Columbia Pike is being shut down near the Navy Annex as Pentagon police investigate a suspicious package at a bus stop. The bus stop is located next to a Department of Defense-run parking lot.
Arlington police will be shutting down Columbia Pike from South Joyce Street to South Orme Street. The ramps from Washington Boulevard may also be shut down.
On Oct. 1, following final approval by the county board and the Commonwealth Transportation Board, Columbia Pike was officially transferred from state control to county control.
The transfer is intended to speed up redevelopment along the Pike, as the county no longer has to go through a bottleneck of VDOT approvals to complete its Columbia Pike projects.
Despite an Autobot mishap in the District earlier in the day, Transformers 3 production crews came to the Air Force Memorial last night (sans actors) to film a few scenes for the upcoming sequel.
A crowd of spectators armed with lawn chairs and cameras kept watch from across Columbia Pike. Reader Stephen McCay was there and sent us these photos. See more photos here.
The Michael Bay-directed sequel Transformers 3 has filed an application to film in Arlington on Monday, and we’re told the filming will likely take place at or near the Air Force Memorial.
Pete Lindquist, managing director of the Air Force Memorial, says that there are “a lot of moving parts,” but the current plan is for crews to start setting up in the morning and start filming at night.
What did those accomplishments have in common? They’re all along the Columbia Pike corridor.
APAH’s focus on the Pike reflects the county’s focus on preserving affordable housing and diversity along the Pike. With the area’s revitalization well-underway, the Pike’s 3,000 aging but affordable market rate apartments will inevitably be renovated, demolished or will simply get more expensive, forcing many lower-income families out.
Several months ago, La Cabana restaurant, on Walter Reed Drive next to the Arlington Drafthouse, boarded up its colorfully-decorated windows and locked the doors.
Since then, despite the increasing foot traffic in the area and the continuing revitalization of Columbia Pike, leasing agents have struggled to find any restaurants that want to move in and fix the place up.
It’s now surrounded by a small army of orange barrels, but this sinkhole on Columbia Pike at the intersection with South Wakefield Street claimed at least one car’s muffler this morning.
Heavy rains apparently caused the patched-up section of roadway to sink, while the older, existing road stayed at the same level. So it must have been quite the jolt when one driver we talked to hit it at full speed, causing his muffler to fly off.
The smart growth-oriented county board is thus stuck in a bit of a paradox. While it funds redevelopment and a new streetcar line, it’s also talking about spending to preserve affordable housing on the Pike.
The Pike certainly has its flaws — crime, lack of bike access, some undesirable land use — but it also has unique qualities that make it a great place to live — diversity, character-filled restaurants and shops, a strong sense of local identity.
In case you wanted to enjoy Saturday morning outside rather than spend it inside watching the first county board meeting following the summer break, here’s a summary of what happened.
The good news is that both thoroughfares will remain open during construction of the new Washington Boulevard bridge, a three-year process that’s expected to begin next fall. Plus, all original travel lanes on each will be open during rush hour and during certain special events and federal holidays.
The bad news is that during the day, during construction, the re-routing of Columbia Pike traffic around the bridge may get a bit funky and cause some delays. The contractor selected to undertake the project will ultimately be able to design their own traffic management scheme, but the plan initially envisioned by VDOT involves directing Columbia Pike traffic up the existing ramps to a makeshift stop light on Washington Boulevard, turning Washington Boulevard and Columbia Pike into a four-way intersection.
On construction-clogged Columbia Pike, it can be pretty annoying when one person holds up a line of traffic thanks to their infernal desire to make a turn. But you eventually realize that it’s not their fault traffic is down to one lane and there’s no turn lane in which to maneuver. So you wait.
Some jerk may blow their horn out of frustration. But it takes a special breed of really big jerk to get out of one’s vehicle, walk up to said turning driver, and show her — you know, just FYI — that you own a handgun.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board passed a resolution this afternoon that will allow the transfer of Columbia Pike to move forward.
The transfer of the Pike from state to county control could take place as soon as October 1, but first VDOT Commissioner Gregory A. Whirley must execute a “Memorandum of Agreement” with the county. After the county re-ratifies the agreement at its Sept. 25 board meeting, and once Whirley executes the agreement — no earlier than October 1 — the handover will take effect.
