road closures

BREAKING: Firefighters Rescue Man Dangling from Scaffolding in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/6

(Updated at 5 p.m.) A rescue operation is underway after reports of a worker dangling from scaffolding in Rosslyn.

The incident is happening at an office building near the Safeway store on the 1500 block of Wilson Blvd.

Initial reports suggest that the man is dangling from a safety harness and that firefighters are working to quickly rescue him with a ladder truck. Wilson Blvd is blocked at N. Oak Street as a result of the emergency activity.

As of 4:30 p.m., the man was reported have been successfully rescued and safely brought back down to ground level.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Tower of Light Returns — From Dave Statter: “The Tower of Light at the Pentagon began tonight & continues through September 12 in honor of those killed when the United States was attacked 20 years ago Saturday.” [Twitter, Fox 5]

Road Closures for Memorial 5K — “The Arlington Police, Fire, Sheriff and ECC Memorial 9/11 Memorial 5k race will take place on the evening of Saturday, September 11, 2021. The Arlington County Police Department will close the following roadways around the Pentagon and in Crystal City to accommodate the event.” [ACPD]

Some Boundary Adjustments Coming — “Arlington’s public-school leadership has so much on its return-to-classrooms plate already – ya think? – that a massive boundary-adjustment process is just not in the cards for now. School officials are planning for ‘only those adjustments that must be done,’ said Lisa Stengle, the school system’s executive director of planning and evaluation, during an Aug. 26 briefing to School Board members.” [Sun Gazette]

Feds Add Rep from Arlington to Metro Board — Updated at 9 a.m. — A new alternate Metro Board member from Arlington was sworn in yesterday. Assistant County Manager & Director of Communications and Public Engagement Bryna Helfer is a federal appointee to the Board. Helfer previously worked for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. [U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Twitter]

Biz Booming for Local Tattoo Shop — “As more Americans resolve to change their lives after a tumultuous year and a half, many are choosing to get tattoos: D.C.-area tattoo-shop owners are reporting a boom in business, even though the pandemic all but shuttered other industries. Inside Lady Octopus, in Arlington, Virginia, artist Gilda Acosta shades in a touch of light green on the leaves of a primrose. Client Meg Little, of Alexandria, booked this appointment seven months ago.” [WTOP]

Higher Ed Booms With Amazon Arrival — “With the arrival of Amazon and a proliferation of other tech companies in fields ranging from big data to cybersecurity, candidates like Bhatia are in high demand. The problem is, there aren’t enough to go around. Universities are trying to change that, and in the process, sparking an academic explosion in and around Arlington… Virginia Tech, Mason and the University of Maryland are preparing to open gleaming new facilities here.” [Arlington Magazine]

Driver Struck By Vehicle After Crash on Route 50

By ARLnow.com

An early morning, single-vehicle crash along Route 50 led to the driver being struck by an oncoming vehicle.

The crash and a subsequent police investigation closed eastbound Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) at the Glebe Road overpass for several hours. The victim suffered serious injuries but is expected to survive, police say.

“At approximately 4:23 a.m. on September 3, police were dispatched to the area of Arlington Boulevard and South Glebe Road for the report of a crash with injury,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Kirby Clark tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was driving eastbound on Arlington Boulevard when they struck the overpass wall on the right shoulder. The victim then pulled over in the left lane along the median, exited their vehicle and was in the roadway when they were struck by an oncoming vehicle.”

“The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries,” Clark continued. “The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene. Eastbound Arlington Boulevard was closed from Glebe Road to N. Jackson Street while the crash investigation took place.”

The highway reopened shortly before 7 a.m.

Flickr photo by Kevin Wolf

Arlington Festival of the Arts Returns to Clarendon This Weekend

By Dana Munro
1/5

Hand-painted canvases, ceramics and other works of art will adorn the streets of Clarendon this weekend for an art festival.

The Arlington Festival of the Arts will take place this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 4-5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event, now in its ninth year, will be outdoors on N. Highland Street, beginning at the corner of N. Highland Street and Washington Blvd.

Howard Alan Events, which hosts the festival, had an independent panel of judges select the artists. Some of those who made the cut are based in the D.C. area.

“Visitors will have the chance to see thousands of fine works from across the globe in a prestigious show encompassing fine jewelry, exquisite works of art and hand-crafted apparel and decor,” Howard Alan Events said. “Whether your passions run to sparkling jewels and one of a kind paintings; masterfully crafted glasswork or an art deco sculpture, you are sure to find it during the free, two-day event.”

Art prices will be available to view at the event and all the artists will be available to answer questions during the festival.

The Labor Day weekend event will feature paintings from Allen Levy, whose works have been displayed at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria and whose studio is in Woodbridge. Mixed media artist and interior designer Vered Yanay, based in Bethesda, will have her work at the festival as well as Prince George’s County-based graphic artist Bryane Broadie.

Parking is available at the event’s 3003 Washington Blvd location and pets on leashes are welcomed to peruse the art. They may be interested in Joseph Brewer’s pet portraits.

Parking restrictions and several major road closures are planned in the area, which may lead to traffic delays for drivers.

More from the Arlington County Police Department:

Setup for the event will begin at 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, and the event will be open both days from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

The Arlington County Police Department will conduct the following road closures from approximately 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 4th through 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 5th to accommodate the event:

  • Westbound Washington Boulevard will be closed from N. 10th Street to Clarendon Boulevard
  • N. Highland Street will be closed from N. 11th Street to Washington Boulevard
  • Eastbound Washington Boulevard will be reduced to one lane from Clarendon Boulevard to N. 10th Street
  • Southbound traffic on N. Garfield Street will only be allowed to turn left (eastbound) on Washington Boulevard

Other closures not mentioned above may be implemented at law enforcement discretion in the interest of public safety.

Street parking in the area will be restricted and 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 the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222.

Attendees are encouraged to use Metro (Clarendon station) or other “for hire” transportation options to reduce vehicular traffic in the area.

Car Overturns in Crash Near Westover

By ARLnow.com
1/2

A car flipped on its roof this afternoon near Westover, injuring the person driving it.

The crash happened around 2:30 p.m. along Washington Blvd, near 19th Road N., west of Westover and east of East Falls Church. The road was completely blocked by the emergency response.

A witness to the aftermath of the crash tells ARLnow that bystanders pulled the driver out of the overturned vehicle. The driver was taken via ambulance to a nearby hospital, though the person’s injuries did not appear to be serious, we’re told.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Delayed Reopening for N. Glebe Road — From VDOT: “Update: Due to last week’s inclement weather, the new reopening date for Glebe Road is Monday, Aug. 30 at 5 a.m.” [Twitter]

Arlington Paralympian Competing in Tokyo — “Sydney Barta of Arlington is competing in four track and field events this week and next at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Barta, a 17-year-old student at National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C., will be competing in the 100-meter, 200-meter, discus throw, and shot put throw.” [Patch]

Pedestrians Peeved About Pushing Buttons — “Last Wednesday, Arlington County officials announced plans to roll back 78 automatic pedestrian phase activations, also known as ‘beg buttons,’ throughout the county… The chair of Arlington’s volunteer transportation commission, Chris Slatt, had choice words… ‘To use the start of school to justify this change and to claim it is to ‘improve walkway safety’ is, frankly, gross and unacceptable.'” [GGWash]

Police Investigate Saturday Robbery — “At approximately 11:42 p.m. on August 21, police were dispatched to the late report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that approximately 40 minutes prior, the male victim met with the suspect for the prearranged sale of sneakers. The suspect brought the victim down a residential hallway where the second suspect was waiting. The suspects then grabbed the victim, assaulted him and stole an undisclosed amount of cash from his person before fleeing into the building.” [ACPD]

Local Rookie Cop Saves Nine Lives — “From a rookie to a pro, a Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPDC) patrol officer, Taylor Brandt, is being hailed a hero amongst fellow colleagues and community members after saving 9 lives within one year of working on the streets. Brandt joined DC police in December 2019 as a resident from Arlington, Virginia.” [WJLA]

Historical Society Planning 9/11 Event — “The Arlington Historical Society annual banquet commemorates the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon.  We will hear about the events of the day and learn about how the Arlington community responded to the crisis. Eyewitnesses and first responders will recount their experiences as we honor the resilience of our community.” [Arlington Historical Society]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Flooding to ‘Significantly’ Delay Reopening of N. Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Update at 5 p.m. on Aug. 23 — Glebe Road is now expected to reopen on Monday, Aug. 30.

Earlier: The planned nine-day closure of N. Glebe Road near Chain Bridge is getting longer.

Glebe is currently blocked in both directions between Military Road and Chain Bridge Road for the culmination of a $10 million bridge rehabilitation project. Crews have been working since Friday, Aug. 13 to replace steel beams and the deck of the bridge over Pimmit Run.

But the work zone was damaged today by significant flooding of Pimmit Run and the toppling of two trees and some utility lines. The damage is expected to cause significant delays for the project and the road’s reopening.

From VDOT:

There is a work stoppage on the Glebe Road over Pimmit Run bridge rehabilitation project. Two trees have fallen into the work zone, along with power and cable lines, as well as flooding. This will significantly delay the planned reopening of Glebe Road, originally scheduled for Monday. Once the work zone can be rendered safe and crews can assess the damage, an updated reopening date will be provided.

The department posted video of the flooding on social media, showing raging brown water flowing under the bridge and into the Potomac nearby.

Police: Stolen Vehicle Crashed Near Ballston, Blocking Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com
1/5

A driver in a car that was reported stolen tried to flee a traffic stop, and promptly crashed near Ballston, blocking a busy road.

The incident happened around 10 a.m. at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and N. Carlin Springs Road.

A police spokeswoman, citing preliminary information from the scene, said the driver crashed after officers tried to pull the vehicle over.

“Officers received an alert for a vehicle previously reported stolen. Officers located the vehicle, attempted a traffic stop and the suspect fled,” said ACPD’s Ashley Savage. “The suspect vehicle struck a light pole in the area of Glebe Road and Carlin Springs and became inoperable. The suspect attempted to flee on food but was taken into custody by officers.”

A light pole and pedestrian signal were felled by the crash on the southeastern side of the intersection. The fleeing driver also took out a metal garbage can, which — along with the light pole — were launched a distance down the Glebe Road sidewalk.

The southbound lanes of Glebe were blocked by police while officers arrested the driver and searched the vehicle for other occupants. The driver was evaluated for injuries by paramedics, according to scanner traffic.

At least one southbound lanes remains blocked due to the crash cleanup.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Opening Date Set for Aquatics Center — The new Long Bridge Park Aquatics and Fitness Center will open on Monday, Aug. 23, the Arlington Dept. of Parks and Recreation announced yesterday. [Twitter]

Local Org Resettling Afghan Refugees — “Besides Lutheran Social Services, the [Arlington-based] Ethiopian Community Development Council, the International Rescue Committee, and Catholic Charities do a lot of work to resettle Afghan [Special Immigrant Visa] holders in this area. Christy McCaw of African Community Center DC  Metro, the ECDC’s resettlement branch, says her organization needs leads on apartments that will rent to newcomers without proof of income.” [Washingtonian]

Broken Water Main Causes Pressure Problems — From the Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services yesterday: “A crew is stabilizing a broken water main that has caused pressure issues in the vicinity of Campbell Elementary School along S. Carlin Springs Road. Pressure should be returning to normal within the hour. Traffic diverted around work site. The break is on a 20-inch main. Greatest impact of pressure loss along Carlin Springs Rd from Rt 50 south to Columbia Pike and near the intersection of Wilson Blvd and George Mason.” [Twitter]

New W-L History Marker Under Consideration — “Four years after the installation of a marker celebrating the history of Washington-Lee High School was scotched by leaders of the county school system, a proposed revised marker – honoring the school now known as Washington-Liberty – is wending its way through the development process.” [Sun Gazette]

Next Community Convo with Police Chief — “Join Chief Penn and members of ACPD at the next Community Conversations with the Chief to share your thoughts on the future of policing in Arlington! Our next conversation will take place on Friday from 10 AM to 12 PM at Metro 29 Diner located at 4711 Lee Highway.” [Twitter]

Huske Signs Sponsorship Deal — “2020 U.S. Olympic medalist [and Arlington resident] Torri Huske announced that she’s signed a swimwear deal with TYR on Friday, making her the third high-profile swimmer set to begin their freshman year of college to do so. Huske, 18, will join Stanford University in the upcoming collegiate season. Terms of the deal have not been made public.” [SwimSwam]

Youth Baseball Team’s Championship Run — “Overcoming four tournament losses, the 9-under Arlington Storm Black managed to finish second in the Babe Ruth World Series. The Storm lost in the ultimate title game of the baseball tournament in Jensen Beach, Fla., by a 7-3 score, to Florence, Ala. The meeting was the fourth between the teams in the competition. About 90 minutes earlier that same day, Arlington had previously routed Florence, 11-1, to force a playback game between the two teams in the championship round.” [Sun Gazette]

Reminder: N. Glebe Road Closure — “All lanes of N. Glebe Road between Military Road and Chain Bridge Road, in the northern tip of Arlington, [are now] closed for construction… The nine-day closure is the culmination of the $10 million rehabilitation project for the nearly 50-year-old bridge over Pimmit Run, just before Chain Bridge. Between Friday, Aug. 13 and Monday, Aug. 23, crews will work to replace the entire bridge deck and its underlying beams.” [ARLnow]

Get Ready for a Nine-Day Closure of Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Update at 3:25 p.m. — The closure has been extended due to flooding at the construction site.

All lanes of N. Glebe Road between Military Road and Chain Bridge Road, in the northern tip of Arlington, will be closed for construction starting Friday.

The nine-day closure is the culmination of the $10 million rehabilitation project for the nearly 50-year-old bridge over Pimmit Run, just before Chain Bridge. Between Friday, Aug. 13 and Monday, Aug. 23, crews will work to replace the entire bridge deck and its underlying beams.

A winding detour around the closure, through parts of Arlington and McLean, will be put in place. Pedestrians and cyclists hoping to cross Pimmit Run will have an on-demand shuttle available to them during the closure, according to the Virginia Dept. of Transportation.

More from a VDOT press release:

North Glebe Road (Route 120) between Military Road and Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) will be closed to traffic for about nine days beginning Friday night, Aug. 13 to efficiently replace the entire bridge deck and beams over Pimmit Run, just west of Route 123, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

North Glebe Road will close at 10 p.m. Aug. 13 and is scheduled to reopen to traffic by 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 23.

Vehicle traffic will be detoured via Route 123, Kirby Road (Route 695) and Chesterbrook Road (Route 689) back to North Glebe Road.

To help pedestrians get around the closure, a free shuttle for up to 12 passengers will be available Saturday, Aug. 14 through Sunday, Aug. 22 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. Signs and posters with a phone number (240-300-3264) and shuttle information will be posted at both ends of the bridge over Pimmit Run, with the shuttle provided within ten minutes of a call (if needed, a free accessible shuttle will be provided within 30 minutes of a call). Each shuttle ride will last approximately five minutes.

The portion of the Potomac Heritage Trail under the Pimmit Run bridge will remain open, with trail access controlled by flaggers when needed.

Construction began in April on the overall project to rehabilitate North Glebe Road over Pimmit Run, which was originally built in 1973 and currently carries about 13,000 vehicles a day. The work includes improvements that will extend the overall life of the bridge and improve safety for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. They include:

  • Replacing bridge beams, deck and barriers
  • Repairing, waterproofing and providing corrosion protection to abutments and piers
  • Replacing barriers and railings along bicycle and pedestrian connection to trails
  • Upgrading guardrails and drainage

The $9.9 million project is financed with federal and state funds, including State of Good Repair funding used for bridges. The project is scheduled for completion this fall.

Learn more about the project at www.virginiadot.org/glebeoverpimmit.

Road Closures Planned for Man Walking from Pentagon to NYC

By Dana Munro

At 8 a.m. on Sunday, a man will embark on a 42-day walk from the Pentagon to Shanksville, Pennsylvania to the World Trade Center in New York City to honor the first responders who risked their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.

The journey is personal for Frank Siller, who is traversing six states and more than 500 miles in memory of his brother, New York firefighter Stephen Siller, who died responding to the terrorist attack. The surviving Siller plans to arrive in Manhattan on Sept. 11.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attack, as well as that of Tunnel to Towers, the organization Siller founded in 2001 to support first responders. The name is in memory of Stephen’s walk through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel — while carrying 60 pounds of gear — to reach the Twin Towers and save those in the World Trade Center’s North Tower.

Arlington County announced a number of road closures to facilitate Siller’s trip on foot.

  • S. Hayes Street between S. Fern Street and 15th Street S. will be closed to traffic from 7 a.m. to noon
  • Street parking along the stretch of S. Hayes Street will be restricted
  • Rolling road closures will be implemented as Siller walks from Arlington Fire Station No. 5 at 1750 S. Hayes Street to Courthouse Plaza and then into D.C.

In addition to the long walk to remember, Tunnel to Towers will mark the somber anniversary through charitable acts, a concert and a run through NYC.

Photo by Marc Hermann/MTA New York City Transit via Flickr

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