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Morning Notes

Published July 19, 2013 at 9:00AM

Hot Car Mom Released from Jail — Zoraida Magali Conde Hernandez, who’s accused of fatally locking her 8-month-old son in a hot car earlier this month, was released from jail yesterday afternoon after being granted a $25,000 bond. Police say Conde Hernandez accidentally left the baby in her car for 6 hours while she went to work. NBC4 reports that she works at the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. [NBC Washington]

More Money for Paving in Virginia — More money is available for VDOT’s summer paving effort this year thanks to new transportation taxes. The planned repaving includes 90 lane miles of interstate highways and 79 miles of primary roads. Arlington is one of two Virginia counties that doesn’t rely on VDOT for maintenance of secondary roads. [Sun Gazette]

News

Board to Consider Decreasing Speed Limits

By Katie Pyzyk

Published July 8, 2013 at 11:45AM

The Department of Environmental Services conducted studies to examine the viability of changing speed limits on several streets. Information was gathered regarding factors such as vehicle speeds, collisions, traffic volumes, pedestrian and bicyclist activity and development patterns. Studies were performed in the following areas: N. Meade Street from Arlington Blvd to Marshall Drive (formerly Jackson Avenue), Clarendon Blvd from Washington Blvd to N. Oak Street, Wilson Blvd from Route 110 to Washington Blvd, and N. Sycamore Street from Washington Blvd to 17th Street N. and N. Roosevelt Street from 17th Street N. to the county line.

The studies indicated that speed limits along N. Meade Street, Clarendon Blvd and Wilson Blvd could be decreased from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour. The N. Sycamore Street/N. Roosevelt Street studies indicated the speed limit could be lowered from 35 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour.

News

Va. Proposes Development Over I-66

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 3, 2013 at 5:15PM

Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) and County Board Chair Walter Tejada announced Wednesday that the state, county and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority are looking into leasing the air rights above I-66 near the East Falls Church and Rosslyn Metro stations in order to generate additional revenues for transportation improvements.

“By leasing airspace above certain transportation facilities owned by the Commonwealth, we can better utilize our existing infrastructure to generate additional revenues to fund future transportation improvements, while at the same time attracting new jobs and economic development,” McDonnell said in a statement. “Additionally, by co-locating these potential developments around existing Metro stations and other major transportation facilities, we can reduce congestion and create more livable communities.”

News

One Man’s Homeless Camp Takes VDOT Five Hours, Ten Trucks to Remove

By ARLnow.com

Published May 15, 2013 at 11:00AM

One man’s palatial homeless camp near Rosslyn took VDOT crews five hours to tear down using heavy machinery and numerous dump trucks, WJLA reported.

Traffic

Movie Shoot to Close Roosevelt Bridge

By ARLnow.com

Published May 1, 2013 at 12:00PM

The filming of a big Hollywood movie will temporarily close the Roosevelt Bridge on Sunday.

The closures are scheduled from 8:20 to 9:10 a.m., and again from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. From the D.C. film office:

News

Route 50/Courthouse Road Project Delayed

By ARLnow.com

Published March 27, 2013 at 4:25PM

The $39 million Route 50/Courthouse Road/10th Street interchange project is apparently running behind schedule.

Traffic

VDOT to Discuss Route 27/110 Bridge Project

By ARLnow.com

Published February 1, 2013 at 2:05PM

The hearing will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at the VDOT Arlington headquarters at 1426 Columbia Pike. The project manager, Edwin Woo, is also soliciting comments via email for the next three weeks.

The bridge, which was built in 1941 and carries 3 lanes of traffic in each direction, is structurally deficient, according to VDOT. The replacement will be widened by 9 feet, to 105 feet, to accommodate an 14-foot shared use path and an 8-foot sidewalk on either side of the bridge — an improvement over the existing, narrow concrete sidewalks.

Traffic

Route 50 Detoured As Crews Demolish Courthouse Road Bridge

By ARLnow.com

Published January 26, 2013 at 2:25PM

VDOT crews have started tearing down the bridge from Courthouse Road to eastbound Route 50, leading to numerous closures, detours and delays in the area.

Today through Sunday night, traffic on westbound Route 50 is being diverted onto 14th Street N., up to Wilson Boulevard, down Barton Street and back to Route 50 via 10th Street. This afternoon, a long line of traffic was observed before the detour, which is in place to allow for the two-day demolition of the bridge.

News

Courthouse Road Bridge to Be Demolished in Two Weeks

By ARLnow.com

Published January 11, 2013 at 1:35PM | Updated January 11, 2013 at 2:16PM

(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) The heavily-used Courthouse Road bridge, which connects Courthouse with eastbound Route 50, will be torn down in two weeks.

The bridge is expected to close on Friday, Jan. 25. VDOT is planning to block and reroute westbound I-50 in the Courthouse area from Jan. 26-27 to allow for the bridge demolition work. That weekend, westbound traffic will be directed around the closure via 14th Street, Wilson Boulevard, Washington Boulevard and 10th Street.

Traffic

Bridge Project to Close One Lane of Columbia Pike Through 2014

By ARLnow.com

Published December 10, 2012 at 3:55PM

VDOT will close the lane as soon as tomorrow as part of the ongoing Washington Boulevard bridge and interchange project. Drivers should expect new traffic patterns on eastbound Columbia Pike as a result.

“Motorists in the right lane must take the exit ramp to Washington Boulevard,” VDOT said in a press release. “Motorists on eastbound Columbia Pike can use the left lane to continue east or to access the ramp to Washington Boulevard.”

Traffic

Columbia Pike Scheduled to Close This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Published November 1, 2012 at 11:00AM | Updated November 1, 2012 at 12:11PM

The Pike will be closed between S. Quinn Street and S. Orme Street from 9:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2 to 4:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 5. The closure will be in place while crews demolish part of the Washington Boulevard bridge over the Pike as part of VDOT’s ongoing interchange project.

“Motorists on Columbia Pike will follow detour signs as will motorists heading from Washington Boulevard to Columbia Pike,” VDOT said in an email. “The closure is part of the bridge replacement project at Washington Boulevard (Route 27) and Columbia Pike. Visit the VDOT project page for more information.”

News

County, VDOT Officials Monitoring Path of Hurricane Sandy

By ARLnow.com

Published October 25, 2012 at 5:10PM | Updated October 26, 2012 at 3:36PM

Sandy, which is currently churning in the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas, is expected to make its way north and threaten the D.C. area. Forecasters from the Capital Weather Gang say there’s a 75 percent chance of a direct or indirect hit from Sandy, which could bring 2 to 8 inches of rain and wind gusts from 50 to over 75 miles per hour.

In a phone interview, Arlington’s acting Deputy Director of Emergency Management, Bonnie Regan, said an email was sent Thursday to emergency support personnel in various county departments, asking them to check generators, fuel supplies, and weekend staff availability.