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.
“Road repairs will happen over the next few weeks as crews assess trouble spots, patch the road and make needed improvements,” she said. “There will not be full paving between George Mason Drive and Four Mile Run, however signficant patch work will be done in that area to the sub-grade level.”
Whalen McDaniel encouraged residents to report potholes or bad sections of road on the county website or via phone at 703-228-6570.
The repairs can’t come soon enough for some drivers, who have complained about the possibility of damage to their cars from the bumps and holes.
“Potholes, bumps, ridges, and giant mounds of destroyed asphalt along the sides of the road are far too common on the stretch of road,” said one tipster. “The conditions are daunting for most sedans to traverse. Perhaps the county should consider licensing the road to Land Rover as a test track for offroad performance testing.”
Further east on the Pike, meanwhile, more utility work is underway, between S. Quinn Street and S. Courthouse Road. One westbound lane has been blocked during the day as a result of the construction.
Chain Bridge will close for repairs on three different weekends over the next month.
The bridge will close on 8:00 p.m. on Friday and will reopen at 5:00 a.m. on Monday, starting this weekend, according to DDOT.
The three weekends when closures are planned are Aug. 19-21, Sept. 9-11 and Sept. 16-18.
A new video from Arlington County explains the entire life cycle of a pothole in less than 2 minutes.
In the video, county engineer Dave Hundelt talks about how potholes form, how residents can report them online (hint: use this form) and how road crews can patch a pothole in 20 minutes flat.
Expect the pothole crews to be out in force later this week, when temperatures are expected to rise well north of the 50 degree mark needed for more permanent repairs.
Drivers and cyclists in the Courthouse/Clarendon area should expect a bumpy ride on Wilson Boulevard over the next couple of days. Wilson has been milled between North Barton Street and North Fillmore Street ahead of a scheduled repaving.
The repaving is expected to begin on Thursday, depending on weather conditions and logistical issues.
Later this week, another stretch of Wilson Boulevard — from North Highland Street to Washington Boulevard, near the Clarendon Metro Station — is scheduled to be milled, with repaving to follow. Next week the same work will take place on Washington Boulevard from Pershing Drive to North Highland Street, according to Department of Environmental Services spokesperson Karen Acar.
Drivers should expect parking restriction in the area during the construction.
It would swallow up a truck tire — maybe even a small motorcycle — if given a chance. This monster pothole, near Ballston Common Mall, is more than two feet deep, perhaps big enough to be classified as a sinkhole.
The pothole, which apparently extends into some sort of sewer line, is located in the turning lane of N. Carlin Springs Rd at the intersection with N. Glebe Rd.
An Arlington public works truck was on the scene earlier this afternoon, apparently waiting for some heavier machinery to arrive.
There are plenty of other potholes around Arlington, but this is probably the biggest. If there’s a suspension-twisting, tire-flattening pothole that you want to see patched, fill out this form on the county’s web site, or call 703-228-6570.
A county spokesperson says their crews are trying to take care of potholes within 72 hours but, due to the large number of potholes this year, meeting the 72 hour goal may be difficult.
