road closures

Funeral for Park Police Officer Will Close Local Roads

By ARLnow.com

A number of temporary road closures are planned on Wednesday, Dec. 28 to accommodate the funeral procession of a fallen U.S. Park Police officer.

Sergeant Michael Boehm, a 19-year Park Police veteran, suffered an apparent heart attack and collapsed while responding to man found critically injured under the Key Bridge in D.C. on Dec. 16. Boehm, an Army veteran, was rushed to a local hospital but was later pronounced dead. He is survived by a wife and a son.

According to USPP, Boehm’s funeral procession will depart from a Burke, Va. funeral home at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 28. It will head into the District, pass by Park Police headquarters near Hains Point, then head back to a cemetery in Fairfax.

A number of rolling road closures will accompany the funeral procession in Arlington. Closures are expected on I-395, Washington Boulevard/Route 27, and the Memorial Bridge.

“Partnering law enforcement agencies and departments of transportation will assist with the road closures. All roads will be reopened as soon as possible,” USPP said in a media advisory. “The U.S. Park Police anticipates that the procession will take about 1.5 hours. The beginning time is approximate.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Washingtonian’s Best Arlington Bars — Washingtonian magazine is out with its list of the best bars and nightlife in Arlington. The list includes old favorites like Whitlow’s on Wilson (2854 Wilson Blvd) and CarPool (4000 Fairfax Drive) and newcomers like Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd) and Rustico (4075 Wilson Blvd). [Washingtonian]

Bill to Consider Life at Conception — The first bill pre-filed for the 2012 legislative session of the Virginia General Assembly would establish that, under Virginia law, human life begins at conception. The bill will be considered by what is now an all-Republican legislature. [Virginia LIS]

Turkey Trot Race Sold Out — The 6th annual Arlington Turkey Trot 5K race is sold out, but organizers are still seeking volunteers. The race, meanwhile, kicks off at 8:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning (Nov. 24), and a number of road closures are planned in the Lyon Park and Ashton Heights neighborhoods.

BREAKING NEWS — Suspicious Package in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Update at 5:45 p.m. — Firefighters have determined the object is not explosive nor a hazardous material, police tell ARLnow.com. The incident is “winding down” as authorities complete their investigation.

Earlier: The block around the SAIC building at 200 12th Street S. in Crystal City has been shut down as police and firefighters investigate a suspicious package in the building.

The Arlington County bomb squad, hazmat team and traffic control officers are on the scene, on the northern end of Crystal City. Pentagon Police have restricted pedestrian access on 12th Street east of Route 1.

The building, which has been evacuated, contains a number of military-related offices. Initial reports suggest that a bomb-sniffing dog had a positive hit on a suspicious object inside the building.

No word yet on the type of object, but Arlington Police say it was mailed to the office.

Homeland security detectives from the Arlington County Police Department and agents from the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service agency are on the scene.

1/6

Road Closed After Bicyclist Struck by Car

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) North Quincy Street was shut down this afternoon between Washington Boulevard and 11th Street — a block from Arlington Central Library and Washington-Lee High School — after a bicyclist was struck by a car.

Initial reports suggest the cyclist was alert and conscious, but suffered a head injury. She was transported to a local hospital.

The road was shut down for about half an hour while police investigated the incident.

The striking vehicle’s windshield was partially shattered as a result of the collision, and a box of mints — presumably from the victim’s pocket — could be seen resting on one of the windshield wipers. It’s unclear whether the driver of the striking vehicle will face any charges.

1/6

Tens of Thousands Prep for Marine Corps Marathon

By Katie Pyzyk

Tens of thousands of runners hit the streets on Sunday for the 36th Marine Corps Marathon and MCM 10K.  Both events start at 8:00 a.m. on Route 110 and take runners through Northern Virginia and Washington, DC.

This year the MCM sold out of all of its 30,000 spots in a record breaking 28 hours. There are an additional 10,000 people signed up for the MCM 10K.

In 2009, the MCM became the fourth largest marathon in the United States, and the eighth largest in the world. It’s currently the largest marathon not to offer prize money to winners.

More than 400 service members overseas will participate in “MCM Forward” during which they run the 26.2 miles in conjunction with Sunday’s race in Virginia and DC. This event began in 2006 in Iraq.

Preparations are going on now along the running course, particularly around the Marine Corps Memorial. One of the marines helping to set up near the memorial this morning said everything is very organized and on schedule, but there is still a fair amount of work to be done before Sunday.

“We’ll be out here today until the job is done,” he said. “Hopefully that means by mid-afternoon.”

Runners are encouraged to use Metro, which will open two hours early at 5:00 a.m. Many heavily traveled routes throughout Arlington will be affected, so drivers should take the following closures into consideration:

  • 4:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.: Eastbound Washington Boulevard will be closed at I-395 toward Memorial Bridge
  • 4:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.: Route 110 will be closed in both directions to all traffic. North Meade Street will be closed from Fairfax Drive to Marshall Drive. There will be no access to Lynn Street or Meade Street from Route 50. North Lynn Street, from Route 50 to North 19th Street, will be closed. Ft. Myer Drive will be closed from 19th Street to Route 50. North Moore Street, from 19th Street to Wilson Boulevard, will be closed. Wilson Boulevard will be closed east of North Nash Street.
  • 4:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m.: Westbound Washington Boulevard from Memorial Circle to I-395 will be closed.
  • 7:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m.: Eastbound Lee Highway, from Kirkwood Road to North Lynn Street, will be closed. Westbound Lee Highway, from North Scott street to Kirkwood Road will be closed to through traffic (local traffic will have egress by taking Scott Street to Veitch Street. Citizens leaving the area can use Westbound Lee Highway to Spout Run and exit the area via the George Washington Parkway).
  • 7:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: The Key Bridge will be closed.
  • 7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: The southbound I-395 HOV lanes from Washington, DC will be closed.
  •  7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.: 12th Street South from Eads Street to Crystal Drive will experience intermittent closures (local traffic is permitted in one lane from Eads Street to Army Navy Drive). Use South 15th Street to access hotels. Crystal Drive will be closed from 12th Street to 23rd Street. Rotary Road will be closed throughout Pentagon South parking. Columbia Pike will be closed at Joyce Street (access Pentagon via Boundary Channel).
  • 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.: Army Navy Drive will be closed from Fern Street to South 12th Street.
1/15

BREAKING NEWS — Crane Incident in Rosslyn

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 3:45 p.m.) Police and firefighters have responded to the area around Clarendon Blvd and Oak Street, in Rosslyn, where a worker has suffered a medical emergency while in a tall crane.

A technical rescue team from the Arlington County Fire Department will soon be trying to use the crane itself to lower the worker 250 feet to the ground, according to department spokesman Lt. Gregg Karl.

Karl did not know the exact nature of the worker’s medical emergency.

Police have shut down parts of Oak Street and 17th Street to attend to the situation. The crane is on the Sedona and Slate apartment construction site, which was the scene of a retaining wall collapse in August.

Courtesy photo (top)

1/9

Road Closures Planned for Charity 8K on Sunday

By ARLnow.com

Cool, sunny weather is expected Sunday morning for the Acumen Solutions Race for a Cause 8K.

The race will shut down a number of major Arlington streets — from Ballston to Clarendon to Columbia Pike — for much of the morning. Among the expected closures:

  • N. Quincy Street from Glebe Road to Wilson Boulevard (5:30 to 10:00 a.m.)
  • Eastbound Wilson Boulevard from Quincy Street to N. 10th Street (7:45 to 10:00 a.m.)
  • Eastbound N. 10th Street from Wilson Boulevard to N. 10th Street (7:45 to 10:00 a.m.)
  • Southbound Washington Boulevard from N. 10th Street to Columbia Pike

The Race for a Cause 8K, which also features a 1-mile Family Fun Run, benefits a number of local charities. Runners get to choose which charity they want to support with their registration: Greenbrier Learning Center (the only Arlington-based nonprofit benefiting from the race), the Boys and Girls Club, Build Metro DC, Education Pioneers, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, For Love of Children, Literary Council of Northern Virginia, Medical Care for Children Partnership Foundation, National Fatherhood Initiative or The Women’s Center.

Registration for the race is $30 online, $35 on race day.

The race will kick off at 8:00 a.m. Runners and walkers alike are encouraged to participate. The flat, out-and-back course starts and ends on N. Quincy Street in Ballston.

Photo via Facebook

DEVELOPING: Bomb Squad Investigates Suspicious Packages Near I-66

By ARLnow.com

Updates: This developing story has been updated here and here.

Update at 2:50 p.m. — The FBI is now on the scene assisting Arlington police with the investigation, police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal has confirmed. “It’s still continuing the investigation from this morning,” she said. Nosal described the objects found as “several” PVC pipes containing weapons.

Arlington County’s bomb squad and police department are investigating suspicious packages found near a utility box along I-66, at the Patrick Henry Drive overpass.

A VDOT contractor found the objects earlier today and called police, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Lt. Gregg Karl. ARLnow.com is hearing that construction crews working on the I-66 widening project found a disassembled machine gun and several PVC tubes full of metallic objects in the ground.

Patrick Henry Drive was closed in both directions while the bomb squad investigated. Earlier, a bomb squad member carried a box from the site with what appeared to be the butt of a military-style gun. Minutes later, “fire in the hole” was called a small controlled detonation could be heard. The bomb squad has since cleared the scene, after determining the objects were not explosive, and police are now photographing the evidence.

A passerby says he was told by an officer that authorities found “a box of guns.”

“People call in found firearms frequently,” police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal told ARLnow.com. “Officers will make sure they weren’t used in the commission of a crime.”

“The bomb squad was called in to make sure the tubes weren’t pipe bombs,” she added.

Neighbors say the area where the objects were found is a popular cut-through for kids on their way home from school.

1/9

Sunday Road Closures for Army Ten-Miler

By Katie Pyzyk

You may have to alter Sunday morning driving plans if you plan to travel on some major roads near the Pentagon.

Tens of thousands of runners will be hitting the streets for the 27th Annual Army Ten-Miler race.

The race begins at 8 a.m. on Route 110 and ends in the Pentagon South Parking Lot, but some roads will be shut down as early as 5 a.m.  They should all be reopened by noon.

The road closures and times:

5 a.m. to 3 p.m.:

  • There will be no access to Pentagon North Parking, Boundary Channel Drive, or the eastern portion of Pentagon South Parking (Pentagon employees will be able to access South Parking via Columbia Pike or South Fern Street).

5 a.m. to 12 p.m.:

  • Route 110 (northbound and southbound) will be closed from Rosslyn to Crystal City.  The George Washington Parkway will remain open.

7 a.m. to 10 a.m.:

  • Access to Memorial Drive and the Memorial Bridge from Washington Boulevard (Route 27) will be closed.

7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

  •  I-395 HOV lanes will close and open on a rolling schedule from the Eads Street ramp to DC

Parking is limited, so runners, spectators and support personnel are encouraged to use Metro. The Pentagon and Pentagon City stations on the Blue and Yellow Lines are located within walking distance of the start and finish lines. Metro will open early, at 6 a.m.

Photo via armytenmiler.com

WB Route 50 Shut Down After Moped Accident

By ARLnow.com

Update at 1:05 p.m. — Lanes have opened back up on westbound Route 50.

The westbound lanes of Route 50 have been shut down at Washington Boulevard after an accident involving a moped.

The moped rider is said to be conscious and alert after the accident. He’s being taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Drivers should expect significant traffic issues in the area.

Road Closures Planned for Weekend Events

By ARLnow.com

While this weekend’s IMF/World Bank meetings tie up traffic in the District, Arlington will be dealing with its own series of significant road closures on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, the following streets will be closed for Clarendon Day and the Clarendon Day 10K/5K race.

5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.:

  • Wilson Blvd and Clarendon Blvd between Washington Blvd and N. Garfield Street
  • N. Highland Street and N. Hartford Street at Wilson Blvd
  • N. Herndon Street at Wilson Blvd
  • N. Hudson Street at Wilson Blvd
  • N. Highland Street at Washington Blvd

6:00 to 10:00 a.m.:

  • Kent Street between N. 19th Street and Wilson Blvd
  • Northbound Route 110 between Rosslyn and Route 1 in Crystal City

8:00 to 10:00 a.m.:

  • Wilson Blvd from Arlington Ridge Road to N. Highland Street

On Sunday, the following streets will be closed for the Navy 5 Miler race.

6:00 to 10:00 a.m.:

  • Northbound I-395 Exit 8B to Washington Blvd will be closed
  • Washington Blvd between I-395 and the George Washington Parkway
  • Southgate Road between Columbia Pike and S. Oak Street
  • Columbia Pike east of S Joyce Street
  • Access to Boundary Drive from I-395 (Exits 9 and 10A)
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