road closures

Thanksgiving Road Closures for the Turkey Trot 5K

By Jennifer Currier

Photo courtesy of Arlington Turkey TrotThanksgiving festivities will begin bright and early tomorrow when more than 4,000 runners, joggers and walkers hit the streets for the 10th Annual Turkey Trot 5K.

This also means the holiday will begin with road closures around the course.

The race begins at 8 a.m. at the Christ Church of Arlington at 3020 N. Pershing Drive. Police are working with race directors to divert traffic and ensure the course is safe.

According to the Arlington County Police Department, the following road closures will be in effect from 7-10 a.m. tomorrow:

  • Pershing Drive from Washington Boulevard to N. Oxford Street
  • N. Oxford Street from Pershing Drive to 5th Street N
  • 5th Street N from N. Nelson Street to N. Oxford Street
  • N. Nelson Street from Pershing Drive to 5th Street N
  • Washington Blvd from 9th Street N to Arlington Blvd, eastbound lanes only
  • N. Fillmore Street from 9th Street N to 3rd Street N
  • 3rd Street N from N. Fillmore Street to Washington Blvd
  • N. Bedford Street from Arlington Blvd to N. Brookside Drive
  • N. Brookside Drive from N. Bedford Street to Washington Blvd

All roads west of N. Highland Street will close and reopen before those east, due to the direction participants will travel along the course. A detailed course map is available online.

Street parking will also be restricted in certain areas that morning, marked with temporary “No Parking” signs.

Photo courtesy of Arlington Turkey Trot

Jennifer Lawson Memorial 5K This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Jennifer Bush-Lawson and her kids (photo via the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation)A 5K race is being held in North Arlington this weekend, in memory of an Arlington mom killed by a passing truck while placing her children in a minivan.

The Jennifer Bush-Lawson Memorial 5K Race will take place on Saturday, at 8 a.m. There will also be a children’s fun run featuring two of the Washington Nationals racing presidents, starting at 9:30 a.m.

A Family Fun Day will be held in conjunction with the races, at the Knight of Columbus (5115 Little Falls Road), from 8 a.m. to noon. The event will include “activities like face painting, air brush tattoos, balloon animals, photo booth, moon bounce, obstacle course, rock climbing wall, local food trucks, and even a beer garden.”

The fundraiser will help to fulfill Jennifer Lawson’s dream of helping mothers in need of medical care. Proceeds will benefit the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Memorial Foundation, which provides prenatal and postnatal health services for underprivileged mothers and babies at Virginia Hospital Center and the Arlington Pediatric Center.

Expected at the event: Lawson’s husband and three young children, pictured above.

The following road closures are planned for the races, from 7:30 to 10 a.m., according to Arlington County Police.

  • Little Falls Road: N. George Mason Drive to Yorktown Blvd.
  • Yorktown Blvd.: N. George Mason Drive to Williamsburg Blvd.
  • Williamsburg Blvd.: Yorktown Blvd. to N. Emerson Street
  • N. 33rd Street: N. Emerson Street to N. George Mason Drive
  • George Mason Drive: N. 33rd Street to Yorktown Blvd.

House Fire Prompts Closure of Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com
1/10

All lanes of Columbia Pike were closed during a portion of this morning’s rush hour due to a house fire.

The smoky fire was reported around 8:15 a.m., in a house fire on S. Monroe Street. As of 8:35 a.m., firefighters on the scene confirmed that they had extinguished the fire.

No injuries were reported.

Traffic congestion has been reported on the Pike as a result of the road closure, particularly westbound traffic in the area of S. George Mason Drive. Due to fire hoses on the ground, the road closure was not expected to be lifted until around 9:15 a.m.

Photos courtesy ACFD, ‏@_UrbunHippie

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

"Peacock" tree in Bailey's Branch Park (Flickr pool photo by TheBeltWalk)

Task Force Recommends TJ Site — Ten months after the Arlington County Board nixed a proposed new elementary school next to Thomas Jefferson Middle School, a working group appointed by the Board has concluded that the site is, in fact, the best one for a new school. The group also recommended that the School Board starts planning for a second new South Arlington elementary school, most likely in the Pentagon City area. [InsideNova]

Election Day Bar Crawl Was a Bust — Organizers of an election day bar crawl in Clarendon say they have learned “that people are not up for celebrating democracy on a Tuesday night of a work week.” Despite giving out 65-70 bracelets for the crawl, which was to encourage younger people to vote, one of the participating bars — Whitlow’s — didn’t see a single customer wearing the bracelets. [Washington Post]

‘Suburban North Arlington Is Going to Develop’ — The urbanist blog Greater Greater Washington says that development is inevitable for Lee Highway. The website is encouraging residents of the car-oriented corridor to participate in a county-led planning process for Lee Highway that’s currently underway, including a “visioning charrette” this weekend. [Greater Greater Washington]

Ray’s Maintains Steak Supremacy — Despite an influx of flashy new steakhouses in the District, Ray’s the Steaks in Courthouse still has the best-tasting steak around, and for a lot less than the newcomers, says food critic Todd Kliman. [Washingtonian]

W-L, Yorktown Rivalry Game Tonight — Yorktown will face Washington-Lee in a cross-county rivalry game with playoff implications. Both football squads could make the playoffs with a win tonight. A win also comes with the unofficial distinction of being this year’s Arlington County champion. [Washington Post]

M.J. Stewart Back at UNC Following Suspension — Former Yorktown standout M.J. Stewart is back leading the University of North Carolina’s secondary, after an off-campus altercation led to an assault and battery charge and a suspension from the team. [Daily Tarheel]

Tuckahoe 5K Road Closures — The annual Tuckahoe 5K race will take place Saturday. Arlington police will close portions of Williamsburg Blvd, Little Falls Road, 26th Street and Underwood Street between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m. to accommodate the race. [Arlington County]

Dems Captured All But One Precinct — The two Democratic County Board members-elect nearly swept every voting precinct in the county during Tuesday’s election. Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey together captured all but one precinct in Arlington. In the Madison precinct of North Arlington, a “bastion of Republicanism in an otherwise true-blue community,” Republican-endorsed independent Michael McMenamin finished second to Christian Dorsey. [InsideNova]

Jury Duty Questionnaires Due — If you were among the seven percent of Arlington and Falls Church residents who received a juror qualification questionnaire in the mail last month, it’s likely past due by now. Recipients are required by law to return the form within 10 days of receiving it. [Arlington County]

Development Forum Next Week — Registration is closing at noon today for a forum on development in Arlington County. Speakers at the event, scheduled for Nov. 10, include Arlington Economic Development Director Victor Hoskins, Rosslyn BID President Mary-Claire Burick and Shooshan Company COO Kelly Shooshan. [CREW Northern Virginia]

Flickr pool photo by TheBeltWalk

BREAKING: Multi-Vehicle Accident on Route 1 in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
1/20

(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) Southbound Route 1 was closed between 20th and 23rd streets, near Crystal City, due to a multi-vehicle crash this afternoon.

At least 9 vehicles were involved and medics responded for at least two injuries. One of the injured parties, a young mother, was transported to a local hospital after being trapped in her severely damaged Prius. Rescuers cut off the roof of the car to free her.

The crash was caused by a driver in a pickup truck who suffered a medical emergency while driving, according to initial reports.

The truck ran right through a line of southbound traffic approaching the intersection with 23rd Street, slamming into vehicles, losing a wheel and careening across the intersection before striking a pole and coming to a stop across the street from Legal Sea Foods, witnesses said.

“It was like a pinball machine,” a witness told ARLnow.com. The pickup truck driver was evaluated by medics on the scene but declined transport to the hospital, according to scanner traffic.

Southbound traffic was diverted onto 20th Street for about an hour. As of 3:10 p.m. two lanes of traffic were squeezing by, though there was still debris in the roadway and crews were still working to clear wrecked cars from the roadway.

The Prius driver is expected to be okay. She was returning home from work when the crash happened, said the woman’s father, who arrived on scene to pick up a child seat and stroller that had been in the car. Her two-month-old child was not in the car at the time, he said.

TRAFFIC ALERT: WB I-66 Temporarily Blocked Due to Crash

By ARLnow.com

I-66 crash on 10/30/15

Update at 4:30 p.m. — The crashed vehicles are now on the right shoulder and two lanes of traffic are getting by. However, significant delays remain.

Update at 4:06 p.m. — One lane of traffic is now slowly squeezing by on the lefthand shoulder.

Earlier: The westbound lanes of I-66 are temporarily blocked due to a two-vehicle crash just past Glebe Road.

At least one non-life-threatening injury was reported and there appears to be some sort of a fluid spill on the highway at the crash scene.

Commuters should seek alternate routes.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Bedsheet ghost in the woods (Flickr pool photo by xmeeksx)

Arlington Ridge Ramp Closure — The ramp from Arlington Ridge Road to Washington Blvd and I-395, and from Washington Blvd to Arlington Ridge, will be closed during nights and mornings this weekend, starting at 9 p.m. tonight. VDOT will be milling and paving the ramp as part of a $2.2 million project to repair the Arlington Ridge Road ramp bridges. Construction is scheduled to end by 11 a.m. Sunday. Detours will be in place during the closure. [VDOT, Google Maps]

Weenie Beenie Serves a Top Dog — The borderline historic Weenie Beenie stand near Shirlington is one of the “21 best hot dog joints in America,” says Thrillist.com, besting event Ben’s Chili Bowl. [Thrillist]

Another Endorsement for Cristol, Dorsey — The urbanist blog Greater Greater Washington says Democrats Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey are the best choices for Arlington County Board. GGW says Cristol is “great on transit” and “a pleasure to work with” and Dorsey is “clearly superior to the other two options, Audrey Clement and Mike McMenamin.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Ashton Heights Profiled — WaPo’s real estate section profiles the Ashton Heights neighborhood of Arlington, calling it “cozy” with “charming older homes, a child-friendly atmosphere and accessibility to the city.” [Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo by xmeeksx

Car Knocks Down Pole, Runs into Apartment Building in Buckingham

By ARLnow.com
1/8

A serious-looking crash temporarily closed N. George Mason Drive this afternoon, but no serious injuries were reported.

The incident happened around 3:30 p.m., just north of the intersection of N. George Mason Drive and Pershing Drive, in the Buckingham neighborhood.

A driver in a car somehow knocked over a light pole in the center median of George Mason Drive, then drove over a sidewalk and up an embankment before running into a two-story brick apartment building.

The building was not significantly damaged. George Mason Drive was closed while a tow truck driver maneuvered and used a chain to pull the car from the embankment and back onto the street. The road has since reopened.

A second vehicle that was reported to be involved in the crash was pulled over by police one block away from the accident scene.

In a separate incident that happened around the same time, the top of a utility pole with live wires snapped and fell down in the Lyon Village neighborhood, prompting several street closures. From Arlington Alerts:

Due to a pole with wires down the following streets are closed until further notice: Key Blvd at Fillmore, closed on Fillmore; Edgewood at Highland, closed on Highland N; 18/Harvard with no access NB; and Key at Highland with no access NB. Please seek alternate routes for this area.

Major Arlington Roads to Be Closed for Marathon

By Heather Mongilio

Roads closed due to Marine Corps MarathonTens of thousands of runners and spectators will descend on Arlington for the annual Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday.

The race, now in its 40th year, will have up to 30,000 participants running around Arlington and the District.

As a result of the race, Arlington County Police Department, Virginia State Police and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency will be closing down more than 20 roads for much of the day, including parts of Wilson Blvd, Washington Blvd and Lee Highway.

N. Kent Street in Rosslyn will be closed from Wilson Blvd to 19th Street N. from noon on Saturday, Oct. 24, until the end of the marathon on Sunday, for the marathon’s finish festival.

Route 110, between Washington Blvd and the Pentagon north parking lot, will be closed from 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The highway will also be closed between I-66 and Jefferson Davis Highway from 4 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as will Marshall Drive from N. Meade Street to Route 110.

The following roads will be closed from 4 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

  • N. Meade Street from Marshall Drive to N. Lynn Street
  • Wilson Blvd from N. Nash Street to Route 110
  • N. Lynn Street from N. Meade Street to Lee Highway
  • Fort Myer Drive from N. Meade Street to Lee Highway
  • N. Moore Street from Wilson Blvd to Lee Highway
  • 19th Street N. from N. Lynn Street to N. Nash Street

Marine Corps Marathon road closures (Courtesy of ACPD)

Eastbound Lee Highway from N. Lynn Street to N. Kirkwood, Spout Run Parkway from GW Memorial Parkway to Lee Highway and GW Memorial Parkway from Spout Run Parkway to Memorial Circle Drive will be closed from 7-10 a.m.

The Key Bridge will be closed from 7 a.m. to noon. HOV lanes on the 14th Street Bridge and I-395 near the Pentagon will be closed from 7:35 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A number of closures in Crystal City are planned to accommodate the tail end of the marathon course and the Crystal City MCM Family Festival.

The following roads will be closed starting at 7:30 a.m.

  • S. Eads Street from S. Rotary Road to Army Navy Drive until 2 p.m.
  • Army Navy Drive between S. Fern Street to 12th Street S. will reopen at 2:30 p.m.
  • 15th Street S. from Crystal Drive to S. Eads Street will open at 10 a.m.

The following roads will be closed between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

  • 12th Street S. from Army Navy Drive to Crystal Drive
  • Crystal Drive from 12th Street S. to 23rd Street S.
  • Long Bridge Drive from 12th Street S. to I-395
  • Boundary Channel Drive from I-395 to Pentagon north parking
  • Washington Blvd from Columbia Pike to Memorial Circle with southbound lanes reopening around 9:30 a.m.

Street parking will also be limited in parts of the county near the marathon course during the race. Participants and spectators are advised to either Metro in or — in Crystal City — park in a parking garage at Crystal Drive and 23rd Street S. before the road closes.

UPDATED: Road Closures, School Security Heightened Due to Shots Fired Investigation

By ARLnow.com

Police car lightsUpdate at 1:55 p.m. — Fairfax County Police say they’ve determined that the shots fired call was the result of an active shooter drill. Road closures are being lifted and police are clearing the area.

Wakefield High School and Claremont Elementary are in a heightened state of security due to an investigation into shots fired across the county line.

Fairfax County Police say they’re investigating a shots fired call from the area around Skyline Towers and the Target on Route 7. The address is reportedly that of a federal law enforcement office.

“We are investigating a report of shots heard at 5109 Leesburg Pike,” FCPD said in a tweet. “Nothing confirmed. No suspect, no victims located at this point.”

Wakefield and Claremont have been placed in “secure the school” mode, according to scanner traffic. Arlington County Police have also shut down the intersection of George Mason Drive and Route 7, preventing traffic from entering Fairfax County.

Tweets from during the incident:

Paving Causes Unexpected Road Closure in Rosslyn

By Heather Mongilio
1/4

(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) N. Nash Street in Rosslyn was closed to traffic in both directions today due to road construction crews paving the road.

Signs have been placed at entrances to N. Nash Street, indicating cars should take a detour. Key Blvd, which intersects with N. Nash Street, has also been milled and crews were beginning to pave the road as of 3:30 p.m.

The road closure came as a surprise to many.

Workers parked in parking garages on N. Nash Street this morning — including a garage used by ARLnow.com employees — only to find that they were unable to leave. A spokeswoman with the Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services said that paving on N. Nash Street will be finished tonight. (Update at 4:05 p.m.: Those parked in the garage are now being allowed to exit.)

Arlington’s police and fire departments were not told that the street would be closed, according to the fire department’s public information officer.  The county typically tells emergency services which roads are closed or being worked on to allow them to adjust their response routes, he said.

The road should not have been closed to traffic in both directions, county spokeswoman Jessica Baxter said

“‘No Parking’ signs were posted along the block a few days before the operation began, and the roadway was not entirely shut down,” Baxter said. “Residents and workers should continue to have access to the garages.”

Road construction crews will start paving Key Blvd, between N. Nash Street and N. Quinn Street, once they have finished N. Nash. Paving is expected to be done by the end of the week, she said.

N. Nash Street is being repaved in response to complaints from residents, while Key Blvd was scheduled for paving this year, Baxter said.

“This street [N. Nash Street] was added to the paving list recently due to its deteriorating condition, pothole history (from the previous winter/spring) and amount of complaints we received through the Arlington, Va. App,” she said in an email.

View More Stories