Night Work Starts on Ft. Evans Road and Riverside Parkway Project

Loudoun County officials announce that night work will be conducted on the Ft. Evans Road, Phase 2, and Riverside Parkway project in Leesburg from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., Wednesday, July 23 and Thursday, July 24, and again Sunday, July 27 through Thursday, July 31. This night work will involve a road closure on Ft. Evans Road from Sentinel Drive to River Creek Parkway during those hours.
 
Detour signage will be in place for the closure and removed each morning by 5 a.m. This work will consist of storm pipe installation next to and across the roadway.
 
Daytime work within the project right-of-way will continue, but with no lane closures.
 
Questions about the project may be directed to Loudoun County's Construction Manager, Vikram Dogra at 703-737-8532.

 

Possible Traffic Delays During Holiday Weekend Events

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is advising residents of several holiday weekend events celebrating Independence Day that may cause traffic delays in various areas of the county. All events are weather permitting.

An event in the Town of Lovettsville tonight will impact Milltown Road, Broad Way and South Loudoun Street. The event will begin at 6 p.m.
 
July 4
The Town of Leesburg will hold an event at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, July 4, that will impact North and South King Streets from Battlefield Parkway to Catoctin Circle. North and South King Streets will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to approximately noon. At 9 p.m. it will be closed once again for exiting traffic from Ida Lee park following the fireworks. Heavy traffic congestion is expected in downtown Leesburg. Use of the Rt. 15/7 Bypass is advised.

In the Village of Lincoln, a July 4th event will impact Lincoln Road between Lincoln Elementary School and Sands Road. The event begins at 10 a.m.

An event in the Village of Waterford will impact Factory Street and Second Street between Main Street and Clarkes Gap Road beginning at 10 a.m.

In the Stone Ridge community, an event at 10 a.m. on July 4th will impact Greenstone Drive, Bear Tooth Drive and Pepperbush Place.

In the Town of Purcellville, motorists should expect delays on July 4 beginning at 12:30 p.m. in the area of Orchard Drive, Nursery Avenue, Main Street and Maple Avenue. Also in the Town of Purcellville, motorists should expect increased traffic on Business Route 7 during the evening hours for an event at Franklin Park.
 
July 5
On Saturday, July 5, motorists should expect increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic on Ashburn Village Boulevard in the area of Cheltenham Circle for an evening event. Also on July 5, motorists should expect increased vehicle traffic in the area of Woodbridge Parkway near the Lansdowne Resort for an evening event.

Motorists are asked to please be patient, drive safely, follow all law-enforcement direction and have a safe holiday weekend.



 

Drive to Save Lives over July 4th Holiday

The Virginia State Police encourages everyone to include traffic safety as an integral part of their preparations and activities. The Fourth of July holiday weekend is one of the deadliest holidays of the year due to drunk-driving crashes. During the July 4th holiday period over a five year span (2008-2012) nationwide, 765 people lost their lives in crashes involving drivers with a BAC of .08 or more.
 
"With the additional threat of heavy rains from Tropical Storm Arthur, motorists are also advised to be prepared for inclement weather conditions, as well as detours and/or delays due to possible flooding," said Col. W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent.
 
To manage the increase in holiday traffic, Virginia State Police will step up patrols and enforcement as part of Operation C.A.R.E. The annual, nationwide, state-sponsored program, otherwise known as the Operation Combined Accident Reduction Effort, concentrates on safe driving through strict traffic enforcement in an attempt to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities.
 
"During the 2013 Fourth of July holiday period, Virginia troopers arrested 104 drivers for DUI because of their reckless decision to drive impaired," said Flaherty. "Consider this your only warning. If you drink and drive, then you will be arrested and charged by a trooper. We have zero tolerance for those who irresponsibly choose to put lives at risk on Virginia's highways."
 
During last year's Independence Day holiday, Virginia State Police's enforcement efforts also resulted in the following: 11,350 speeders and another 2,646 reckless drivers being cited; and 1,053 individuals being charged for failing to buckle up. There were also 335 child safety violations cited by state troopers. State police investigated 807 traffic crashes during the 2013 Independence Day weekend, of which seven were fatal. In 2012, 10 people were killed in traffic crashes during the same holiday.

 

Possible Traffic Delays During Weekend Events

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is advising Loudoun County residents of two weekend events that may cause traffic delays in various areas of the county.
 
An event at Morven Park on Saturday and Sunday will cause some delays on Route 15 at Tutt Lane. Traffic may be impacted from 9 a.m. to noon and between 2-5 p.m. on Saturday and between 6:30-9:30 a.m. on Sunday and again between 1-7 p.m.
 
On Saturday, residents also may see increased traffic on Sterling Boulevard for an event at the Sterling Golf and Swim Club. Traffic may be impacted between 7:30-10:30 p.m.
 
Motorists are asked to be patient, drive safely and follow all law enforcement direction. 

 

Possible Weekend Traffic Delays

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is advising residents of several weekend events that may cause traffic delays in various areas of the county.   
 
An event at Morven Park on Saturday and Sunday will cause some delays on Route 15 at Tutt Lane. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. each day. 
 
On Saturday, a parade in Hamilton, may cause delays on Colonial Highway between Route 704 and N. Reid Street. The roadway will be impacted between 9:30-11 a.m.
 
A festival in Ashburn on Saturday also may cause some delays on Russell Branch Parkway and Savin Hill Drive between 2-8 p.m.
 
Also in Ashburn on Saturday, motorists may find delays on Russell Branch Parkway, Ashburn Village Boulevard, Lexington Drive, Atwater Drive and Ashbrook Place for a race.   
 
On Sunday, a bicycle race in Brambleton may cause delays on Olympia Drive (between Soave Drive and Regal Wood Drive, Soave Drive (between Olympia Drive and Brambleton Town Center Drive), and Regal Wood Drive (between Olympia Drive and Brambleton Town Center Drive). The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
Motorists are asked to please be patient, drive safely and follow all law-enforcement direction.

 

Board of Supervisors to Discuss Dulles Access Road at June 18 Meeting

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is expected to conduct a “Committee of the Whole” discussion on the proposed Dulles Air Cargo, Passenger and Metro Access Highway during its next regular business meeting, which begins at 4 p.m., tomorrow, Wednesday, June 18.

Under the Board’s Rules of Order, the Committee of the Whole provides an opportunity for expanded discussion on an item. In this case, it will provide an opportunity for the Board to discuss the Dulles Air Cargo, Passenger and Metro Access Highway alternatives and information gained from the Board’s June 2, public input session.

The draft motion included in the action item prepared for the June 18 meeting would direct staff to engage the services of a consultant to model a set of scenarios for the highway and report back to the Board by November 1. The item and more information about the project are online at www.loudoun.gov/dullesaccess.

Board meetings are held in the Board Room of the Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E. in Leesburg. The meetings are televised on Comcast Government Channel 23, Open Band Channel 40, and Verizon FiOS Channel 40.  Board meetings are webcast on the Loudoun County government website at www.loudoun.gov/webcast.

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Roadside Trash the Culprit for Route 7 Bypass Flooding

What caused the flooding that closed the Leesburg Bypass during this week's storms? VDOT is pointing to litter bugs.
 
Steve Shannon, the residency maintenance manager at VDOT's Leesburg office, said someone left large white bags that were tied together along the road. The bags clogged the drainage grates causing flooding that covered all four lanes of the highway in the area between the West Market Street intersection and the W&OD Trail overpass. Once the bags were removed, the area drained properly.
 
Full article.


 

Drymill Road Closed

According to the Loudoun Times, emergency repairs to a section of Dry Mill Road that collapsed Thursday are expected to take about 10 days, that according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Heavy rains caused the undermining where a 48-inch water pipe is located. VDOT estimates reopening the road to traffic on Monday, June 23, weather permitting.

Dry Mill Road remains closed between Woodburn and Thomas Mill roads for the contractor to replace the pipe and repair the road.

   For the latest Loudoun County traffic news and information, subscribe to Loudoun County Traffic via your favorite RSS reader, or get Loudoun County Traffic by e-mail.

Texting While Driving Campaign Recognized with Governor’s Transportation Safety Award

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) and Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) have announced that their joint campaign on the dangers of texting-while-driving, was the 2014 recipient of the Governor's Transportation Safety Award for Youth Traffic Safety in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 
  
The LCSO and LCPS were presented with the Youth Traffic Safety award at the State Capitol in Richmond yesterday, Thursday, June 12. This award is presented for programs that educate youth on the importance of youth traffic safety. 
  
In 2013, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Community Traffic Safety Management Program and the C.S. Monroe Technology Center (MTC), as part of Loudoun County Public Schools, teamed up to create posters, banners, mouse pads and stickers depicting the dangers of texting while driving. 
  
"By involving Loudoun County Public School students to help get this message out, we made sure to take the issue right to those who are more likely to be involved in this dangerous activity. The message developed for the campaign remains clear, don't let a text end your life," said Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman.   
  
The in-school public awareness campaign regarding the dangers of texting and driving was unveiled just prior to a new texting-while-driving law that went into effect in Virginia in July 2013. The law made texting while driving a primary offense and significantly raised fines.  
  
The winning messages, Arrive Alive Don't Text & Drive and Don't Let A Text End Your Life, were distributed in all 15 high schools within Loudoun County and reached over 11,000 students. 
 
The graphic communications students at MTC created posters that would show their peers the dangers of texting while driving. Students from the first and second-year graphic communications classes submitted ideas to the Sheriff's Office and three designs were selected. The Graphic Communications Department produced all of the products. The cost of the materials was offset by a Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) for the Community Traffic Safety Management Program from the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. 
  
The Governor's Transportation Safety Awards recognize individuals and organizations who have made contributions to transportation safety in Virginia. The awards recognize accomplishments in the public and private sector by individuals, state and local governments, federal agencies, the military, businesses and organizations that promote transportation safety.