Route 50

Man With Abortion Sign Targeting Route 50 Commuters

By ARLnow.com

A man holding a huge “Abortion is Murder” sign has been targeting Route 50 commuters in the Rosslyn area this week.

According to tipsters and police dispatches, the man stands along Route 50 during the morning and evening rush hours, holding the graphic sign for all to see.

“You may have already heard about this, and the police knew about it when I called the non-emergency line, but there is a hideous Abortion is Murder banner right before the Rosslyn/Key Bridge exit on Rt. 50 Eastbound,” a tipster told us this morning. “It’s about 10 feet wide, maybe 3 feet tall, and incredibly graphic.”

Another tipster had a few more details.

In the past week, I have seen a white male in his early 30s standing near the Marine Corps Memorial on 50E/50W (Rosslyn exit) holding a large sign of with grotesque pictures of supposedly aborted fetuses at 10 weeks. I have twice seen Arlington or U.S. Park police escorting this man away and asking him to take down the sign. I assume he does not have a permit or it is illegal to protest on federal grounds or in areas that may cause traffic disturbances. But today he found a better hiding place. I really don’t want to give him any publicity, but I don’t appreciate being inundated with those images on my morning and evening commutes.

Pair in Covered Wagon Heads Down Rt. 50

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 3:15 p.m.) A Tea Party member from rural Georgia traveled down Route 50 in a horse-drawn covered wagon this afternoon, en route to “get some answers.”

With his travel companion, 33-year-old Missy Wilkerson, and his cattle dog, “Blue,” Ralph Casey is heading to D.C. to get answers for “the Small Businessman” from “someone in charge.” The nearly six week journey through the byways of small town America has garnered media attention, words of encouragement and offers of free food and lodging for the 69-year-old horseshoeing school owner.

Fast-moving traffic was able to maneuver around Casey’s wagon as it traveled at 5 to 10 miles per hour down the highway. Read more about his journey from the Madison County, Va. Eagle newspaper. Casey can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Lane Closures in Place for Glebe Road Bridge Work

By ARLnow.com

Drivers heading across the Glebe Road/Route 50 bridge are now encountering lane closures and heavier traffic during the day.

The bridge that carries Glebe Road traffic over Route 50 is being replaced over the next 15 months. Initially, we had been told that “any lane closures or shifts… will occur between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.” and that there would be “no major construction impacts… during the day.”

The lane closures, construction activity and traffic backups we saw on either side of the bridge today seem to dispute those initial statements.

Update at 11:50 a.m. — We’re hearing on Twitter that VDOT told attendees at a public meeting that the work underway now — removing the medians leading to the bridge — would possibly take place during the day.

Progress on 2201 North Pershing Drive Project

By ARLnow.com

What was once the Lee Center strip mall is now a big, dusty hole in the ground.

Construction is well underway on what is known as the 2201 North Pershing Drive project. When work wraps up in mid-to-late 2012, the $75 million project at Route 50 and Pershing Drive will consist of 188 rental apartments and nearly 33,500 square feet of ground-level retail space.

For now, motorists on Pershing Drive have to put up with regular lane closures, slow-moving construction equipment and flagmen directing traffic.

Lane Finally Reopens on Westbound Route 50

By ARLnow.com

The lefthand lane on westbound Route 50 near the Courthouse Road exit has finally reopened, after more than a year of utility work.

The lane closure lasted about 10 months longer than originally anticipated. The utility work was performed in preparation for VDOT’s Courthouse interchange project, which is expected to get underway this month.

A tipster says the jersey walls separating the two righthand lanes of westbound Route 50 from the newly-paved lefthand lane were removed during the day on Friday.

Glebe Road Bridge Replacement to Begin This Summer

By ARLnow.com

VDOT will be holding a meeting two weeks from now to tell residents about their $6 million plan to replace the crumbling Glebe Road Bridge over Route 50.

The agency says construction on the new bridge will begin this summer and will wrap up in fall 2012 — a bit later than originally anticipated. The entire 100-foot-long bridge deck will be replaced with pre-cast concrete panels, and will be 27 feet wider than the existing bridge. The extra width will be used to install a 10-foot wide sidewalk, a 17-foot wide shared-use path and a new northbound turn lane. There will also be new traffic signals, “decorative wrought-iron picket fencing” and LED lighting.

On Thursday, June 2, at 7:00 p.m., VDOT will hold a ‘pardon our dust’ meeting for community members at Thomas Jefferson Middle School (125 S. Old Glebe Road).

The agency says traffic impacts for Glebe Road drivers should be minimal, with virtually no impacts during the day and lane closures at night. There will, however, be “intermittent detours” on Route 50 beginning in August. Traffic will be diverted to George Mason Drive and Washington Boulevard during the detours, which will be announced in advanced.

The Glebe Road bridge over Route 50 carries about 35,000 vehicles a day, according to VDOT. There have been several reported incidents of concrete chunks falling from the bridge over the past two years.

Accident on Route 50

By ARLnow.com

(Update at 12:20 p.m.) An SUV ran off the road and crashed through an iron fence near the intersection of S. Manchester Street and Route 50 just after 10:30 this morning.

Firefighters had to rescue the driver of the SUV, who was trapped in the vehicle after the wreck. The driver was brought to a local hospital with unspecified injuries.

So far there’s no official word on what caused the accident. Tire tracks suggest the SUV and a tractor trailer somehow ran off of eastbound Route 50 and onto a parallel side street. The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured and the truck appeared largely undamaged. The scene has since been cleared.

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VDOT’s Detours During Route 50 Interchange Project

By ARLnow.com

Construction on the new Route 50 / Courthouse Road interchange is set to begin this month.

The project, which is expected to wrap up in 2013, will result in major improvements to what is now a rather confusing and even dangerous series of on and off-ramps. In the meantime, however, drivers will have to put up with some minor headaches as the project forces the closure of some busy routes and ramps, starting later this year.

Among the closures, according to VDOT:

  • Westbound 50 ramp to N. Courthouse Road (Winter 2011 to Spring 2012)
  • Fairfax Drive between N. Troy Street and N. Scott Street (Winter 2011 to Spring 2012)
  • Ramp from southbound 10th Street to eastbound Rt. 50 (Spring 2012 to Winter 2012/Spring 2013)
  • Ramp from eastbound Route 50 to Courthouse Road (Fall 2012 to Winter 2012/Spring 2013)

For each closure, there will be a signed detour. Some local residents have expressed concern that the detours would siphon highway traffic onto residential streets, but we’re told that transportation planners expect the impact on residential streets to be minimal.

See maps of each detour, after the jump.

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Sketches of New Courthouse Interchange Released

By ARLnow.com

If you’re used to seeing the ugly, dangerous Route 50/Courthouse Road interchange, get ready for a big change. VDOT has released some sketches of what the interchange will look like by 2014.

Next month VDOT will begin work on a $39 million project to revamp the aging, confusing mess of on-ramps and off-ramps. The interchange’s bridges will be rebuilt and dedicated acceleration/deceleration lanes will be added.

For the next two an a half years, motorists can expect nightly closures of 2-3 lanes of Route 50 in both directions, as well as occasional closures of side streets and on/off ramps. VDOT says it will announce the closures in advance and provide signed detours.

VDOT will be holding a public meeting on Tuesday, May 3, to answer neighborhood questions about the project. The meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. at the Arlington County Boardroom (2100 Clarendon Blvd).

See the full VDOT press release after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Route 50 Interchange Project Nears — In March, we were told that the lane closure on westbound Route 50 would finally be lifted by around this time. That’s still yet to be seen, but some new closures are just around the corner. Dr. Gridlock reports that VDOT plans to start construction on a new Route 50/Courthouse Road/Fairfax Drive interchange next month, with nightly traffic disruptions. The $39 million project is expected to wrap up in Fall 2013. [Dr. Gridlock]

Arlington’s Fuel Bill Going Up — Arlington County could spend hundreds of thousands of additional dollars on gasoline this year, thanks to rising gas prices. The county’s vehicle fleet — which includes fuel-sipping Toyota Priuses — consumes about a million gallons of gas every year. [Washington Examiner]

Emergency Personnel Honored for Valor — The Arlington Chamber of Commerce held its 29th annual Valor Awards ceremony on Tuesday. The event honored police, sheriff, fire and EMS personnel whose selfless work has saved lives. Among those honored was Jason Hart and Mark Jaquays, who managed to save the life of a young man who was painting a house last summer when his ladder touched a power line. [Sun Gazette]

Real Estate Prices Up, Inventory Down –– The sale price of Arlington residential real estate surged last month. Condos and townhouses in particular were both up by double digit percentages. Also, real estate inventory was down significantly compared to 2010. [Arlington Real Estate News]

Flickr pool photo by Aaron Webb

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