road closures

No Course Change for Ten-Miler, Marathon is a Go

By Katie Pyzyk

Army Ten-Miler logo Marine Corps Marathon Logo

Sunday’s Army Ten-Miler race won’t take place on an altered course after all, now that the federal government shutdown has ended.

Earlier this week, ARLnow.com reported that the government shutdown had forced a route change for the race, in order to avoid National Park Service territory affected by the shutdown. The altered course would have covered more land in Arlington.

Today the Army Ten-Miler’s Facebook page was updated to inform participants that they will be running the original race course because the federal government has re-opened.

The Marine Corps Marathon, scheduled for next Sunday (October 27), was also in jeopardy due to the shutdown. It could have been postponed or canceled because about 60 percent of that race is run on National Park Service property. Today, organizers confirmed the original plans have been restored, posting the following message on the marathon’s website:

“A special thank you to MCM and MCM10K participants for your patience during the recent period of uncertainty. It is with great pleasure that the MCM can officially announce we are on. We are SO on. See you at the start line!”

There will be a number of roads closed on Sunday for the Army Ten-Miler. The full list, after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

View of the Roosevelt Bridge from the bike path (Flickr pool photo by eschweik)

Shirlington Oktoberfest Road Closures — Several streets in the Shirlington area will be closed Saturday for the annual Capitol City Brewing Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest. As seen in a county-produced video, there are a number of ways to get to the event without a car. [Arlington County, YouTube]

Composting Will Add to Waste Collection Cost — A plan to add a composting program for organic materials to Arlington’s solid waste collection could cost Arlington homeowners an extra $30-35 per year. Currently, homeowners pay just under $300 annually for Arlington’s residential waste collection. [Sun Gazette]

Delays on Blue, Yellow Lines — Metro riders on the Blue and Yellow lines can expect some additional delays this weekend. Due to track work, trains will run every 16 minutes (instead of every 12 minutes) during daylight hours. [WMATA]

Flickr pool photo by eschweik

UPDATE: Man Dies After Fall at Pike Construction Site

By ARLnow.com
1/7

Update at 4:30 p.m. — Police say the 35-year-old man who fell at the construction site has been pronounced dead at Virginia Hospital Center. Police remain on the scene as part of the investigation. OSHA is on the way to the scene to conduct its own investigation.

Earlier: Medics are performing CPR on a construction worker who fell two stories at a construction site on Columbia Pike.

The worker fell about 20 feet at the Rosenthal development site at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road. He is reported to be unconscious and bleeding from the ears, according to scanner traffic.

A technical rescue team has been dispatched from the scene and is discussing using a crane to extricate the worker from the site.

Police have shut down all southbound lanes of Glebe Road at Columbia Pike due to the emergency response. Arlington County detectives and state occupational safety investigators are en route to the scene.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Morning traffic on I-395

Arlington Two-Year-Old Has ‘Read’ 1,000+ Books — A two-year-old Arlington girl has read — or, at least, had her parents read — 1,000 books so far. The girl is the poster child for Arlington Public Library’s new “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program, which encourages parents to help children build language skills by reading what amounts to about one book a day. [Washington Post]

Jose Andres Products Coming to Whole Foods — A new line of Spanish oils, vinegars, olives and “easy-to-make paella kits” from Chef Jose Andres, of Jaleo fame, will be coming to Whole Foods stores around the Washington area next month. [Washington Business Journal]

Road Closures for 9/11 Heroes Race — A number of roads in the Crystal City and Arlington Ridge areas will be closed Saturday morning for the 9/11 Heroes 5K Race. Parking restrictions will also be in place. [Arlington County]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Mariachi band at El Paso Cafe (photo courtesy ddimick)

Rosslyn Jazz Fest Street Closures — A number of lane and street closures will be in place for most of the day on Saturday for the 2013 Rosslyn Jazz Festival. The festival itself runs from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. The closures will be in place from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., in the area of Gateway Park. [Arlington County]

Road Closures for 9/11 5K Race — Several roads in the Pentagon City area, including parts for Route 110, Army Navy Drive, Washington Blvd and S. Joyce Street, will be closed Saturday night for the annual Arlington Police, Fire and Sheriff Memorial 9/11 5K race. The closures will first go into effect at 5:45 p.m. [Arlington County]

‘Cheesemonger’ Katie Carter Profiled — Katie Carter, the cheesemonger for Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway), recently placed third in a national cheese contest. The honor was the culmination of the D.C. native’s nearly lifelong love of cheese and cheesemaking. (Now expecting her second child, Carter is taking a break from her “Your Cheesemonger” column on ARLnow.com.) [Washington Post]

Teen Tutors Needed — Affordable housing nonprofit AHC Inc. is again looking for volunteer tutors. AHC’s tutoring program has served at-risk teens in Arlington for more than 15 years. [AHC Inc.]

Flickr pool photo by ddimick

Memorial Bridge to Close Wednesday

By ARLnow.com

View of Memorial Bridge from the Kennedy gravesiteThe Memorial Bridge will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic tomorrow (Wednesday) due to the 50th Anniversary March on Washington.

The event — which commemorates the anniversary of 1963 march and rally that featured Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech — will start at 9:00 a.m. with a 1.6 mile march throughout the District, and will culminate with speeches at the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool.

Among the planned speakers are President Obama, former presidents Clinton and Carter, and civil rights leaders. The program at the Lincoln Memorial will take place from 11:00 to 4:00 p.m. and is open to the public. Gates open at 9:00 a.m.

U.S. Park Police will close the Memorial Bridge to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic starting around 3:15 a.m. on Wednesday.

Metro is urging those attending the event to not use the Arlington Cemetery station due to the closure. Arlington Memorial Circle will remain open during the closure.

Memorial Bridge to Close Saturday for March on Washington

By ARLnow.com

March on Washington graphicThe Memorial Bridge will be closed from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday for the 50th Anniversary March on Washington Realize the Dream March & Rally.

The event, which will commemorate the anniversary of 1963 march and rally that featured Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, will take place Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Memorial.

The National Park Service says it’s taking “every effort… to minimize traffic delays during this event.”

“Variable message boards will be put in place in advance on Memorial Circle and the ramps from the George Washington Memorial Parkway to warn drivers of the [Memorial Bridge] closure,” NPS said in a press release.

Those heading to the rally are encouraged to take Metro to the Arlington National Cemetery station on the Blue Line.

9/11 Ride Passing Through Arlington

By ARLnow.com

A 9/11 memorial motorcycle ride makes its way down I-66 (photo courtesy edobson22207)The annual America’s 9/11 Ride is passing through Arlington this afternoon.

The riders are expected to head eastbound on I-66 around 2:45 p.m., before motoring southbound on Route 110 and arriving at the Double Tree hotel in Pentagon City (300 Army Navy Drive) by 3:15 p.m. In past years, Arlington County police have set up rolling road closures to ensure safe passage of the convoy.

The bikers started the day at the Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville, Pa. They will spend the night in Pentagon City and will hold an event in the Pentagon parking lot early tomorrow morning, before departing for New York City around 7:00 a.m.

Photo courtesy edobson22207

Road Closure for Buckingham Festival on Sunday

By ARLnow.com

The annual Buckingham Festival will close a stretch of Pershing Drive on Sunday afternoon.

Organized by BU-GATA, a local tenants association, the festival features “dance music, folkloric presentations, and delicious food.” It runs from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.

“The festival highlights the diverse cultures of Central and South America,” organizers said. “There will be lots of activities and games for kids. Scholarships will be awarded to students attending higher education courses.”

More about festival-related traffic impacts, from the Arlington County Police Department:

The 2013 Buckingham Festival will take place on Sunday, August 18, 2013, from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. N. Pershing Drive will be closed between N. Glebe Road and N. Thomas Street from 10:00 a.m. until approximately 7:00 p.m.

Street parking in the area will 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.

Signature Theatre Hosts Open House For Start of Fall Season

By Ethan Rothstein

Signature Theatre open house (photo courtesy Signature Theatre)Signature Theatre in Shirlington kicks off its 2013-2014 season Saturday with its annual, day-long open house featuring performances, workshops and a street festival.

In all, 31 concerts, cabarets, workshops and events will be held from noon to 9:00 p.m. in and around Signature, at 4200 Campbell Avenue.

Throughout the day, there will be outdoor activities for kids like a moon bounce, skeeball and basketball games, as well as free cotton candy and popcorn. To accommodate the festivities, the Arlington County Police Department is closing Campbell Avenue from the Harris Teeter to S. Randolph Street from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

While stopping by the open house, patrons can take in Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello at 1:15 p.m. on the MAX stage, singing some of her favorite showtunes. At 3:15 p.m., in the Shen room, those interested can talk to the director and cast of this season’s production of Miss Saigon about the ins and outs of putting on the show.

The day wraps up at 8:30 p.m. on the Plaza stage with actors from Signature and Broadway fame singing some of musical theater’s greatest hits. Signature will be tweeting during the day with information on where to pick up tickets for shows and with any changes in the open house’s vast schedule.

Pike to Close This Weekend for Bridge Construction

By ARLnow.com

Construction on the Columbia Pike/Washington Blvd interchange projectA major closure of Columbia Pike is planned this coming weekend due to bridge construction.

The road will be closed between S. Quinn Street and S. Orme Street from 9:00 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2 to 4:00 a.m. Monday, Aug. 5, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced today. The closure is part of the ongoing Washington Blvd interchange project.

VDOT is building a new bridge for Washington Blvd over Columbia Pike, a $51.5 million project that’s expected to be completed by summer 2015. This latest closure will allow crews to place steel beams for the new bridge over the Pike. Subsequent closures will be needed during the demolition of the old bridge.

Columbia Pike traffic will be able to get around the closure by following the on-ramps to Washington Blvd to a temporary traffic signal. More detailed detour information, from VDOT:

  • Columbia Pike traffic, including pedestrians and bicyclists, will be detoured around the work area to a temporary signal at Washington Boulevard.
  • Northbound Washington Boulevard to westbound Columbia Pike will be detoured to Second Street South interchange and back to Columbia Pike via South Courthouse Road.
  • Southbound Washington Boulevard to eastbound Columbia Pike will turn left at the temporary signal on Washington Boulevard and follow the detour back to Route 244.
  • South Queen Street will be closed at its intersection with Columbia Pike.
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