Virginia

[plain]

The driver has been charged with reckless driving. But here's the weird part: it stopped at the weigh station, which is just to the east of the signs. So was the bed raised between there and the signs or was it raised at the station? I think it was raised right before hitting that sign as there are signs before this (after the weigh station) and none of those were hit.

[webny99]

Well, that's one way to create a dramatic photo shoot.. I had to come make sure this was mentioned here when I saw it. 

Here's an article with some more info.
https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/crash-closes-i-64-henrico-sept-5-2024

[WillWeaverRVA]

Google Maps has decided that I-87 exists in Virginia now (despite VDOT not being particularly interested in it), and identifies US 17 in Chesapeake solely as I-87.

[Joseph R P]

Google Maps has decided that I-87 exists in Virginia now (despite VDOT not being particularly interested in it), and identifies US 17 in Chesapeake solely as I-87.

They did the same thing with US 70 in New Bern, NC as I 42, for a while. They have removed it now and I suspect the same thing will happen to this new I 87 segment, eventually.

Curious as to how this happens.

[sprjus4]

Google Maps has decided that I-87 exists in Virginia now (despite VDOT not being particularly interested in it), and identifies US 17 in Chesapeake solely as I-87.

It has been mistakenly listed that way for a couple weeks now, and it extends the entire length from Raleigh to Chesapeake.

[1995hoo]

You can report it as an error. A few months ago, Corridor H showed up as a completed road, including west of Davis and Thomas through to Parsons. I reported it as an error and they removed it a few days later. Most likely the person who added the I-87 shields is the same sort of person who rushes to edit Wikipedia articles based on some news report that says "sources say" something "may" happen.

[Joseph R P]

Looks like the the I 87 shield icons are gone now.

[plain]

Not sure why I didn't notice this before, but VDOT has mile markers on I-64 EB between Hampton Roads and I-295 that faces BOTH directions. The backside has REV on it instead of EAST/WEST, I assume it means REVERSE, in the event Hampton Roads has to be evacuated.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zKbKWGmGpP1p14C36?g_st=ac

[WillWeaverRVA]

Not sure why I didn't notice this before, but VDOT has mile markers on I-64 EB between Hampton Roads and I-295 that faces BOTH directions. The backside has REV on it instead of EAST/WEST, I assume it means REVERSE, in the event Hampton Roads has to be evacuated.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zKbKWGmGpP1p14C36?g_st=ac

Yup, that's correct. Those are for use if contraflow ever needs to be activated in Hampton Roads. That's why there are also gates on the ramps on eastbound I-64.

[Mapmikey]

VDOT has also installed these on the Fredericksburg local/express set up:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ec8EyT8kzR8gshWcA

https://maps.app.goo.gl/bp1o7HjNTH1Woaew9

[1995hoo]

Whereas on the Beltway in the quad-carriageway area west of the Wilson Bridge, the mile markers face traffic and have "OLL" or "ILL" and "OLT" or "ILT" at the top (denoting Inner or Outer Loop and then Local or Thru). You can pan the image linked below to see both if it's too wide for your screen.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/vxPcQffWBaz2RFKG9

[1995hoo]

Note there will be several permanent street closures (most notably Southgate Road) associated with this. Arlington Cemetery is to take over the land where those streets are.

https://x.com/ArlingtonNatl/status/1836746796413960201

[74/171FAN]

I guess the real question here is whether I need to reclinch VA 244 (or not).

[WillWeaverRVA]

I guess the real question here is whether I need to reclinch VA 244 (or not).

That segment isn't part of VA 244. The ArcGIS map was updated to correctly show VA 244 ending at the Fairfax/Arlington county line.

[froggie]

^ Correct.  VDOT truncated 244 to the county line back in 2010.

[74/171FAN]

AFAIK, mapmikey has not made a final decision to truncate VA 244 to the county line in Travel Mapping due to signage (unless these posts changed that call).

[1995hoo]

We used the new alignment of Columbia Pike for the first time last night en route to the Caps game (a wreck blocking three lanes of I-395 made it an easy call to go that way, and then we almost always go over Memorial Bridge anyway but baseball traffic made it a certainty we'd do so last night).

I didn't get any pictures, both because I had to concentrate on where I was going and because of two very erratic drivers ahead of us. The existing part of Columbia Pike is in horrific condition from Walter Reed Drive all the way down to the start of the new portion. The road looked and felt like they'd torn it up for utility work and then did a half-arsed repair job. As for the new segment, it's not 100% finished. Some more paving work is needed where it meets the old alignment at the VA-27 interchange, and the new traffic light at Joyce Street is not yet operational such that there is an all-way stop sign there for the moment (which seemed to confuse the erratic drivers). I assume at some point there will be BGSs for the ramps to VA-27, but right now all that exist are some small post-mounted shields—one of which is an error shield pointing the way to "US-27 West."

I have no idea what they're building between the new Columbia Pike and I-395. I know Arlington Cemetery is to be expanded to take over the area on the other side where the Navy Annex used to be and the surrounding grounds, but there appears to be some sort of massive foundation for something going in between the new road and the highway. No idea what. Overall that area strikes me as a somewhat less peaceful area for graves than the rest of the cemetery (my father is at the extreme other end and you don't hear any traffic noise down there when you visit).

So all in all, it was nothing terribly interesting and the road conditions made it less conducive to looking around than might otherwise have been the case.

[Thing 342]

Curious when construction of the next phase of the I-64 widening project will resume. The weeds in the area they cleared behind the jersey barrier are getting rather tall.

[1995hoo]

https://x.com/VaDOTNOVA/status/1842223493972205937

For those wanting a map, Soapstone Drive is at the bottom center (at least as it displays on my screen). Satellite view might make it a little clearer in terms of what sorts of development is in the way and how the road would need to curve a bit if they want to avoid taking commercial buildings.

[WillWeaverRVA]

https://x.com/VaDOTNOVA/status/1842223493972205937

For those wanting a map, Soapstone Drive is at the bottom center (at least as it displays on my screen). Satellite view might make it a little clearer in terms of what sorts of development is in the way and how the road would need to curve a bit if they want to avoid taking commercial buildings.

This seems like a weird project. Is traffic on Wiehle Avenue and Reston Parkway so bad that another bridge is needed? It also seems like they'd need to knock down quite a bit of development to make it happen.

[1995hoo]

This seems like a weird project. Is traffic on Wiehle Avenue and Reston Parkway so bad that another bridge is needed? It also seems like they'd need to knock down quite a bit of development to make it happen.

I don't know. I know someone who lives on Durand Drive (the next block down off Soapstone), so I suppose I could ask her about it. I wonder if the primary intent is to provide more direct pedestrian and bike access but the reason for providing vehicular access has something to do with access to funding? I don't know, I'm just speculating, but I have a feeling a bridge spanning the Dulles Access and Toll Roads, plus the Metrorail line in the median, might be viewed as an extravagance if it were just for pedestrians and cyclists.

[Thing 342]

I would guess that the purpose of this project is to break up some of the office park blocks and allow denser construction in the Reston Station area. Here's the project map from the Fairfax County website:


Many of those office blocks are underutilized or vacant and could be redeveloped as residential / retail. Given the insanely long timeframe of this project (construction starting 2032!!!), I'm guessing this is to accommodate future growth in the area.

[VTGoose]

The Library of Virginia regularly publishes a blog on the various holdings in the library. Today's blog covered the opening of the the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority records covering 1954-1983. The files includes "agreements, brochures, by-laws, correspondence, designs, financial records, legislation, reports, specifications, and oversize maps." There is also an extensive number of photographs that "document the building of the turnpike, [while] they also document the destruction of many homes and businesses in Jackson Ward, Richmond's oldest historically African American neighborhood."

https://uncommonwealth.virginiamemory.com/blog/2024/10/09/richmond-petersburg-turnpike-authority/