Washington Blvd

Vehicle Flips Over on Washington Blvd Near I-395

By ARLnow.com

(Update at 2:40 p.m.) A vehicle flipped on its side on westbound Washington Boulevard this afternoon.

The accident occurred just past noon between I-395 and Columbia Pike, near the scene of a wreck that happened last week. A red vehicle — a Ford minivan or SUV with D.C. tags — somehow flipped on its side on a downhill stretch of Washington Boulevard near the VDOT maintenance yard. Temporary jersey barriers were in place near where the accident took place, apparently for the Washington Blvd/Columbia Pike bridge project.

One occupant suffered a shoulder injury as a result of the single-vehicle accident, according to scanner traffic. A tractor trailer was stopped near the wreck, but had no apparent damage.

The stretch of Washington Boulevard was closed for about an hour but reopened around 1:15 p.m.

 

Wreck Involving Taxi on Washington Boulevard

By ARLnow.com

A D.C. taxicab somehow went up a steep embankment, ran into and partially went over a guardrail on Washington Boulevard this afternoon.

The accident happened around 1:00 p.m. on the section of Washington Boulevard between I-395 and Columbia Pike. Initial reports suggest the taxi was heading northbound from I-395 to Washington Boulevard when it ran up an embankment and into the guardrail along the southbound lanes of Washington Boulevard.

It’s unclear how the accident happened, although initial reports suggest another vehicle might have been involved in the accident; that vehicle suffered only minor damage.

The driver of the Ford Crown Victoria cab was extricated by firefighters and taken to a local hospital, according to scanner traffic. Traffic on Washington Boulevard was backed up as crews worked to remove the cab from the guardrail.

 

Power Outage in North Arlington

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:10 p.m.) More than 4,000 Dominion customers in North Arlington are currently without power.

The outage has been reported in the Westover and Bluemont neighborhoods, as well as in the area around Virginia Hospital Center. Traffic lights are out along parts of George Mason Drive and Washington Blvd, according to several Twitter users. The outage was first reported just before 12:30 p.m.

Dominion is telling customers the outage is the result of “a circuit breaker issue,” according to a tipster.

According to Dominion’s outage map, 4,070 customers have lost power in Arlington. The power is expected to be restored some time between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m.

Serious Motorcycle Accident on Washington Blvd

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police are investigating a serious accident involving a motorcycle on Washington Boulevard in Lyon Park.

The call for an accident involving a motorcycle and a vehicle near the intersection of Washington Blvd and Pershing Drive came in around 8:25 a.m. Washington Boulevard has been shut down for at least an hour while police took photos and investigated the accident. Those lane closures are expected to be lifted shortly.

No word yet on the condition of any of the victims.

Photo courtesy @jghazi

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Undocumented W-L Valedictorian “Still Kind of Scared” — This year’s Washington-Lee High School valedictorian, 17-year-old Nataly Montano, is one of the young people impacted by President Obama’s recent policy decision to pull back on the deportation of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. Montano, a 4.3 GPA student, says she is “still kind of scared sometimes because things could happen to get me deported.” [Sun Gazette]

New Washington Blvd Trail to Impact Trees — A new trail extension planned for Washington Boulevard between Columbia Pike and Route 50 will result in the removal of “about 350 trees.” The plan has, on some level, pitted bicycle advocates against tree huggers, according to a blog post. [Commuter Page Blog]

‘Tapping Party’ Tonight in Shirlington — Capital City Brewing Company in Shirlington Village is hosting a “tapping party” tonight (Tuesday) for one of its newest beers, a Rye IPA. “Medium to full bodied, the Rye IPA (6.5% ABV) is an American style IPA made with the addition of Rye malt that lends a spice to the flavor profile and then dry hopped with American style hops,” according to a press release. The event starts at 7:00 p.m. and will include a question and answer session with the brewmasters, a free appetizer buffet and a trivia contest. [Shirlington Village Blog Spot]

Flickr pool photo by Maryva2

Traffic Alert: Washington Blvd Closed for Bomb Investigation

By Katie Pyzyk

Updated at 12:25 p.m. — The item was found to be not hazardous, and the investigation is wrapping up. All lanes of Washington Blvd have been re-opened.

A bomb squad investigation has shut down part of Washington Blvd and is causing significant traffic backups.

Washington Blvd in the eastbound/southbound direction has been shut at S. 2nd St, near Route 50. While the investigation continues, there will be various closings in the area, including on S. 2nd St.

Drivers are advised to avoid the area altogether if possible.

The investigation involves a pipe wrapped in some sort of packaging found lying in the bushes.

Improvements Coming to Tricky Clarendon Intersection

By Katie Pyzyk

A widely disliked Clarendon intersection will be revamped in the next couple of years. The County has released preliminary plans for the area sometimes referred to as Clarendon Circle.

Based on a study of the intersection at Washington, Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards, the plan provides safety improvements for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. Eight other nearby intersections would also be affected by the changes in traffic flow.

The study offers numerous suggestions and sketches of possible redesigns. Some ideas included adding lanes to Washington Blvd, removing left turn lanes, adding bike lanes, adding curb extensions near Liberty Tavern and Sam’s Diner and moving traffic more toward the Silver Diner’s property.

The geometry of the intersection, which is often described as “awkward” and “confusing,” would be normalized by the revamp. The overall size of the intersection would decrease, and better traffic signals and signs would be installed.

County staff examined the study’s suggestions and narrowed down the ideas into one design proposal. Feedback is currently being accepted on the initial proposal via an online survey.

The first round of public forums addressing the improvements will be scheduled soon and will continue throughout the spring. A finalized plan and ground breaking is expected sometime in 2014, at the latest.

Accident Knocks Out Traffic Lights at Clarendon Intersection

By ARLnow.com

The traffic light sat the busy Clarendon intersection of Washington Boulevard, 10th Street and Fillmore Street is expected to remain dark throughout the morning rush hour following a car accident Thursday night.

Around 7:15 last night a car hopped the curb and took out the traffic signal control box near the Virginia ABC store. One minor injury was reported.

Arlington County crews have been working throughout the night to replace the traffic signal hardware, but the lights are not expected to come back on until after the morning rush hour. Police have set up cones in the intersection in order to keep traffic flowing in an orderly manner.

High Grass Makes Tricky Merge Even Trickier

By ARLnow.com

The tricky merge from eastbound Columbia Pike to northbound Washington Boulevard has been made even trickier recently due to high grass.

The merge, which lacks an acceleration lane to get up to the speed of fast-moving traffic on Washington Boulevard, has been the scene of numerous fender benders. While it was still hard for drivers to see oncoming traffic when the grass was mowed, cab drivers tell us that it’s now even harder.

Luckily, the entire interchange is slated for replacement by 2015.

Road Closures Planned for Charity 8K on Sunday

By ARLnow.com

Cool, sunny weather is expected Sunday morning for the Acumen Solutions Race for a Cause 8K.

The race will shut down a number of major Arlington streets — from Ballston to Clarendon to Columbia Pike — for much of the morning. Among the expected closures:

  • N. Quincy Street from Glebe Road to Wilson Boulevard (5:30 to 10:00 a.m.)
  • Eastbound Wilson Boulevard from Quincy Street to N. 10th Street (7:45 to 10:00 a.m.)
  • Eastbound N. 10th Street from Wilson Boulevard to N. 10th Street (7:45 to 10:00 a.m.)
  • Southbound Washington Boulevard from N. 10th Street to Columbia Pike

The Race for a Cause 8K, which also features a 1-mile Family Fun Run, benefits a number of local charities. Runners get to choose which charity they want to support with their registration: Greenbrier Learning Center (the only Arlington-based nonprofit benefiting from the race), the Boys and Girls Club, Build Metro DC, Education Pioneers, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, For Love of Children, Literary Council of Northern Virginia, Medical Care for Children Partnership Foundation, National Fatherhood Initiative or The Women’s Center.

Registration for the race is $30 online, $35 on race day.

The race will kick off at 8:00 a.m. Runners and walkers alike are encouraged to participate. The flat, out-and-back course starts and ends on N. Quincy Street in Ballston.

Photo via Facebook

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