road construction | ARLnow.com

County Approves Gunston Park, Old Dominion Drive Improvements

Published January 26, 2015 at 1:35PM

On Saturday, The Arlington County Board unanimously approved $7.3 million worth of contracts to construct sidewalks on both sides of the arterial road from 38th Street N. to west of N. Glebe Road. The improvements will also install as well as curbs and gutters, traffic and pedestrian signals and stormwater upgrades.

Of the contract, $2.34 million will be coming from the Virginia Department of Transportation, and the rest will be coming from local bond funding and money from the HB 2313 transportation funding law.

News

S. Eads Street Gets New Bike Lanes

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 4, 2014 at 3:40PM

New bike lanes and road configuration on S. Eads Street in Crystal City

New, protected bike lanes are now in place on S. Eads Street in Crystal City.

Crews were painting the new markings early this afternoon (Thursday) and there is no parking for stretches between 15th and 23rd Streets today or tomorrow. The road is now down to three lanes — two through lanes and a center left-turn lane — and there are bike lanes on each side of the road.

News

Residents Largely Approve of Wilson Blvd Lane Reduction

By Ethan Rothstein

Published November 21, 2014 at 11:10AM | Updated November 21, 2014 at 11:28AM

Residents look at Wilson Blvd's future configuration

Wilson Boulevard west of George Mason Drive will go from a four-lane road to two through lanes with a center turn lane this spring, and it’s a plan many residents who live nearby are happy with.

The plan will result in increased travel times for the stretch of Wilson that will be affected, from N. Manchester to N. Frederick Street. In addition to the lane reduction, the reconfiguration will also add bike lanes on either side of the road, which will serve a dual purpose as a buffer between the sidewalks and motor vehicles.

Traffic

Wilson Blvd to be Reconfigured West of George Mason Drive

By Ethan Rothstein

Published November 3, 2014 at 1:30PM | Updated November 3, 2014 at 2:09PM

The change has been advocated by the Bluemont Civic Association (BCA) for years, and the neighborhood’s representatives have posited that the lane reduction, coupled with sidewalk expansion, will make the corridor more walkable without increasing traffic congestion.

The project, which Arlington County says is in design phase with reconfiguration set for spring 2015, will reduce westbound and eastbound traffic to one lane each, while adding a center lane for left turns and bike lanes on either side of the street. The plan also calls for consolidating bus stops in this stretch to reduce possible congestion.

Traffic

Pike Morning Traffic Jams Likely to Persist for Six Months

By Ethan Rothstein

Published October 24, 2014 at 3:30PM

Traffic on Columbia Pike approaching Washington Blvd

The backups that have caused rush hour delays for drivers going eastbound on Columbia Pike in the morning are likely due to the temporary traffic pattern that makes cars turn left to get on northbound I-395, Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jenni McCord said. The temporary traffic pattern shift is expected to be in place for the next six months.

After that time, the traffic will again go back to using a right exit off Columbia Pike to get on the interstate in the direction of D.C.

News

Arlington to Request, Receive Millions for Transportation Projects

By Ethan Rothstein

Published October 15, 2014 at 5:30PM

The Arlington County Board will vote on Saturday to apply to the Virginia Department of Transportation for $4.2 million in funds to help complete seven transportation projects. In addition, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority is ready to reimburse the county for four transportation projects worth a combined $18.8 million.

The Board is expected to request $4.215 million in matching funds from VDOT for the following projects:

Traffic

Interchanges Along Route 50 Now Complete

By Ethan Rothstein

Published September 17, 2014 at 1:30PM

All of the ramps, lanes and bridges for the interchanges of Route 50, N. Courthouse Road and 10th Street N. are open and finished.

Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette, Del. Patrick Hope and local and state transportation officials were on hand to cut the ribbon on the $39 million project that has been more than a decade in the making.

Traffic

Protected Bike Lanes Open in Pentagon City

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 19, 2014 at 12:30PM

S. Hayes Street in Pentagon City has new, protected lanes for cyclists, the first of their kind in Arlington County.

Between 15th Street S. and S. Fern Street, bike lanes are now between parking spots and the curb, giving cyclists a buffer, in the form of parked cars, from vehicular traffic on the four-lane road.

News

Army Navy Country Club Access Road Moves Forward

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 13, 2014 at 11:15AM

The project was approved by the Arlington County Board in the 2015-2024 Capital Improvement Program. It will include a sidewalk and provide cyclists and pedestrians access from the Columbia Pike area to Pentagon City, according to county Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs Manager David Goodman.

“It was originally envisioned as a trail, but ultimately it has more value as an emergency access drive that also allows pedestrian and bicycle activity,” Goodman told ARLnow.com. “Its purpose is to provide an escape valve for getting emergency vehicles between the two sides of I-395. There really aren’t any other connections there.”

News

Route 50-Courthouse Road Interchange Nearly Complete

By Ethan Rothstein

Published June 16, 2014 at 1:30PM

The interchange of Route 50, N. Courthouse Road and 10th Street Road is on the verge of opening for good.

According to Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jennifer McCord, the westbound Route 50 frontage road that gives drivers access to Courthouse Road and 10th Street is expected to open on Wednesday. The opening means all facets of the intersection — the ramps from Courthouse Road and 10th Street to Route 50 in both directions and the frontage road — will be open for traffic.

News

County to Add Bike Lane, Remove Travel Lanes from S. Eads Street

By Ethan Rothstein

Published May 15, 2014 at 10:45AM | Updated May 15, 2014 at 11:06AM

(Updated at 11:05 a.m.) Arlington will be rolling out a pilot program for S. Eads Street this fall that will give residents an idea of what the future of the Pentagon City/Crystal City corridor will look like for years to come.

The county has decided that the four-lane road, which runs parallel to Jefferson Davis Highway from Army Navy Drive to Four Mile Run, is unnecessarily wide, and should be changed to a three-lane road — the center lane for left turns — with increased pedestrian and bicycle amenities.

News

Arlington Unveils Pentagon City Multimodal Improvements

By ARLnow.com

Published April 28, 2014 at 4:15PM

Photo courtesy Arlington County

Arlington County held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday for its multimodal improvement project in Pentagon City.

The two-year, $9 million project resulted in improved sidewalks, road crossings, bike lanes, street trees, drainage and landscaping along S. Hayes Street in front of Pentagon City mall. The project was completed nearly 6 percent under budget, with the state and federal government paying 80 percent of the final cost, according to the county.