Route 50

Family of Three Sent to Hospital in Rt. 50 Wreck

By Ethan Rothstein
1/6

Two parents and a small child are at Inova Fairfax Hospital this afternoon after a two-car collision at the intersection of Route 50 and N. Park Drive.

The two adults were transported in “serious, but non-life-threatening condition,” according to a police officer on the scene, and a small child, with them in the car, was taken with them as a precaution, although the child appeared healthy.

The accident was reportedly caused when a Dodge sedan turned left from eastbound Route 50 into N. Park Drive, but “misjudged how much space there was.” The family’s Mazda sedan, going straight westbound on a green light, crashed into the side of the Dodge, causing both to spin out.

Only one lane of westbound Route 50 and the left turn lane from eastbound Route 50 were closed while police and rescue crews responded to the scene. All lanes have since re-opened.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Fallen Tree Blocks Route 50

By ARLnow.com
1/9

Update at 1:15 p.m. — The tree has been cleared and only one westbound lane of Route 50 remains closed. All other lanes are open to traffic.

Earlier: All westbound lanes of Route 50 are blocked near Garfield Street due to a tree that fell across the road.

Nobody was hurt and no cars were hit when the tree fell.

VDOT is on the scene and police are re-routing traffic in the area. Workers are heading there with equipment to move the tree.

Crews currently have not determined if the tree fell due to the heavy rain over the area.

Route 50-Courthouse Road Interchange Nearly Complete

By Ethan Rothstein
1/4

The interchange of Route 50, N. Courthouse Road and 10th Street Road is on the verge of opening for good.

According to Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jennifer McCord, the westbound Route 50 frontage road that gives drivers access to Courthouse Road and 10th Street is expected to open on Wednesday. The opening means all facets of the intersection — the ramps from Courthouse Road and 10th Street to Route 50 in both directions and the frontage road — will be open for traffic.

The $39 million project began construction in April 2011, and McCord said the last pieces, to be completed over the summer, will be “final punch list work that will require some daytime lane closures.” The project was originally projected to be finished by last fall, but the completion date was pushed back to this summer. Of the $39 million the project is said to have cost, Arlington County contributed $1 million and the rest came from state and federal sources.

In addition to the other changes, there will also be “a signalized ‘T’ intersection providing access from both directions of Fairfax Drive to the Courthouse Road ramp,” according to VDOT’s project page.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Tree in bloom near Four Mile Run

Death Sentence Recommended for Torrez — A federal jury on Thursday recommended that former Marine Jorge Torrez be put to death for the 2009 murder of Navy Petty Officer Amanda Jean Snell on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. A judge is scheduled to formally sentence Torrez on May 30. [Washington Post]

Van Doren Picks Up Endorsements — Arlington School Board candidate Nancy Van Doren announced over the weekend that she has picked up the endorsements of the Arlington Education Association PAC, which represents Arlington teachers, and of current School Board member Emma Violand-Sanchez.

Republicans Pick Congressional Nominee — Marine Corps veteran and former congressional staffer Micah Edmund has captured the GOP nomination for congress in the race to replace the retiring Rep. Jim Moran (D). Edmund won 51 percent of the vote in a party convention held Saturday at Bishop O’Connell High School. [InsideNoVa]

Autistic Boy Punished at Randolph Elementary — The mother of a 7-year-old Randolph Elementary student is crying foul after a teacher moved his desk as punishment for bad behavior. The boy has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and his mom is trying to get him transferred to a different elementary school. [WUSA 9]

Wardian Wins Big Sur Marathon — Six days after his impressive Boston Marathon performance, elite distance runner and Arlington resident Michael Wardian has won the Big Sur International Marathon with a time of 2:27:45. Wardian’s time set a record for the 40-and-over age group in the Big Sur marathon and he also set a record for best combined time in the Boston and Big Sur marathons, with 4:51:17. [Santa Cruz Sentinel]

Problems for Potomac Yard Metro — The location of a future Potomac Yard Metro station is in doubt after the National Park Service raised concerns about the station’s visibility from the George Washington Parkway. Changes to the station’s location are expected to cost more than $50 million and delay the project by three years. [WAMU]

Route 50 Courthouse Interchange Update — Several long-term closures associated with the Route 50 Courthouse interchange project have been lifted. Among the routes that have reopened by VDOT are: 10th Street to eastbound Route 50, and Courthouse Road and N. Fairfax Drive to westbound Route 50.

Rt. 50/10th Street/Courthouse Road Ramps to Open This Month

By Ethan Rothstein

Bridge from Courthouse Road to EB Route 50 now openSeveral ramps that have been under construction for years as part the Route 50, N. Courthouse Road and 10th Street N. interchange project are scheduled to open later this month.

The ramps from 10th Street to eastbound Route 50 and from N. Fairfax Drive to westbound Route 50, along with a new ramp from Courthouse Road to westbound Route 50, are scheduled to open Friday, April 25, according to Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jennifer McCord.

The westbound frontage from Route 50 to 10th Street N. will still have barriers on it but will open a few weeks later, McCord said.

There will still be some intermittent lane closures on Route 50 until the project wraps up by July, McCord said. The $39 million interchange began construction in April 2011 and was originally scheduled to be completed by fall of 2013, but the project was delayed, apparently to make sure traffic could continue to flow on Route 50 during construction.

File photo

Courthouse Road Ramp Closure This Week

By Ethan Rothstein

Courthouse Road bridge closure(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) The ramp from N. Courthouse Road to eastbound Route 50 is scheduled to be closed during the day today, tomorrow and Thursday.

From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the ramp will be closed to traffic. It will be re-opened in time for the evening rush hour.

“Crews are completing a concrete median barrier here,” said VDOT spokeswoman Jennifer McCord. “Keep in mind it’s weather permitting… although scheduled I doubt there will be any work on Thursday this week.”

These closures are happening about a month before the ramp from eastbound Route 50 to the 10th Street N. bridge is expected to open, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation project page.

The $39 million is still projected to be completed by the middle of this year. The entire interchange will look different, with ramps to 10th Street N. and Courthouse Road from both EB and WB Route 50, and a signalized “T” intersection at Fairfax Drive and the Courthouse Road ramp.

TRAFFIC ALERT: WB Rt. 50 Blocked by Accident

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated at 5:50 p.m.) The westbound lanes of Route 50 were blocked during Wednesday night’s rush hour due to an overturned vehicle.

The accident occurred at the intersection with Park Drive, near the Arlington Forest Shopping Center. Initial reports suggest an SUV was heading westbound on Route 50 when it hit a median, ran into a pedestrian crossing signal, clipped a van and flipped on its roof. Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to free a person who was trapped in the overturned vehicle.

The person freed from the vehicle was transported to the trauma center at Inova Fairfax Hospital.

As of 5:40 p.m. one westbound lane of Route 50 had reopened, but outbound traffic was very heavy due.

Cyclist Struck on Route 50

By ARLnow.com
Bicyclist struck on Rt. 50
Bicyclist struck on Rt. 50
Bicyclist struck on Rt. 50
1/5

Update at 12:45 p.m. — The accident scene has been cleared and all lanes of traffic are open.

A cyclist has reportedly been struck by a vehicle on Route 50.

The incident happened around 11:45 a.m., near the intersection of Route 50 and Fillmore Street. Initial reports suggest the cyclist has a possible broken leg.

As of 12:00 p.m., police and fire department activity was blocking two lanes of westbound Route 50.

Courthouse Road Bridge Now Open to One-Way Traffic

By ARLnow.com

Bridge from Courthouse Road to EB Route 50 now open(Updated at 3:20 p.m.) The newly reconstructed Courthouse Road bridge is now open to one-way traffic.

The bridge was rebuilt as part of the $39 million Route 50/Courthouse Road/10th Street interchange project, which is expected to be complete by mid-2014. The old bridge was torn down in January, but crews made quick work of the new bridge, erecting steel beams for the span in July.

For now, the bridge is only carrying traffic from Courthouse Road to eastbound Route 50. Eventually, it will also carry traffic from eastbound Route 50 to Courthouse Road, with a traffic signal regulating traffic entering and exiting the highway.

VDOT currently anticipates opening the bridge to two-way traffic around Christmas of this year, according to spokeswoman Jeanene Harris.

Detour for WB Route 50 This Weekend

By Ethan Rothstein

10th Street Bridge over Route 50, closed for demolitionWestbound Route 50 between 14th Street and N. Pershing Drive will be closed this Saturday and Sunday for construction.

The Virginia Department of Transportation announced that a detour will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 27 and 28. Drivers will exit onto 14th Street, which becomes 15th Street, turn right at Courthouse Road, left at Wilson Boulevard, left at N. Barton Street, left at 10th Street back to westbound Route 50.

The road closure will allow VDOT crews to erect steel beams for the new Courthouse Road bridge. The old bridge was torn down in January as part of the $39 million Route 50/Courthouse Road/10th Street interchange project.

The project is expected to be completed in mid-2014, VDOT said.

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