(Updated at 5:05 p.m.) A multi-vehicle accident closed all but two lanes on southbound I-395 near the Pentagon this afternoon.
Up to three people were reported hurt in the wreck, but no serious injuries were reported.
As of 5:05 p.m., at least one of the vehicles had been towed away and four lanes of traffic were getting by the scene, with only the far righthand lane blocked.
Despite a lack of progress on another planned pedestrian route under I-395, Arlington County says it has no plans to reopen an abandoned pedestrian tunnel that connects Army Navy Drive and the Dolly Madison Towers apartment complex.
The mysterious tunnel was the subject of an ARLnow.com forum post earlier this month.
The tunnel connects Army Navy Drive near 25th Street S., south of I-395, to the grounds of the Dolly Madison Towers apartment complex, north of I-395. It was built in the mid-1960s but closed in the mid-1990s due to periodic flooding and frequent vandalism of the lighting fixtures, according to Arlington County spokeswoman Laura G. Smith. The tunnel was also deemed difficult to patrol by police.
Smith says the county does not have any plans to reopen the tunnel. According to a comment on GreaterGreaterWashington.org, the tunnel was once used by apartment dwellers who wanted to access the bus stops on Army Navy Drive.
The county has previously expressed interest in providing additional north-south access points across I-395 to pedestrians and cyclists. However, a plan to build an emergency access road and bike path from S. Queen Street to Army Navy Drive, by way of an easement on Army Navy Country Club property, remains on hold.
“There is… no news to report,” Arlington County Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel said of the stalled plan.
Although the 1960s-era tunnel is officially closed, it can still be accessed and used by curious urban adventurers. A sign above the tunnel on the Army Navy Drive side reads: “Danger: Proceed at Your Own Risk.”
Other pedestrian and bike-accessible routes under or over I-395 in Arlington (from west to east) include the Shirlington pedestrian bridge, Four Mile Run Trail, S. Joyce Street, the Pentagon pedestrian tunnel, and the Mt. Vernon Trail.
(Updated at 5:25 p.m.) A vehicle pursuit has ended on I-395 near the 14th Street Bridge.
The pursuit began when the suspect vehicle rammed an Arlington County Police cruiser near N. Barton and Pershing Drive, in Lyon Park, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.
The vehicle, a late model Honda Accord, slammed into the front passenger side of the cruiser after the officer attempted to pull it over for a traffic stop, Sternbeck said. No injuries were reported as a result of the crash, though Sternbeck described the damage as “significant.”
Arlington County officers then chased the vehicle to I-395. The chase ended after officers set up a “rolling roadblock” in the northbound lanes, just before the suspects crossed into D.C.’s jurisdiction.
Police activity is currently blocking all but one northbound HOV lane just before the 14th Street Bridge. Police have two suspects in custody, both District of Columbia residents, Sternbeck said. The men are expected to be charged with felony hit and run.
It is normally Arlington County Police policy to not pursue fleeing vehicles except in special circumstances.
A rogue couch caused a single-vehicle accident on I-395 last night, according to police radio traffic.
The couch fell off a truck on southbound I-395 near the Pentagon. It’s unclear if the victim of the accident ran into the couch or swerved and ran into a highway barrier.
No injuries were reported. Police attempted to locate the owner of the couch, but as of this morning no police report has been filed, according to an ACPD spokesman.
File photo
Update at 10:10 a.m. — One lane of traffic is now squeezing by to the left of the accident while crews work to clean up the spill and clear the scene. HOV traffic is backed up to Shirlington circle.
The HOV lanes of I-395 have been shut down due to a jackknifed tractor trailer that struck the highway wall divide.
Police have blocked traffic because the truck is leaking fuel and they fear it might ignite. The fuel is coming from a 100+ gallon saddle tank, according to scanner traffic. A hazmat team is being dispatched to the scene.
A long line of northbound traffic is now at a standstill in the HOV lanes.
Update at 9:20 a.m. — NB I-395 has partially reopened.
(Update at 8:40 a.m.) Traffic on northbound I-395 is completely blocked following a serious multi-vehicle accident near Crystal City.
Three vehicles are involved, according to Arlington County Police spokesman: a Toyota Corolla, a white van and a box truck. The white van rolled on its side, trapping its two occupants, Sternbeck said. Both have since been extricated from the vehicle and are being transported to a local hospital.
Three ambulances have been requested to the scene for two to three reported injuries. The van was said to be carrying propane tanks, but no hazmat response was required.
I-395 northbound is completely blocked at Route 110. Traffic is being diverted onto the HOV lanes of 395.
Drivers should expect significant delays on southbound I-395 following an accident in the HOV lanes.
Initial reports suggest the accident involved an off-duty police officer in his or her personal vehicle. The HOV lanes are partially blocked near Glebe Road as a result of the accident. HOV traffic is getting by on the shoulder.
At least one mainline southbound and northbound lane of I-395 is also blocked. Southbound traffic is currently slowing near the Pentagon.
A D.C. taxicab somehow went up a steep embankment, ran into and partially went over a guardrail on Washington Boulevard this afternoon.
The accident happened around 1:00 p.m. on the section of Washington Boulevard between I-395 and Columbia Pike. Initial reports suggest the taxi was heading northbound from I-395 to Washington Boulevard when it ran up an embankment and into the guardrail along the southbound lanes of Washington Boulevard.
It’s unclear how the accident happened, although initial reports suggest another vehicle might have been involved in the accident; that vehicle suffered only minor damage.
The driver of the Ford Crown Victoria cab was extricated by firefighters and taken to a local hospital, according to scanner traffic. Traffic on Washington Boulevard was backed up as crews worked to remove the cab from the guardrail.
Supposedly, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic, the Tuesday after Labor Day was “Terrible Traffic Tuesday.”
But while traffic last Tuesday was actually fairly manageable, traffic today on this Tuesday seems a bit more terrible, at least on one local highway.
Traffic is heavy — moving slowly but steadily — for most of the stretch of northbound I-95/I-395 all the way from Newington to the 14th Street Bridge, according to traffic cameras.
The morning commute got even worse for many in the area this morning, following an accident on I-395 on or near the 14th Street Bridge.
The accident was reported between 7:00 and 7:30, and was said to be blocking several lanes. The lane closures have since been cleared, but as a result of residual delays traffic is crawling all the way back to Alexandria on I-395.
Other main routes that feed onto I-395 also seem to be affected. Eastbound traffic on Route 50, Washington Boulevard and Columbia Pike is very heavy, and delays have also been reported on the GW Parkway near Reagan National Airport.
Alternate streets, such as Route 110 and Route 50, have become jammed as well. Although parts of the George Washington Parkway seem to be moving, other areas are moving slowly, such as the area near the airport.
Drivers should expect significant delays for the morning commute, and should check alternate routes.
Smoke could be seen near the Pentagon this afternoon due to a brush fire.
The fire and the resulting smoke was seen in the median near the southbound I-395/Route 1 split.
Arlington County firefighters arrived on the scene and quickly extinguished the fire, but not before it scorched some dry brush in the median. Two lanes of southbound I-395 are currently blocked by the fire department activity.
Update at 4:10 p.m. — An accident with two injuries was reported in the same area at the time of the brush fire. It’s unclear if the two incidents are related.
Update at 4:50 p.m. — The scene has been cleared. All lanes are open.
