Traffic

BREAKING TRAFFIC — I-395 Lanes Blocked After Car Flips Over

By ARLnow.com

A car flipped over in the HOV lane of I-395 around 1:30 this afternoon, trapping the driver and snarling traffic. No word on whether the driver is injured.

As of 1:45, the HOV lanes and two lanes northbound and southbound I-395 are blocked between Seminary Road and King Street.

First responders from Arlington and Alexandria are on scene, along with Virginia State Police.

As of 2:15, major delays on southbound I-395 were forming just past the Pentagon. The driver appears to have been freed from the vehicle.

Road Closures for Sen. Byrd Funeral in North Arlington

By ARLnow.com

A public memorial service for West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd, the longest-serving U.S. senator in history, is being held at 11:00 this morning at the Memorial Baptist Church in North Arlington.

Limited public seating will be available at the funeral, which is also expected to draw a large media contingent to the church at 3455 North Glebe Road.

After the service, a private internment ceremony will be held at the Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Ashton Heights.

The Arlington Police Department is warning of parking and other restrictions near the funeral. There will also be rolling road closures during the procession to the cemetery.

Among the the rolling closures will be the southbound lanes of Glebe Road, stretching from the church, through Ballston to Route 50. Parts of North Pershing Drive, North Irving Street and the westbound lanes of Route 50 will also be closed for a time.

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Road Closure on Wilson Blvd as Dominion Fixes Transformer

By ARLnow.com

Dominion has brought in a crane to fix a transformer at Wilson Boulevard and North Randolph Street, across the street from Ballston Common Mall.

During the repairs, one lane of westbound Wilson Boulevard will be closed. The work is expected to wrap up between 5:00 and 5:30 tonight.

Meanwhile, the blown transformer has knocked out power to a building in the area.

Roosevelt Bridge Blocked For Suspicious Package

By ARLnow.com

The Roosevelt Bridge was blocked in both directions last night as D.C. police and Arlington firefighters investigated a suspicious package on the Virginia side of the span.

Authorities shut down the heavily-traveled thoroughfare around 7:30. The all-clear was given around 8:15.

The large backups that formed as a result of the closure cleared quickly once the bridge was re-opened.

I-66 Eastbound Blocked Before Roosevelt Bridge

By ARLnow.com

Update at 1:00 p.m. — And just like that, it’s back open. It was a State Police police cruiser that was blocking the road, but we’re still not sure why.

It’s not clear what’s going on, but the eastbound lanes of I-66 are completely blocked at Lynn Street, just before the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. Traffic is backing up at the Rosslyn tunnel.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Virginia Won’t Cut Off Money to Metro — Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton says the $50 million per year the state pledges to Metro will not be cut off, after all. Connaughton had threatened to stop the annual payment unless the state were granted two seats on Metro’s Board of Directors. But after an outcry from local leaders, and a letter from Metro board members Chris Zimmerman (who’s also on the Arlington County board) and Catherine Hudgins, Connaughton and the McDonnell administration apparently had a change of heart. More from the Washington Post.

Career Center Wins State Accolade — The Arlington Career Center’s Automotive Technology Program has won the 2010 Virginia Governor’s Career and Technical Education Exemplary Standards Award. The program will receive $5,000 cash and a banner to display on the school.

Columbia Pike Utility Undergrounding to Begin Monday — If you live near Columbia Pike, enjoy the weekend while it lasts. Monday could bring significant traffic challenges, as crews begin work to relocate a gas line and put overhead utility lines underground, from South Wakefield Street to Four Mile Run. The County warns that delays are expected as a result of the Pike project, which will last well into 2011.

Flickr pool photo by Amberture.

Tire-Sized Sinkhole To Watch Out For

By ARLnow.com

A tire-sized sinkhole has formed on the exit ramp from southbound Washington Boulevard to Columbia Pike.

The sinkhole, located in the right turning lane, appeared to have been partially filled in by a public works crew shortly after these photos were taken, but as of Saturday afternoon it remains a hazard to drivers.

Northbound I-395 Shut Down At Glebe Road Due to Accident

By ARLnow.com

Update at 5:30 p.m. — All lanes have reopened.

Update at 4:40 p.m. — One lane is now getting by. Traffic is backed up to Duke Street.

All northbound lanes of I-395 have been shut down due to an accident. Police are on the scene and paramedics are responding for a reported injury.

Traffic is being forced to exit on Glebe Road. Backups are forming quickly.

DEVELOPING — Smoke Reported on Metro Tracks off I-66

By ARLnow.com

Update at 4:00 p.m. — The disruption has been cleared, WTOP reports.

Update at 3:35 p.m. — There’s smoke on the tracks between Ballston and East Falls Church, Metro spokesperson Cherry-Ann Santos confirms. Currently, there is no impact on service, Santos says. However, riders are being told to expect delays on the Orange Line.

A possible fire has been reported on the Orange Line Metrorail tracks that run parallel to I-66, near the North Harrison Street overpass.

Passersby report white smoke coming from the tracks. Arlington firefighters are en route.

There’s currently heavy traffic on I-66 near the scene.

WaPo Editorial: Va. Should Conduct HOT Lanes Study

By ARLnow.com

In an editorial today, the Washington Post questions the basis for Arlington County’s $750,000 lawsuit against the proposed high occupancy toll lanes on I-395. But after calling the lawsuit’s racial claims “a doozy” and asserting the need for more capacity along I-395 and I-95, the Post says that Virginia and the Feds should accede to Arlington’s request for a full environmental impact study.

The request is “reasonable,” the Post editorial board writes, while adding that “once [the study] is complete, Arlington should stand down before it throws further taxpayer dollars down into the sinkhole of litigation.”

See the editorial here.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Sunset Parade Draws Big Crowd — A good-sized crowd was on hand at the Iwo Jima Memorial last night (see photo above) for the Marine Corps’ first Sunset Parade of the summer.

I-66 Widening Begins Next Week — Dr. Gridlock reports that construction is expected to begin on I-66 next week. VDOT will be widening I-66 between Fairfax Drive and Sycamore Street in Arlington County. Expect an almost nightly lane closure through July, which could tie up traffic at times from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. The project is expected to take 18 months.

Bike Safety Expenditures Detailed — Arlington is planning to spend $1,000,000 per year on bicycle and pedestrian safety projects. People-Powered Arlington has a breakdown of how and where the money will be spent in, complete with a handy map.

Tax Credits Provide $10 Million for Pike Housing Project — An allocation of tax credits from the state will allow a low-income housing development in Arlington to move forward. The 111-unit Buchanan Garden Apartments, on the western end of Columbia Pike, will be undergoing a $30 million renovation project. The tax credits will provide $10 million for the construction, with another $11.4 million contributed by the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund. The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing is spearheading the project, which will modernize aging apartments and add extra bedrooms for families.

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