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NOW: McLean’s Kirby Road caves under water main break, requiring closure

Kirby Road in McLean has caved in after a water main break (via FCPD/Twitter)

A key commuter road in McLean could be closed for days after getting seriously damaged by a water main break this morning (Friday).

Police officers responded to Kirby Road around 4:45 a.m., shutting down both lanes between Sugarstone Court and Claiborne Drive. A video shared by the Fairfax County Police Department shows water gushing up onto the asphalt roadway, buckling what appears to be the southbound lane.

Fairfax Water says it received reports from customers around 1400 Kirby Road that they had lost water service. A total of 18 homes have been affected, according to public information officer Jesse Aranda.

“This outage has been identified as a water main break and our crews and technicians are working on resolving the break as soon as possible,” the utility company said in an alert on its website. “We ask that affected customers watch social media and our main website to receive the latest updates regarding the progress of the main break repair.”

The “extensive damage” to Kirby Road “is estimated to take several days to repair,” the FCPD said, advising drivers to “plan accordingly” and avoid the area.

Aranda didn’t have an estimate for how long the repairs will take, but he said Fairfax Water teams are “going in right now” to restore service to the affected homes.

‘We’re going to try to take care of it as soon as possible,” Aranda told FFXnow, noting that the utility is taking into account that Kirby Road is heavily used by commuters.

While the exact cause of this rupture isn’t known yet, water main breaks are usually the result of wear and tear on aging pipes, Aranda says. Per Fairfax Water, freezing or severe weather, soil conditions, ground movement and construction can also be contributing factors.

He says Fairfax Water is working to upgrade its pipes as they get older, but with more than 4,000 miles of main in the county, it’s a long process. The company’s new pipes are made out of ductile iron, a stronger and more durable material.

“It’s something we work on over time,” Aranda said. “And then, we replace it with something…that’s going to last a very long time.”

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NEW: Teen pedestrian hospitalized by crash on Route 50 in West Falls Church

Eastbound Route 50 is closed after a crash that hospitalized a teen at Annandale Road in West Falls Church (via Google Maps)

A teen has suffered potentially life-threatening injuries in a crash on Route 50 near the Mosby neighborhood in West Falls Church.

Police and emergency medical personnel were dispatched to Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) at Annandale Road shortly before 8:30 p.m., according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.

“It looks like there’s a 13-year-old patient that’s unconscious. They are breathing,” a dispatcher told police at 8:28 p.m.

The teen was a pedestrian and has been transported to a hospital, the Fairfax County Police Department said. It’s unclear what vehicle was involved, but police said the driver stayed at the scene.

Eastbound Route 50 has been closed, and police are advising community members to avoid the area.

Map via Google Maps

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FCPD: Young bicyclist seriously injured in Dunn Loring crash

Fairfax County police car with lights flashing (file photo)

A child has been hospitalized with serious injuries after he was hit by a sedan while riding his bicycle on Idylwood Road, police say.

“Officers are on scene of a serious crash involving a cyclist at Idylwood Rd and Greenbrier Way in Dunn Loring,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a tweet at 1:04 p.m. “A juvenile male was taken to the hospital in serious condition.”

Police and medics with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were dispatched to the scene of a crash “involving a child” around 12:05 p.m., according to scanner traffic on Open MHz. The boy was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital.

An FCPD spokesperson confirmed that the child was the cyclist.

“One vehicle was involved (which was a sedan),” the FCPD told FFXnow by email.

As of 3 p.m., Idylwood Road remains closed between Greenbrier Way and Gallows Road, according to police.

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Daytime closures on Idylwood Road in effect in Dunn Loring

A portion of the road is completely closed off for most of this week (via VDOT)

A stretch of Idylwood Road will be closed to through traffic in Dunn Loring this week.

The road between Williams Avenue and Cedar Lane will be closed from today (Monday) to Thursday (Sept. 14) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for stormwater pipe replacement, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

Properties along Idylwood Road will have access, but traffic will not be able to go beyond the pipe replacement in both directions.

“Through traffic will be detoured via Idylwood Road, Williams Avenue, Electric Avenue (Route 697) and Cedar Lane back to Idylwood Road. Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs,” VDOT wrote in a statement.

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Crash involving Town of Vienna trash truck blocks northbound Route 123 in Oakton

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(Updated at 5:50 p.m.) A man was taken to the hospital earlier this afternoon after a two-vehicle crash on Route 123 in Oakton.

Officers responded to the crash involving a sedan and a Town of Vienna trash truck at the Hibbard Street intersection at 2:06 p.m., according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

The driver of the sedan was found lying on the ground, a dispatcher said on the police scanner via Open MHz.

“One person is being taken to the hospital with injuries not considered to be life-threatening,” the FCPD said. “Officers are on scene investigating.”

A fire engine from the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department was on the scene blocking off eastbound Chain Bridge Road at the intersection. Congestion was building up on the main road and Hibbard, but the FCPD says “no long-term delays are expected.”

The trash truck driver told FFXnow that he was driving on Chain Bridge Road when the car came out of Hibbard Street and they collided.

“It’s a shame, two kids in the car,” the driver said. “I asked if [the injury] was serious, and they indicated that he’s hurt but not seriously. I don’t know much more than that.”

The FCPD didn’t immediately confirm the circumstances of the crash or whether children were involved.

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UPDATED: Man killed in three-vehicle crash on Route 50 in Merrifield

Police direct traffic at Route 50 and Pickett Road after a three-vehicle crash (via VDOT)

(Updated at 6:30 p.m. on 8/13/2023) An 85-year-old man died Friday (Aug. 11) after getting seriously injured in a three-vehicle crash on Arlington Blvd (Route 50) in Merrifield.

Paul Hession, a resident of the Churchill neighborhood in the McLean area, was a passenger in a 2015 Toyota Camry that was turning left from westbound Arlington Blvd to Stonehurst Drive around 11:44 a.m. on Friday, the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release on Saturday (Aug. 12).

“The driver of a second vehicle, a 2010 Toyota Prius, traveling eastbound on Arlington Boulevard, struck the Camry in the intersection,” police said. “After the initial collision, the Camry struck a third car, a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Eqs300, that was stopped at the intersection.”

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units were dispatched to the scene of the crash around 11:58 a.m., according to scanner traffic on Open MHz. At least one person had to be extricated from their vehicle.

Hession was taken to an area hospital, where he died. The drivers of all three vehicles were also hospitalized with injuries not considered life-threatening.

Virginia Department of Transportation traffic cameras showed vehicle backups on Route 50 approaching Pickett Road, where police directed traffic at the Fairfax City border.

The crash occurred as other police and fire units were busy investigating a major two-vehicle crash on Route 50 at I-66 near Fair Oaks Mall. Route 50 was fully closed there, and both drivers were initially considered to be in life-threatening condition, the FCPD said.

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UPDATED: Drivers critically injured in crash on Route 50 at I-66 near Fair Oaks

Route 50 has been closed at I-66 after a two-vehicle crash near Fair Oaks (via Google Maps)

Updated at 6:40 p.m. on 8/13/2023 — Fairfax County police have determined that the crash on Route 50 started when the driver of a 2007 Jeep Laredo rear-ended a 2023 Lexus. The driver then hit a Land Rover and a guardrail, drove across the grass median and went airborne, striking a 2009 Ford U-Haul Truck.

The Jeep and U-Haul drivers were hospitalized with injuries initially considered life-threatening, but their condition has since been changed to non-life-threatening.

Police are still investigating whether alcohol, drugs or speed were a factor in the crash.

Updated at 3:30 p.m. — Route 50 has reopened to traffic, according to police.

Earlier: Two people have been taken to the hospital after a two-vehicle four-vehicle crash at the Route 50 and I-66 interchange near Fair Oaks Mall.

Eastbound Route 50 has been shut down at West Ox Road as officers investigate the crash, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The eastbound I-66 ramp to eastbound Route 50 and the I-66 West ramp to westbound Route 50 have also been closed.

Police initially reported that one person had been transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, but a later update stated that both drivers were in critical condition.

A Fairfax Alert on the road closure described the crash as “significant.”

The Virginia Department of Transportation advises drivers to expect delays. Its traffic camera system indicates that the east left and right shoulders of Route 50 are closed.

According to scanner traffic on OpenMHz, the incident involved two separate crash scenes with a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a U-Haul mini truck found overturned about a quarter-mile apart.

“We have a report of a Jeep Cherokee that flipped over the median with a female occupant still inside the vehicle,” a dispatcher told responders with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department at 11:11 a.m.

Per scanner traffic, the Jeep occupant had a broken arm and needed to be extricated.

The person who suffered life-threatening injuries was trapped in the driver’s front seat of the U-Haul. FCFRD responders reported that they had extricated the person around 11:35 a.m.

At least two other vehicles were reportedly involved in the crash, including an SUV that got flipped onto its driver’s side. The dispatcher reported at 11:38 a.m. that they got a call from someone who had pulled off at Route 50 and Waples Mill Road with two people in need of medical attention.

Map via Google Maps

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More than 2,000 people in Fairfax County still waiting for power after thunderstorm

Power outages in Fairfax area on Aug. 8, 2023 (via Dominion Energy)

Utility crews are still working to restore electricity to over 2,000 customers after last night’s storms.

As of 9 a.m., there were 2,545 people in the county without power, according to PowerOutage.US, which collects data from utilities across the country. That includes 1,672 Dominion Energy customers and 873 customers of the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC).

The scope of the outages has been reduced significantly overnight after strong winds and rain knocked out power for more than 16,000 people by 7 p.m. yesterday (Monday). The county was hit hardest south of I-66, particularly around Fairfax City and Annandale.

According to its outage map, Dominion Energy is estimating that power will be restored to the still-affected areas around 3-8 p.m. today. Spokesperson Peggy Fox reported around 8:30 a.m. that the company has 6,000 remaining outages at 240 different locations across the region.

There is at least one lingering road closure. Henderson Road near Seven Hills Lane in Clifton is still blocked by a downed tree, the Fairfax County Police Department tweeted, advising drivers to find alternate routes.

Last night, the department said debris and downed wires had closed “several secondary roads,” but no major ones, resulting in limited traffic impacts.

Overall, last night’s storms caused less damage than forecasters had feared. Warnings of potential tornadoes prompted facility closures and an early end to the work day for many, including local federal government employees.

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UPDATED: More than 16,000 without power in Fairfax County as storms roll through

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(Updated at 8:05 p.m.) Thousands of people in Fairfax County have been hit by power outages in the wake of a thunderstorm that’s continuing to march eastward toward D.C.

As of 7:15 p.m., there were 16,029 customers in Fairfax County and another 1,770 customers in Fairfax City without power, according to Dominion Energy’s outage map, which shows 90 separate outages.

The most sizable outages appear to be focused south of I-66, with thousands affected around Fairfax City, including around George Mason University’s campus, and Fairfax Station. Major outages also appear in Great Falls, Annandale and Lincolnia.

The outages may have affected the Burke Centre Library and the John Marshall Library in Rose Hill. Fairfax County Public Library says both branches were closed at 6:45 p.m. “due to facilities issues.”

While there have been no reports of hail or tornadoes yet, the storm has kept the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department busy with calls for downed wires and trees.

The department reported at 5:54 p.m. that it had units working 12 different calls for outside fires.

Road closures have also cropped up, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. A spokesperson says no major roads have been shut down, but “there are several secondary roads that may have debris or downed wires.”

“Due to inclement weather, multiple roads in Fairfax County are closed or blocked. #FCPD will respond and provide updates as soon as possible,” the department said on Twitter.

Metro, which has activated its Emergency Operations Center, is delaying trains and buses in some areas due to the weather.

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NEW: GW Parkway fully reopens after storm-felled trees are cleared

The George Washington Memorial Parkway near I-495 with a temporary reversible lane (via Google Maps)

It took four days of work, but all trees have finally been cleared from the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

The parkway’s northern section between the Capital Beltway (I-495) in McLean and Spout Run Parkway in Arlington reopened at 9:45 a.m. today after hundreds of trees downed by a storm on Saturday (July 29) necessitated an extended closure.

The northbound lane reopened at 1 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday), but the southbound lane weren’t cleared until this morning, according to the National Park Service.

The GW Parkway will be fully operational for the afternoon rush-hour.

“We extend our sincere appreciation to the public for their patience and understanding during this closure period,” GW Parkway Superintendent Charles Cuvelier said. “The safety of our visitors and commuters remains our top priority. We are dedicated to ensuring their well-being and convenience throughout their journey on the George Washington Memorial Parkway.”

As of yesterday, clean-up crews had removed up to 325 trees from the roadway, creating more than 500 tons of wood and debris that filled up 100 dump trucks and 15 chipper trucks, the NPS previously said.

The NPS noted that drivers should still be cautious around ongoing construction to rehabilitate the parkway. The project required the addition of a third, reversible lane in the median that has been in effect since April.

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