Update at 4 p.m. — Firefighters have largely cleared the scene but at least one northbound lane is now expected to remain closed while crews repair the line.
Earlier: Several blocks of S. Glebe Road are blocked due to a reported gas line rupture.
Initial reports suggest that a construction vehicle struck a gas line along the 3100 block of S. Glebe Road shortly after 3 p.m., causing a leak. Police and firefighters are on scene, awaiting repair crews from the gas company.
All lanes of Glebe are blocked between S. Fern Street and Arlington Ridge Road. The southbound lanes are expected to reopen momentarily.
Update at 3:15 p.m. — The road has reopened, Arlington County says.
Earlier: Washington Blvd is closed at N. Quantico Street due to a reported gas leak.
Firefighters and police are on scene of the leak, which was large enough to prompt first responders to block traffic in both directions. The location of the closure is east of East Falls Church and west of Westover.
Drivers are being detoured onto local streets, though traffic volume remains relatively light in Arlington due to the pandemic.
A Washington Gas crew is said to be en route. No word yet on when the road will reopen.
A crew works to repair a gas leak on Walter Reed Drive (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Walter Reed Drive is closed southbound near Columbia Pike for a gas leak (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Update on 4/2/20 — The repairs were completed and the roadway is back open.
Update at 4:50 p.m. — Walter Reed Drive is now closed in both directions while crews work to stop the leak and repair the line.
Earlier: The southbound lanes of Walter Reed Drive are blocked due to a significant outdoor gas leak south of Columbia Pike.
The leak was reported shortly before 2:30 p.m., near the intersection of Walter Reed and 11th Street S. Arlington police and firefighters are on the scene.
Initial reports suggest a gas line larger than 2 inches was struck by a construction crew, prompting the closure and extra precautions. First responders are now checking natural gas levels on the ground floor of the adjacent apartment building while awaiting the arrival of Washington Gas.
INCIDENT: BROKEN GAS LINE LOCATION: COLUMBIA PIKE AND WALTER REED IMPACT: SOUTHBOUND WALTER REED FROM COLUMBIA PIKE TO 11TH ST SOUTH IS CURRENTLY SHUT DOWN DUE TO A BROKEN GAS LINE, WASHINGTON GAS HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, UNK ETA FOR CLOSURE pic.twitter.com/WtWtRjv92r
Rail Project Will Include New Pedestrian Bridge — “As part of the Long Bridge project, a stand-alone bike and pedestrian bridge would be built upstream from the new rail bridge, allowing people to walk or bike across the Potomac River between the D.C. waterfront and Crystal City in Arlington. Virginia officials said the state plans to build that pedestrian and bike bridge.” [Washington Post]
Weekend Propane Leak in Ballston — Per the Arlington County Fire Department: “FD and Haz-Mat units are on scene in the 4000 blk of Fairfax Dr investigating a report of a large propane [tank] leaking… Crews located a large propane tank leaking at a building under construction. The leak has been controlled and units are remaining on scene to [perform] air monitoring.” [Twitter]
ACPD Increasing Bike Lane Enforcement — “The county… says that Arlington police are stepping up their enforcement of bike lane violations. Cycling advocate Gillian Burgess says that she has seen evidence of more police presence, though she believes that the problem will ultimately be solved by better street design, not enforcement.” [WAMU]
Rosslyn Startup Gets Big Investment — “Arlington-based Advantia Health, a growing national provider of women’s healthcare, announced a $45 million investment by BlueMountain Capital Management, LLC (BlueMountain), a subsidiary of Assured Guaranty Ltd. This funding comes after a year of rapid growth.” [Advantia Health via Potomac Tech Wire]
Fire and emergency personnel respond to a reported gas leak at Bishop O’Connell High School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Fire and emergency personnel respond to a reported gas leak at Bishop O’Connell High School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Fire and emergency personnel respond to a reported gas leak at Bishop O’Connell High School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Fire and emergency personnel respond to a reported gas leak at Bishop O’Connell High School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Fire and emergency personnel respond to a reported gas leak at Bishop O’Connell High School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Fire and emergency personnel respond to a reported gas leak at Bishop O’Connell High School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A large fire department response at Bishop O’Connell High School this afternoon has been pared back after a gas odor investigation found no active leak.
Firefighters — including a hazmat team — were called to the school at 6600 Little Falls Road around lunchtime for a report of a natural gas smell in a deep pipe chase. They remained on scene well into the afternoon, investigating the odor with crews from Washington Gas.
Thus far, nothing hazardous has been found. The school was not evacuated.
A portion of N. Trinidad Street was closed during the incident due to the extensive emergency response.
More from the Bishop O’Connell website:
A construction worker at Bishop O’Connell detected what he thought might have been the smell of gas in a utility tunnel this afternoon. The Arlington County Fire Department along with representatives from the gas company have been on site all afternoon. They have detected no sign of a gas leak and they have not recommended any evacuation at this time.
Please know that there continues to be a strong fire department presence at the school. In an abundance of caution, they are monitoring the situation, which remains unchanged at this time.
Afternoon pick-up notes: The front carpool lanes may be closed off this afternoon. Students will be dismissed through the gym and Underwood Street lobbies. Please obey all law enforcement officers, and exercise abundant care as you pick up your students.
We appreciate your patience during these unusual circumstances!
Walter Reed Drive closed at Columbia Pike due to a ruptured gas line
(Updated at 2:10 p.m.) A reported ruptured gas line behind Papillon Cycles prompted evacuations and a road closure near the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Walter Reed Drive.
As of 2:10 p.m., the gas leak has been stopped and police re-opened Walter Reed Drive, after temporarily closing it between the Pike and 9th Street S.
Some stores in the area, on the 2800 block of Columbia Pike, were evacuated during the incident, according to scanner traffic.
One restaurant owner said that means their business had to close, but told ARLnow, “but that’s fine, it’s a Wednesday so it’s slow anyway.”
A full fire department response has been dispatched to the scene as a precaution, as gas company crews work to stop the leak.
900 blk S Walter Reed Dr: @washingtongas has controlled the gas leak. ACFD crews have checked surrounding buildings to make sure they are safe. All units have returned to service and cleared the scene. pic.twitter.com/qt8nFF2i3H
(Updated at 10:40 a.m.) Firefighters responded this morning to a significant gas leak at a construction site in the Radnor-Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood.
A gas line was reportedly struck at a construction site near the intersection of N. Rolfe Street and the Arlington Blvd access road. The gas leak prompted evacuations of nearby residents.
Washington Gas is currently on scene working to control the leak, ACFD said.
#Breaking: Units called for gas line struck at construction site in 1700 block of Arlington Blvd. Crews are monitoring and evacuating some residents in the adjacent building to another building until the leak is controlled. @washingtongas enroute. pic.twitter.com/fv8UT8lQ52
#FinalUpdate: Gas leak in 1700 block of Arlington Blvd. @washingtongas has leak controlled. No further hazards present. All evacuees have been allowed to return home. Fire department returning to service. pic.twitter.com/6wFR626F4i
Students at a Clarendon area daycare center are spending part of their morning on the Arlington County Fire Department’s mass casualty ambulance bus.
A fire department spokesman said the ambulance bus was dispatched to the 1200 block of N. Ivy Street, where firefighters are investigating a possible gas leak inside a building.
The block is home to NOVA KinderCare, a daycare center. The spokesman said the bus was deployed to keep children warm as firefighters investigate the reported leak and await the arrival of Washington Gas.
No injuries have been reported.
Update at 9:35 a.m. — The daycare building has been deemed safe to re-occupy, according to scanner traffic.
8:23am today units called to 1200 blk N Ivy St for smell of gas in Daycare. No medical issues reported. Kids were moved to nearby building while cause was investigated. Issue isolated to HVAC which was shut down. Building ventilated. Kids returned to building for parent pickup.
S. Highland Street as it meets Columbia Pike, closed for a gas leak.
S. Highland Street as it meets Columbia Pike, closed for a gas leak.
(Updated at 11:45 a.m) An outside gas leak has prompted county police to close a section of S. Highland Street as it meets Columbia Pike.
First responders were first called about the leak around 11 a.m. today (Tuesday), per scanner traffic. The leak will also result in the closure of 12th Street S. as it meets S. Highland.
Police are currently waiting on Washington Gas to evaluate the situation. The area is home to a Days Inn and a Shell gas station.
George Mason Drive was closed and nearly a dozen condominium residents evacuated after workers struck a gas line near Barcroft Park this morning.
The gas line was struck shortly after 11 a.m. on S. George Mason Drive between Four Mile Run Drive and S. Columbus Street. The stretch of road was closed by police as a Washington Gas crew worked to clamp the gas line and as firefighters stood by with hoses ready should the gas ignite.
Just before noon the leak was reported to be stopped. Police were reopening three out of the four lanes of George Mason while the gas company started working to fix the line. Firefighters were checking nearby buildings — including the adjacent George Mason Village condos — to ensure that the gas had dissipated.
The line appears to have been struck by a private traffic signal contractor, which had a truck parked nearby.
