There will be no rail service between the East and West Falls Church stations on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Metro is splitting the Orange Line into two sections this weekend to facilitate work on the Dulles Metrorail project.
Shuttle buses will run every 10 minutes between the stations. Orange Line riders should add 30 minutes to their travel plans.
The work and the split will also be in effect on the weekends of June 5-6 and June 12-13.
The widening of Interstate 66 inside the Capital Beltway is moving forward.
Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell this week hailed a $10.2 million contract that was awarded to a construction firm for spot improvements on the four-lane highway inside the Beltway.
Orange cones and construction signs should be going up in the area later this summer.
The improvements will connect the westbound acceleration lane/deceleration lane pavement sections between the ramp to Fairfax Drive, near George Mason Drive, and Sycamore Street, near the East Falls Church Metro station, according to a press release from McDonnell’s office.
Construction will begin at the Fairfax Drive ramp near the George Mason Drive entrance ramp to I-66 west, and will end at the Sycamore Street ramp – a 1.9 mile distance. The entrance ramp acceleration lane and the exit ramp deceleration lane will be lengthened until they meet to form a continuous lane between both ramps, a McDonnell spokeswoman said.
In addition, a new 12-foot shoulder lane will be constructed which will carry emergency vehicles and could be used in emergency situations, she added.
Widening I-66 inside the Beltway has long been a hot issue for debate, regularly opposed by residents who live in Arlington. Those who use I-66 from points outside the Beltway, including Prince William County and Manassas, have long called for the widening of the road to relieve the bottleneck created when the number of lanes at the Beltway decreases, from six to four.
McDonnell’s office said the contract was delayed due to litigation, but a recent court decision the state’s favor will allow the highway improvements to move forward.
The improvements should not only make commuting easier and safer, but also would increase the evacuation capability of the nation’s capital in the event of an emergency, McDonnell said. However, some Arlington officials have objected to the project.
The Arlington County Board has given the go-ahead to include the proposed new Wakefield High School as part of its bond referendum this fall.
The $104.6 million project was fast-tracked by the school system and the county board in order to take advantage of more favorable bids from construction companies hurt by the recession. Originally, the county’s 2008 Capital Improvement Plan called for the school’s bond referendum to take place in 2012.
“By moving the project forward we will realize significant savings through reduced construction costs,” board Chairman Jay Fisette said in a statement.
“The new Wakefield High School will be a great civic building that will be both a first-class educational facility and an asset to the broader community,” said board vice-chairman Christopher Zimmerman.
In April, Acting County Manager Barbara Donnellan raised questions about whether the school’s financing could cause issues with the county’s debt limits and put Arlington’s excellent AAA bond rating in jeopardy. Apparently those fears were allayed.
Residents will vote in November on whether to approve the bonds necessary to build the school.
Would-Be Challengers Blast Moran on Vote — Republican primary contenders Matthew Berry and Patrick Murray took turns blasting Rep. Jim Moran (D) after the long-time Northern Virginia congressman cast a futile vote to allow a congressional pay raise. Moran was on the losing side of a 405-15 vote to block an automatic increase in members’ $174,000 per year salary. More from the Sun Gazette.
Family Raises Questions About Taser Death — The family of a man who died after being Tasered by Arlington police is speaking out. Adil Jouami was unclothed, uncooperative and combative when officers arrived at a family member’s Columbia Pike apartment Friday morning, police said. Jouami’s grief-stricken family questioned the need to use a Taser on a naked, unarmed man when as many as ten officers were present at the scene. More from Fox 5.
New Construction in Clarendon and Ballston — Wondering what that big hole in the ground is eventually going to turn in to? The Arlington Real Estate News blog has a summary of some of the new construction projects in Clarendon and Ballston. The nine projects listed include two office buildings, a retail building, and residential construction representing more than 1,000 housing units (mostly apartments).
Photographer’s Favorite Mistake — The Close-Up Clarendon photo blog highlights a grammatically incorrect street sign on Washington Boulevard, dubbing it “the best street sign in Clarendon.”
Arlington County leaders officially kicked off the $50 million Long Bridge Park construction project Saturday afternoon.
The park is being built just north of Crystal City, adjacent to Old Jefferson Davis Highway, on perhaps the largest open, undeveloped parcel of land left in Arlington County.
Speaking before the ceremonial shoveling were Arlington County board chairman Jay Fisette, park Design Advisory Committee chairman Toby Smith, and acting county manager Barbara Donnellan. State delegates Bob Brink, Patrick Hope and Adam Ebbin were in attendance, along with Arlington board members, county staffers, and park planners.
“This has been a long time in coming, and some of us thought it would never come,” joked Smith (see his speech here). The project has faced delays due lead and PCB contamination found on the former industrial site, as well as complications caused by the fact that the site is on a Reagan National Airport flight path.
Just over five years ago, through a bond referendum, Arlington voters approved funding for first phase of the 46-acre park, which includes three lighted turf athletic fields with synthetic turf, a half-mile long raised walkway, a rain garden and a large public event area.
The funding will also pay for the reconstruction of Old Jefferson Davis Highway, a pothole-ridden, flood-prone stretch of back road that’s perhaps the most poorly-maintained road in the county — and the only way to reach the park. The construction will include bike lanes, on-street parking, landscaped medians and street-side tree plantings.
If all goes according to plan, the park will open as early as the summer of 2011.
A second phase of the park, for which the county is seeking private funding, will include a state-of-the-art aquatics and fitness center with a 50 meter pool, a 10 meter diving platform, a therapy pool, exercise rooms, and a child care center.
Green Party Meeting Tonight — The Arlington Green Party is holding its monthly meeting tonight, and it promises to be an especially interesting gathering. Green Party leader Josh Ruebner suddenly resigned amid “internal squabbling” last week. Assumedly, the Greens will discuss new leadership tonight. See more community happenings in our events calendar.
Unfinished Construction Prompts Complaint — The county is trying to figure out why construction in front of Carlyle Restaurant in Shirlington has remained unfinished for six months, according to Shirlington Village Blogspot. A resident complained that there has been no work done since last fall.
Arlington’s U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) has issued a statement on the Senate filibuster that has resulted in 2,000 Department of Transportation employees being furloughed today. The furloughs have forced a number of federally-funded road construction projects, including the George Washington Parkway Humpback Bridge project, to temporarily shut down.
Here’s Rep. Moran’s statement:
Critical government programs and transportation projects are being held captive to the political posturing of a single individual in the U.S. Senate.
Key federal construction projects already underway in Virginia – including the $36 million project to replace the Humpback Bridge on the George Washington Parkway – remain at a standstill, with hundreds of workers off the job due to the furloughing of federal inspectors.
I urge the Senate to quickly address this political malfeasance so our vital transportation projects can get back on track and those struggling to find a job aren’t left out in the cold.
