Virginia

[1995hoo]

cp's comments probably help explain what that odd single separate lane is just north of the inbound exit to Reagan Airport and Boundary Channel drive. It's been unused for as long as I can remember but I've always thought it looked like a bus pull-off. Maybe this is the answer. Thanks for the info.

Regarding a new ped/bike connection to the trail, I saw a proposal to rebuild the Boundary Channel Drive interchange as two roundabouts with a trail connection as part of it. I'm not sure that would work. I usually like roundabouts, but the inbound traffic in the morning backs up far enough that it would lock up the proposed roundabout on that side unless there were bypass lanes.

[cpzilliacus]

I'm just curious what it looks like inside, whether it's something to try to explore sometime, etc. Of course the difficulty is figuring out a good place to park and walk to it, given the proximity of restricted Pentagon lots.

Parking anywhere near there will draw pretty immediate attention from the Pentagon Police, and sometimes the Virginia State Police (only rarely have I seen  the Arlington County Police in this area). Unless you have official business there, I would refrain from any urban exploration in those tunnels.

[cpzilliacus]

Regarding a new ped/bike connection to the trail, I saw a proposal to rebuild the Boundary Channel Drive interchange as two roundabouts with a trail connection as part of it. I'm not sure that would work. I usually like roundabouts, but the inbound traffic in the morning backs up far enough that it would lock up the proposed roundabout on that side unless there were bypass lanes.

The challenge is getting from the portal on the northbound side to the Mount Vernon Trail without having to cross live and heavy traffic of the G.W. Parkway mainline, and the ramps at the interchange between the GWMP and I-395.  The portals would need to be rebuilt (starting with demolition of the three sets of stairs - the portal on the median between the express lanes and  the northbound mainline lanes has no stairs) to be compliant with ADA and to allow easy bike access, and a new lighting system would need to be installed.  But I think the tunnels themselves are in good condition still, so this should not be an especially expensive project as far as the tunnels are concerned. But again, getting from the portal on the northbound side to the Mount Vernon Trail will almost certainly require an expensive new bike and pedestrian bridge.  Maybe spanning the ramps as well.  And it would need approval from the National Park Service (including a design that is appropriate for spanning the GWMP).

[1995hoo]

Sorry, I wasn't clear–the plan I saw had a new connection running along Boundary Channel itself and over towards the Humpback Bridge. It wouldn't use those tunnels.

I asked about the tunnels because passing the one the other day reminded me of them and piqued my curiosity.

[Mapmikey]

Another abandoned ped tunnel under I-395 just north of VA 120...

https://www.arlnow.com/2013/05/30/county-no-plan-to-reopen-abandoned-tunnel-under-i-395/

[cpzilliacus]

Sorry, I wasn't clear–the plan I saw had a new connection running along Boundary Channel itself and over towards the Humpback Bridge. It wouldn't use those tunnels.

I asked about the tunnels because passing the one the other day reminded me of them and piqued my curiosity.

No problem.  Though re-use of the tunnels like that would make it easier for bicycles and maybe even pedestrians to get from the Mount Vernon Trail to the Pentagon.

[cpzilliacus]

Another abandoned ped tunnel under I-395 just north of VA 120...

https://www.arlnow.com/2013/05/30/county-no-plan-to-reopen-abandoned-tunnel-under-i-395/

There used to be one just south of Va. 642 in  Lorton, but I could not find evidence of it on Google.

Then there's the mother-of-all-pedestrian tunnels in the Dumfries/Dale City area, at the weigh/inspection station.  It runs under I-95 from the southbound overweight truck parking lot to the scalehouse on the northbound side of I-95. 

There are only rarely enforcement personnel on the southbound side, so drivers of overweight or overheight or overlength vehicles must park their trucks, bring their credentials and other paperwork and enter that tunnel and walk over to the scalehouse on the northbound side (the mouth of the tunnel on the northbound side is in the scalehouse) to have paperwork checked (and in many  cases be issued a ticket). 

It may not seem that far from Google, but  it is a long  walk in a pretty confined tunnel to cross over.

[1995hoo]

There's also the still-open (as far as I know) tunnel along Holmes Run just north of Landmark. I believe I read somewhere (for some reason I'm thinking it may have been a comment here from froggie) that it's to be cleaned up and improved, especially given how it apparently floods when it rains. I keep meaning to park and look at it some day, I just never get around to it.

If I went to check out the one near Boundary Channel Drive, I'd probably park down Long Bridge Drive, as has been suggested. (For some reason I seem to recall that street being called Old Jeff Davis Highway, though the BGS on southbound I-395 refers to Clark Street.)

[cpzilliacus]

There's also the still-open (as far as I know) tunnel along Holmes Run just north of Landmark. I believe I read somewhere (for some reason I'm thinking it may have been a comment here from froggie) that it's to be cleaned up and improved, especially given how it apparently floods when it rains. I keep meaning to park and look at it some day, I just never get around to it.

If I went to check out the one near Boundary Channel Drive, I'd probably park down Long Bridge Drive, as has been suggested. (For some reason I seem to recall that street being called Old Jeff Davis Highway, though the BGS on southbound I-395  refers to Clark Street.)

Yes, I think at least some of that was formerly S. Clark Street.

Because the tunnel entrances were barriered off, there is not much to see, unless they have been broken down.

[Mapmikey]

Another abandoned ped tunnel under I-395 just north of VA 120...

https://www.arlnow.com/2013/05/30/county-no-plan-to-reopen-abandoned-tunnel-under-i-395/

There used to be one just south of Va. 642 in  Lorton, but I could not find evidence of it on Google.

Then there's the mother-of-all-pedestrian tunnels in the Dumfries/Dale City area, at the weigh/inspection station.  It runs under I-95 from the southbound overweight truck parking lot to the scalehouse on the northbound side of I-95. 

There are only rarely enforcement personnel on the southbound side, so drivers of overweight or overheight or overlength vehicles must park their trucks, bring their credentials and other paperwork and enter that tunnel and walk over to the scalehouse on the northbound side (the mouth of the tunnel on the northbound side is in the scalehouse) to have paperwork checked (and in many  cases be issued a ticket). 

It may not seem that far from Google, but  it is a long  walk in a pretty confined tunnel to cross over.

The Lorton tunnel (along original SR 642 alignment prior to VA 350 construction) is here: https://goo.gl/maps/yM6fg7SH9d82
This was covered up when the HOV lanes were constructed (by building what is now the NB lanes of I-95).

There are a few Virginia weigh stations with a tunnel like the one in Dale City.

Also, from the original tunnel question, the sidewalk/ped tunnel system also connected to a 3rd bus stop on GW Pkwy SB (thanks to CPZ for the bus stop analysis).  The system connected all 3 bus stops to the mystery facility (now figured out this was a Hot Shoppes Restaurant) in the median plus via an underpass used by Long Bridge Dr under the NB lanes of the freeway, over to the Twin Bridges Marriott which opened in 1957 and billed itself as one of the earliest airport parking hotels, and perhaps the sidewalk system (partially existed without any tunnels in 1951) was beefed up so folks could take the bus to the airport...?.

When Shirley Hwy was greatly expanded in the early 1970s, the Hot Shoppes Restaurant and the Long Bridge Dr underpass (which was not original to the highway construction - it is not in the 1951 aerial) were removed and the westernmost tunnel had a new sidewalk built to curl around underneath 395 on Boundary Channel Drive to be able to reach the Marriott, which closed in 1988 and was demolished in 1990.

1964 and 1979 screen shots follow:





edit was that I figured out what the mystery facility was...

[1995hoo]

Thanks for those. Looking at the current satellite view on Apple Maps (which is loading faster for me tonight than Google), I see it appears the stub end of that sidewalk is still now near the Metro (Fenwick) bridge. I'd try to look for it from the train except we've been driving during the current SafeTrack phase and will absolutely drive during the next two phases.

[froggie]

No problem.  Though re-use of the tunnels like that would make it easier for bicycles and maybe even pedestrians to get from the Mount Vernon Trail to the Pentagon.

Not really...one would still have to get over a loop ramp and the GW Pkwy to access the MVT from those tunnels.  And the stairs to the tunnels would be a problem for bikes.  The Humpback Bridge project got half of a trail between MVT and the Pentagon area built...just need to get the other half along the south side of the Boundary Channel finished.

[cpzilliacus]

No problem.  Though re-use of the tunnels like that would make it easier for bicycles and maybe even pedestrians to get from the Mount Vernon Trail to the Pentagon.

Not really...one would still have to get over a loop ramp and the GW Pkwy to access the MVT from those tunnels.  And the stairs to the tunnels would be a problem for bikes.  The Humpback Bridge project got half of a trail between MVT and the Pentagon area built...just need to get the other half along the south side of the Boundary Channel finished.

I covered those issues above.  There would probably need to be a bridge from the portal next to the northbound lanes of I-395 to connect to the MVT.

The tunnels need to have the stairs entering them demolished anyway, and could be re-built with more bike-friendly (and ADA-compliant) ramps with a reasonably gentle grades. 

[froggie]

Would still be cheaper to finish the path from the Humpback Bridge over to Boundary Channel Dr.  More direct connection to the Pentagon too.

[cpzilliacus]

Would still be cheaper to finish the path from the Humpback Bridge over to Boundary Channel Dr.  More direct connection to the Pentagon too.

I am not disputing that.  But having a connection to those old tunnels (and at that point, from the tunnel portal on the northbound side of 395 over to the Long Bridge Drive (formerly S. Clark Street) still seems like a winner. 

[froggie]

Given that Arlington County has plans to extend Long Bridge Park to the river (and hopefully tie it into a bike/ped path on any new Long Bridge that gets built), I doubt it'd get any traction.

[cpzilliacus]

Given that Arlington County has plans to extend Long Bridge Park to the river (and hopefully tie it into a bike/ped path on any new Long Bridge that gets built), I doubt it'd get any traction.

Wonder if the Arlington County staff people even know that the tunnels exist.

[Thing 342]

Gilmerton Bridge stuck open; to be closed for "several days" (WAVY): http://wavy.com/2016/06/28/gilmerton-bridge-stuck-open-due-to-major-malfunction/

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post: McAuliffe hoping to lock in federal grant for big road, rail projects

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) said Wednesday that he hopes to hear very soon that the federal government will grant as much as $200 million to the commonwealth to advance the Atlantic Gateway transportation projects. The projects include an extension of the 95 Express Lanes south to Fredericksburg, a new Interstate 95 bridge over the Rappahannock River and a fix for the aging Long Bridge over the Potomac River, as well as other rail improvements in Northern Virginia.

"I think we'll know in the next few days,"  McAuliffe said during his "Ask the Governor"  show on WTOP radio. McAuliffe was buoyant in describing the potential impact of this set of transportation projects, not only on travel along the I-95 corridor in Northern Virginia but also on long-range travel through the southeastern United States.

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post:  Virginia looks for a breakthrough on East Coast congestion

While the Metro transit system struggles to find its way and Democrats squabble with Republicans over Maryland's transportation program, Virginia is on a pretty good roll.

In fact, when Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) addresses commuter issues, he sounds like a guy stoking up for a reelection bid. That is, if you could run for a second term in Virginia.

"We've done everything we promised to do"  for Northern Virginia, he told the Commonwealth Transportation Board in early June. He was referring to, among other things, his administration's plan to "Transform 66,"  the interstate where so many of his constituents spend precious hours.

By next summer, the Virginia Department of Transportation plans to change the experience of commuting inside the Capital Beltway by turning on system of high-occupancy toll lanes at rush hours and launching a set of programs that will make it easier for commuters to leave their cars behind before they reach those toll gantries.

[Mapmikey]

2016-18 Virginia Official Map is now available:

http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/maps-default.asp

[WillWeaverRVA]

2016-18 Virginia Official Map is now available:

http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/maps-default.asp

Good to see they have US 250 ending at...uh, "Twenty-Oneth Street" in downtown Richmond...

Also, VA 337 ALT is mislabeled as "ALT VA 334" in the Norfolk Downtown inset...and it looks like VA 167's ghost has yet to be exorcised from the Hampton/Newport News inset.

[Mapmikey]

2016-18 Virginia Official Map is now available:

http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/maps-default.asp

Good to see they have US 250 ending at...uh, "Twenty-Oneth Street" in downtown Richmond...

Also, VA 337 ALT is mislabeled as "ALT VA 334" in the Norfolk Downtown inset...and it looks like VA 167's ghost has yet to be exorcised from the Hampton/Newport News inset.

The insets might still be the previous edition...VDOT does not always change these promptly (or sometimes at all)...

[74/171FAN]

2016-18 Virginia Official Map is now available:

http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/maps-default.asp

Good to see they have US 250 ending at...uh, "Twenty-Oneth Street" in downtown Richmond...

Also, VA 337 ALT is mislabeled as "ALT VA 334" in the Norfolk Downtown inset...and it looks like VA 167's ghost has yet to be exorcised from the Hampton/Newport News inset.

2016-18 Virginia Official Map is now available:

http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/maps-default.asp

Good to see they have US 250 ending at...uh, "Twenty-Oneth Street" in downtown Richmond...

Also, VA 337 ALT is mislabeled as "ALT VA 334" in the Norfolk Downtown inset...and it looks like VA 167's ghost has yet to be exorcised from the Hampton/Newport News inset.

The insets might still be the previous edition...VDOT does not always change these promptly (or sometimes at all)...

The errors are in the previous edition as I just checked mine.  The VA 5/VA 156 error as VA 6/VA 156 in the Richmond inset from before is somehow cut off on the online insets though.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Ooh, gotcha.