The $39 million Route 50/Courthouse Road/10th Street interchange project is apparently running behind schedule.

The project was originally slated for completion this fall but, in a new county-produced video, Greg Emanuel, Director of Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services, says the project is now slated to be complete by the summer of 2014.

The VDOT website now lists “mid-2014″ as the completion date, though a recently-updated Arlington County project page still lists “fall 2013.”

“It’s a multi-phased project,” Emanuel said in the video (above.) “It takes some time, because while it’s going on we need to maintain traffic.”

Arlington is contributing $1 million to the $39 million cost of the VDOT-led project. Construction started in April 2011. Recent work includes a realignment of the ramp from Courthouse Road to westbound Route 50, and the January demolition of the bridge from eastbound Route 50 to Courthouse Road.

The Courthouse Road bridge, and the 10th Street bridge that was torn down last year, were both originally built in 1954. No word yet on when they’ll be rebuilt, given the change in the project timeline.

Emanuel says the project will make the interchange safer and will help traffic flow more smoothly.

“Right now traffic is kind of complicated at these intersections,” he said. “This is going to provide new acceleration and deceleration lanes, and make it much safer for the traveling public that’s coming on and off these intersections.”

So far representatives from VDOT and DES have not responded to a request for comment.

The only problem is, the flyer advertised the E-CARE event that happened this past October. A spokeswoman for the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services says the mix-up happened due to a printing error made by a county vendor. The flyer was supposed to advertise the spring E-CARE event that’s happening on April 20.

“The correct flyers are now being printed and will be sent out at no cost to the County,” spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel told ARLnow.com. “The flyers will be accompanied by a note explaining the error.”

E-CARE allows residents to safely dispose of electronics and hazardous household items. The next event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, at Thomas Jefferson Middle School (125 S. Old Glebe Rd).

Photo courtesy @poiuytr

Arlington County says it’s proceeding with a “full mobilization” of its snow-removal crews.

From Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel:

Arlington County’s Department of Environmental Services is preparing today for a full mobilization to deal with the forecasted “[Winter] Storm Saturn.” The County will operate 46 of its trucks, and will secure six contract trucks or more as needed.

Staff are now hooking up equipment to the trucks in preparation for the storm, including plows, spreaders and chains. Starting at midnight, crews will begin working in 12-hour shifts (in compliance with safe practice standards) to treat and clear the streets. These shifts will continue through the storm and and extend into Thursday and Friday if necessary.

There are no current plans to haul or melt snow given the current forecast. This is subject to change depending on the storm.

Residents are encouraged to use the County’s online form to “Report a Snow Issue” 24 hours after the snow has stopped falling.

Stayed tuned to Facebook, Twitter, and Snow and Ice Central for updates about snow removal operations.

Earlier this year the county released a video about Arlington’s snow removal process and ordinances governing snow removal requirements for property owners.

Since Nov. 1, Arlington County crews have filled 1,007 potholes on county-maintained roads, according to Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel. Compare that to the 2,184 potholes filled between the start of November and the end of February last year.

McDaniel attributed the big drop in potholes to the mild winter we’ve experienced so far.

Still, a report that came out last summer suggests that Arlington has plenty of room for improvement when it comes to street maintenance. On a scale of 0 to 100, the average Pavement Condition Index for Arlington’s roads was 68.9, down from a PCI in the low 80s about 10 years ago.

In general, how would you grade Arlington’s roads at the moment?

Repairs to a large 30-inch water main will continue into the weekend, causing continued low water pressure in a number of Arlington neighborhoods.

A leak was discovered in a 30-inch water main near the intersection of Arlington Boulevard and N. Irving Street last Wednesday. The leak necessitated the replacement of a portion of the water main.

Installation of the last section of pipe started this afternoon. According to Arlington County Dept. of Environmental Services (DES) spokeswoman Jennifer Heilman, the repairs are expected to wrap up this weekend, “barring unforeseen circumstances.”

While the 30-inch main remains out of service, residents of Alcova Heights, Arlington Heights, Barcroft, Buckingham, Douglas Park, Lyon Park, Penrose and other neighborhoods may experience low water pressure during peak use hours.

“County crews are systematically working to adjust valves to reduce the area of low pressure impact while repairs are underway,” DES said in an email. “The potential will continue for customers to experience low water pressure during the morning (6-9 a.m.) and evening (5-9 p.m.) peak hours until the repairs are complete.”

“We ask our customers to help reduce peak demand by minimizing water usage when possible (Example: running dishwashers and washing machines during off-peak hours and only when full, and showering at different times),” DES said.

While repairs on the main continue, the cold temperatures are causing more problems for Arlington’s water infrastructure.

Just this morning, DES crews responded to reported water main leaks at 26th Street S. and S. Clark Street in Crystal City, and at S. Orme Street and Columbia Pike, near the Sheraton National Hotel.

“With extremely low temperatures forecast this week, we may see additional leaks further reducing pressure in the system,” DES said. “If you see a leak, or have other water concerns, contact the Water Emergency hotline at 703-228-6555.”

Photos via Arlington County Dept. of Environmental Services

Residents in Lyon Park, Buckingham, Douglas Park, Arlington Heights, Alcova Heights, Arlington Ridge and portions of Crystal City may be affected, along with portions of surrounding neighborhoods. According to the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services (DES), the worst pressure issues will likely be during peak times in the morning from 6:00-9:00 a.m., and in the evening from 5:00-9:00 p.m.

The county is asking residents to help reduce the pressure problems by minimizing water use at peak times. For example, run dishwashers and washing machines during off-peak hours or take a shower at a different time.

The affected water main is more than 60 years old and will remain out of service while the county brings in an expert who specializes in prestressed concrete cylinder pipes. County staff will also need to order or borrow the parts necessary for the repair. It’s unclear exactly how long the repair will take, but it could be up to a week.

Yesterday, low temperatures and the repair work prompted several leaks in neighborhoods near the water main, further reducing pressure in the system. Residents who see a leak or have other water concerns can contact the Water Emergency hotline at 703-228-6555.

“We appreciate the patience of Arlington residents as we continue to work through this challenging repair,” said DES Communications Specialist Myllisa Kennedy.

“A leak was discovered at midnight on a 30-inch main at a location just north of the intersection of Arlington Blvd and Irving,” Arlington County Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel told ARLnow.com. “County crews worked during the night to repair the leak. During the isolation process of the repair, an area of the main was impacted resulting in low water pressure.”

“Pressure should be restored to normal levels now,” McDaniel said. “There will be additional repair work on the main this week (along Irving), however it should not impact pressure for customers.”

Water pressure problems were reported in neighborhoods like Buckingham, Arlington Forest, Nauck and Fairlington.

File photo

The county is advising people and pets to avoid contact with the stream, a tributary of Four Mile Run, until further notice. From an Arlington Alert:

The Arlington County Department of Environmental Services reports the possible release of sewage from a private building into the storm drains system. They are advising that humans and pets avoid contact with the water in Doctors Branch from Alcova Heights Park located at South 8th st. and George Mason Drive to Four Mile Run at Barcroft Park for several days to allow flushing of the stream.

The event on Saturday attracted 1,239 residents who dropped off 41.5 tons of hazardous household materials and 11.5 tons of electronics for recycling.

The next E-CARE event will be held next spring. This past spring, E-CARE collected 35.5 tons of hazardous household materials and some 20 tons of electronics.

E-CARE is held biannually at Thomas Jefferson Middle School (125 S. Old Glebe Road).

It’s thought that the foam was caused by some sort of soap or detergent. Firefighters tested the foam using a chemical strip and determined that it was not hazardous, according to DES Office of Sustainability and Environmental Management Bureau Chief Jeff Harn. DES is now trying to figure out where the foam came from.

“County staff continue to investigate the issue and are trying to determine the source of the foam,” Harn told ARLnow.com. “However, the discharge that caused the foam is no longer occurring and no source has yet been identified.”

Courtesy photo