A cold and snowy winter has produced large numbers of potholes in Arlington, though perhaps not as many as some might expect.
About 190 pothole fill requests have been filed in Arlington since Feb. 1, Peter Golkin, a spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Services, told ARLnow. About 50 were pending as of Wednesday.
A planned redevelopment project at the Arlington YMCA appears to have stalled, leaving some patrons concerned about maintenance issues with no sign of getting fixed.
The most recent site plans for the Virginia Square facility — calling for an 88,000-square-foot recreation center alongside a seven-story, 374-unit apartment building — were filed in August 2022.
Arlington drivers may be experiencing some bumpier-than-usual commutes as the county continues to fix potholes formed during a cold and snowy winter.
Between Nov. 1 and March 1, the county’s Water, Sewer and Streets team recorded 499 potholes — the highest number since the winter of 2022, county spokesperson Kiara Candelaria Nieves told ARLnow.
March: when it can be nearly 80 degrees one day and under 40 degrees the next. And in Arlington, the month marks the start of pothole filling and street repaving season.
There are 1,059 lane miles of roadway in Arlington County, and every March, the Arlington Department of Environmental Services launches its effort to fill in potholes caused by winter freezes and repave about 7-8% of roads.
APS Test-to-Stay Date Set — “Arlington County Public Schools, in Virginia, is planning to launch its test-to-stay program Feb. 14, a school spokesman said. The coronavirus testing will initially be offered to students only, for free, at Syphax Education Center from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on school days.” [WTOP]
Police Probe Particularly Problematic Pothole — “Scanner: Police responding to intersection of Washington Blvd and N. Sycamore Street in East Falls Church for multiple reports of a large pothole damaging passing cars.” [Twitter]
Over the course of a typical winter, Arlington County crews fill thousands of potholes on local roads.
The winter of 2019-2020 is not typical, however. Crews have thus far only filled 455 potholes around the county’s 26 square miles, as the unusually mild winter has resulted and far less of the thawing and refreezing that’s responsible for pothole formation.
Extra Brush Pickups in Arlington — “Because of recent weather events, the County has added extra brush pickups this week. Schedule a collection online.” [Twitter]
Clement Endorses Stamos — “Arlington County Board candidate Audrey Clement won’t be on the ballot until November, but she has weighed in with a ringing endorsement of incumbent Theo Stamos in the June 11 Democratic primary for commonwealth’s attorney.” [InsideNova]
Memorial Bridge Potholes — Large potholes made for dangerous driving on the under-construction Memorial Bridge over the weekend, but crews started repairing the bridge’s pockmarked surface Tuesday. [Twitter, Twitter]
Poke Restaurant Coming to Ballston — Local restaurant Poke It Up is expanding with a second location. The restaurant, which first opened in the Pentagon City mall food court, is now planning to open this summer at 4401 N. Fairfax Drive in Ballston, next to a new soup shop, Zoup. [Eater]
ATS Parents Peeved About Overcrowding — Arlington Traditional School parents are protesting the addition of classes and relocatable classrooms to the already-overcrowded school. [Arlington Connection]
Alliterative Pothole Patching Update — Via Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “Punctilious, present pothole people have plugged 500-plus problems post-2017 but prefer a plethora for practice. Please provide. http://topics.arlingtonva.us/reportproblem or call 703-228-6570.” [Twitter]
(Updated at 10:30 a.m.) It is pothole season in Arlington and crews have been busy repairing road issues around the county.
One way the county knows which potholes to repair is via residents submitting pothole reports on the county’s website. Between Feb. 13-20, 66 potholes were reported online, according to a list on the site.
Arlington paved 89.4 lane miles of roadway in 2016, keeping up a pace that’s triple the rate seven years ago.
We’re in the midst of the pothole season — that bumpy time on local roads as the spring thaw starts and asphalt pockmarks form.
Arlington County says its crews have filled 2,440 potholes this season, a relatively low number compared to last year’s record-setting 12,100 potholes following a rough winter.
