road closures

BREAKING NEWS — Roads Closed Near Pentagon

By ARLnow.com

Update at 11:55 a.m. — News outlets have identified the man who was taken into custody as Yonathan Melaku of Alexandria. Melaku is a Marine Corps reservist, according to Fox News.

Update at 11:00 a.m. — The scene has been cleared and all roads around the Pentagon have reopened.

(Updated at 10:55 a.m.) A man has been taken into custody after he fled from police who observed him in Arlington National Cemetery around 1:30 a.m., the FBI said this morning.

The man, who is in his 20s, had a backpack containing materials that police found suspicious, according to Brenda Heck of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Those materials were found in bags within the backpack, but have since been determined to be non-explosive. Heck says authorities are still performing tests on the materials.

A police interview of the man led officers to a suspicious vehicle near the Pentagon. A search by the Arlington County bomb squad revealed nothing suspicious in the vehicle (pictured above, being towed from the scene), Heck said. She added that no suspicious ‘devices’ have been found.

Authorities are now saying that they believe the man “acted alone,” despite earlier reports that one or two people were being sought by police. Police are still not confirming details about the suspect — reported to be a naturalized U.S. citizen from Ethiopia — except to say that he was uncooperative with investigators.

Washington Boulevard is still closed between Columbia Pike and Route 110. Route 110, which was closed earlier this morning, has reopened. Arlington National Cemetery was closed this morning while law enforcement agencies conducted their investigation but has also since reopened.

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Police Investigate Suspicious Package Near Pentagon

By ARLnow.com

Update at 2:25 p.m. — Charges have been filed against a North Carolina man.

Willie Amaz Braddy, 41, of Rocky Mount, N.C., was taken into state police custody and charged with reckless driving and for concealing a weapon without a valid permit. The incident remains under investigation.

Update at 6:30 a.m. — Virginia State Police have issued the following statement about last night’s incident.

At 8:30 p.m., a Virginia State Police trooper observed a vehicle backing up the southbound I-395 ramp to Route 27 in Arlington County Monday (June 12, 2011). The trooper stopped the vehicle on the ramp. During the course of the traffic stop, a handgun was discovered inside the vehicle, as well as a suspicious-looking package on the front passenger seat.

Virginia State Police bomb technicians along with the Arlington County Fire Department responded to the scene to investigate the suspicious package Shortly before midnight, it was determined that the vehicle contained no explosive or suspicious device.

The driver has been taken into state police custody and charges are pending at this time. The investigation continues. The I-395 ramp will be re-opened shortly.

Update at 11:50 p.m. — The scene has been cleared and the road is being reopened.

Earlier: Authorities are investigating a suspicious package in a vehicle on Washington Boulevard, near the Pentagon.

Police have shut down both directions of Washington Boulevard between Route 110 and the far eastern end of Columbia Pike. Initial reports suggest a pickup truck had a suspicious item inside on the front seat.

“Virginia State Police are currently investigating a suspicious package discovered inside a vehicle stopped on the ramp from I-395 south to Route 27 in Arlington County,” Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said in a statement just before 11:00 p.m. “The investigation resulted from a traffic stop made by a Trooper at approximately 8:30 p.m. Monday.”

At one point a traffic camera showed what appeared to be a bomb squad robot operating at the scene.

H/t to John Antonelli

 

At 8:30 p.m., a Virginia State Police trooper observed a vehicle backing up the southbound I-395 ramp to Route 27 in Arlington County Monday (June 12, 2011). The trooper stopped the vehicle on the ramp. During the course of the traffic stop, a handgun was discovered inside the vehicle, as well as a suspicous-looking package on the front passenger seat.
Virginia State Police bomb technicians along with the Arlington County Fire Department responded to the scene to investigate the suspicious package Shortly before midnight, it was determined that the vehicle contained no explosive or suspicious device.
The driver has been taken into state police custody and charges are pending at this time. The investigation continues. The I-395 ramp will be re-opened shortly.

 

 

 

Road Closures Planned for Weekend Bike Races

By ARLnow.com

The Air Force Cycling Classic will bring exciting races and extensive road closures to Arlington over the weekend.

The nationally-recognized pro cycling event will kick off early in Clarendon on Saturday, then head to Crystal City on Sunday. Here’s the official schedule:

  • Saturday, June 11 (Clarendon)
    • 8:00 a.m. — Amateur races (for licensed riders)
    • 10:05 a.m. — Women’s Pro/Am race
    • 11:35 a.m. — Kids race
    • 12:00 p.m. — Clarendon Cup Pro/Am Invitational
  • Sunday, June 12 (Crystal City)
    • 7:30 a.m. — Crystal Ride (open to all, registration ends Friday)
    • 11:15 a.m. — Kids races
    • 11:35 a.m. — Crystal Cup Pro/Am Invitational
    • 1:25 p.m. — Women’s Pro/Am race
    • 2:30 p.m. — Amateur race (for licensed riders)

The races will result in a long list of road closures. See the list, after the jump.
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Chain Bridge Road to Close Today

By ARLnow.com

Update at 1:00 p.m. — Chain Bridge Road has reopened.

Update at 10:30 a.m. –VDOT has issued a correction, saying that the 400 block of Chain Bridge Road, not the bridge itself, will be closed.

Chain Bridge The 400 block of Chain Bridge Road will be closed for part of the day today.

Tree work will force the bridge road to close from about 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., DDOT said on its Twitter account this morning. A VDOT official confirmed the closure.

“Our crews need to remove a tree that is in danger of falling into the roadway,” said VDOT spokeswoman Joan Morris. “The closure is from 9:30 a.m. till 2:30 p.m. We hope to reopen the road sooner than that if the removal goes well.”

The work brings back memories of last year’s bridge rehabilitation project, which forced the closure of the bridge on several occasions.

Morris says signs warning about today’s closure have been up for five days. A detour is posted, she said.

Road Closures Planned for Rolling Thunder

By ARLnow.com

Rolling Thunder is back this year and several road closures are planned as a result.

The noisy annual Memorial Day weekend tradition will kick off on Friday, when motorcyclists from around the country will start flocking to the D.C. area to boost awareness of American prisoners of war and service members who went missing in action.

The Rolling Thunder headquarters hotel is the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, so South Arlington residents who live near Route 1, Route 110 and I-395 should expect to hear a lot of revving engines over the weekend.

As part of the rally, several roads will be closed near the Pentagon on Sunday. Washington Boulevard will be closed from I-395 to the Memorial Bridge from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In addition, Arlington National Cemetery will only be accessible from the southbound GW Parkway or northbound Route 110.

Authorities are warning drivers in Northern Virginia to expect “large numbers of motorcyclists” and possible traffic delays on Sunday. The Rolling Thunder festivities will wrap up Sunday evening.

Street Closures Planned for Sunday’s Bike DC Ride

By ARLnow.com

Today may be Bike to Work Day, but Sunday might be an even better day to go car-free.

A number of road closures are planned for the annual Bike DC ride through the District and Arlington. The route, which starts at the Capitol, will take cyclists across the Roosevelt Bridge, up the GW Parkway and down to the Air Force Memorial, before returning to the District.

As a result, the following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic from about 7:00 to 11:00 a.m.

  • Roosevelt Bridge westbound
  • GW Parkway northbound from Memorial Bridge to Chain Bridge
  • Route 110 southbound from Rosslyn to Crystal City
  • Route 50 eastbound from GW Parkway to Lynn Street/Meade Street
  • Meade Street from Marshall Drive to Rosslyn
  • Marshall Drive between Meade Street and Route 110
  • Washington Boulevard eastbound from Memorial Bridge to Columbia Pike
  • Columbia Pike westbound from the Pentagon to the Air Force Memorial

In addition to those road closures, Sunday will also see the closure of a number of streets in the Ballston area due to the annual Taste of Arlington food festival.

Taste of Arlington Street Closures

By ARLnow.com

Taste of Arlington hits the streets of Ballston on Sunday and police are planning a series of street closures to accommodate the event.

Among the closures, as announced by Arlington County Police:

  • Wilson Blvd will be closed eastbound at Glebe Rd. Eastbound traffic will be diverted south on Glebe Rd.
  • Wilson Blvd will be closed westbound at N Randolph St (north and south bound Randolph will remain open)
  • N. Stuart Street will be closed between N. 9th Street and Wilson Blvd. Buses will be allowed on N. Stuart St. between Fairfax Drive and N. 9th Street.
  • North 9th Street will remain open to METRO BUS TRAFFIC only between North Stafford and North Stuart Street.
  • All traffic coming southbound on N. Taylor St. from Fairfax Drive will be forced to go westbound at Wilson Blvd.
  • Access to the Macy’s parking spaces at 4300 Wilson will be via N. Glebe Road only.

With warm and sunny weather in the forecast, organizers are expecting a crowd of more than 10,000 for the annual food festival — Arlington’s largest. Tickets are still on sale online for 20 percent off the walk-up price.

In addition to food from more than 30 Arlington restaurants and vendors, as well as a selection of craft beers, a number of local musical acts are scheduled to perform at the event, which will take place from noon to 5:00 p.m.

Accident Involving ART Bus Near Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Update at 3:00 p.m. — The driver of the van has been charged with reckless driving, according to Arlington County police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal. A passenger from the bus and the van driver were both taken to the hospital after the accident, Nosal said.

A minivan slammed into the back of an Arlington Transit (ART) bus at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and 4th Street, near Ballston, just after 11:30 this morning.

The accident happened while the bus was stopped at a bus stop, with at least a dozen passengers on board. The driver of the van has been taken to the hospital, but is expected to be okay. Several bus passengers were evaluated by paramedics on the scene for minor injuries.

Northbound Glebe Road was completely blocked at 3rd Street for more than 45 minutes, but has since reopened. The bus suffered only minor damage and was driven away.

Another Deer Hit on I-66

By ARLnow.com

Police are on the scene of a deer found lying in the middle of I-66.

The deer was hit and killed by a vehicle near Sycamore Street, where I-66 was shut down yesterday morning due to multiple accidents caused by deer in the roadway.

Police are in the process of moving the carcass to the side of the road. No word on the fate of the vehicle that hit the deer and apparently continued on its way.

Deer Cause Early Morning I-66 Smash-Up

By ARLnow.com

A series of accidents shut down westbound I-66 near Sycamore Street this morning.

WUSA is reporting that the highway was closed from 5:00 to 6:30 a.m. due to multiple chain-reaction crashes caused by deer running onto the roadway.

Deer-vehicle collisions are becoming increasingly common in the United States. Between 2007 and 2009, the number of reported crashes involving deer rose 18.3 percent compared to the period five years prior.

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