road closures

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Cupid's Garden sculpture in Rosslyn (photo by Justin Funkhouser)

Caps, Star Spotting at Don Tito — The Washington Capitals play their season opener Saturday, but the team has already been spotted out on the town. Members of the Caps were seen dining at Don Tito in Clarendon Wednesday night. Among those in attendance: Caps center Brooks Laich and fiancee Julianne Hough, of Dancing With the Stars fame.

Key Bridge Rehab Coming — D.C. is seeking a contractor for a two-year, $30 million rehabilitation of the Key Bridge. The project will include safety improvements for pedestrians. [Washington Business Journal]

GW Parkway Ramp Closures — The ramp from Reagan National Airport to the GW Parkway will be closed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday for paving. Also scheduled for closure during that period: the ramp from the GW Parkway to northbound I-395. Starting tonight, a third ramp — from the GW Parkway to the Key Bridge — will be closed for paving through 7 p.m. Saturday

E.W. Jackson to Address Arlington GOP Women — Controversial 2013 GOP lieutenant governor candidate E.W. Jackson will be the featured speaker at the Arlington Republican Women’s Club fall dinner on Oct. 20. [InsideNova]

School Cafeteria Taste Test for Parents — Arlington Public Schools parents got to taste test food at the Washington-Lee High School cafeteria as part of a school lunch open house. The reaction: generally positive. [WTOP]

Maywood Profiled — Washington’s daily paper of record has profiled Arlington’s tiny Maywood neighborhood, off of Lee Highway. Homes in the community now regularly sell for more than $1 million, a contrast from 30 years ago when Maywood was home to “rough characters who rode motorcycles.” [Washington Post]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Evening rush hour traffic on S. Walter Reed Drive

Office Vacancy Down in Arlington — Arlington has had a 1.6 percent positive net absorption of commercial office space so far this year. Crystal City in particular has done well, gaining 313,000 square feet of occupancy. [Bisnow]

History Plan for Arlington Centennial — Arlington County is seeking public comment on the mid-term report produced by the Arlington History Task Force. The task force is trying to come up with a plan for preserving Arlington’s history, in time for the county’s centennial in 2020. [Arlington County]

McLean Up in Arms Over Gun Store — Nova Firearms, the gun store that tried unsuccessfully to open a store in Cherrydale, has moved its McLean store to a larger location but is now incurring the wrath of a group of residents. Parents object to the fact that the new store is behind a local elementary school, in view of at least one classroom. [Washington Post]

Gym Responds to String of Sexual Assaults — Responding to a string of attacks on women in Arlington, including a sexual assault near Rosslyn over the weekend, the Nova MMA CrossFit gym is offering a free self-defense seminar on Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 7-9 p.m. [MyFoxDC]

Road Closures for Army Ten-Miler — Route 110, the northbound I-395 HOV lanes, S. Eads Street, Army Navy Drive, Long Bridge Drive and Washington Blvd are among the roads in Arlington that will be closed Sunday morning for the annual Army Ten-Miler race. [Arlington County]

UPDATED: Columbia Pike Shut Down Due to Crash

By ARLnow.com
1/11

Update at 9:50 a.m. — All lanes of the Pike have now reopened to traffic.

Earlier: All lanes of Columbia Pike are shut down between S. Monroe and Quincy streets due to a two-vehicle accident.

The crash happened around 9 a.m. on the westbound lanes of the Pike at S. Oakland Street. A Scion and a Toyota collided, sending the Toyota hurtling into a tree.

A woman in the Toyota had her leg pinned between her driver’s side door and a parked Jeep. Firefighters were able to move the Jeep to free her.

The woman was transported via ambulance to George Washington University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No one in the Scion required transport to the hospital.

ACPD Warns of Possible Pope-Related Road Closures

By ARLnow.com

Pope Francis (photo via Facebook)The Arlington County Police Department is warning that it may have to close down some busy streets and highways in the event of a major pedestrian exodus from D.C. during Pope Francis’ visit this week.

“The Arlington County Police Department may be closing several streets near the Rosslyn and Pentagon City Metro stations on Wednesday, September 23 and Thursday, September 24… as a result of the papal visit,” police said. “Road closures may be in effect from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on September 23 and 24, and will ONLY take place in the event of a large pedestrian walkout from Washington, D.C.”

The closures would be put in place on the following roads in Rosslyn:

  • N. 19th Street @ N. Lynn Street
  • N. 19th Street @ Ft. Myer Drive
  • N. Moore Street @ Lee Hwy
  • Wilson Boulevard @ Ft. Myer Drive
  • Wilson Boulevard @ N. Lynn Street
  • Ft. Myer Drive @ N. 17th Street and Fairfax Drive

Also, the following road closures are possible in Pentagon City:

  • Army Navy Drive @ S. Eads Street
  • Army Navy Drive @ S. Joyce Street
  • 1200 S. Hayes Street @ Entrance to mall
  • S. 15th Street @ S. Hayes Street
  • S. 12th Street @ S. Fern Street

ACPD also says it may divert traffic from eastbound I-66, approaching the Roosevelt Bridge, onto southbound Route 110, and may divert eastbound Route 50 before the bridge onto the southbound GW Parkway.

Road Closure Planned for Rosslyn Beer Fest

By ARLnow.com

Backyard beer fest posterThe Arlington County Police Department is planning a some road closures for the Rosslyn Backyard Beer Festival on Saturday.

The event is being held at Rosslyn’s Gateway Park in two sessions, one from 1-4 p.m. and the other from 7-10 p.m. Organized in part by Project DC Events, best known for their Clarendon bar crawls, the festival will feature more than 60 craft brews and live music.

More than 30 breweries are expected to participate, including Flying Dog from Frederick, Maryland, Old Ox Brewery from Ashburn and D.C. breweries Atlas Brew Works and DC Brau. Tickets are now $35-45.

To help accommodate the large crowds expected for the event, police will be flocking off the southbound lanes of N. Fort Myer Drive for most of the day, directing traffic coming into Rosslyn via the Key Bridge to a detour that runs up Lee Highway.

In a press release, the police department warned of the following traffic impacts:

  • “Southbound lanes of N. Fort Myer Drive between east and westbound Lee Highway will be closed from 10:00 a.m. to [midnight]. Detour signs will be posted.”
  • “Heavy pedestrian traffic is anticipated between the hours of 12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., be prepared for delays.”
  • “DETOUR (coming from Key Bridge on N. Fort Myer Drive) around the event will be directed west on Lee Highway, then south on Scott Street, followed by Veitch Street.”
  • “Street parking in the area may be restricted. Motorists should be on the lookout for temporary ‘No Parking’ signs. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed. If your vehicle is towed from a public street, call 703-558-2222.”

Clarendon Day to Return With an Extra Hour of Music, Food

By Heather Mongilio

Scenes from Clarendon Day 2011Music and the smell of chili will fill the air around the Clarendon Metro station on Saturday, Sept. 26 for the 18th annual Clarendon Day.

There will be arts and crafts, food, beer, music and the annual chili cookoff, all on Clarendon and Wilson Blvds outside the Clarendon Metro station. The free festival will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., an hour longer than previous years.

There will about 25 bands playing across four stages, with the headliner Slam Allen Band playing blues and soul on the Main Stage at 4:30 p.m.

“Slam Allen is not only pretty good, he is taking the blues world by storm having sat at No. 1 on the Roots Music Report Blues List for 16 straight weeks with top single and album,” said Anders Thueson with Songs, Writers and Poets, one of the festival’s sponsors.

Slam Allen will play until 6 p.m., but the other four stages, including one dedicated to dance performances, will close at 5 p.m., said Matt Hussmann, executive director of the Clarendon Alliance.

For the third year in a row, Clarendon Day is also home to the annual chili cookoff, sanctioned by the International Chili Society and sponsored by Hard Times Cafe.

Members of the chili society will enter their best recipes for red chili, chili verde, salsa and homestyle chili in hopes of winning and moving on the the World Championship Chili Cookoff this October in Palm Springs, California. Proceeds from the cookoff will benefit Wounded Warriors, Hussman said.

Chefs will be giving samples of their chili, but there plenty of other food options from local restaurants, including Bowl’d, Circa at Clarendon, Fuego Cocina y Tequileria and Liberty Tavern, Hussman said. Top Chef contestant Mike Isabella will be selling food from his three Ballston restaurants — Kapnos Taverna, Pepita Cantina and Yona.

“We’re also bringing back several longtime specialty food vendors — evidently fried food is a hit at Clarendon Day,” said the event’s website.

In addition, there will be arts and crafts booths and a kids zone with rides, music, storytelling and face painting.

The Arlington County Police Department will close down Clarendon and Wilson Blvds from Washington Blvd and N. Highland Street starting at 5 a.m. for the festival. N. Highland will also be closed from 11th Street N. to the Views at Clarendon (1210 N. Highland Street).

Wilson Blvd will be closed from N. Highland to N. Lynn Streets from 5-9:15 a.m. for the annual Pacers-organized Clarendon Day 10K/5K/Kid’s Dash. The southbound lanes of Route 110 will also be closed from 8-10:30 a.m. for the race.

Races, Festivals to Close Roads in Arlington This Weekend

By Heather Mongilio

9-11 Memorial 5K logo.

Multiple roads will be closed in Arlington this weekend due to a 9/11 memorial race, a triathlon and festivals.

The 14th annual Arlington Police, Fire and Sheriff 9/11 Memorial 5K Race on Saturday will shut down some streets around the Pentagon.

The race takes runners around the Pentagon, starting from the DoubleTree Hotel in Pentagon City (300 Army Navy Drive) down Army Navy Drive, around Columbia Pike and on Route 110 back to the DoubleTree.

Online registration is closed, but the race is holding in-person registration for $50 on Sept. 10 and 11 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the plaza next to Arlington Police headquarters (1425 N. Courthouse Road). On race day, Sept. 12, runners can sign up from noon to 5 p.m. at the DoubleTree. All participants get a commemorative shirt and post-race refreshments at the DoubleTree.

For the race, both directions of Army Navy Drive between 12th Street S. and S. Eads Street will be closed from about 3-8 p.m.

The following roads are also closed between 5:45-6:30 p.m.:

  • Westbound Army Navy Drive between S. Eads Street to S. Joyce Street
  • S. Joyce Street from Army Navy Drive to Columbia Pike
  • Columbia Pike from Pentagon South Parking to S. Joyce Street
  • The northbound I-395 HOV exit to S. Eads Street

All roads that cross Army Navy Drive will be closed for approximately 20 minutes.

The following roads will be closed between 5:45-8 p.m.:

  • Westbound Washington Blvd from Memorial Bridge to I-395
  • Southbound Jefferson Davis Highway from Rosslyn to 15th Street S.
  • Marshall Drive at Jefferson Davis Highway
  • S. Eads Street from Army Navy Drive to 11th Street S.

Street parking will also be limited in Crystal City during the race.

In addition to the 9/11 Memorial 5K, there are two festivals shutting down roads on Saturday. The Prio Bangla Street Festival in South Arlington will close 9th Street S. from Walter Reed Drive to S. Highlands Street from 8 a.m. to midnight.

The Rosslyn Jazz Festival in Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway) will close southbound N. Fort Myer Drive between east and westbound Lee Highway from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be detours from on westbound Lee Highway and south on N. Scott and N. Veitch Streets for cars coming from Key Bridge. Heavy pedestrian traffic is expected between 2-10 p.m., according to ACPD.

On Sunday, roads in Pentagon City will be closed again, this time for the Nation’s Triathlon. The I-395 HOV lanes from the 14th Street Bridge in D.C. to the HOV overpass at S. Fern Street will be closed from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. to allow triathletes to complete the bike leg of the race.

Lane Closures Expected on Reagan National Airport Access Bridge

By Heather Mongilio
1/3

Starting tomorrow, drivers should prepare for possible delays when traveling to Reagan National Airport from Crystal City or the southbound GW Parkway.

The National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration are planning to begin maintenance on the Route 233 bridge, which connects Jefferson Davis Highway in the Crystal City area to the airport. An off-ramp from the southbound lanes of the GW Parkway also connects to the bridge.

Single lane closures on the bridge are planned from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in both directions, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. At least one lane will be open on the bridge and on the GW Parkway ramp will remain open during the nine month project, which will replace the bridge’s median, among other improvements.

“In addition to directional signage, Airports Authority Police and Park Service Police will be present to assist in directing drivers through the area and to minimize the traffic impact in the construction zone,” the Airports Authority said in a statement.

Drivers should expect delays and detours when using the bridge to access the airport.

“The Park Service and Federal Highway Administration bridge construction project will allow for better access to and from the airport and add safety improvements to sidewalks and trails for pedestrians,” the Airports Authority said.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Aerial view of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor (photo courtesy James Mahony)

Washington Blvd Temporarily Closed — Westbound Washington Blvd is temporarily closed at N. Evergreen Street from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. today for water service installations. Traffic will be rerouted around the closure, which is several blocks from Virginia Hospital Center. [Twitter]

Arlington Bagel Shop Named Best in Va. — Brooklyn Bagel in Courthouse has the best bagel in the Commonwealth of Virginia, at least according to Tripping, an online vacation rental search engine. [Tripping]

Tough Talk for Park Supporters — At a time when Arlington’s burgeoning student population is creating a need for more and bigger schools, supporters of parks in Arlington have been opposing the creation of new schools in existing or potential future parks. County Board Chair Mary Hynes says that those who want to see more and more parkland in Arlington may be disappointed. “Their stance seems to be that we should put all our money into buying more land and use it as little as possible… [but] land is our scarcest resource.” [Falls Church News-Press]

AT&T Injected Ads on DCA Wi-Fi — AT&T has acknowledged that for a period of time, it injected popup ads onto websites visited by users of its free Wi-Fi networks at Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport. [Recode, Web Policy]

Locket Found in Ballston — Someone found a silver locket hanging from a tree in Ballston. The finder is offering to return the locket to its rightful owner. [Reddit]

Photo courtesy James Mahony

GW Parkway Ramp to Key Bridge Closed Next Week

By Heather Mongilio
1/2

Starting Monday morning, commuters will have to find an alternate route to get from the GW Parkway to the Key Bridge.

National Park Service will close the ramp from southbound GW Parkway to Key Bridge starting before rush hour Monday morning and running through Friday, Aug. 28. The ramp will reopen Saturday morning, said NPS spokesman Aaron LaRocca.

NPS will be replacing the entire surface of the ramp while it is closed. The repairs include milling the road, replacing gravel and overlaying with asphalt.

There will be no detours. NPS advises commuters to find alternate routes and to expect delays.

Annual Wags N’ Whiskers Event Returns to Shirlington

By Heather Mongilio

Wags and Whiskers 2011 (courtesy photo)The Village at Shirlington’s annual pet expo will return this Saturday.

The eighth annual Wags N’ Whiskers event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature more than 60 exhibitions, ranging from pet supplies to onsite adoptions.

In addition to shopping for food, treats, toys and other pet goods, owners can get their pets’ portrait taken for $5. There will also be strolling entertainment and kids activities, including face painting and balloon art. Visitors are encouraged to bring their pets with them.

The event will also have live music from Dan Haas, from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., and Taylor Carson, from 1:15-4 p.m.

The Arlington County Police Department will close Campbell Avenue and S. Randolph Street from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the event. Campbell Avenue will be closed from S. Quincy Street to the parking garage in front of the Harris Teeter (4250 Campbell Avenue). S. Randolph Street will be closed from Arlington Mill Drive to the alley just south of Campbell Avenue. Street parking will also be limited.

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