A 2.5-mile segment of the George Washington Memorial Parkway remains inaccessible to traffic three days after a storm brought down over a dozen trees and left others severely damaged.
The closure from Belle View Blvd in Belle Haven to Alexandria Avenue in Fort Hunt is expected to continue at least through the morning rush hour tomorrow (Tuesday), as crews work to remove fallen and hazardous trees, the National Park Service announced this afternoon.
“Our top priority is public safety,” GW Parkway Superintendent Jennifer Madello said in a press release. “We appreciate the public’s patience as we respond to the storm’s impacts and ensure the area is safe for travel.”
That stretch of roadway south of Alexandria has been closed since Friday evening (May 16), when a storm swept through the D.C. region. While many parts of Fairfax County barely saw a drop of rain, the southeastern area got pummeled.
Two drivers were killed when trees fell on their cars, including one person who was on the GW Parkway near Morningside Lane in Fort Hunt, police reported. The other death occurred in Woodlawn on Frye Road.
According to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, the storm led to an increase in calls for service, and around 7:30 p.m., over 30,000 Dominion Energy customers in Fairfax County lost electrical power.
The National Park Service says heavy rainfall and winds that reached 70-80 mph took down approximately 15 trees directly onto the GW Parkway south of Alexandria, and more trees were felled elsewhere in the park.
“In addition, dozens more were significantly damaged, with cracked limbs, destabilized root systems, and entanglement in surrounding trees,” the park service said. “Before the road can safely reopen, hazardous trees that pose the most immediate risk must be removed.”
Crews with NPS and private contractors have been working extended shifts since Saturday (May 17) to clear the downed trees and other hazards along the parkway. Two arborists — one with the GW Parkway and one contractor — are also “actively assessing and prioritizing the most immediate public safety concerns,” the park service said.
“Crews are focused on addressing the highest-risk hazards first to reopen the road as soon as it is safe to do so,” NPS said.
The park service says it will “reassess conditions” on the parkway and provide an update tomorrow on when it might reopen to drivers.
Friday’s storm capped a rainy week in the D.C. region, which received approximately 2 to 5 inches of rain through Saturday morning, according to the Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang. While it presented dangers, the rain was needed to alleviate drought conditions that have plagued much of Virginia and the region for months.
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