Arlington police have released details of this morning’s pedestrian accident on Route 1 near Crystal City.
In a press release, police say a 38-year-old Arlington resident is fighting for his life after being struck by a taxi in the southbound lanes between 20th and 23rd Streets.
Update at 3:15 p.m.: All lanes are now reported to be back open.
Arlington police are preparing to close Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1) at the Reagan National Airport overpass, near Crystal City, due to a report of a downed power line.
The two jurisdictions have been cooperating on a transit project that will bring bus rapid transit and, ultimately, a streetcar to the Route 1 corridor of Crystal City and Potomac Yard. But today Connection Newspapers reported that Alexandria officials were upset because Arlington supposedly withdrew from an agreement to pay $2.4 million of the $3.4 million cost of an environmental analysis.
In reality, says Arlington County spokeswoman Mary Curtius, the environmental analysis is currently underway and Arlington County is paying its $1.78 million share of the $3.56 million cost. The Arlington county manager and the Alexandria city manager signed an agreement to split the cost of the analysis in 2010, she said.
County Urges Residents to Buy CO Alarms — Arlington County Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Fitch is urging residents to buy, install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms. The recommendation, in the form of a press release, came one day after five people died from carbon monoxide poisoning in Oxon Hill, Md. [Arlington County]
Route 1 Transit Corridor Tension — Arlington and Alexandria are at odds over the proposed transit corridor along Route 1, reports Michael Lee Pope. Arlington has, for some reason, backed off a promise to kick in $2.4 million for an environmental analysis for the project, according to Pope. [Arlington Connection]
Route 1 is closed just south of Potomac Yard in Alexandria due to flooding in the roadway.
High water and mud spilled onto the roadway from an adjacent construction site, a tipster tells us. Earlier rains have since stopped, but so far no word as to how much longer Route 1 will remain shut down.
“I have a problem with ‘Jefferson Davis,'” Zimmerman said of the former Confederate president. “I don’t believe Jefferson Davis has a historic connection to anything in Arlington… He wasn’t from Virginia. I don’t really see why we need to honor him.”
Though last week’s vote may be a victory for the anti-Jefferson Davis crowd, it only renames a narrow, pothole-ridden backroad that connects Crystal City with a future county park. The much larger and more heavily-traveled State Route 1 will continue to be known as Jefferson Davis Highway.
A drab piece of vacant land that serves as the decidedly unspectacular southern entryway to Crystal City will soon be getting a new look.
The 30,000 square foot, triangular lot at the intersection of Crystal Drive and Jefferson Davis Highway will be getting “a large-scale lighting and landscape enhancement that will create a truly enticing gateway experience.”
A man with a bullhorn barked pronouncements of doom in passing, in case motorists were not able to see the graphics on the side of the half dozen RVs in the convoy.
We spotted the convoy driving south on Route 1 in the Crystal City area around 3:45 p.m. No word on where they were headed.
Every afternoon for the past week — and quite possibly for longer than that — this Loudoun County Transit bus has parked itself on the right shoulder of the busy ramp from Route 110 to Route 1 in Pentagon City, forcing cars to veer to the left as they drive by.
Other commuter buses in the area like to idle on the side of bumpy, narrow Old Jefferson Davis Highway while waiting to pick up passengers in Crystal City, but for some reason this bus likes the on-ramp.
Traffic is backing up on I-395 South as confused drivers slow down at what is usually the busy exit to Route 1. Instead of an exit, commuters are encountering orange barrels.
Even though Arlington County road crews have opened up one left lane of southbound Jefferson Davis Highway (Rt. 1) in Crystal City following last night’s water main breaks, VDOT is keeping the I-395 exit closed, perhaps out of worries about the thoroughfare being able to handle rush hour commuter traffic.
Update at 2:10 p.m. — South Eads Street, which runs parallel to Route 1 from Pentagon City to S. Glebe Road, is not a viable option as an alternate route past 23rd Street. Eads is currently closed between Ft. Scott Drive and S. Glebe Road while crews work to fix another water main break.
Arlington County is warning that only one lane of southbound Jefferson Davis Highway (Rt. 1) in Crystal City will be open in time for tonight’s evening rush hour. The continued lane closures will likely cause major backups for commuters throughout South Arlington.
A major water main break will cause big-time traffic problems in Crystal City during the morning rush hour.
The southbound lanes of Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1) are currently closed from I-395 to the McDonald’s near the Reagan National Airport access ramp. The county does not expect to reopen the road until tomorrow (Wednesday) morning at the earliest.
