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Tag: vdot

  • How crews are patching up potholes before asphalt plants reopen – WTOP News

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    Potholes are a fact of life in the D.C. area. In fact, anywhere you have snow and roads, you’re bound to find potholes, especially as temperatures fluctuate above and below freezing.

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    How crews are patching up potholes before asphalt plants reopen

    Potholes are a fact of life in the D.C. area. In fact, anywhere you have snow and roads, you’re bound to find potholes, especially as temperatures fluctuate above and below freezing.

    As water freezes and seeps into cracks in pavement, it expands and can be broken up “with all the cars traveling over it,” Alex Liggitt, the communications manager for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Northern Virginia District, said.

    The melting snow on the roads refreezes at night and weakens the pavement. Traffic then breaks it up, eventually resulting in a pothole.

    The problem, Liggitt told WTOP, is that it’s too cold right now to make asphalt to permanently smooth over roadways.

    The next possible solution for VDOT and other transportation departments in the D.C. region is a “cold patch.” It’s similar to asphalt but does not need to be hot when put onto roads.

    Road crews go out to potholes, fill them with the cold patch and “they use a big, big, big tamp that just kind of pounds that down,” Liggitt said.

    While it’s not as smooth as regular asphalt, it’s a good temporary fix. Best of all, it’s quick for the road crews to do.

    Liggitt said VDOT makes every attempt to do their road repairs when traffic is light, but drivers still need to remain vigilant and look out for repair crews on the road.

    “The one thing that we’re asking folks is if you do come across those mobile pothole operations, make sure you’re slowing down, you’re paying attention, phone down, you get around them. Allow them a lot of extra space out there, because they are out on the roads trying to fix the road while you are there,” Liggitt said.

    To report a pothole on your drive in Virginia call 800-367-7623 and in D.C. call 311. For any potholes in Maryland, you can fill out an online form on the Maryland Department of Transportation’s website.

    WTOP’s Scott Gelman contributed to this report.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Thomas Robertson

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  • Record-breaking holiday travel is expected in the DC region. Here are some traffic changes – WTOP News

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    AAA is projecting that 2.5 million Marylanders and 3.4 million Virginians will be driving somewhere this week and next during the holidays.

    If you’re traveling on the road over the holiday season, you will certainly not be alone. AAA is expecting records to be broken through New Year’s Day.

    They project that 2.5 million Marylanders and 3.4 million Virginians will be driving somewhere this week and the next. Experts are crediting lower gas prices as a motivating factor to hit the road over the holiday season.

    “There’s going to be more traffic on the roadway. Obviously, it’s easier to travel. We did see that around Thanksgiving, during that holiday,” Charlie Gischlar, deputy director of communications with the Maryland State Highway Administration, told WTOP. “Just expect a lot of company on the roadways, and always give yourself plenty of time.”

    Gischlar added that MDOT-SHA are doing some things to help relieve congestion.

    To help ease the burden, there will be some traffic changes in the D.C. region to help bring the holiday spirit.

    Maryland

    In Maryland, there will be no lane closures for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge for Dec. 24-26 and Jan. 1, according to the state’s transportation authority.

    On Monday and Tuesday from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., the westbound span could be closed due to maintenance work. As a result, there will be two-way traffic on the eastbound span.

    Also on Monday and Tuesday, one lane of the eastbound span could be closed due to maintenance work from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

    “We also enhance our highway patrollers in a lot of areas that are really heavy because they can get on the scene quicker, remove disabled vehicle debris or help clear crashes to the shoulder and get those lanes open as soon as possible,” Gischlar said. “Those are some of the things that we’re doing to try to get out of people’s way and help keep traffic moving around the holidays.”

    The westbound span could be closed for the following days and times:

    • Saturday, Dec. 27 — 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
    • Sunday, Dec. 28 — 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
    • Monday, Dec. 29, and Tuesday, Dec. 30 — 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
    • Friday, Jan. 2 — 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.
    • Saturday, Jan. 3 — 8 p.m. to 9 a.m.

    The eastbound span could be closed for the following days and times:

    • Monday, Dec. 29, and Tuesday, Dec. 30 — 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
    • Friday, Jan. 2 — 9 a.m. to noon

    Virginia

    In Virginia, the state’s department of transportation will make life easier for its resident travelers.

    A lot of the highway work zones will be suspended, along with the temporary lane closures on Virginia’s interstates and major roads being lifted from noon on Wednesday to noon on Friday, and from noon on Wednesday, Dec. 31, to noon on Friday, Jan. 2.

    But travelers could come across semi-permanent work zones that will stay in place, despite the lifted lane closures.

    Virginia residents can look to VDOT’s travel advisories website for any travel alerts. They can also check out the free mobile 511 app.

    Tips on driving safely on the roadways during the holidays include putting on your seat belt, not looking at your phone while driving and leaving early for extra time to get to your destination.

    WTOP’s Alan Etter contributed to this story.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Tadiwos Abedje

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  • I-495 Express Lanes extension to open Saturday before holiday rush – WTOP News

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    A major construction project on the Beltway in Virginia is almost complete and set to open this weekend. Construction on the 14-mile extension of the express lanes began in March of 2022 and was supposed to last until the middle of 2026.

    A major construction project on the Capital Beltway in Virginia is almost complete, and the new lanes are set to open this weekend.

    CLICK TO ENLARGE: A map shows the extension. (Courtesy Virginia Department of Transportation)

    Work on the 2.5-mile extension of the existing 14 miles of express lanes on Interstate 495 began in March of 2022 and was supposed to last until the middle of 2026.

    However, the Virginia Department of Transportation said in a news release that the new lanes are expected to open Saturday, ahead of busy Thanksgiving travel.

    “We look forward to start delivering relief and new options to travelers who have faced daily congestion and unreliable travel in this busy section of the Capital Beltway for years,” VDOT Megaprojects Director Michelle Shropshire said.

    The 495 Express Lanes northern extension includes two new express lanes in each direction of I-495 that connect with the existing 14-mile 495 Express Lanes near the Dulles Corridor Interchange and extend north to the George Washington Memorial Parkway before the American Legion Bridge into Maryland.

    The $660 million project has not been without controversy. Some of the neighbors near the construction have long complained that the project doesn’t solves any traffic problems. Others have been upset about rough roads and other construction issues in their neighborhood.

    After the new lanes open Saturday, construction of the new Beltway bridges at Georgetown Pike, as well as other finishing work throughout the corridor, will continue into 2026.

    Another project not yet finished is a shared-use path parallel to the Beltway from Lewinsville Road to near Live Oak Drive.

    VDOT said the new lanes will work just like under the other express lanes in Virginia. Travel on the lanes is free for high-occupant vehicles, HOV, with three or more people. Everyone else will pay fees based on traffic conditions.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Kyle Cooper

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  • Despite concerns, Fairfax Co. supervisors tout proposed Beltway toll lane extension to cut commutes – WTOP News

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    Several Fairfax County Supervisors on Tuesday indicated support for a proposal to extend toll lanes through an 11-mile stretch of the Capital Beltway.

    Several Fairfax County Supervisors on Tuesday indicated support for a proposal to extend toll lanes through an 11-mile stretch of the Capital Beltway, despite concerns about neighborhood impacts and bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

    During a Board of Supervisors Transportation Committee meeting Tuesday, Michelle Shropshire, the Northern Virginia megaprojects director for the Virginia Department of Transportation, provided an update and overview of the project.

    The plan would offer two express lanes in each direction, starting on the western end near the Springfield interchange. The express lanes would continue eastward across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to the 295 interchange, and then there would be one express lane in each direction for the remaining section of the project to the Maryland Route 210 interchange, Shropshire said.

    The proposal includes more than 7 miles of bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and would include a new bus route connecting part of Prince George’s County and Tysons.

    The project, which is in its early stages and is subject to change, would relieve congestion, improve safety and create additional travel choices, Shropshire said. An initial traffic analysis found 2,400 more people would be moved during peak hours.

    It also would still allow for the possible expansion of Metro across the Wilson Bridge, Shropshire said.

    A ‘political problem’

    However, the project’s fate is unclear, particularly because Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said it has a “pretty significant political problem.”

    “The linchpin problem here is that Virginia has lost its capacity on this project to reasonably communicate with Maryland, and that’s unfortunate,” McKay said Tuesday.

    WTOP has contacted Gov. Wes Moore’s office for comment on his position on the proposal.

    In October, the D.C. area’s Transportation Planning Board will vote on whether to include the Virginia Beltway project in its regional Visualize 2050 transportation plan. The final plan is scheduled to be approved in December. The Virginia project wouldn’t be able to get funding from the federal government if it’s not included in the plan.

    If the board doesn’t approve the plan, McKay said it may be four years before the project can be considered again.

    “All the data and work that’s been done here is garbage because four years from now, we’ll be talking about how much worse delays, how much worse traffic is in this area, all new conditions that have to be reevaluated,” McKay said.

    Support for the project at the TPB, Shropshire said, “does not mean that it is a vote for us to build the project right away and start moving dirt, but it’s about continuing with our process. It is continuing to refine the scope.”

    Possibility for faster travel times

    VDOT has been studying the corridor for years, starting with an environmental assessment initiated in 2022. The transit agency said the project would increase average speeds in the general purpose lanes, and result in faster travel times.

    Shropshire said if the process continues, the next step would be a detailed traffic analysis that includes the impact on local roads, to “ensure that these adjacent roadways or parallel facilities would operate in an acceptable manner.”

    Mt. Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said the main issue he’s hearing from residents is “making sure that it truly has a net benefit to the communities that it’s, if you will, bisecting.”

    As for the proposed more than 7 miles of bike and pedestrian infrastructure, Supervisor Rodney Lusk said the plans “are not as expansive as they could be.”

    Still, local lawmakers signaled support to continue exploring the possibility of extending the toll lanes.

    “As someone who uses this almost every day, it’s approaching gridlock, American Legion Bridge-style gridlock, in the PM heading toward Maryland and in the AM heading into Virginia,” McKay said.

    Supervisor Dalia Palchik said the connectivity should be helpful to the economy because “we need housing. We need transportation. We need jobs, and we need them to be connected, right? And that’s what we hear from our community.”

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Scott Gelman

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  • Weekend roadwork scheduled on troublesome Beltway corridor that could lead to improvements – WTOP News

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    D.C.-area drivers beware, road closures are planned for this weekend on key routes in both Virginia and Maryland.

    D.C.-area drivers beware, road closures are planned for this weekend on key routes in both Virginia and Maryland.

    In Virginia, the disruptions are taking place on a stretch of road already plagued by frequent delays, which the weekend work may help alleviate when completed.

    The Virginia Department of Transportation announced lane and ramp closures will begin Friday at 9 p.m. and continue until 9 a.m. Sunday on the northbound lanes of the Capital Beltway between Leesburg Pike and the George Washington Parkway.

    Triple lane closures and ramp closures will be in effect Friday and Saturday nights, VDOT said, and a single lane closure is planned all day Saturday.

    VDOT said it plans to smooth out the main lanes of the Inner Loop through the construction area. The temporary ramp from the Inner Loop to the westbound Dulles Toll Road will close and the new ramp is scheduled to open. The exit will be about a third of a mile past the current exit.

    “This also foreshadows a more efficient traffic flow on the Inner Loop, smoothing out a lane shift and opening shoulder space for incidents that block lanes and lead to longer delays,” WTOP Traffic reporter Dave Dildine said. “It also marks the beginning of the end for this multiyear project which has previously led to daily backups and frustration.”

    While the weekend closures may be a pain, this troublesome corridor should be better off in the long run.

    “In general, barring incidents, traffic should move better once this is completed,” Dildine said.

    In the event of inclement weather or other delays, the work will take place the following weekend, VDOT said.

    Meanwhile, in Maryland, temporary closures of the Suitland Parkway that began Thursday continue through the weekend.

    The National Park Service is temporarily closing the parkway at the request of the U.S. Air Force during the Joint Base Andrews Air Show. The parkway will be closed from Forestville Road to Pennsylvania Avenue during the following times:

    • Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
    • Saturday from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
    • Sunday from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

    WTOP’s Dave Dildine contributed to this report.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Thomas Robertson

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  • VDOT safety patroller killed in I-95 crash while assisting driver – WTOP News

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    A safety service patroller with the Virginia Department of Transportation was killed Saturday night while helping a stranded driver along Interstate 95.

    A safety service patroller with the Virginia Department of Transportation was killed Saturday night while helping a stranded driver along Interstate 95.

    State Police said the crash happened just before 8 p.m. near the 151-mile marker.

    The patroller was assisting the driver of a disabled Audi on the shoulder and right travel lane when the driver of a Chrysler 300 lost control of the vehicle, veered across lanes and slammed into both men.

    The patroller later died at the hospital. He hasn’t been identified yet.

    The Audi driver suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

    Charges are pending as the investigation remains ongoing.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Will Vitka

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  • Middleburg weighs lower speed limits in historic downtown – WTOP News

    Middleburg weighs lower speed limits in historic downtown – WTOP News

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    Next time you visit historic Middleburg, Virginia you may notice something different — and if you don’t notice, it could cost you. The Middleburg Town Council is considering a proposal by the police chief to lower the speed limit in several streets in the downtown area.

    Under the proposal, the speed limit on Washington Street — Route 50, the man road through Middleburg — would be reduced from 25 miles per hour to 20.(WTOP/Neal Augenstein)

    Next time you visit historic Middleburg, Virginia, you may notice something different — and if you don’t notice, it could cost you.

    The Middleburg Town Council is considering a proposal by Police Chief Shaun Jones to lower the speed limit in several streets in the downtown area, known for its boutiques and restaurants

    Under the police chief’s proposal, which was discussed at the June 27 council meeting, the speed limit on Washington Street — Route 50, the main road through Middleburg — would be reduced from 25 mph to 20.

    On three nearby side streets — Madison, Marshall and Federal — the top speed would be reduced to 15 miles per hour.

    Jones told the council members that studies have shown the risk of pedestrians being hit by cars is greatly reduced, when the speed limit is lowered.

    Some council members questioned whether a 15 mph speed limit on side streets, and 20 mph on Washington Street was practical. According to Jones’ proposal, “Reducing the speed from 25 mph to 20 mph on Washington Street through Middleburg’s Historic District will only increase the time to drive through Town by 16 seconds.”

    The new proposal comes as a new Virginia law — HB1071 — includes a clause that towns and cities can “Reduce the speed limit to less than 25 miles per hour, but not less than 15 miles per hour, on any highway within its boundaries that is located in a business district or residence district, provided that such reduced speed limit is indicated by lawfully placed signs,” that the town would pay for.

    Jones’ proposal said the new signage would cost approximately $10,000.

    The proposal includes mentions of other proposals, generated by town staff, for enhancing safety. Those ideas include speed bumps, narrowed shoulders, a raised median and pedestrian-activated crossing lights. The proposal said most of the alternatives would require coordination with the Virginia Department of Transportation, which maintains U.S. Route 50.

    The town manager said the staff would finalize recommendations and prepare an ordinance for the council’s consideration in July.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Neal Augenstein

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  • Construction company and contractor Webber responsible for dumping bear carcass in Arlington – WTOP News

    Construction company and contractor Webber responsible for dumping bear carcass in Arlington – WTOP News

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    The Virginia Department of Transportation has named Webber as the contractor responsible for throwing a bear carcass that ended up near an Arlington trail off an overpass.

    This dead black bear was found in a plastic bag in Arlington, Virginia. (Courtesy Sonia Nayar)

    The Virginia Department of Transportation has named the contractor responsible for throwing a bear carcass that ended up near an Arlington, Virginia, trail off an overpass.

    VDOT confirmed to WTOP that Webber, which has an office in Fairfax County, was the contractor involved and the company has a five-year, $23.5 million contract with the department through June 2027. The department said it will continue to work with Webber for other tasks agreed upon in the contract.

    According to VDOT spokesperson Ellen Kamilakis, the department’s contractors inspect ongoing and completed work including paving, light and sign installation, cleaning of ditches, debris removal, tree trimming and mowing. They also perform short-term traffic control.

    The Animal Welfare League of Arlington said Monday it had learned the bear had been struck by a vehicle on Interstate-66 in Prince William County, and contractors took the bear carcass to Arlington, where they “illegally dumped the bear over an overpass onto the Custis Memorial Trail.”

    A woman walking the trail with her son and their dog Friday discovered the bear’s decomposing body.

    “I pulled my dog back and got a little closer, but not too close. And I saw something sticking out of the bag that I could tell was hair and an ear. But at that moment, I was like, ‘hair and ear of what?’” Arlington resident Sonia Nayar told WTOP.

    Nayar ended up calling the police.

    AWLA said it is working with the Department of Wildlife Resources to determine if charges will be filed against Webber for what it called “egregious behavior.”

    In a statement to WTOP, a Webber spokesperson said “a mistake was made,” and the company is investigating what happened.

    “We take this matter seriously and are investigating,” the spokesperson said. “We will work closely with VDOT and will ensure our employees receive the retraining they may need.”

    Webber was founded in 1963 and has completed construction projects around the country. The company established an office in Fairfax County in recent years.

    WTOP’s Joshua Barlow contributed to this report.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Thomas Robertson

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