Possible Traffic Delays During Weekend Events

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is advising residents of weekend events that may cause traffic delays in various areas of the county.

The events listed below only include activities where traffic control is being conducted by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and where traffic may be impacted.

Friday, Sept. 22

• An event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Ashburn area. The road that may be impacted is Ashburn Village Blvd.
• An event will be held from 7 p.m. to midnight in the Lovettsville area. The roads that may be impacted are Berlin Turnpike, Broad Way and South Loudoun Street. Also Pennsylvania Avenue will be closed to all traffic.
  

Saturday, Sept. 23

• An event will be held from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. in the Ashburn area. The road that may be impacted is Ashburn Village Blvd.
• An event will be held from 10 a.m. to midnight in the Lovettsville area. The roads that may be impacted are Berlin Turnpike, Broad Way and South Loudoun Street. Also Pennsylvania Avenue will be closed to all traffic.
• An event will be held from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Lucketts area. The road that may be impacted is Lost Corner Road.
  

Sunday, Sept. 24

• An event will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Ashburn area. The road that may be impacted is Ashburn Village Blvd.

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

 

Try Transit Week, Sept. 18-22

Loudoun County Transit encourages everyone to pledge to try a form of transit during Virginia's "Try Transit Week" Sept. 18-22. 

 

"Taking transit is easier than you might think," said Loudoun County Transit and Commuter Services Manager Scott Gross. "Riding a bus is a convenient and economical way to get to where you need to go – whether it's to work, school, a library, or a doctor's appointment." 

 

Participants who pledge to try transit at www.trytransitweek.org are eligible to win a year of free transit service from the Virginia transit operator of their choice, along with a pair of round-trip tickets aboard Amtrak's Northeast Regional train. Pledges will be accepted through September 22, 2017. 

 

In addition, anyone who lives or works in Loudoun, and who pledges to try transit, is eligible for prizes from Loudoun County Transit. Two winners will each receive a $50 SmarTrip card that can be used on Loudoun County's Premium Commuter buses and most Metro Connection buses. Two additional winners will each receive $20 worth of punch passes for Loudoun County's Local Bus Service.

 

Loudoun County offers a variety of transit services, including:

• Premium Commuter Bus Service, which runs from Loudoun County to Rosslyn, the Pentagon, Crystal City & Washington, D.C.; 
• Metro Connection Bus Service, which provides service from Loudoun County to the Wiehle-Reston East and West Falls Church Metro stations; 
• Local Bus Service, which provides weekday, and some Saturday, local fixed-route bus service from Purcellville through Leesburg and eastern Loudoun; and 
• Paratransit Bus Service, which provides service for people with disabilities on the local fixed-routes from Purcellville through Leesburg and eastern Loudoun.

Loudoun County's Commuter Services division also offers commuters help in forming vanpools, carpools and other alternatives to the single-car commute.  

 

Find out more about transit options in Loudoun at www.loudoun.gov/transit.

 

Lane Closures Tonight on the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles International Airport Access Highway

Nighttime construction activities will take place tonight, Monday, Sept. 11, causing lane closures on the Dulles Toll Road (DTR) and Dulles International Airport Access Highway (DIAAH).

Slow-moving vehicles and equipment may be entering and exiting the highways and surrounding roads. Drivers are asked to use caution, remain attentive to all signage, barricades and speed limits, and obey all police and flagger instructions. 
 
Dulles Toll Road (DTR) East
When:   Monday, Sept. 11, 9 p.m. - 5 a.m.
What:    Left lane closed
Where:  From mile marker 2.5 to 3.0 (from the Centreville Road bridge to 4/10 mile before the Monroe Street/Van Buren Street overpass)
Why:     Civil work
 
Dulles International Airport Access Highway (DIAAH) East
When:   Monday, Sept. 11, 6 p.m. - 5 a.m.
What:    Right lane closed
Where:  From mile marker 2.5 to 3.5 (from the Centreville Road bridge to 1/10 past the Monroe Street/Van Buren Street overpass)
Why:     Civil work
 
Dulles International Airport Access Highway (DIAAH) West
When:   Monday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m. - 5 a.m.
What:    Left lane closed
Where:  From mile marker 3.1 to 2.1 (from 3/10 mile past the Monroe Street/Van Buren Street overpass to 4/10 mile past the Centreville Road bridge)
Why:     Civil work

 

Possible Traffic Delays During Weekend Events

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is advising residents of weekend events that may cause traffic delays in various areas of the county.

The events listed below only include activities where traffic control is being conducted by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and where traffic may be impacted.

Friday

• Construction work will be held today, Friday, Sept. 8, from 9 p.m. until Saturday, Sept. 9, at 5 a.m. in the Ashburn area. Roads that may be impacted include Route 7 (Harry Byrd Hwy) and Ashburn Village Blvd.

Saturday

• An event will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Lucketts area. The road that may be impacted is Rt. 15 (James Monroe Hwy).
• An event will be held  from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Lucketts area. The road that may be impacted is Lost Corner Road.

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

 

Joint Sobriety Checkpoint with Purcellville Police Department Tonight

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office will conduct a joint sobriety checkpoint with the Purcellville Police Department tonight, Friday, Sept. 8, beginning shortly after 10 p.m.

"The joint sobriety checkpoint is a reminder to residents to make the smart choice, don't drink and drive," said Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman.

Members of the Loudoun Sheriff's Office Auxiliary Unit and volunteers from the Loudoun Chapter of MADD will assist with the checkpoint.

 

Loudoun County Parkway Improvements Celebration

Today, Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 3 p.m., the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Loudoun County, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority will celebrate several milestones, including opening the Loudoun County Parkway extension and new intersection with Old Ox Road (Route 606), and other improvements.

The event will be held at the Loudoun County Parkway just north of Old Ox Road. From Belmont Ridge Road, turn east on Shreveport Drive, then right at Loudoun County Parkway. Attendees will be directed to parking prior the intersection of Old Ox Road.

Among the ceremony speakers will be Loudoun County Board Chair Phyllis Randall, and Supervisors Matt Letourneau and Tony Buffington.

Dulles Toll Road Nighttime Closures

Nighttime lane closures, including intermittent full closures, on the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles Airport Access Road at Route 7 will occur from Sunday, Aug. 27 through Monday, Sept. 11, to install bridge beams, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

 

Single-lane and multi-lane closures on the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles Airport Access Road will take place each night between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. There will also be total stoppages lasting up to 20 minutes at a time each night between midnight and 5 a.m.

 

The schedule is as follows, weather permitting:

 

·         Sunday night, Aug. 27 and Monday night, Aug. 28: Westbound and eastbound Dulles Airport Access Road, and eastbound Dulles Toll Road

·         Tuesday night, Aug. 29 and Wednesday night, Aug. 30: Eastbound Dulles Toll Road

·         Thursday night, Aug. 31: Eastbound Dulles Airport Access Road

·         Wednesday night, Sept. 6 and Thursday night, Sept. 7: Westbound Dulles Airport Access Road and westbound Dulles Toll Road

·         Friday night, Sept. 8: Westbound and eastbound Dulles Airport Access Road

·         Monday night, Sept. 11 and Tuesday night, Sept. 12: Westbound Dulles Toll Road

 

Drivers should expect delays and are advised to use alternate routes.

 

The work is part of the Route 7 over Dulles Toll Road project, which is scheduled for completion in spring 2018.

 

Back to School Enforcement Campaign and Safety Tips

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman is asking drivers to help make this a safe-school year by watching for children walking to and from school. 

 

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is launching an enforcement and public education campaign as part of the agency's efforts to ensure the safety and welfare for the children returning to school.    

 

Over the next few weeks Loudoun Sheriff's Deputies will be conducting a Back-to-School campaign strictly enforcing speed and other traffic violations around local schools. Loudoun Sheriff's Deputies will be utilizing RADAR, LIDAR, "Smart Trailers," variable message boards to display safety messages, marked and unmarked cruisers, as well as the agency's motorcycle unit.

 

In his annual video message launched today via social media and through Alert Loudoun, Sheriff Chapman says, "the Sheriff's Office is asking that all drivers follow all speed and traffic signs, obey all signals by law enforcement and crossing guards, and be prepared to stop for school buses en route to pick up and drop off students."

To view the safety message from Sheriff Chapman, visit www.sheriff.loudoun.gov/back2school 

 

The Loudoun Sheriff's Office is also offering the following tips for students and parents from the National Transportation Safety Board to help make this a safe school-year: 

 

Walking to School

 

• In neighborhoods with higher levels of traffic, consider starting a "walking school bus," in which an adult accompanies a group of neighborhood children walking to school.
• If your child is young or is walking to a new school, walk with them the first week to make sure they know the route and can do it safely.Bright colored clothing will make your child more visible to drivers.
• Do not push or shove others when you walk.
• When crossing the street, look left-right-left for cars. Do not cross if a car is coming and use a crosswalk if available.

 

Riding your Bicycle

 

• Always wear a bicycle helmet, no matter how short or long the ride.
• Ride on the right, in the same direction as auto traffic.
• Use appropriate hand signals.
• Respect traffic lights and stop signs.
• Wear bright color clothing to increase visibility.
• Know the "rules of the road."
• Never use headphones or cell phones while riding.

 

Tips for Motorists

 

• All passengers should wear a seat belt and/or an age- and size-appropriate car safety seat or booster seat.
• Do not text or talk on your cell phone while driving.
• Slow down and obey all traffic laws and speed limits.
• Be alert for school zones that have a reduced speed limit at designated times of the day.
• Watch for school buses. Red flashing lights and an extended stop arm indicate the school bus is stopping to load or unload children. State law requires you to stop.
• Keep an eye out for children walking in the street, especially where there are no sidewalks.
• Be alert for children playing and gathering near bus stops and for those who may dart into the street without looking for traffic.
• When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch for children walking or biking to school.
• When driving in neighborhoods or school zones, watch for young people who may be in a hurry to get to or away from school and may not be thinking about getting there safely.

 

Tips for Students

• Always buckle up when riding in a car. Be sure to remove your backpack before getting in the vehicle. Never buckle your safety belt with your backpack on.
• Always ride in the back seat. It's the safest place for young people.
• Always wear a helmet and follow traffic safety rules when riding your bike.
• If you ride a school bus, learn and practice the safety rules for waiting at the bus stop, getting on and off the bus, and riding the bus.
• Never wait for the school bus in the roadway.
• If you walk to school, learn and practice the safety rules for pedestrians. It's extremely important for you to use sidewalk when available, look left-right-left when crossing the road, and always walk facing traffic.
• Always cross at cross walks; obey all traffic signs, traffic lights and crossing guard instructions.
• Teen drivers should avoid speeding and distractions while driving, such as texting, talking on cell phones, eating and adjusting the radio. Teens are also reminded never to overload their vehicle; everyone riding in a vehicle must use a safety belt.
• Be a good role model for your younger brothers, sisters and friends, and help them learn and follow vehicle safety rules.

 

Route 28 Improvements Have Been Completed

Drivers on busy Route 28 are getting much needed congestion relief with the completion of a project to widen several sections of the major route near Dulles Airport, that according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

 

With construction work now officially complete, drivers have four lanes on southbound Route 28 from Waxpool Road to Route 50, as well as northbound Route 28 from McLearen Road to the Dulles Toll Road (lanes first opened in late June). The portion of the fourth southbound lane from Waxpool Road to Innovation Avenue opened to traffic in January.

 

The spot widening began in September 2015. It was funded by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Route 28 Tax District, and was administered by VDOT.  

 

Traffic counts on southbound Route 28 between Waxpool Road and Route 50 range from 108,000 to 140,000 vehicles a day. Traffic on northbound Route 28 between McLearen Road and the Dulles Toll Road ranges from 108,000 to 127,000 vehicles a day.

Picture courtesy of VDOT