Map of the impacted section of the Dulles Airport Access Highway (via MWAA)

Approximately seven miles of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway going westbound will be closed this weekend (Sept. 11 and 12) for maintenance work on pedestrian bridges.

Starting just east of Reston at mile marker 8.3, traffic will be diverted to the left lane of the Dulles Toll Road. Drivers will be able to enter the airport access road again at mile marker 1.7, near the Route 28 toll plaza and right past the soon-to-be-opened Innovation Center Station.

Ramps at mile marker 9 and 3.3 for the westbound portion of the airport access highway will also be closed.

The closures will run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

All work is weather-dependent, though weather does not appear it will be a factor this weekend.

This work is being done by contractor Capital Rail Constructors as part of its preparations for the opening of Silver Line Phase 2, a Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority official says.

A weekend was chosen to conduct the maintenance work in the hopes of minimizing the closure’s impact on traffic, the MWAA official notes.

Photo via MWAA

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Car drives through high water on Route 7 at Baron Cameron (photo by Ed Schudel)

(Updated at 10:05 a.m.) An Areal Flood Warning is now in effect for Fairfax County.

Between one and two inches of rain had already fallen by the time the National Weather Service issued the alert at 7:18 a.m., with flooding expected to remain a risk until 1:15 p.m.

As of 9 a.m., the Fairfax County Police Department reported numerous road closures, including Hunter Mill Road at Hunter Mill Station due to flooding. A downed tree has necessitated a closure of 10100 block of Wendover Drive in Vienna.

While the heaviest rain and flooding has emerged in the Tysons/Vienna area, construction on Route 7 appears to have contributed to high waters near the Baron Cameron Road intersection in Reston.

Another driver reported around 8:05 a.m. that emergency responders had blocked off three lanes of the Dulles Toll Road, possibly around exit 14 at Hunter Mill Road, “due to severe flooding.”

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department urged people to avoid driving if possible, particularly on roads that are known to be prone to flooding.

At 9:50 a.m., the fire department said that it had responded to three different calls for downed electrical wires and two calls for fallen trees just within the past 25 minutes.

“Assume all wires are power lines & LIVE!” FCFRD tweeted. “Avoid approaching/touching anything nearby. Be careful around downed trees as wires may be hidden in tree.”

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A bill that would add additional criteria for future toll increases on the Dulles Greenway has cleared the Senate with a 32-5 vote. The proposal, which was sponsored by Sent. John Bell, heads to the House of Delegates for a vote.

If approved, the bill would require Toll Road Investors Partnership II, the operator of the toll road, to receive the approval of the Virginia Department of Transportation before toll increases go into effect.

The greenway covers 14 miles of road from Dulles Airport to Leesburg.

The company will have to provide a forward-looking analysis including information that that shows the proposed rate is reasonable in nature, unlikely to discourage the use of the roadway and provide the operator with ‘no more than a reasonable return.’

The bill also bars the State Corporation Commission from authorizing any toll increases if the above criteria are not met

In a statement, Bell, who represents Loudoun and Prince William counties, said the bill would ‘bring accountability to the greenway and “prevent unjust toll increases.”

He also noted that the bill has been “a long time in the making” and would not have been possible without the support of the Loudoun Delegation and the Loudoun Board of Supervisors.

In recent years, county officials have slammed the road’s operator for proposed toll increases.

Photo via Dulles Greenway website

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Snow plows are working to clear roadways this morning after a snowstorm began earlier this morning.

A traffic camera facing westbound at the snow-covered intersection of Reston Parkway and Sunset Hills Road shows more trucks with snow plows than cars this morning.

Still, drivers can expect some slow-moving traffic on the Dulles Toll Road and major roads in Reston and Herndon with spots of congestion near intersections.

Fairfax County wants locals to stay off the roads, especially with low visibility near the Reston Parkway.

https://twitter.com/fairfaxcounty/status/1098213296472240130

The National Weather Service’s Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 7 p.m.

The warning says that “travel will be very difficult, especially during the morning commute. The hazardous conditions could also impact the evening commute.”

The Virginia Department of Transportation wants locals to stay off of the roads. “Pockets of heavier snow may limit visibility and stick to the pavement, and a mix of freezing rain may quickly make roads slick,” VDOT said in an update at 6 a.m.

https://twitter.com/VaDOTNOVA/status/1098210597328556032

Images via Virginia 511, Google Maps

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Updated at 4:55 p.m. — NWS canceled the Wind Advisory that was set to last until 6 p.m.

Earlier: After last night’s heavy congestion during rush hour, commuters are finding little to no traffic on major Reston roads this morning (Jan. 30).

Traffic on the Dulles Toll Road is flowing freely, according to Google Maps. However, drivers should still give themselves extra travel time for possibly icy local roads.

“Your commute will take longer today,” Fairfax County tweeted this morning, adding that crews worked overnight to treat roads and will continue treatment today if needed. Drivers are encouraged to reduce their speeds, use headlights and not brake quickly.

https://twitter.com/ffxfirerescue/status/1090580681976094720

Anybody stepping outside today should also bundle up. The National Weather Service issued a Wind Advisory until 6 p.m. tonight and a Wind Chill Advisory between 9 p.m. tonight and 10 a.m. tomorrow (Jan. 31).

More from the National Weather Service:

WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST THURSDAY…

* WHAT…Very cold wind chills of 5 to 10 degrees below zero.

* WHERE…Portions of central Maryland and northern Virginia including Washington DC and Baltimore MD.

* WHEN…From 9 PM this evening to 10 AM EST Thursday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The cold wind chills could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Wind Chill Advisory means that cold air and the wind will combine to create low wind chills. Frostbite and hypothermia can occur if precautions are not taken. Dress in layers, and wear a hat and gloves.

Fairfax County Government offices are open today, however, employees have been granted unscheduled leave. Fairfax County public schools are closed today. Reston Association offices will open three hours late.

A meeting seeking public input on the Fairfax Connector has been canceled for tonight and will be rescheduled.

Locals have been busy snapping photos of the snow around Reston, including the following.

Images via Google Maps, Marjorie Copson and  Virginia Department of Transportation

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Del. Ken Plum and 14 members of the Virginia General Assembly want toll relief for federal workers who are commuting on Virginia toll roads — including the Dulles Greenway — to go to their unpaid jobs as the longest government shutdown in U.S. history continues without an end in sight.

On Friday (Jan. 11), the 15 members sent a letter to the Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine and Greg Woodsmall from the Toll Road Investors Partnership II, L.P., urging them to work with EZ-Pass to develop a system to freeze tolling Virginian workers who are forced to work without pay during the current government shutdown.

“It is suggested that this letter [from the workers’ respective departments] is submitted in conjunction with their EZ-Pass transponder number and that this number be used to freeze the transponder’s ability to charge the petitioning Virginian during the entirety of their furlough,” the members wrote in the letter.

They also urged Valentine and Woodsmall to design a way to reimburse tolls that were collected from Dec. 20 —  the beginning of the federal government shutdown — until the shutdown ends.

Virginia is the sixth most affected state by the shutdown with more than 34,000 workers who are affected by the furlough and a “significant number of them” who are expected to work without pay, according to the letter.

“These hardworking Virginians are TSA agents, United States Marshalls, FBI agents and others who are working hard to protect our nation and state, allowing our nation’s operations to continue during the government shutdown,” the members wrote.

Del. Karrie Delaney, who represents a large population of federal workers in the 67th District, which includes parts of Herndon, said that the letter is an opportunity to provide some financial relief for the federal workers who “are trying to figure out how they are going to make ends meet.”

“I represent TSA Agents, United States Marshalls, and FBI agents who are currently working without pay in order to protect our nation and our state,” Delaney said in a press release. “These residents are still going to work every day to ensure our nation’s operations continue, but they are not receiving a paycheck.”

File photo

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As crews continue construction for the second phase of the Metrorail Silver Line project, road closures and detours will be along the Dulles Toll Road this week.

Most of the closures avoid prime rush hour times.

The lane, shoulder and road closures started on Monday (Nov. 26) and are scheduled to last until Sunday (Dec. 2), according to a post from the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

The post reminds drivers to use caution; remain attentive to all signage, barricades and speed limits; and obey all police and flagger instructions. Work is subject to weather changes.

Eastbound on Dulles Toll Road has right and left lane closures of varying lengths from west of the Route 28 overpass to the Reston Parkway overpass.

The schedule for this is:

  • Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
  • Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

There are also three left lane closures with stops every 20 minutes from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Thursday and Friday. Those closures are less than half of a mile west of Centreville Road to the east end of Herndon Station.

Starting at 10 p.m. on Friday, traffic eastbound on Dulles Toll Road near the toll plaza by Route 28 will be detoured to the right lane of the eastbound Dulles International Airport Access Highway. A second right lane will be closed as a safety buffer. Directly after the Centreville Road overpass, traffic will be allowed to re-enter the toll road lanes. This will last until 6 a.m. on Saturday.

Meanwhile, westbound on Dulles Toll Road there are alternating right and left lane closures of varying lengths between the Route 28 and Reston Parkway overpasses.

These will be in effect:

  • Monday to Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
  • Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Drivers heading westbound on the road will also experience three left lane closures with 20-minute stops from almost a quarter of a mile west of Van Buren Street to the west end of Innovation Center Station at 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Herndon Parkway East has a right lane closed 1,000 feet east of Van Buren Street to 800 feet west of Exchange Place. This takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Tuesday until Thursday and then from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Friday.

Other roads affected include the Dulles International Airport Access Highway, Autopilot Drive, Dulles Greenway, eastbound on Sunset Hills Road East, westbound on Sunrise Valley Drive and southbound on Moran Road.

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With little to no discussion and debate other than fixing a typo, the Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously approved a series of proffers for Woodfield Acquisitions’ redevelopment of Roland Clarke Place last night.

The Thursday vote sets into motion a series of waivers and modifications to allow a new residential complex to be built just south of the Dulles Toll Road. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will consider the project on Tuesday (Nov. 20).

The development will replace the office buildings at 1941 Roland Clarke Place and 1950 Roland Clarke Place. A 308-unit residential building will replace 1941 Roland Clarke Place, including roughly 37 workforce units. The application says 1950 Roland Clarke Place will be redeveloped as a small park until another development on the site can be planned.

Though no open space was required for the site, a little over two acres of the new development will remain dedicated as open space. In addition to two private courtyards within the residential complex, two smaller parks and a dog park surround the proposed residential building.

Among the waivers and modifications received for the site an allowance of a residential building 59 feet from the Dulles International Airport from the zoning ordinance’s minimum distance of 200 feet.

The existing office buildings on the site were constructed in the early 1980s. In 2008, the redevelopment of the buildings was planned into three new office buildings, but the plan was never implemented.

Photos via handout/Fairfax County Planning Commission

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A segment of the eastbound Dulles Access Highway will be closed on Saturday (September 22) from around 10 p.m. through Sunday (September 23) at 6 p.m.

Crews are scheduled to complete utility work on an overhead pedestrian bridge along the highway, which will be closed from the start of Innovation Center Station at the mile marker 1.7 to mile marker 2.7.

Traffic from the eastbound landers will be diverted to the left lane of the eastbound Dulles Toll Road. Drivers will not pass through any toll booths on the toll road during the planned detours.

Traffic will return to normal patterns just east of the Centreville Road overpass.

Drivers are encouraged to exercise caution and pay attention to all signs and barricades. Large vehicles may enter and exit the highway at various times. All work is dependent on the weather.

Photos via Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

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The eastbound Dulles Access Highway (DIAAH) will be closed between Centreville Road and Fairfax County Parkway from Friday (August 3) at 10 p.m. through Monday (August 6) at 5 a.m.

Traffic from the eastbound lanes will be diverted to the left lane of the eastbound Dulles Toll Road and will then be returned to the DIAAH once past the construction area. The closure is necessary to allow Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project crews to complete storm drain work in the area.

DIAAH drivers will not have to pass through any toll both on the toll road during the detours. Eastbound toll road traffic will be restricted to two lanes. All drivers are strongly encouraged to exercise caution and pay attention to all signs and barricades.

Map via Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

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Several lane, shoulder and road closures will be in effect along the Dulles Toll Road, Herndon Parkway, Sunrise Valley Drive and Sunset Hills Road this week.

Drivers are encouraged to pay attention to all signs, barricades and speed limits. Slow vehicles may be entering and exiting highways and surrounding roads.

A complete breakdown of closures, provided by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, is below:

Dulles Toll Road East

When:   Monday, July 23 – Friday, July 27, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., Saturday, July 28, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

What:    Alternating right and left lane closures of varying lengths

Where:  From mile marker 1.3 to 5.2 (from just west of the Route 28 overpass to the Reston Parkway overpass)

Why:     Civil work

Dulles Toll Road West

When:   Monday, July 23 – Friday, July 27, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., Saturday, July 28, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Sunday

What:    Alternating right and left lane closures of varying lengths

Where:  From mile marker 5.7 to 1.5 (between the Route 28 and Reston Parkway overpasses)

Why:     Civil work

Dulles Toll Road West

When:   Thursday, July 26, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

What:    Two right lanes closed

Where:  From mile marker 4.5 to 3.5 (from 3/10 mile before the Fairfax County Parkway overpass to the Monroe Street/Van Buren Street overpass)

Why:     Pedestrian bridge construction

Dulles Toll Road West

When:   Friday, July 27 – Saturday, July 28, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

What:    Full closure

Where:  From mile marker 6.2 to 2.4 (Single lane closures begin prior to the Wiehle Avenue overpass. Full closure from the Fairfax County Parkway to Centreville Road; follow detour along the southbound Fairfax County Parkway, westbound Sunrise Valley Drive, and northbound Centreville Road where traffic will re-enter the westbound Dulles Toll Road)

Why:     Pedestrian bridge construction 

Dulles Toll Road West

When:   Saturday, July 28, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

What:    Three left lanes close with 20-minute stoppages on right through lane

Where:  From mile marker 6.6 to 4.2 (between the Wiehle Aveue overpass and the Fairfax County Parkway overpass)

Why:     Striping

Sunrise Valley Drive East

When:   Monday, July 23 – Thursday, July 26, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Friday, July 27, 9:30 a.m. to noon

What:    Right lane closed

Where:  From Edmund Halley Drive to Colts Neck Road

Why:     Clearing and civil work

Sunset Hills Road East 

When:   Monday, July 23 – Thursday, July 26, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Friday, July 27, 9:30 a.m. to noon

What:    Alternating right and left lane closures

Where:  From 500 feet west to 500 feet east of 12011 Sunset Hills Road

Why:     Civil work

Sunset Hills Road West 

When:   Monday, July 23 – Thursday, July 26, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Friday, July 27, 9:30 a.m. to noon

What:    Two left lanes closed

Where:  From the entrance to 12011 Sunset Hills Road to 500 feet west of the entrance

Why:     Civil work

Herndon Parkway East

When:   Monday, July 23 – Thursday, July 26, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday, July 27, 9:30 a.m. to noon

What:    Right lane closed

Where: From 1000 feet east of Van Buren Street to 800 feet west of Exchange Place

Why:     Equipment mobilization

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Crews will continue to perform utility work on Centreville Road near the Dulles Toll Road overpass in Herndon through Friday (July 13).

Alternating left and right lane closures on northbound and southbound Centreville Road and along the ramp from the westbound Dulles Toll Road lane to northbound Centreville Road and Elden Street will also take place.

Work is scheduled to take from today through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on Friday from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

Access to businesses and ramps will remain open while maintenance work continues. Drivers are encouraged to exercise caution and pay attention to all signs and barricades.

Large, slow vehicles will exit and enter roads in the area throughout the day.

Map via Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

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The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved plans to realign Sunset Hills Road this week, pencilling in planning language caught in gridlock the proposal hopes to prevent.

Although the project remains far from groundbreaking, the board’s vote approves the realignment of Sunset Hills Road to Crowell Road — a move board supervisors said preserves the character of the surrounding residential area while calming current and future traffic. A roundabout will act as the intersection control and Hunter Mill Road will be converted to four continuous lanes from the realigned area to the Dulles Toll Road’s westbound ramps. 

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins said the plan balances the community’s interests while calming traffic in a “critical” area long-slated for improvements. Still, Hudgins hinted much more remains to be done to calm traffic in surrounding areas. 

“I would love to say we’re finished,” she said.

The issue boasts a long and beleaguered history. Proposals have been in county’s books since 1975, when an alignment similar to the current plan was approved.

County staff pitched the plan after a two-year public engagement period yielded seven options, including a no-build alternative. Staff narrowed options to three possibilities, two of which were struck down because they fell in the path of a Metrorail power station or would have required purchasing land from Reston Presbyterian Church. 

“We wanted to come up with a solution that helped preserve the character north and the roundabout really does that,” said Kristin Calkins, who works with the county’s transportation department.

The addition of the roundabout increases the total price tag of the project by around $3 million. No comprehensive cost analysis has been conducted to date.

Some residents expressed satisfaction with the plan after the county’s Planning Commission added language to push the realignment east of the Edlin School, restrict the alignment past north of Crowell Road, and maximize the distance between the new Sunset Hills Road and the adjacent Hunting Crest Community when the road is designed.

Lauding community engagement by Hudgins and Planning Commissioner John Carter, Raj Jain, president of the Hunting Crest Homeowners’ Association, said the changes addresses the community’s concerns about traffic noise and safety. He suggested completing a noise impact and mitigation study during the design phase of the project.

But others like Benise Ungar, vice president of the Hunting Creek Homeowners’ Association, said amendments to allay community concerns carried no legal weight.

Citing her appreciation for the county’s “good faith efforts,” Ungar said the roundabout “will be massive and not compatible with the surrounding area.” She also said residents and property owners impacted by the plan have publicly stated they will not sell their land to make way for the project.

Staff conceded the plan was an imperfect solution. The approved plan adds language into the county’s comprehensive plan. The roundabout is not a prescriptive solution — only  the “preferred solution.”

Information on the following phases, including designing, was not immediately available.

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Relief could be on the way soon for drivers who frequent Hunter Mill Road near the Dulles Toll Road.

Last night, the Fairfax County Planning Commission approved long awaited plans to tackle traffic backups by realigning Sunset Hills Road to Crowell Road.

The plan also includes adding a roundabout as an intersection control. Hunter Mill Road would become a four-lane road between the intersection of Crowell Road and Sunset Hills Road to the Dulles Toll Road’s westbound ramps.

John Carter, the Hunter Mill District’s planning commissioner, compared the new plan to George Washington Parkway. Conceding the comparison was imperfect, he said the changes feature sweeping curves, major setbacks of 400 feet from houses to the road and a commitment to preserve a pond and a forested resource protection area.

The plan passed by the commission includes several amendments to address concerns raised by the Hunter Mill Defense League and the Hunting Crest Homeowners Association. Changes include:

  • Beginning realignment to the east of the Edlin School and extending no farther than Crowell Road
  • Maximizing the distance between the realigned road and the Hunting Crest community
  • The inclusion of a roundabout as a preferred alternative
  • Modifying transportation maps to include a cul-de-sac on Hunter Mill Road

The county’s Board of Supervisors will hear public comment on the plan on March 6 at around 4 p.m.

Since 2014, the county held several community meetings to lay out traffic management alternatives. The latest plan is a mix of several options, but departs from previously discussed plans, which the county indicated no longer work.

Carter said the county’s studies clearly indicate the current plan is the “better method to calm traffic in this area.”

Photo via handout

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After years of discussion, Fairfax County officials are finalizing long awaited plans to tackle traffic backups on Hunter Mill Road near the Dulles Toll Road.

The Fairfax County Dept. of Transportation plans to realign Sunset Hills Road to Crowell Road, with a roundabout as the intersection control, according to a proposal filed last month. The Fairfax County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the plans today at 7:30 p.m.

Hunter Mill Road would be widened to four lanes between the intersection of Crowell Road and Sunset Hills Road to the Dulles Toll Road’s westbound ramps. The four-lane section would use existing right-of-way and pavement along Hunter Mill Road.

The plan departs from six alternatives discussed during six community charrettes since 2014. County officials found that no alternative would adequately reduce congestion during peak hours, according to the proposal.

Originally, the county hoped to shift the Sunset Hills Road intersection by moving it opposite the westbound off-ramp for the Dulles Toll Road and relocate the on-ramp to begin at Sunset Hills Road west of Hunter Mill Road. But a Metrorail track power substation is now being built at that site.

A second option would have relocated Sunset Hills Road by bringing the intersection of Sunset Hills Road and Hunter Mill Road as close as possible to Reston Presbyterian Church. That option would not provide enough space between the intersections. A third option with roundabout in the area  would have required the church to relocate.

The proposed solution would address traffic congestion and the roundabout feature meets the community’s desire to “calm” traffic to the north of Crowell Road, according to the plan.

The road realignment was prompted in response to increased traffic congestion driven by new development.

Currently, morning and afternoon traffic along Sunset Hills Road near the westbound Dulles Toll Road causes daily traffic congestion at the intersection of Sunset Hills Road and Hunter Mill Road.

A hearing before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is set for March 6 at 4 p.m.

Photo via Fairfax County Department of Transportation

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