Recent heavy rains and their traffic impacts

[cpzilliacus]

I was out in the rain this weekend, and some of the downpours were near-torrential in scale.

I-95 closed at N.C.-Va. line after heavy rain, floods

Steady rains flood region

[Beltway]

I was out in the rain this weekend, and some of the downpours were near-torrential in scale.

I-95 closed at N.C.-Va. line after heavy rain, floods

Old news ... reopened almost 2 days ago.

[Alps]

Apparently a brief, localized cloudburst tied up traffic horribly at GSP/US 22 a few days ago - at least, so I was told, but I continue to believe there was some other incident involved.

[cpzilliacus]

Apparently a brief, localized cloudburst tied up traffic horribly at GSP/US 22 a few days ago - at least, so I was told, but I continue to believe there was some other incident involved.

Isn't there a point someplace near there where the Parkway goes "low" under some other roads (in relationship to the surrounding terrain)? 

Though I think that's north of U.S. 22, someplace close to I-280.

[Alps]

Apparently a brief, localized cloudburst tied up traffic horribly at GSP/US 22 a few days ago - at least, so I was told, but I continue to believe there was some other incident involved.

Isn't there a point someplace near there where the Parkway goes "low" under some other roads (in relationship to the surrounding terrain)? 

Though I think that's north of U.S. 22, someplace close to I-280.

Actually it's US 22 itself with the low point known for flooding, east of the GSP by Weequahic Park. The Parkway has a long depressed section but not known for flooding.

[NJRoadfan]

Apparently a brief, localized cloudburst tied up traffic horribly at GSP/US 22 a few days ago - at least, so I was told, but I continue to believe there was some other incident involved.

I should know, I got caught in it! Luckily the flood waters didn't start to raise until after I drove under the parkway. Coming back an hour later, I saw the backup. The eastbound side of US-22 dives under the parkway there, but its rare to see it close for flooding.

[Alps]

Apparently a brief, localized cloudburst tied up traffic horribly at GSP/US 22 a few days ago - at least, so I was told, but I continue to believe there was some other incident involved.

I should know, I got caught in it! Luckily the flood waters didn't start to raise until after I drove under the parkway. Coming back an hour later, I saw the backup. The eastbound side of US-22 dives under the parkway there, but its rare to see it close for flooding.

Oh, that's interesting, so they closed 22, that explains the WB backup... but then why was the NB Parkway backed up for 8 miles?

[cpzilliacus]

Apparently a brief, localized cloudburst tied up traffic horribly at GSP/US 22 a few days ago - at least, so I was told, but I continue to believe there was some other incident involved.

I should know, I got caught in it! Luckily the flood waters didn't start to raise until after I drove under the parkway. Coming back an hour later, I saw the backup. The eastbound side of US-22 dives under the parkway there, but its rare to see it close for flooding.

I asked because that segment of the GSP resembles D.C. Route 295 (Kenilworth Avenue, N.E.) as it passes under Eastern Avenue and as the southbound lanes pass under ramps to and from Benning Road.  And D.C. 295 does flood sometimes (though I wonder if some work was done to lessen the impact of heavy rain when the Eastern Avenue bridge was totally replaced by DDOT recently).

[1995hoo]

Last night (Sunday) we were in Falls Church for a concert at the State Theatre and it was raining a little when we left; we then drove into a downpour on the way home via I-66 and the Beltway. There was so much water on the Beltway that the HO/T lane pylons were rather disconcerting because they're quite highly reflective and they were clearly mirrored in the water. Very strange visual effect. (It was also well-near impossible to see the lines on the road, even on the brand-new pavement, but that's fairly normal in Virginia.)

Funny thing, Saturday we were coming back from Charlottesville and the DC-area lightning gave us quite the light show for much of the ride–started seeing it between Gordonsville and Orange and then across VA-3, but once we turned onto I-95 it gave this bizarre effect of a super-bright sky behind some very dark clouds. Odd thing is, for all that lightning we never got any rain. Good thing, too–the HOV lanes are already a rutted mess in several places where they've shifted the lanes and pulled up the old lane markings, and in the rain it would be downright difficult to tell where the lines are.