VDOT

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.

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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Large Pothole Flattens Tires On I-395

By ARLnow.com

Update at 11:25 a.m. — The pothole has been filled, VDOT reports.

At least a half dozen cars suffered flat tires after hitting a big pothole on southbound I-395 this morning.

The pothole is located in the left lane between the 14th Street Bridge and the exit for Route 1, according to VDOT spokeswoman Jennifer McCord.

“Our contractor is en route right now and will be repairing it ASAP,” McCord said in an email.

Arlington police assisted a number of the disabled motorists.

Crumbling Glebe Road Bridge Slated for Replacement

By ARLnow.com

Two years after concrete began falling from the “structurally deficient” Glebe Road/Route 50 bridge, VDOT expects to advertise its plan to replace the crumbling overpass next week.

The bridge has raised concerns recently as chunks of concrete began falling anew. On Friday, rush hour traffic was snarled when a chunk of concrete fell from the bridge onto a westbound lane of Route 50 around 4:30 p.m. Police shut down the bridge and one lane of Glebe Road for more than an hour as a result.

The falling concrete actually left a hole in the roadway from which one could look down and see the highway below, according to Arlington County Director of Transportation Dennis Leach. Over the weekend, VDOT patched up the part of the bridge from which the concrete fell.

ARLnow.com has also heard a thus-far unconfirmed report that falling concrete struck a vehicle last Sunday. No injuries were reported.

VDOT will be installing a protective shield “as soon as possible” to make sure more debris doesn’t fall on Route 50, according to agency spokeswoman Jennifer McCord. The shield will either be a protective netting or some sort of wooden structure, she said.

McCord says VDOT expects to advertise a long-delayed plan to replace the bridge next week. The agency will expedite the bidding process so that work on the new bridge can begin as soon as this summer and be complete by August 2012, officials said.

The $6 million project will completely replace the bridge deck while widening it by 27 feet. The increased width will allow for a 17-foot shared use path on one side, a 10-foot sidewalk on the other and five travel lanes in between, including a new northbound turn lane. The bridge will feature “wrought-iron picket fencing, gateway pillars and decorative LED lighting,” according to McCord.

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TRAFFIC ALERT — Glebe Road Shut Down at Route 50

By ARLnow.com

Update at 7:50 p.m. — All lane closures except one northbound lane on Glebe Road have been lifted.

Both directions of Glebe Road have been shut down and one lane of westbound Route 50 has been blocked due to chunks of concrete falling off the overpass.

ARLnow.com is hearing that officials were notified earlier this week that debris fell off the bridge and struck a vehicle on Sunday. No one was hurt, we hear. No word on what action, if any, was taken after that incident.

Arlington Will Withdraw HOT Lanes Suit

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County announced tonight that it will be withdrawing its controversial lawsuit against the proposed High Occupancy Toll lane project on I-395. VDOT revealed last week that it’s no longer pursuing HOT lanes on the Arlington and Alexandria portions of I-395, at least partially due to Arlington’s suit.

The county issued the following press release about its decision to halt legal action against the HOT lanes plan.

The Arlington County Board today announced that it will withdraw its lawsuit on the proposed I-95/395 High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes project. The County Board has directed the County Attorney to seek a suspension of court proceedings so that necessary filings to dismiss the case can be prepared.

“With the announcement last week by Secretary Connaughton, it is clear that the County’s objectives have been achieved and the lawsuit can be terminated,” said Arlington County Board Chairman Christopher Zimmerman.

On February 3, the state proposed a new I-95 HOT lanes project that will undergo required environmental review, and will preserve I-395 as a transit and HOV corridor.  “Arlington County filed suit because we saw the potential for irreparable harm to residents of Arlington and others throughout Northern Virginia, and because the issuance of a ‘Categorical Exclusion’ by the Federal Highway Administration left us with no alternative but filing suit,” commented Zimmerman.

The new I-95 project effectively nullifies the Categorical Exclusion that was the basis for the County’s legal challenge. The Commonwealth has stated that it will conduct a thorough Environmental Assessment (EA) of impacts to the environment, public health, and transportation, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Such an assessment will provide to the I-95 project the level of analysis that Arlington sought for the I-95/395 project, and will allow for greater opportunities for public participation.

In addition, the specific aspects of the initially proposed project that would have adversely impacted transportation in Arlington directly – notably in the Pentagon-Pentagon City-Crystal City area, and at Shirlington – have been eliminated from the new project.

Critical transportation corridor

Arlington continues to work with our regional counterparts to improve transportation options throughout region.  Mobility in Northern Virginia is vitally dependent on the existing HOV lanes, which currently moves far more people per lane-hour than any other roadway in the region.  It is important that the new I-95 HOT lanes project be carefully designed to ensure that there is no degradation of transit capacity in the corridor.

“We applaud the Commonwealth for agreeing to do an Environmental Assessment on the new project, said Chairman Zimmerman  “It is crucial that the impacts of the implementation details of this new I-95 project be carefully evaluated and appropriately mitigated before turning the facility over to a private company for decades. ”

Local Officials Celebrate HOT Lanes Decision

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County officials and local lawmakers are celebrating VDOT’s decision to scrap its plan to build High Occupancy Toll lanes on the Arlington and Alexandria portion of I-395.

Here’s the county’s official press release:

ARLINGTON, Va. – Arlington County Board Chairman Christopher Zimmerman today welcomed VDOT”s announcement that it is pursuing a new, more limited High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes project on I-95 that will undergo an in-depth environmental analysis.

“The state is now doing, for this new project, what Arlington asked it to do for the I-95/395 project,” said Arlington County Board Chairman Christopher Zimmerman. “The County’s goals have always been to protect transit and High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) travel in the corridor and to preserve Arlington neighborhoods.”

VDOT’s new project appears to preserve I-395 as an HOV/transit corridor. Questions remain, however, about the impacts of this new project on transit and HOV south of the Beltway. The County trusts that the environmental assessment to which VDOT is now committed to performing will address those concerns.

Arlington is also pleased to see that the state is addressing transportation problems at the Mark Center in Alexandria and the Engineering Proving Grounds in Fairfax County arising from BRAC decisions. These issues were not addressed in VDOT’s original HOT Lanes project. Arlington welcomes the opportunity to examine the HOV/transit connection to the Mark Center that VDOT now says it will construct in addition to the redesigned HOT Lanes project.

Arlington is still reviewing VDOT’s new project and assessing its impact on Arlington’s litigation against the state and federal governments. A key question for Arlington is the status of the Categorical Exclusion granted by the federal government for the original project. In light of VDOT’s decision to proceed with an Environmental Assessment of the new project, it would appear to be appropriate for the Categorical Exclusion to be rescinded by the federal government, or withdrawn by VDOT. Resolution of this issue remains a key factor in Arlington’s decision-making on the litigation.

Arlington remains committed to doing what it has always done – working to protect transit, ensure the ability to efficiently move people and safeguard Arlington neighborhoods. Arlington will continue to work together with neighboring jurisdictions and the state to address the urgent transportation needs of Northern Virginia.

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County Emerges Victorious As State Gives Up HOT Lanes Plan

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:35 a.m.) Arlington County has emerged victorious from its $1.5 million legal battle with the state over the plan to build High Occupancy Toll lanes on I-395.

Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton announced today that the state is no longer pursuing its I-395 HOT lanes plan, which the county blocked by filing suit in 2009. VDOT is also canceling plans to upgrade the Shirlington and Eads Street interchanges.

Just hours before the project’s demise was first revealed by the Washington Post, County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman sent a five-page letter to two top Virginia lawmakers further explaining Arlington’s effort to block the HOT lanes project.

Zimmerman questioned the wisdom of handing the state’s existing HOV lanes over to a foreign company for decades while getting what he described as relatively little in return. Zimmerman argued that the I-395 HOT lanes plan was poorly-designed, could exacerbate traffic congestion and could cause “great harm to the people that we and you represent in Northern Virginia.”

Addressing the lawsuit’s critics, Zimmerman wrote that “carrying on overheated diatribes through the news media is not conductive to conciliation.” He disputed the oft-repeated charge regarding the lawsuit’s insistence that minority populations would be adversely affected by HOT lanes, saying that “Arlington has never called anyone racist.”

Per the charge that Arlington was acting unscrupulously by suing two government officials in their personal capacity, Zimmerman noted that the officials “are of course provided legal representation through government general liability coverage.”

Even though Arlington’s HOT lanes fight is likely coming to a close, the lawsuit may continue to cost the county in the form of ill will in Richmond. As we previously reported, one Fairfax County lawmaker has effectively killed a bill that would renew Arlington’s hotel tax surcharge, which provides about $1 million per year for tourism promotion. Del. Tim Hugo (R) cited the costly HOT lanes suit as evidence that Arlington didn’t need the extra tax revenues.

VDOT Trucks Staging for Possible Freezing Rain Tonight

By ARLnow.com

After last Wednesday’s wintry weather caused a traffic disaster of truly epic proportions, VDOT is wasting no time warning drivers of the light freezing rain predicted tonight.

“Another bout of sleet and freezing rain is expected after 7 p.m., and the Virginia Department of Transportation urges motorists to be alert to changing road conditions in northern Virginia tonight,” VDOT said in a statement. “With rain, sleet, and freezing temperatures also forecasted for 4 a.m. tomorrow, drivers are asked to monitor forecasts carefully and postpone or limit travel during the morning rush.”

To help keep roadways clear, the agency has 1,600 trucks staging along Northern Virginia roadways.

By 3 p.m. today, about 1,600 trucks will begin staging along interstates and major roads throughout Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties for quick response.

Crews pre-treated trouble spots today on interstates 66, 95, 395, and 495—including bridges and ramps prone to freezing such as the Springfield interchange, I-66 at Route 29 and the Capital Beltway interchange at Route 1—with liquid magnesium chloride. Problem spots on other major roads, such as the Fairfax County Parkway and routes 1, 7, 28, 29, 50 and 123, were pre-treated with salt brine.

Although forecasters say tonight’s freezing rain should be light, they also caution that some slick spots could develop, particularly in the early morning hours. A separate threat of wintry weather on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning is expected to produce mostly rain in Arlington and the District, according to the Capital Weather Gang.

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