I-66 is currently slow in both directions in the area of Glebe Road, near Ballston.
Traffic heading eastbound is facing delays due to some sort of road work that shut down one lane near Spout Run. That lane closure just cleared.
heavy traffic
It’s a slow go for commuters on Route 50 and Columbia Pike this morning. And it’s an even slower commute for those on I-395.
Nearly the entire length of northbound I-395 is slow, from the Beltway to the 14th Street Bridge. HOV commuters, however, have it relatively easy.
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Update at 4:15 p.m. — “All lanes are open on Route 50 near the 7 Corners and repairs have been completed,” according to City of Falls Church spokesperson Barbara Gordon. “Water pressure is back to normal for all residents and businesses in the area.”
A 12-inch water main burst under Route 50 this morning, snarling traffic and lowering water pressure in the area.
Commuters have wet, leaf-slicked roads to deal with this morning, but largely the drive on the highways isn’t much worse than on any other given weekday.
Traffic on I-66 is moving smoothly. I-395 is backed up, per usual, and is moving slowly approaching the 14th Street Bridge.
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Despite worries about long lines and delays, catching a flight at Reagan National Airport was a relative breeze this morning. Parking at the Clarendon Whole Foods, on the other hand, is a disaster zone.
The heavy volume of shoppers stocking up for Thanksgiving dinner is overwhelming the five (count ’em) neon-vested parking attendants who are currently working the lot.
That’s a 11 percent increase over least year and the highest number of area residents heading out for Thanksgiving since 2007.
“The Washington metro area has one of the strongest economies in the nation, and as evidence of this, we will likely see a double digit up-tick in the number of area residents traveling 50 miles or more from home for the holiday,” AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson John B. Townsend II said in a statement.
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(Updated at 12:55 p.m.) An office building on the 1500 block of Wilson Boulevard was evacuated around 12:15 this afternoon after smoke started pouring from a shaft in the building’s parking garage.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the small blaze by spraying water from a grate above the garage.
Drivers may want to avoid Glebe Road between I-395 and Route 1 today. Road crews are busy repaving sections of roadway, causing lane closures and delays in both directions.
The roadwork is expected to wrap up just before the evening rush hour.
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Traffic on southbound I-395 is being diverted onto southbound Route 1, just before the Pentagon, causing big backups. We’re told Pentagon police are investigating some sort of an incident that occurred last night.
Update at 9:20 a.m. — In the comments section, FREDTERP has what is very likely the subject of the investigation: an unconfirmed report of shots fired near the Pentagon early this morning. We’re still awaiting comment from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
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Heavy rain is making for a slow go this morning. Nearly the entire length of northbound I-395 is slow, and multiple accidents have been reported.
One accident, seen above, is blocking a left-hand lane on southbound I-395. Another accident, now cleared, caused a car to flip over in the westbound lanes of the Roosevelt Bridge, blocking traffic heading toward Virginia from DC.
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Emergency responders from Arlington and DC are on the scene. Only one lane is getting by.
There’s no word on injuries at this time.
More on Southwest at Reagan National — Southwest Airlines’ deal to acquire AirTran Airways will likely result in Southwest taking over AirTran’s slots at Reagan National Airport. But Greater Greater Washington’s Rob Pitingolo argues that the long-awaited arrival of Southwest at DCA — should the deal go through — won’t have much of effect on fare prices, as some might hope.
Arlington’s Highways Clogged During Evening Commute — Dr. Gridlock reports that the Arlington stretches of I-395 and I-66 were each backed up 3-4 miles during last night’s commute.