UPDATED: Glebe Road Reopens Near Chain Bridge
Update at 6:10 p.m. — Glebe Road has reopened, according to scanner traffic.
Update at 4:05 p.m. — Crews are hoping to have Glebe Road clear and reopened by 6:00 p.m., we’re told.
Glebe Road is completely blocked in north Arlington near Chain Bridge due to a large downed tree.
According to initial reports, traffic is being diverted on to Old Glebe Road and Chain Bridge Road.
No word yet on whether the road is expected to be back open in time for the evening rush hour.
TRAFFIC ALERT — Glebe Road Closed at Chain Bridge
Glebe Road is being shut down in both directions between Chain Bridge Road and Military Road due to a downed tree.
County crews are en route to remove the tree, which is said to be down across the entire road.
Drivers should expect significant traffic impacts.
County to Dedicate Historic Marker Near Chain Bridge
(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Arlington County and the American Foreign Service Association will dedicate a historic marker on the Virginia side of Chain Bridge on Tuesday.
The marker will commemorate the spot where, in 1814, a State Department clerk first hid the Declaration of Independence and some of the young country’s most precious documents ahead of the British attack on Washington, D.C.
From Arlington County:
Arlington County Board Member Jay Fisette and an American Foreign Service Association representative will join residents and history buffs on Tuesday, November 15, to dedicate a historic marker on the Virginia side of Chain Bridge. The dedication highlights Arlington’s early history as the bicentennial of the War of 1812 approaches.
The marker notes that it was to this spot that a State Department Clerk, Stephen Pleasonton, carried the Declaration of Independence and other iconic American documents that he had packed into a wagon on August 23,
18121814 as the British marched on Washington. Pleasonton initially hid the documents in an abandoned grist mill at the site. On August 24,18121814, the British burned parts of the District, including the White House and Capitol.
The dedication will take place at 11:00 a.m. The location is described as the “trailhead for Pimmit Run trail under the GW Parkway Bridge, where it crosses over Glebe Rd. at Chain Bridge Rd.”
“Very limited” parking is available.
Morning Notes
September Sunset — As warm temperatures gave way to fall-like temperatures yesterday, mother nature compensated by providing the D.C. area with an exceptionally beautiful sunset.
Gunfire on the GW Parkway — An SUV was struck by a bullet while driving on the GW Parkway near the Chain Bridge early Thursday morning. [NBC Washington]
Chain Bridge Closure — The Chain Bridge will be closed to all traffic and pedestrians this weekend, from 8:00 p.m. on Friday to 5:00 a.m. on Monday. The closure is one of a series of weekend closures planned through the end of the year. [DDOT]
Pike Outdoor Movie on Saturday — It was supposed to have taken place on Aug. 27, but thanks to Hurricane Irene the outdoor screening of The Blind Side at Penrose Square (Columbia Pike and S. Barton Street) is now being held on Saturday night. The free family-friendly flick will get underway around 8:00 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring friends, a blanket or lawn chair, and (unofficially) a jacket — since the temperature could get down to the low-to-mid 50s on Saturday night. [Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization]
Vintage Crystal Wine and Jazz Fest on Sunday — Crystal City will be holding its annual Vintage Crystal wine and jazz festival from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Latin-themed event will feature tastings of 30 wines and food from more than 20 local restaurants. Latin jazz group Trio Caliente and Latin dancers will perform. Tickets are $10 for food only or $20 for wine and food. [Crystal City BID]
Disclosure: Crystal City BID and CPRO are both ARLnow.com advertisers.
Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA
Historical Marker Installed Outside ‘Deep Throat’ Garage
It’s not the most conspicuous sign in the world, but there’s now a permanent historical marker next to the Rosslyn garage in which Mark “Deep Throat” Felt met up with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward to discuss the Watergate scandal.
The text of the marker describes how the nondescript garage at N. Nash Street and Wilson Boulevard helped unravel the political scandal that ultimately resulted in the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
“Mark Felt, second in command at the FBI, met Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward here in this parking garage to discuss the Watergate scandal. Felt provided Woodward information that exposed the Nixon administration’s obstruction of the FBI’s Watergate investigation. He chose the garage as an anonymous secure location. They met at this garage six times between October 1972 and November 1973. The Watergate scandal resulted in President Nixon’s resignation in 1974. Woodward’s managing editor, Howard Simons, gave Felt the code name “Deep Throat.” Woodward’s promise not to reveal his source was kept until Felt announced his role as Deep Throat in 2005.”
Don’t be fooled by the words “erected in 2008″ on the marker; it was actually installed by Arlington County on Friday, after a three year delay.
Within the garage itself, another sign marks the exact spot where Felt and Woodward would meet. The garage owner has marked parked spot 32D, located in a dark corner of the garage, as the two men’s once-secret meeting place.
In addition to the Watergate marker, the county recently erected two other historical plaques.
Chain Bridge Closures Planned
Chain Bridge will close for repairs on three different weekends over the next month.
The bridge will close on 8:00 p.m. on Friday and will reopen at 5:00 a.m. on Monday, starting this weekend, according to DDOT.
The three weekends when closures are planned are Aug. 19-21, Sept. 9-11 and Sept. 16-18.
Chain Bridge Road to Close Today
Update at 1:00 p.m. – Chain Bridge Road has reopened.
Update at 10:30 a.m. –VDOT has issued a correction, saying that the 400 block of Chain Bridge Road, not the bridge itself, will be closed.
Chain Bridge The 400 block of Chain Bridge Road will be closed for part of the day today.
Tree work will force the bridge road to close from about 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., DDOT said on its Twitter account this morning. A VDOT official confirmed the closure.
“Our crews need to remove a tree that is in danger of falling into the roadway,” said VDOT spokeswoman Joan Morris. “The closure is from 9:30 a.m. till 2:30 p.m. We hope to reopen the road sooner than that if the removal goes well.”
The work brings back memories of last year’s bridge rehabilitation project, which forced the closure of the bridge on several occasions.
Morris says signs warning about today’s closure have been up for five days. A detour is posted, she said.
Chain Bridge Road Shut Down
Chain Bridge Road is expected to remain shut down for the next half an hour as firefighters work to rescue a man trapped in a van that knocked over a utility pole.
Initial reports suggest the driver of a delivery van knocked over a utility pole while backing out of a driveway on the 100 block of Chain Bridge Road, just north of Chain Bridge. Live power lines fell on the van, trapping the driver inside.
Firefighters are now working to free the man.
Police have shut down the road between North Glebe Road and the Fairfax County line. The road should open up shortly after the rescue is completed.
Update at 1:30 p.m. — The rescue is complete and power has been shut off to the power lines. A lane closure may remain as Dominion installs a new utility pole.
Man Hurt on Cliff Near Chain Bridge
A man reportedly fell and injured himself on one of the rocky cliffs overlooking the Potomac near Chain Bridge this afternoon. The Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter and an Arlington County technical rescue squad were dispatched to the scene to help rescue the man after it was reported that he was trapped.
Paramedics are now walking the man to safety.
Due to the emergency response, police are directing traffic on Glebe Road just before Chain Bridge. Expect delays in the area for the next few minutes.
A belated hat tip to J.A.
Chain Bridge to Close for the Weekend
Chain Bridge will be closed from 8:00 tonight to 5:00 Monday morning, Arlington County said today.
“There will be no access to the bridge from either the District of Columbia or Arlington, including access for cyclists and pedestrians,” the county advises.
Crews will be performing structural work under the bridge deck.
The bridge will also be closed on the weekends of October 1, 8 and 15.
Morning Notes
Three-Year-Old Boy Drowns Near Chain Bridge — The Arlington County Fire Department pulled the lifeless body of a 3-year-old boy from the Potomac River yesterday afternoon. He was pronounced dead at Virginia Hospital Center. The boy had been picnicking with his family near Chain Bridge when he somehow ended up in the water. More from TBD/ABC 7.
Alaska Plane Crash Survivor from Arlington Back in Va. — Friends and family were on hand at Dulles Airport to welcome Arlington resident Jim Morhard back to Virginia. The 54-year-old lobbyist is still recovering from injuries he sustained in the plane crash that killed former Alaska senator Ted Stevens. More from WUSA 9.
Students Will Have Option to Transfer from Certain Elementary Schools — After their neighborhood elementary schools failed to meet federal No Child Left Behind standards for two years in a row, parents will have the option of sending their kids to nearby schools with a better track record. More from the Sun Gazette.
Weekend Work Uncompleted, Chain Bridge Lane Closure Remains
Update on 5/25: All lanes will be reopened tonight, according to WTOP’s Adam Tuss.
There will only be one traffic lane open in each direction on Chain Bridge to start the week. Rainy weekend weather prevented crews from painting lane dividers on the newly-repaved bridge deck.
Once the painting is completed by midweek, a third lane will be open to drivers.
This weekend’s complete closure of Chain Bridge was the last of the year-long bridge rehabilitation project.
Afternoon Notes: Chain Bridge Closure
Last Chain Bridge Closure – Starting around 9:00 tonight Chain Bridge will once again close completely to traffic and pedestrians. Crews will be working to repave the bridge deck, the Washington Post reports. The bridge is expected to reopen on Monday morning. This should be the last full closure of the bridge, which has been undergoing a year-long rehabilitation process.
Berry Officially Joins Young Guns List — GOP congressional candidate Matthew Berry has been officially listed as “On the Radar” on the National Republican Congressional Campaign’s “Young Guns” website. The list recognizes congressional contenders who have achieved certain fundraising goals.
Murray Objects to Straw Poll — Patrick Murray, Berry’s competitor for the eighth district GOP nomination, sent a strongly-worded email to supporters calling a straw poll that will be conducted at Saturday’s district Republican convention “illegitimate.” Murray says charging $20 for votes and not limiting the number of votes conflicts “with many principles for which our Republican Party stands.” Murray’s campaign also objects to the possibility of illegal aliens voting in the straw poll, since identification won’t be required.
Slapsticon Returns to Rosslyn Spectrum — The Slapsticon vintage comedy film festival is returning to Rosslyn this summer. The Spectrum Theater will host the festival from July 15-18. Read more here.
Flickr Pool photo by tadnkat
Chain Bridge Closed This Weekend
Chain Bridge will be completely closed to traffic and pedestrians this weekend due to the ongoing bridge reconstruction project.
The bridge will be closed from 9:00 Friday night to 5:00 Monday morning.
Chain Bridge Closed This Weekend
Just a reminder: as we reported on Tuesday, Chain Bridge will be completely closed to traffic and pedestrians this weekend.
With sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70s, it looks like the repair work, which has been delayed three times due to weather, will finally go on as scheduled.
The bad news: when combined with Saturday’s National Marathon and anti-war protests, it’s a recipe for major traffic headaches, especially if you’re trying to drive from Arlington into the District.
Also of note, a planned lane closure on westbound Route 50, which has been delayed nearly a month, will be happening “soon,” according to (of all sources) a road sign. Route 50 does not show up, however, in a list of VDOT’s planned closures for this weekend.
