Ribbon Cutting Scheduled for Glebe Road Bridge

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by ARLnow.com October 15, 2012 at 2:50 pm 4,189 37 Comments

A ribbon cutting ceremony has been scheduled to celebrate the completion of the new Glebe Road bridge over Route 50.

The event will be held Wednesday morning near Thomas Jefferson Middle School, just to the southeast side of the 100-foot-long bridge. Among those expected to ribbon cutting are County Board Chair Mary Hynes, state Sen. Barbara Favola, Del. Patrick Hope, and officials from VDOT, which oversaw the project.

The $6 million project replaced the once crumbling bridge with a wider, more structurally-sound span. Construction began last summer and is expected to wrap up today. The project resulted in frequent lane closures on Glebe Road which often backed up traffic in the area.

The new bridge features a northbound turn lane onto Route 50, a 17-foot shared use path and 11-foot sidewalk on either side of the span, decorative green wrought-iron fencing and new LED lighting.

Ashton Heights

Just mot sure if we, as North Arlington, should want there to be better means of transportation between North & South. This will make it easier for criminals to get to our neighborhoods.
- Scott
  
  That’s a troll comment bro!
Joe Hoya

It’s beautiful. Brings a tear to my eye.
internet tourettes

RE: Ashton Heights….

Thats funny I’d be more worried about the crime going the other way…
- DCBuff
  
  From the Metro stations?
  - HP2000
    
    More like from Ballston Mall down to 50 with Pershing being the epicenter.
- Ren
  
  Cool – about ~10 to go, but that’s 1 road construction project down!
  - Ren
    
    Oops, meant to outdent…
PT

They’ll probably pull this crap in the morning to back up my commute for 1 last day.
- Chris Slatt
  
  11am
  
  I think you’ll be ok.
WestoverNative

Ribbon cutting ceremony? How much does this cost? Is this really how the county board is spending our money (and their time)?

Oh wait, it’s election season. Spare no expense on the taxpayer’s dime!!!
- Thes
  
  We don’t pay the County Board to work full time, so this might very well be on their own time. And how much money do you think a ribbon costs? I bet they re-use the scissors.
  - nom de guerre
    
    You have got to be kidding about the scissors. Each board member has two pairs of the Giant Fiskars “Ribbon Cutting Model” imported from Finland each-one primary and one backup and they replace them every 6 months no matter what.
    - Paparazzi
      
      “Giant Fiskars “Ribbon Cutting Model” imported from Finland ”
      
      I think that they were hand carried back on Arlington One by Zimmy…..you can’t carry those things on “regular” flights ……
      - nom de guerre
        
        You would be able to get past security on a regular flight as this model of ceremonial scissors is made out of a new alloy blend consisting of titanium and unobtanium with carbon fiber handles which is undetectable by the security screeners. But I am sure you are correct that they were hand carried back by Zimmie on an unannounced flight of Arlington County ONE that was piloted by John Travolta-call name “Deep Tissue Massage.” These scissors are also allowed to be used for landscape pruning in County Board members yards, especially Jay Fisette, Zimmie and his sock puppet, Walter (Indoor Soccer Stadium) Tejada, hence the need to replace them every 6 months.
- speonjosh
  
  ^^ Looking for a reason to hate. ^^
HP2000

I do hope they fix the timing of the traffic lights NB between 2nd St S and the new interchange with 50. The lights seem to have been off the last several days leading to red light backups at 2nd St. while the light at 50 sat there green with no cars waiting to go.
CrystalMikey

I must admit, it looks a heck of a lot better than the “old” bridge.
Paparazzi

We will certainly be swarming this event with the star-power attendees !!
- CrystalMikey
  
  Jim Moran must be busy doing some other PR event that hour.
Pessimist

Followed by the first bicyclist struck, on Wednesday afternoon.
- DCBuff
  
  Let’s hope not. This bridge was the scene of a number of auto v. pedestrian accidents, some fatal, over the years.
b

kind of absurd… this project was a mess.
- speonjosh
  
  How?
  - b
    
    pretty sure it was completed behind schedule for one… but the traffic management in and around the project was a total mess and unsafe. remember at least once driving on rt. 50 at night only to come up on a flagger w/ out any lights stopping traffic as a construction vehicle, also without lights moved across. could have been really bad. additionally, no consideration or remedial actions were taken to address the ripple effects the increased congestion would cause in terms of lights and ‘blocking the box’ at nearby intersections… but i guess cut a ribbon if that’s the kind of thing this county celebrates.
JohnB

Why isn’t anyone complaining about how this government project was behind schedule and over budget like they all are? Oh, wait…
- DCBuff
  
  Save it for the Rte 27/ColPike bridge project. Or, the trolley folly. Or, the homeless shelter. Or, the Artisphere. Fire, reload.
  - South Awwlington
    
    Every time someone makes a lame joke about the so-called Trolley, trying to link it to aged transportation of yesterday (and a typical Republican attack ploy), we need to do a shot.
    
    Double shots if said comment comes from a N Arlington resident whose property wasn’t worth a piss before the Orange Line opened stations .5 mile from their home.
    - Mike
      
      shot, shot and shot
  - JohnB
    
    I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or shooting blanks.
- drax
  
  Because that never happens in the private sector.
  - JohnB
    
    I was trying to sarcastically make the point that this was on time and on budget to refute the hater’s claims that all government projects are delivered late and over budget and to point out that the haters never show up when things go right.
    - South Awwlington
      
      lol methinks that was a taste of “Sarcastic drax.”
craig

that north bound dedicated turning lane onto 50 is genius.
Mc

I had really hoped this would look nicer when finished, but I’m disappointed. Ok, chain link is gone, but ugly looking concrete dominates.
jackson

Definitely an improvement to have the left-turn lane onto 50 now (now the left lane backup will start at McDonald’s half a block up the street), but it’s slightly annoying to lose the bus turn-in/turn lane onto 50 on northbound side of Glebe. I’ll get used to it, but I miss it.
WFY

Nobody ever calls Glebe Road “Route 120” — not even mentioned in the post.

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