I-66

Heavy Traffic on Westbound I-66

By ARLnow.com

Traffic is remarkably heavy on westbound I-66 this afternoon. Traffic is currently backed up from before Glebe Road past Westmoreland Street.

One emergency responder who was trying to get by the traffic called it “a faster version of a parking lot.”

Elsewhere along I-66, an accident on the ramp from I-66 to Route 110 between a dump truck and a passenger vehicle is reported to be causing some slowdowns. Firefighters have just been dispatched to the scene to help clean up fluid spilled as a result of the accident.

More Nightly Custis Trail Closures

By ARLnow.com

Last week’s nightly closures of the Custis Trail under I-66 have been extended through Wednesday. Construction is still taking place on a framework, intended to protect bicyclists from work related to the I-66 widening project.

The closures will take place between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Any trail traffic during that time will be detoured. The detoured route will be marked and will take cyclists and joggers farther east to a pedestrian overpass.

The closures are expected to wrap up Wednesday night.

Delays on Westbound I-66 After Accident

By ARLnow.com

There are some big delays on westbound I-66 after an accident near Glebe Road. Paramedics are currently trying to make their way through heavy traffic to the scene of the accident.

At 9:50 a.m., police on the scene said they were temporarily shutting down the highway while they move the accident to the side of the road.

Traffic had slowed to a crawl before the wreck, but is starting to clear out.

Motorcycle Accident in I-66 Tunnel

By ARLnow.com

A motorcyclist somehow lost control of his bike and skidded across westbound I-66 in the Rosslyn tunnel this afternoon.

The accident happened around 3:30 p.m. Initial reports suggest the biker’s injuries are minor.

The right-hand lane of I-66 is temporarily blocked.

Ballston Beaver Pond Spared From I-66 Widening Impacts

By ARLnow.com

An oasis of wetlands and wildlife, tucked between the office towers of Ballston and the traffic of I-66, is safe from highway construction impacts, the county’s Department of Environmental Services says.

The Ballston Beaver Pond, as it’s called, was initially designed to collect stormwater runoff from I-66. But that started to change in the 1990s when beavers moved in and dammed up the drainage system, creating a pond and wetlands to form. The Beaver Pond is now a habitat frequented by muskrat, geese, ducks, heron, egrets, redwing blackbirds, fish, turtles and the occasional beaver.

The Beaver Pond is located next to a bike trail that connects Ballston and the Custis Trail, just north of the ramp from Fairfax Drive to I-66.

Residents of the nearby Waycroft Woodlawn neighborhood have become fond of the pond and became worried when a bulldozer arrived in the area as part of the I-66 widening project. But not to fear says Aileen Winquist, of the county’s Environmental Management Bureau.

“The Beaver Pond is not in danger from the current I-66 spot improvement project and widening of westbound I-66,” Winquist said in an email.

Winquist noted that the design work on a planned restoration of the Beaver Pond will begin this fall. The restoration will clean up trash and sediment from the pond and provide better water quality treatment. There will be several public meetings held to educate residents about the project.

Although the Beaver Pond will be largely unaffected by the I-66 widening, a VDOT-owned stormwater retention pond across the street will be impacted. Construction is planned for the facility, but details about the exact nature of the work were not immediately available.

More photos after the jump.

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Arlington Spared From the Worst of the Soggy Commute

By ARLnow.com

The drive around Arlington wasn’t terrible during this morning’s deluge — nothing like the dozen drivers who had to be rescued due to rising water in the District.

There were patches of bad traffic, though.

The ART 41 route was delayed due to slow traffic on Glebe Road.

Currently, as the rain has returned for a brief reprise, I-66 westbound is very slow through Arlington. At 10:00 the Key Bridge remains backed up, along with traffic in Rosslyn.

And in sad news for hungry office workers, the District Taco cart is sitting today out because of the rain.

How was your commute this morning?

Roosevelt Bridge Blocked For Suspicious Package

By ARLnow.com

The Roosevelt Bridge was blocked in both directions last night as D.C. police and Arlington firefighters investigated a suspicious package on the Virginia side of the span.

Authorities shut down the heavily-traveled thoroughfare around 7:30. The all-clear was given around 8:15.

The large backups that formed as a result of the closure cleared quickly once the bridge was re-opened.

I-66 Eastbound Blocked Before Roosevelt Bridge

By ARLnow.com

Update at 1:00 p.m. — And just like that, it’s back open. It was a State Police police cruiser that was blocking the road, but we’re still not sure why.

It’s not clear what’s going on, but the eastbound lanes of I-66 are completely blocked at Lynn Street, just before the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. Traffic is backing up at the Rosslyn tunnel.

DEVELOPING — Smoke Reported on Metro Tracks off I-66

By ARLnow.com

Update at 4:00 p.m. — The disruption has been cleared, WTOP reports.

Update at 3:35 p.m. — There’s smoke on the tracks between Ballston and East Falls Church, Metro spokesperson Cherry-Ann Santos confirms. Currently, there is no impact on service, Santos says. However, riders are being told to expect delays on the Orange Line.

A possible fire has been reported on the Orange Line Metrorail tracks that run parallel to I-66, near the North Harrison Street overpass.

Passersby report white smoke coming from the tracks. Arlington firefighters are en route.

There’s currently heavy traffic on I-66 near the scene.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Sunset Parade Draws Big Crowd — A good-sized crowd was on hand at the Iwo Jima Memorial last night (see photo above) for the Marine Corps’ first Sunset Parade of the summer.

I-66 Widening Begins Next Week — Dr. Gridlock reports that construction is expected to begin on I-66 next week. VDOT will be widening I-66 between Fairfax Drive and Sycamore Street in Arlington County. Expect an almost nightly lane closure through July, which could tie up traffic at times from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. The project is expected to take 18 months.

Bike Safety Expenditures Detailed — Arlington is planning to spend $1,000,000 per year on bicycle and pedestrian safety projects. People-Powered Arlington has a breakdown of how and where the money will be spent in, complete with a handy map.

Tax Credits Provide $10 Million for Pike Housing Project — An allocation of tax credits from the state will allow a low-income housing development in Arlington to move forward. The 111-unit Buchanan Garden Apartments, on the western end of Columbia Pike, will be undergoing a $30 million renovation project. The tax credits will provide $10 million for the construction, with another $11.4 million contributed by the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund. The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing is spearheading the project, which will modernize aging apartments and add extra bedrooms for families.

I-66 Widening Between Ballston and EFC to Begin This Summer

By Uriah Kiser

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.

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