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Group Renews Call for Widening of I-66

Published October 4, 2011 at 1:37PM

The Alliance points to the nearly-complete I-66 “spot improvement” — which added a third westbound lane between Fairfax Drive and Sycamore Street in Arlington — as evidence that the county’s stated opposition to widening I-66 is misguided.

“Drive I-66 westbound past Ballston,” the Alliance said in a recent email. “Look to your right. Behold, a new 12-foot lane! Look again. What do you see? Same sound walls. Same trees. Same houses. Same bike path. The sky didn’t fall; the earth remains on its axis.”

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Columbia Pike Repair Work Expected Soon

By ARLnow.com

Published September 28, 2011 at 12:31PM

The bumpy and pothole-ridden stretch of Columbia Pike between George Mason Drive and Four Mile Run will be getting some much-needed repairs this fall, according to Arlington County officials.

“The excessive heat and rain this summer, combined with construction and regular bus traffic, have taken a toll on the Pike,” admitted county spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 22, 2011 at 8:28AM

Call for Entries in Arlington Design Competition — Arlington County is asking for entries for this year’s DESIGNArlington’11 design competition. ” Distinctive architectural, public art, and landscape projects completed within the past five years may be eligible,” the county says. [Arlington County]

Police Seek Missing Man — Arlington County police are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing man. Ricardo De Leon, 57, was last seen leaving Pike Pizza (4111 Columbia Pike) on Sept. 10. He’s described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’6″ tall and 160 pounds with gray and black hair and brown eyes. [ACPD]

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Board Approves Road, Sidewalk and Bus Stop Projects

By ARLnow.com

Published September 19, 2011 at 3:35PM

Arlington agreed to match $935,000 in state funds — a total of $1.87 million — for four “priority transportation projects.” The projects include:

“The transportation projects that the Board is authorizing today reflect the County’s policy of building infrastructure to support many types of travel,” County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman said in a statement over the weekend.

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Road Work on Arlington Ridge

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2011 at 1:40PM

The work has blocked one westbound lane of 23rd Street and one southbound lane of Arlington Ridge Road.

Arlington County recently completed some curb, sidewalk and turn lane changes in the area in an effort to improve pedestrian safety. The county’s web site has additional information on the changes.

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Neighborhood Conservation Projects Await Approval

By ARLnow.com

Published September 12, 2011 at 3:00PM

The total cost of the projects — which are expected to improve the appearance and safety of the streetscape — is estimated at $2.8 million. Of the five projects, all but one are in North Arlington.

The Neighborhood Conservation program allows neighborhoods to compete with one another to receive funding for public improvements requested by residents. The five projects expected to receive funding over the weekend include:

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Safety Improvements Planned for Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com

Published August 16, 2011 at 10:23AM

The intersections — Glebe and Carlin Springs Road, Glebe and Wilson Boulevard, and Glebe and Fairfax Drive — involve long crosswalks across numerous lanes of fast-moving traffic, as well as the occasional slip lane. The improvements are intended to make crossing the intersections safer by reducing crosswalk distances and “conflict points.”

At Glebe and Fairfax, crews will “regularize intersection geometry” — i.e. convert “suburban” slip lanes into “urban” 90-degree turns controlled by the stop light. Crews will also widen the mid-intersection pedestrian refuge.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 10, 2011 at 8:15AM | Updated August 10, 2011 at 10:26AM

More Residents Upset With Road Work — Arlington Ridge residents aren’t the only ones who have qualms about Arlington County’s traffic calming efforts. In the Chain Bridge Forest neighborhood, residents “wanted $16,000 worth of speed humps… What they got was $200,000 worth of concrete dividers and narrowed lanes that they said increased the risk of drivers being rear-ended while turning into the neighborhood.” [Washington Examiner]

Chicken Boosters Look to 2012 — Supporters of hen-raising in Arlington are hoping for action from the county government in 2012. They hope to convince homeowners (and the County Board) that keeping outdoor chicken coops won’t cause noise and odor problems, since hens are quieter than roosters and since regular coop cleaning can abate the smell. [Sun Gazette]

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Lane Finally Reopens on Westbound Route 50

By ARLnow.com

Published May 23, 2011 at 2:31PM

The lane closure lasted about 10 months longer than originally anticipated. The utility work was performed in preparation for VDOT’s Courthouse interchange project, which is expected to get underway this month.

A tipster says the jersey walls separating the two righthand lanes of westbound Route 50 from the newly-paved lefthand lane were removed during the day on Friday.

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Glebe Road Bridge Replacement to Begin This Summer

By ARLnow.com

Published May 20, 2011 at 10:24AM

The agency says construction on the new bridge will begin this summer and will wrap up in fall 2012 — a bit later than originally anticipated. The entire 100-foot-long bridge deck will be replaced with pre-cast concrete panels, and will be 27 feet wider than the existing bridge. The extra width will be used to install a 10-foot wide sidewalk, a 17-foot wide shared-use path and a new northbound turn lane. There will also be new traffic signals, “decorative wrought-iron picket fencing” and LED lighting.

On Thursday, June 2, at 7:00 p.m., VDOT will hold a ‘pardon our dust’ meeting for community members at Thomas Jefferson Middle School (125 S. Old Glebe Road).

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Wilson Boulevard Repaving in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Published May 18, 2011 at 3:20PM

The Rosslyn stretch of Wilson Boulevard from N. Arlington Ridge Road to N. Oak Street is in the process of being repaved. Part of the repaving east of N. Lynn Street has already been completed. Much of the rest of the road has been milled, awaiting repaving.

The milled surface will make for rough driving until it can be covered with blacktop. The repaving is being done as part of Arlington’s summer street repair program, which seeks to repair “old, substandard streets.” N. Arlington Ridge Road is also being repaved as part of the program.

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VDOT’s Detours During Route 50 Interchange Project

By ARLnow.com

Published May 16, 2011 at 9:13AM

Construction on the new Route 50 / Courthouse Road interchange is set to begin this month.

The project, which is expected to wrap up in 2013, will result in major improvements to what is now a rather confusing and even dangerous series of on and off-ramps. In the meantime, however, drivers will have to put up with some minor headaches as the project forces the closure of some busy routes and ramps, starting later this year.