I-395

Traffic Grows Thick as Roads Get Slick

By ARLnow.com

Highways leading out of the District of Columbia are thick with traffic as a steady rain starts to change over to a slippery mix of sleet and snow.

Southbound I-395 and westbound I-66 are both jammed.

Meanwhile, police and firefighters are on the scene of a two-vehicle collision on northbound I-395 just before Shirlington.

Update at 3:55 p.m. — Heavy congestion reported on Washington Boulevard from Clarendon to I-395.

Update at 4:15 p.m. — Firefighters are on the scene of a two-vehicle crash on Columbia Pike at South Frederick Street.

Update at 4:25 p.m. — Roads are quickly becoming snow-covered. Reports are coming in of cars becoming stuck on hills.

Update at 5:15 p.m. — We’re now providing snow and traffic updates on a new post.

Car Fire on Northbound I-395 Near Pentagon

By ARLnow.com

A van caught fire on northbound I-395 near the Pentagon around 6:00 tonight. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze. So far, there are no reports of injuries.

Firefighters shut down at least one left-hand lane, but there did not appear to be any major slowdowns as a result of the fire.

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.

Slow Commute for Some

By ARLnow.com

It’s a slow go for commuters on Route 50 and Columbia Pike this morning. And it’s an even slower commute for those on I-395.

Nearly the entire length of northbound I-395 is slow, from the Beltway to the 14th Street Bridge. HOV commuters, however, have it relatively easy.

The Arlington stretch of Route 50 and Columbia Pike are both experiencing heavier-than usual traffic volume.

Rainy Commute Through Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Commuters have wet, leaf-slicked roads to deal with this morning, but largely the drive on the highways isn’t much worse than on any other given weekday.

Traffic on I-66 is moving smoothly. I-395 is backed up, per usual, and is moving slowly approaching the 14th Street Bridge.

The biggest cause for concern this morning appears to be Route 27 near the Pentagon, which has slowed to a crawl heading northbound (on the western side of the Pentagon).

Va. Transportation Chief: No Money For I-395 Improvements

By ARLnow.com

Virginia’s transportation chief is gently nudging the federal government for road money while tweaking Arlington’s HOT Lanes lawsuit.

In an interview with WTOP, Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton said that the planned shift of 6,400 Department of Defense jobs to Alexandria’s Mark Center is turning I-395 into a “military corridor.” He quickly added that the state does not have money for any major improvements to the highway, despite dire predictions of heavy congestion as a result of the Mark Center move.

Connaughton did, however, think of one possible way to relieve the congestion. He said a ramp to the center would be built as a result of the I-395 HOT Lanes project. A lawsuit filed by Arlington County is currently preventing the project from moving forward.

Morning Poll: Arlington’s Highway Opposition

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s opposition to the I-95/395 HOT Lanes and the I-66 widening projects has inspired a special report from WTOP called “Arlington’s Way of the Highway.”

While noting the praise heaped on Arlington for being a model of smart growth, WTOP reporter Adam Tuss says that the county’s resistance to highway transportation projects has opened it up for criticism.

“There are others that scoff at the county, saying its officials take a parochial transportation view and only think about Arlington at the expense of the entire D.C. region,” Tuss reports.

County board chairman Jay Fisette, meanwhile, defended the county’s expensive lawsuit against the HOT lanes project by saying that the county is concerned about “the impact on our local communities and also insuring the movement of people.”

Do you think the county is doing the right thing, or does is Arlington selfishly ignoring the region’s “greater good?”


BREAKING NEWS — Bus Fire on I-395

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters are on the scene of a tour bus fire on southbound I-395, just after the 14th Street Bridge.

Heavy smoke can be seen on traffic cameras.

Only one lane of traffic is getting by the scene. Firefighters report that everybody that was on the bus made it out safely.

Update at 10:40 p.m. — The fire appears to be out.

Update at 10:50 p.m. — A witness, Josh Wright, tells us via Twitter: “[I] saw 40 foot flames coming out the back the bus. Firefighters were on the scene fast and put it out.”

Update at 12:35 a.m. — Wright supplied the video below, shot shortly after the flames were extinguished.

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Crime Report: Heck of a Getaway Edition

By ARLnow.com

A 19-year-old who was driving without a license allegedly tried to flee after being pulled over by police, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report. The teen eventually crashed into a guardrail on I-395.

ATTEMPT MALICIOUS WOUNDING-ARREST 11/02/10, 1900 block of S. Pollard Street. On November 1, an officer pulled over a vehicle. The driver of the vehicle drove away abruptly and almost struck the officer. The vehicle then crashed into a guardrail. William D. Jones, 19, of Alexandria was charged with Attempt Malicious Wounding, Disregarding a Police Order, Driving While Suspended, and Hit and Run. He was held without bond.

The rest of this week’s crime report, including yesterday’s Taser incident at the Pentagon City Best Buy, after the jump.

(more…)

BREAKING NEWS — Shots Fired At Pentagon, Lanes Closed

By ARLnow.com

Traffic on southbound I-395 is being diverted onto southbound Route 1, just before the Pentagon, causing big backups. We’re told Pentagon police are investigating some sort of an incident that occurred last night.

Update at 9:20 a.m. — In the comments section, FREDTERP has what is very likely the subject of the investigation: an unconfirmed report of shots fired near the Pentagon early this morning. We’re still awaiting comment from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.

Update at 9:40 a.m. — Southbound I-395 has reopened, but now northbound I-395 is being diverted at Washington Boulevard.

Update at 9:55 a.m. — Traffic on northbound I-395 is backing up past Seminary Road.

Update at 10:00 a.m. — The mainline of northbound I-395 is back open.

Update at 10:25 a.m. — The northbound HOV lanes are closed. Cars in the HOV lanes before the closure are essentially trapped, although a number of vehicles are escaping the backup by going the wrong way up a ramp near Shirlington.

Update at 10:35 a.m. — NBC4 is reporting that at least two bullets hit the Pentagon this morning.

Update at 10:55 a.m. — The HOV lanes on I-395 are back open.

Update at 12:25 p.m. — “What we have is an isolated incident, so far,” a Pentagon official says at a news conference. There has been speculation about a possible connection to shots fired at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va. over the weekend.

Slick Roads Lead to Accidents, Slow Traffic

By ARLnow.com

Heavy rain is making for a slow go this morning. Nearly the entire length of northbound I-395 is slow, and multiple accidents have been reported.

One accident, seen above, is blocking a left-hand lane on southbound I-395. Another accident, now cleared, caused a car to flip over in the westbound lanes of the Roosevelt Bridge, blocking traffic heading toward Virginia from DC.

Update at 10:20 a.m. — A three-vehicle accident involving a tractor trailer has been reported on Route 110 near the Pentagon. No injuries have been reported, but the accident is causing major backups on Route 110.

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