Glebe Road

High Pollen Levels Leave Cars Covered

By ARLnow.com
A car covered with pollen (file photo)

As The Weather Channel and anyone with seasonal allergies can tell you, the pollen level in the D.C. area right now is very high.

It’s something of an annual spring rite of passage — tree pollen levels rise as temperatures get warmer, allergy sufferers start suffering, and everything gets covered with a fine, lime green layer of a tree’s reproductive cells.

In particular, cars — especially cars parked under trees — are prone to becoming covered. Perhaps that’s why, at 2:30 p.m., there are long lines at the Mr. Wash car wash at 101 N. Glebe Road.

Fire Rips Through Glebe Road Paint Store

By ARLnow.com

A fire broke out at the Duron Paint store near the corner of Glebe Road and Lee Highway this morning.

The Arlington County Fire Department responded to the store around 6:30 a.m. after a passerby saw smoke and called 911. Firefighters had the bulk of the fire knocked within 10 minutes, according to department spokesperson Lt. Gregg Karl.

The paint store suffered “pretty significant damage” from the flames, while two adjacent businesses in the same shopping plaza — Papa John’s pizza and Cardinal Bank — suffered smoke damage. All three businesses are expected to remain closed at least through today, although it may take much longer for the paint store to reopen.

A hazardous materials team was called to the scene to assist with the cleanup inside the Duron store. The county fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Photos courtesy Jamie N.

Truck Accident Blocks Glebe Road in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Update at 10:40 a.m. — The accident has been moved out of the middle of the intersection. One righthand lane of Glebe Road remains blocked.

An accident between two large trucks is partially blocking the busy intersection of Glebe Road and Fairfax Drive.

One of the trucks involved is a large car carrier. One minor injury has been reported.

Police and paramedics are on the scene. Expect traffic issues in the area.

Crumbling Glebe Road Bridge Slated for Replacement

By ARLnow.com

Two years after concrete began falling from the “structurally deficient” Glebe Road/Route 50 bridge, VDOT expects to advertise its plan to replace the crumbling overpass next week.

The bridge has raised concerns recently as chunks of concrete began falling anew. On Friday, rush hour traffic was snarled when a chunk of concrete fell from the bridge onto a westbound lane of Route 50 around 4:30 p.m. Police shut down the bridge and one lane of Glebe Road for more than an hour as a result.

The falling concrete actually left a hole in the roadway from which one could look down and see the highway below, according to Arlington County Director of Transportation Dennis Leach. Over the weekend, VDOT patched up the part of the bridge from which the concrete fell.

ARLnow.com has also heard a thus-far unconfirmed report that falling concrete struck a vehicle last Sunday. No injuries were reported.

VDOT will be installing a protective shield “as soon as possible” to make sure more debris doesn’t fall on Route 50, according to agency spokeswoman Jennifer McCord. The shield will either be a protective netting or some sort of wooden structure, she said.

McCord says VDOT expects to advertise a long-delayed plan to replace the bridge next week. The agency will expedite the bidding process so that work on the new bridge can begin as soon as this summer and be complete by August 2012, officials said.

The $6 million project will completely replace the bridge deck while widening it by 27 feet. The increased width will allow for a 17-foot shared use path on one side, a 10-foot sidewalk on the other and five travel lanes in between, including a new northbound turn lane. The bridge will feature “wrought-iron picket fencing, gateway pillars and decorative LED lighting,” according to McCord.

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Local Fishmonger Closes Up Shop

By ARLnow.com

M. Slavin & Sons, a seafood seller located on South Glebe Road near I-395, has closed.

The store maintained a well-reviewed retail business of selling fresh seafood to consumers via a front counter. It also distributed seafood wholesale to local businesses.

Reached by phone, a store employee said the store had been losing business and has not been able to keep up with rising expenses. The store’s last day in business was Friday. The company is based in the New York City area and has other locations in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Rhode Island, Florida and Puerto Rico.

Around lunchtime today, a steady stream of regular customers drove into the parking lot only to be greeted with “CLOSED” signs in the window. One woman said she came to M. Slavin to pick up seafood for most major holidays. Today, she was hoping to pick up crab legs for Valentine’s Day.

“Well, off to the waterfront I go, I guess,” she said, referring to the seafood market on Maine Avenue SW in the District.

“This is a big loss,” another customer said, via email. “They had by far the best fresh fish in the area.”

Hat tips to Sue W. and Josh M.

TRAFFIC ALERT — Glebe Road Shut Down at Route 50

By ARLnow.com

Update at 7:50 p.m. — All lane closures except one northbound lane on Glebe Road have been lifted.

Both directions of Glebe Road have been shut down and one lane of westbound Route 50 has been blocked due to chunks of concrete falling off the overpass.

ARLnow.com is hearing that officials were notified earlier this week that debris fell off the bridge and struck a vehicle on Sunday. No one was hurt, we hear. No word on what action, if any, was taken after that incident.

Glebe Road Shut Down Due to Ruptured Gas Line

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Police are shutting down a large section of South Glebe Road near I-395 due to a ruptured gas line.

Initial reports indicate that a construction crew hit a 8-10 inch gas line. There was no fire.

Glebe Road is currently shut down between I-395 to the south and Walter Reed Drive to the north. The ramp from southbound I-395 to Glebe Road is also shut down, as is a ramp from northbound I-395 to northbound Glebe Road.

The Best Western hotel appears to be adjacent to where the work was taking place. Firefighters are on the scene with hoses laid out near the construction site.

A natural gas smell can be detected in the area.

We’re hearing that the closures could last well into the night.

Update at 10:30 p.m. — Glebe Road is expected to reopen in time for the morning rush hour.

Sewer Work Prompts Numerous Fire Department Calls

By ARLnow.com

A pervasive chemical odor has prompted some residents in the neighborhood just north of the Washington Golf and Country Club and east of Glebe Road to call the fire department, thinking something was amiss, when in fact the odor is actually a byproduct of scheduled sewer work in the area.

Contractors working for the county’s Water, Sewer and Streets Bureau are relining the sewer pipes along the 4700 block of 34th Road North until about 8:30 p.m. tonight. Water service has been cut to a number of homes in the area to facilitate the work, which is being done without any excavation.

The sewer bureau’s contractors using “a trenchless technology known as Cured-In-Place Pipe,” according to county Department of Environmental Services spokesperson Myllisa Kennedy.

The odor is the result of the styrene resin that’s used to reline the pipes. Kennedy says the resin “is not harmful to pets or people.”

Here’s how she explained the process:

The process involves inserting a resin-impregnated felt liner similar to a sock into an existing sanitary sewer main through the manhole. Once the liner is in place, hot water is injected into the sock, and the heated water activates the resin material which is impregnated in the liner. As the resin is activated, it cures and forms into a solid plastic material which transforms the flexible liner into a rigid pipe which exhibits structural strength equivalent to a new sewer. Additionally, the new cured pipe provides a smooth and efficient flow channel which thoroughly renews the sewer without excavating the pipe.

Once the pipe liner has cured, a robotic tool is inserted into the new pipe and is remotely directed through the pipe to cut out the lateral service connections, and the new pipe is placed back into service. The entire process typically requires 6-12 hours. The County’s Capital Improvement Program funds the relining program to replace approximately 1.5 percent of the sewer system annually, about 7 miles of pipe.

Similar work will be performed on the 4700 blocks of 34th Street and Dittmar Road between Nov. 29 and Dec. 3 next week. Sewer bureau staff will hand-deliver notices to affected homes.

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Christmas Trees Prepped for Sale in North Arlington

By ARLnow.com

With just two days until Thanksgiving, the Optimist Club of Arlington is getting ready for its annual Christmas tree sale.

The sale will begin on Saturday, at the Wachovia Bank parking lot near the corner of North Glebe Road and Lee Highway. Prices we saw posted ranged from $30 to $210.

The Optimist Club has been selling Fraser firs, Scotch pines and other tree varieties in Arlington since 1950, according to the Sun Gazette. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the club’s youth programs.

If you celebrate the holiday, where do you go to buy your Christmas trees?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Republicans Look to 2011 — Mark Kelly, who just lost his bid to unseat Chris Zimmerman on the county board, says that 2011 represents the Republican Party’s best chance of getting a toe hold in Arlington politics. Voter turnout should be very low, since there will be no federal races on the ballot. Two county board, a school board and a number of state legislative seats will be up for grabs. More from the Sun Gazette.

Rousselot Launches Bid for State Party Chair — Peter Rousselot, who served as chairman of the Arlington County Democratic Committee from 2006 to 2010, is seeking to the chairmanship of the Democratic Party of Virginia. Rousselot says the DPVA should focus on “maximizing the ability of Democratic candidates to win statewide races in Virginia.” One expected rival for the position is Brian Moran, former gubernatorial candidate and brother of Rep. Jim Moran. (That is, if Moran is legally qualified to be state party chair.)

State Supreme Court Upholds Transportation Tax — In a ruling on a case out of Fairfax County, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld the legality of a special transportation tax on property. Commercial property holders in Arlington have objected to paying a county transportation tax — $0.125 for every $100 in property value — while residential property owners are exempt. More from TBD.

Glebe Road’s Lost Interchange — Greater Greater Washington uncovers evidence that an oddly-curved section of Glebe Road near Chain Bridge was originally intended to be a interchange with the George Washington Parkway and a never-built bridge across the Potomac.

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