Overturned Vehicle Shuts Down NB I-395
Update at 11:20 a.m. — One lane of NB I-395 has reopened.
Update at 11:05 a.m. — All traffic is being diverted onto King Street and being re-routed back onto I-395 past the accident scene. Expect major backups.
As of 10:30 a.m., northbound I-395 was shut down at King Street due to an accident involving an overturned vehicle.
Arlington firefighters on the scene report three injuries, including two with head injuries. All of the injured people were responsive, firefighters said.
Part of Mt. Vernon Trail Closed Due to Flooding
Part of the Mt. Vernon Trail is closed between Roosevelt Island and the Humpback Bridge due to flooding.
The Potomac River is now covering a low-lying section of the trail. This afternoon ducks and debris could be seen floating where humans can usually be seen exercising.
The National Park Service has placed “trail closed” signs on either side of the flooded portion, but joggers and bicyclists are simply diverting to a narrow dirt path that runs dangerously close to the northbound GW Parkway, which has been the scene of two serious accidents in the past week.
Flooding along the banks of the Potomac has also forced evacuations in Georgetown and the rescue of a group of Boy Scouts near White’s Ferry. A tipster tells us the rescued Boy Scouts are from Arlington, but so far we’ve been unable to confirm that.
More photos after the jump.
Falling Tree Crushes Car, Closes Road in Arlington Village
(Updated at 2:55 p.m.) Windy, rainy weather helped bring a large tree down across S. Barton Street in Arlington Village today.
The tree crushed an unoccupied parked car, blocked S. Barton Street and damaged another tree. A tree crew is on scene removing the debris.
A closer-up look at the damage, after the jump.
MLK Day Celebrations, Closures
Arlington County is gearing up for its tributes to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Arlington is holding its 42nd annual tribute to Dr. King at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center auditorium (3501 Second St. S.). The event will feature keynote speaker Rev. Walter Fauntroy, a local civil rights leader who worked with Dr. King, as well as performance by the World Children’s Choir and the Washington-Lee High School Jazz Band.
ABC 7 reporter Horace Holmes will emcee the event, which is taking place from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 16.
On Monday, Arlington’s AmeriCorps team will hold a Martin Luther King Day of Service. From 10:00 a.m. to noon, volunteers will meet at the Arlington Mill Community Center (4975 Columbia Pike) then go forth to help clean up a section of the Pike and the nearby Four Mile Run stream. Anyone interested in participating is asked to register by emailing volunteer[at]arlingtonenvironment.org.
There will also be a “Save a Tree on MLK Day” event from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Gulf Branch Nature Center (3608 Military Road). Volunteers will help save trees by pulling invasive species from the ground. Call 703-228-3403 for more information.
Arlington government offices, schools and libraries will be closed on Monday. The Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center will be open, but every other community center will be closed. Parking won’t be enforced, but trash will be collected.
Metro and ART will be running on a holiday schedule, but Blue and Orange Line work will make commuting into the District tricky.
County Government Holiday Closures
With the exception of limited ART bus service, virtually every county government office you can think of will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day, both of which fall on a Saturday this year.
Likewise, while trash collection and some bus service will be operational on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, but just about everything else county-related — including libraries, courts and schools — will be closed.
The good news: parking meters will not be enforced on Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1. Happy holidays, indeed.
See the full closure list here.
More Nightly Custis Trail Closures
Last week’s nightly closures of the Custis Trail under I-66 have been extended through Wednesday. Construction is still taking place on a framework, intended to protect bicyclists from work related to the I-66 widening project.
The closures will take place between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Any trail traffic during that time will be detoured. The detoured route will be marked and will take cyclists and joggers farther east to a pedestrian overpass.
The closures are expected to wrap up Wednesday night.
Nightly Closures of Custis Trail This Week
Late night joggers and cyclists beware. From Arlington County spokesperson Susan Kalish:
“[The] Custis Trail under I-66 (between Westover and Bon Air Parks) will be closed from 9pm to 5am from Monday, August 23 to Thursday, August 26 so that a protective framework can be installed to protect users during the upcoming widening of the vehicular bridge.”
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: Fake FBI Agent Pleads Guilty
Fake FBI Agent Pleads Guilty — Brenna Marie Reilly, 29, was arrested in Arlington in March and accused of impersonating an FBI agent. Prosecutors say that as part of the elaborate ruse, Reilly went so as to hire an unwitting neighbor as an assistant. Reilly pleaded guilty in federal court today. She faces up to three years in prison.
Arlington Releases Memorial Day Closure List — Unsurprisingly, just about everything county-related will be closed. However, trash collection will continue as normal and the Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center will be open for part of the day.
Write-Up for China Garden Dim Sum — If you haven’t had dim sum at Rosslyn’s China Garden restaurant, it’s worth it just for the experience, if not the food, according to I Spy Things DC. China Garden is located inside the ABC7 building at Wilson Blvd and North Lynn Street.
Arlington Schools Closed Rest of the Week
Update at 7:25 PM – The federal government is closed Thursday.
Update at 6:45 PM – Arlington County government offices, courts, libraries, and recreation facilities will also be closed Thursday. No word on Friday, yet.
Arlington County schools will be closed for the rest of the week. Students will resume classes on Tuesday, the school system announced this afternoon.
Part of today’s email to parents from superintendent Patrick K. Murphy, after the jump.
Summary of Today’s Closures
Here’s a summary of some of today’s closures:
- County government, schools libraries and courts are closed
- Pentagon City mall is closed (Ballston Common Mall is open)
- The Arlington YMCA is closed
- No flights are leaving from or arriving at Reagan National Airport
- The Clarendon Whole Foods has closed (other grocery stores we talked to are still open)
- Arlington Free Clinic is closed
- Marymount University closed
- The Art Institute of Washington, Arlington campus, is closed
- Metrorail aboveground service, Metrobus service, and ART service is suspended
Weekend Rosslyn Metro Closure, Emergency Drill Postponed
In a stark reversal of a recent trend, the snow has caused something that was supposed to be closed to instead remain open.
The Rosslyn and Arlington Cemetery Metro stations were supposed to be closed all weekend due to track work and an emergency exercise. Instead, the exercise and the maintenance have been postponed indefinitely, and both stations will be open throughout President’s Day Weekend.
The emergency exercise was to involve 150 Arlington police officers and firefighters. It would have simulated a terrorist bombing of a Metrorail train in the tunnel between the Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom Metro stations.
“Priority number one this week is to dig out from this record snowfall and resume operations on Metrobus, Metrorail and MetroAccess,” said Dave Kubicek, Metro’s Acting Deputy General Manager of Operations, in a press release. “With additional snow in the forecast… we must focus all of our efforts on safe operations and continuing to help get people where they need to go.”
Arlington Schools Closed Again Wednesday
Arlington County schools are closed again on Wednesday. “Extracurricular activities, interscholastic contests, team practices, field trips, adult and community education classes, and recreation programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled,” according to the Arlington Public Schools web site. Pools and school offices will also be closed. Here’s part of an email sent to parents by superintendent Patrick K. Murphy:
Dear Parents:
By now, I am sure that every parent in Arlington is wishing this winter weather cycle would end so we could just get our kids back in the classroom learning. All of us at APS join you in those thoughts – teaching children is much more rewarding than shoveling snow!
Despite all of those wishes and the amazingly dedicated work of our APS and County crews, the weather continues to impede our efforts. Although we have announced that we will be closed tomorrow, for now no decisions have been made about the remainder of the week. Until we see the actual impact of the approaching storm, we can’t make a decision about school operations for Thursday and Friday, but we need to be prepared for the possibility of an extended disruption of school.
Arlington Schools, Government Closed Tuesday
Update at 8:05 PM – Arlington County government is closed tomorrow.
Update at 7:30 PM – The federal government is also closed tomorrow.
Arlington County schools are closed tomorrow. The school system sent this letter to parents, saying road conditions make it too dangerous for children to get to school.
Another Snow Day For Arlington Students
Arlington County schools are closed Monday. The Arlington County government, including libraries and recreation centers, is also closed on Monday. Fines won’t be assessed for overdue books.
Thomas Jefferson Community Center, meanwhile, is open for use as a warming center.
