Chain Bridge Road is expected to remain shut down for the next half an hour as firefighters work to rescue a man trapped in a van that knocked over a utility pole.
Initial reports suggest the driver of a delivery van knocked over a utility pole while backing out of a driveway on the 100 block of Chain Bridge Road, just north of Chain Bridge. Live power lines fell on the van, trapping the driver inside.
The accident occurred around 3:30 p.m. The driver of the striking vehicle stayed on the scene, according to police spokesperson Det. Crystal Nosal.
Nosal said police are continuing to investigate the accident. As of 5:30 p.m., the westbound lanes of Four Mile Run Drive had reopened, but the eastbound lanes were still closed.
Just as we were receiving notification of a road closure between Fern Street and Grant Street on South 23rd Street near Crystal City, a tipster sent us the photo above with this description:
Good morning — There’s some sort of water problem on 23rd St South near Crystal City, between Fern and Grant, closer to Fern. Water is out on at least that block (I live there and a neighbor has told me hers is out as well). It looks like this utility truck has fallen through the street surface, a sinkhole or something. That could be the cause — either the water main was broken, or it was shut off to make repairs. Picture attached, though it’s not the best angle.
Update at 11:05 a.m. — We’re hearing that some traffic lights are coming back online in the area.
Update at 11:30 a.m. — Road closures are being lifted. Dominion spokesperson Le-Ha Anderson says power has been restored to most customers in Rosslyn.
According to scanner traffic, the ramp from westbound Route 50 to westbound Washington Boulevard has been shut down by police due to high water. Likewise, police are checking out a call for high water in the area of North Glebe Road and Chesterbrook Road.
Heavy rain invariably tends to cause problems with traffic lights in the county.
Dominion is holding a public meeting from 5:00 to 8:00 tonight to discuss a major project that will run a new underground transmission line from Pentagon City to Clarendon.
The meeting will be held at the Lyon Park Community Center (414 North Fillmore Street).
To help meet demand, Dominion is planning a major project to run a 3.7 mile underground transmission line from Pentagon City to the power substation at 3245 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon. The project also proposes to construct a new Radnor Heights power substation on the grounds of Ft. Myer.
The project “will support growth in Arlington County,” says Dominion spokesperson Le-Ha Anderson. But progress will come at a cost — burying the line will be an intensive 18 month process that will result in open-cut trenching and street closures along the proposed route.
A 54 mile per hour wind gust was recorded at Reagan National Airport during the storm, which covered area roadways with wet leaves and, in some cases, trees and utility lines. As of 3:10 a.m., 2,400 Dominion customers were without power in Arlington.
The most significant damage was reported in Arlington’s Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood, near Virginia Hospital Center. Downed trees and utility lines blocked numerous side streets, which were darkened by the power outage. County tree crews were out in the neighborhood with chainsaws and wood chippers at 2:30 this morning.
From Arlington Alert:
“Gas leak at commercial property Columbia Pike/Glebe Road.For your safety and to allow Wash Gas to mitigate leak,please avoid area.Glebe Rd shut down both directions from 8th Rd to Columbia Pike.Columbia Pike closed S Monroe St to S Highland St.”
Several lanes of North Glebe Road have been shut down at 14th Street, near the ramp to eastbound I-66, due to a gas leak.
The road is expected to reopen within three hours, we’re told.
The good news is that Metro will be opening at 5:00 a.m., two hours earlier than usual, to accommodate marathon runners and spectators (the race starts at 8:15 a.m.). Metro will be running additional Blue Line trains for much of the day, but the agency says riders should expect the system to be especially busy.
“Customers can expect crowded conditions, especially after the race as people will have to wait in long lines to get back into the rail stations,” Metro said in a statement.
A number of roads near the Pentagon will be closed for Sunday morning’s Army Ten Miler race. Here’s the news release from the Arlington County Police Department:
The Arlington County Police Department will close several streets near the Pentagon on Sunday, October 24, for the 26th Annual Army 10-Miler race. The race begins at 8 a.m. on Washington Boulevard, crosses the Potomac River into the District of Columbia, and ends in the Pentagon South Parking Lot.
