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TextDriving Through the Braddock District
Lessons Learned from Snow Summit to be Applied to Future Events
On March 16, the Board of Supervisors, along with with VDOT, the Public
Schools and Fairfax representatives to the General Assembly, hosted a
Snow Summit at the Government Center to assess what worked well and what
did not during this winter’s historic snowfall. The general consensus was
that the exchange of information would be valuable, not only for the next
snow storm, but for any emergency. Detailed presentations can be reviewed
at the following site: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/snowsummit
More than 45 inches of snow fell in Northern Virginia between January 29
and February 11, 2010. Over 2,200 pieces of equipment were mobilized by
VDOT to clear 17,000 lane miles; (including 8,000 lane miles in Fairfax)
equal to 6 trips across the continental U.S. Ninety percent of these
plows were contracted, and included crews from New York, Pennsylvania and
Maryland. Twenty million tons of snow were removed from area roads and
had to be hauled away from many interstates. Crews worked 12-hour shifts,
and most slept in hotels or in their trucks. Widespread power outages and
hundreds of downed trees also complicated snow removal efforts.
Most participants agreed that the Command Center at the Fairfax County
Public Safety Technical Operations Center enhanced the ability of all
first responders to interact with each other and respond to trouble
spots. Over 34,000 calls were logged from residents, which stands in
stark contrast to the 300 calls received during an average 6 inch
storm.
Positives included the sharing of precipitation and mobilization
information; VDOT’s targeted response to specific concerns raised by
public officials and its active coordination with public safety agencies
and utility companies. Community volunteers who assisted with snow
removal from neighborhood sidewalks and bus stops also made a significant
difference in reopening schools.
Participants agreed that more training, oversight and accountability of
contractors was crucial. Improving communication with those drivers
through the use of Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) devices and exploring
contracts for additional heavy equipment to respond to larger storms was
emphasized.
A major concern was what appeared to be inconsistency in clearing
subdivisions despite assurances that roads were checked by monitors after
plowing. VDOT agreed to explore assistance from other agencies and to
consider using equipment, drivers/monitors from local governments.
However, the overarching comment was the need to communicate better with
residents so that they know what to expect and when to expect it.The many
cleared sidewalks which were subsequently covered by the plows was
mentioned by multiple attendees.
All suggestions received from Braddock residents were made a part of the
record and Supervisor Cook thanks everyone in the community for their
patience, cooperation and sense of volunteer spirit during those
difficult weeks.
HOT Lanes Project to Accelerate Construction, Will Shave Months off Bridge Construction Time
Staff from VDOT Megaprojects and Fluor Lane met with citizens at
Annandale High School on March 30, to announce acceleration in the
construction schedule for the Little River Turnpike bridge over the
Beltway.
Phase 1 of the bridge construction is almost complete, and traffic will
shift for both east and westbound traffic to the new bridge as early as
next week, weather permitting. However, demolition of the current
westbound bridge will now be compressed, taking place at night between
April and August, 2010.
Construction of the new westbound bridge will immediately follow
demolition and will be completed in October, 2011. A full seven months
sooner than planned. This traffic shift will necessitate the creation of
a new Yield for traffic heading from I-495 northbound onto westbound
Little River Turnpike and may result in sporadic backups. There will be
two westbound lanes and three eastbound lanes on the newly opened
span.
Bridge work on Braddock Road is also progressing, and the new deck is
currently being laid. Plans are to open the new bridge in early May,
after which night time demolition of the current bridge will also begin.
This work will require saw cutting of the bridge sections, although VDOT
regulations require that the concrete be “pounded off” the metal
infrastructure. Part of this demolition will include the removal of the
existing bridge piers abutments, and will result in the permanent
re-opening of 4 travel lanes between Braddock Road and Gallows Road for
through traffic on the Beltway in December, 2010 an improvement over the
current schedule of 14 months.
Sound wall construction and required utility relocation is also moving
quickly now that the weather has improved. The contractor hopes to
complete the North Springfield segment parallel to Jervis Street within
three months. A link to the full presentation on these modifications can
be found at:
http://www.vamegaprojects.com/faqsdocuments/i495-hot-lanes-documents/#Presentations
A Project Fact Sheet is available at:
http://www.vamegaprojects.com/about-megaprojects/i495-hot-lanes/i495-fact-sheet-page/
Traffic Calming Measures may be Coming to Wakefield Chapel Road
All interested community members are invited to attend a meeting -
hosted by Supervisor Cook - that will examine possible traffic slowing
measures along Wakefield Chapel Road. The meeting will take place on
Thursday, April 29, 2010, 7:30 PM at Wakefield Forest Elementary School.
Representatives from VDOT and FCDOT will be joined by Supervisor Cook and
Delegate Watts, to talk about traffic flow along Wakefield Chapel Road
since the HOT Lanes construction has begun. They will discuss what
options might be feasible to deal with increasing traffic and speeding
along what has become an important north-south route in the Braddock
District.
This is an important opportunity for you as residents to take a look at
the options and to share any concerns you may have. Please mark your
calendars!
Long Range Transportation Planning - May 5 at Braddock/Fairfax/Mason Forum
On May 5, at 7:30 P.M., the Braddock/Fairfax/Mason Forum will be meeting
at the City of Fairfax City Hall Council Chambers. Information will be
presented on the Long Range Transportation and Traffic Management
Planning Group’s study. This group is a combination of Supervisor Cook’s
prior Braddock/GMU Forum and a similar group formed by Fairfax City and
GMU.
The presentation will inform community members of future plans and goals
regarding transportation in and around the George Mason University
campus. All who are interested in the ideas being discussed for future
traffic and transportation management in this busy area of the Braddock
District are most welcome to attend.
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