrick Hope, and officials from VDOT, which oversaw the project.

The $6 million project replaced the once crumbling bridge with a wider, more structurally-sound span. Construction began last summer and is expected to wrap up today. The project resulted in frequent lane closures on Glebe Road which often backed up traffic in the area.

The new bridge features a northbound turn lane onto Route 50, a 17-foot shared use path and 11-foot sidewalk on either side of the span, decorative green wrought-iron fencing and new LED lighting.

Morning Traffic Trouble in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

It wasn’t a great morning to drive or bike on N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn.

A cyclist was struck by a vehicle at the dangerous intersection of Lynn Street and Lee Highway around 8:15 this morning. The cyclist was treated for a reported knee injury and transported to the hospital.

Although emergency activity from the accident blocked a right-hand lane of Lynn Street, the bigger traffic problem was the ramp to the northbound GW Parkway. According to scanner traffic, ongoing rock stabilization work on the parkway — which has blocked a left-hand lane — is causing traffic on the parkway to slow and, in turn, is causing major delays for traffic merging on to the parkway from Rosslyn.

As of 8:30 a.m., cars heading to the parkway were backed up all the way to Wilson Blvd on Lynn Street.

Car Flips on Roof Near Patrick Henry Elementary

By ARLnow.com

A car flipped on its roof after running into a parked car across from Patrick Henry Elementary School today.

The accident happened just past noon near the intersection of 7th Street S. and Garfield Street. A silver Mazda driven by a female driver apparently ran into the back of a car that was parked on the side of the street. The collision caused the Mazda to flip on its roof.

Firefighters responded with heavy rescue equipment to pull the trapped driver from the overturned car. She was placed on a stretcher and transported to a local hospital via ambulance for what were reported to be minor injuries. Nobody else was in the two cars at the time of the accident.

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Meeting Tonight to Discuss Traffic Impact of New School

By ARLnow.com

Parents and residents who live around Williamsburg Middle School (3600 N. Harrison Street) will be told tonight how a new elementary school will impact traffic.

As part of its plan to reduce school overcrowding, APS is planning a new 90,000 square foot, 3-4 story, 600 seat neighborhood elementary school on the Williamsburg campus. The school is projected to cost $35 million to build and construction should last from Jan. 2014 to Summer 2015.

Toole Design Group, a transportation consultant hired by Arlington Public Schools, will present the results of a Traffic Impact Study at a community meeting scheduled from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. tonight (Thursday) at the Williamsburg Middle School auditorium. The meeting is open to the public.

The consultant is also working on parking issues related to the new school and the proposed expansion of Williamsburg Middle School itself. The changes may result in 570 additional parking spaces on the site, according to a recent community presentation.

Partial Closure of Northbound GW Parkway This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) A large stretch of the northbound George Washington Parkway will be shut down this weekend due to rock stabilization work.

All northbound lanes of the parkway will be closed from Spout Run to Chain Bridge. The closure is scheduled to be in place from 7:15 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5, to 5:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 8, according to the National Park Service.

“Detours will be posted, variable message boards have been placed, but alternate routes are strongly advised,” NPS said.

One possible way around the closure for GW Parkway drivers is to take the northbound Spout Run Parkway to Lee Highway, Lee Highway north to Military Road, Military Road north to Glebe Road, Glebe Road northeast to Chain Bridge Road, and Chain Bridge Road north to back to the GW Parkway. Another alternative route, for drivers heading to the Beltway, is to take Spout Run to Lee Highway to westbound I-66.

The rock stabilization project is being performed through Dec. 19 by the Federal Highway Administration. The goal is to stabilize the “rock slopes” of two sites near Spout Run that experienced recent “rock fall events.” The second site, just north of Spout Run, had a boulder fall onto the parkway as a result of the Aug. 23, 2011 earthquake, according to FHA.

In addition to the closure this coming weekend, one of the three northbound lanes of the parkway near Spout Run is closed through the end of the project, and a second (middle) lane is closed during non-rush hours. On top of that, two additional full weekend closures are also planned this month.

“A second and third full weekend closure at the north slide is tentatively scheduled for the weekends of October 13th and 14th and October 20th and 21st,” according to the Park Service.

Photo via the Federal Highway Administration

Overturned Vehicle Near Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Police are on the scene of an overturned vehicle in the area of the I-66 exit to Route 110, near Rosslyn.

The vehicle rollover accident was reported around 11:30 a.m. The occupants of the vehicle were able to get out safely on their own and were unhurt, according to scanner traffic.

Paramedics and firefighters have cleared the scene, and police are awaiting a tow truck to haul away the wreckage.

Roads Closed, Power Out Around Cherrydale

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:40 p.m.) — Power has been restored to nearly all of the 2,200 customers who were without power due to a vehicle accident in Cherrydale. The intersection of N. Quincy Street and Lee Highway, however, remains a mess.

According to an officer on the scene, just before 10:00 a.m., the driver of a large truck was attempting to make a right turn onto Lee Highway from northbound Quincy Street. Somehow he snagged a cable anchored into the sidewalk, which supports a utility pole. The top of the pole snapped and brought down wires, a transformer and part of another pole.

“This is all just because some guy couldn’t make a turn correctly,” the officer said.

The officer declined to comment on whether the driver received a ticket.

Traffic signals were dark in parts of Cherrydale, Ballston and Virginia Square in addition to the residential customers without power. Dominion was able to re-route power and all but 166 customers had electricity restored within an hour, according to Dominion spokeswoman Le-Ha Anderson. As of 2:40 p.m., there are only 9 remaining customers who don’t have power, and they are in the immediate vicinity of the accident.

Dominion crews are on the scene and have to replace the smashed transformer, one utility pole, the cross beam of another utility pole and will have to reconnect all the power lines. They also have to clean up the fluid that leaked from the smashed transformer, which Anderson said is harmless mineral oil. Crews had first hoped to have all the work finished sometime around 5:00 p.m., but due to the extent of the damage, the new estimate is in the 7:00-9:00 p.m. range.

Quincy Street remains closed between 20th Street and Lee Highway. Police are at the intersection to help with traffic control.

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Shirlington Road Closures for 9/11 Heroes Run

By ARLnow.com

The 9/11 Heroes Run Shirlington will shut down a number of roads in the area on Saturday (Sept. 29).

The 5K race is being held to benefit Travis Mills, an Army staff sergeant who lost all four limbs to an IED in Afghanistan earlier this year. Registration for the race — $35 for individuals — is still open.

The race will start at 8:30 a.m. at the corner of S. Randolph and S. Quincy Streets in Shirlington Village.

In order to facilitate the race, the Arlington County Police Department will be shutting down a number of streets from about 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Among them:

  • Westbound Four Mile Run Drive between Walter Reed Drive and George Mason Drive
  • Northbound Walter Reed Drive between Arlington Mill Drive and Four Mile Run Drive
  • Arlington Mill Drive between Walter Reed Drive and S. Quincy Street
  • All of the roads immediately surrounding Shirlington Village

Street parking will also be restricted in the area. Cars parked in areas marked as temporary ‘no parking’ will be ticketed or towed.

Road Closures for Clarendon Day Festival and Race

By ARLnow.com

A number of streets will be closed tomorrow (Saturday) for the annual Clarendon Day festival and race.

The Clarendon Day 10K, 5K and Kids Dash races will take place between 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. During that time, drivers should expect closures along Wilson Boulevard from N. Fillmore Street in Clarendon to Route 110 in Rosslyn. Parts of northbound Route 110 and N. Kent Street will also be closed.

A large central section of Clarendon will be off-limits to motorists for most of the day for the festival — which includes live music, entertainment, arts and craft, food and beer. Closures will be in place from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. along the following streets:

  • Wilson Blvd from Washington Blvd to N. Garfield Street
  • Clarendon Blvd from Washington Blvd to N. Garfield Street
  • N. Highland Street between N. 11th Street and N. Hartford Street

Street parking along the race routes and around the festival area will be restricted, and police are expected to tow cars that are still parked in the temporary no parking zone Saturday morning.

Disclosure: Clarendon Day is an ARLnow.com advertiser

Motorcycle Struck by Truck on Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com

A motorcycle was struck by a truck at the intersection of Glebe Road and Columbia Pike.

The accident happened around 11:15 a.m. Traffic camera images show the motorcycle under the truck, but initial reports suggest the motocyclist was able to slide his bike before coming in contact with the truck.

The motorcyclist is being transported to the hospital with what are being described as minor injuries.

The westbound lanes of Columbia Pike and the northbound lanes of Glebe Road are currently blocked at the accident scene.

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