Road Conditions: Virginia

Record Rain Wreaks Havoc on Morning Commute

Weekend torrential rains flooded rail lines and forced road closures today throughout the Washington area, prompting the federal government to offer workers unscheduled leave in an effort to alleviate a slow, treacherous commute.

Read More: Record Rain Wreaks Havoc on Morning Commute (Post, June 26)

Virginia Department of Transporation spokesperson Joan Morris was online Monday, June 26, at 2:30 p.m. ET to update road conditions and offer suggestions to commuters for this afternoon's rush hour.

A transcript follows.

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washingtonpost.com: Joan Morris will join us momentarily. Please stay with us.

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Joan Morris: Hello Everyone,

Happy to be here to answer your questions. What a day!

Joan

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Vienna, Va.: How will Metro be affected?

Joan Morris: I understand all Metro service is back.

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Alexandria, Va.: Hello, what are your tips for this afternoon? How bad will the traffic be?

Joan Morris: Plan for a long rush hour. I just checked the traffic cams - go to trafficland.com - traffic was moving well about 30 minutes ago at least. With the heavy downpours I expect traffic will start crawling soon.

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What a day indeed!: Is it going to get any better this evening? And what is the prognostication for tomorrow morning?

Joan Morris: VDOT will have road crews working and on standby overnight. We are keeping our fingers crossed but more flooding is likely. We have all of our people on alert and lots of equipment to help us. We will continue to post road closures at www.virginiadot.org

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Great Falls, Va.: Any info on the Walker Road bridge in Great Falls? It appears open now, but it took a beating last night, and we are wondering about whether this 100-year-old wood bridge has seen its last days.

Joan Morris: We don't have Walker Road on the closed list but that doesn't mean it won't be! Use caution!

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Alexandria, Va.: Do you anticipate flooding in Old Town by the water and if so when?

Joan Morris: That's a question for the City of Alexandria but since I live in that area I would say it is very likely that we will have flooding on Lee Street.

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washingtonpost.com: TrafficLand

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Arlington, Va.: Joan, I commute by Metro from Crystal City to Bethesda, Md., everyday for work Today was the worst commute I have ever had. I understand the closing of the two stations I need, but the shuttle buses were of no help. Even the head of Metro commented that the trains accommodate 600 passengers and the buses hold maybe 60 people, do you recommend I leave earlier or later to avoid the bad commute I had getting to work? It normally takes me 45-60 minutes to get to work, today it took me 2-1/2 hrs to get to work -- I don't want to do this again -- can't they provide more buses? Help.

Joan Morris: Good question but that's for Metro. I am VDOT - we deal with roads and bridges. I will pass on your concerns though!

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washingtonpost.com: Virginia Department of Transportation

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Tysons Corner: It's 2:39 and pouring here. What roads should we watch for flooding on during our drive home?

Joan Morris: Take it easy on EVERY road - there is a lot of standing water on the roads. If you see high water don't try to cross it. It won't take much for cars to hydroplane.

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Washington, D.C.: Why did VDOT keep the HOV restrictions on I-66, I-95, and I-395 this morning? There have been occasions in the past where VDOT suspended the HOV restrictions due to traffic problems. It seems that doing so this morning would have been justified.

Joan Morris: That's always an issue - whether or not to lift HOVs. Our policy is to lift only in absolute emergencies where lifting will help the traffic. Because the closure was on the Beltway - not 395 or 95 - it was decided not to lift.

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washingtonpost.com: Proper Link: Virginia Department of Transportation

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Alexandria, Va.: I live in Alexandria but am currently out of town. So I'm seeing all of this with a bit of dread.

How bad is the flooding in Alexandria? I see the Potomac isn't expected to crest until Thursday, so is it going to get worse? Also, is the GW Parkway in Bellview flooded again?

Thanks.

Joan Morris: National Weather Service early this morning said that the Potomac River will crest late Thursday. I know people in the Belle View area will be watching this closely - the community had to be evacuated during Isabel and suffered about $6 million in damages!

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Rockville, Md.: I was planning on taking the Red Line to Reagan National on Wednesday morning since I have a flight leaving about 11:30 a.m. Do you have any recommendations about how to check whether we can use Metro to get to the airport, when time is of the essence?

Joan Morris: Go to Metro's Web site -- www.wmata.com. They issue releases frequently on the status of the rail and bus service.

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Alexandria, Va.: I am wondering about the Cameron Run area. I live off of Eisenhower across from the Marriott and I know that area was a mess earlier today. With possible more flooding, will all the roads in the area be open or will there be closures?

Joan Morris: The ramp from Eisenhower Avenue to the Beltway opened to traffic around 1:30 p.m. today. After seeing that mess this morning I can't believe we got it reopened so quickly. Go VDOT workers!

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Alexandria, Va.: I live right near the Telegraph/495 intersection. This morning it took me 50 minutes to go around the block back home. How are the road conditions now, and what are they expected to be during rush hour?

Joan Morris: Commute home should just be the normal heavy congestion - not a repeat of this morning. I exit at Telegraph Road too so I sympathize.

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washingtonpost.com: Metro

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Arlington, Va.: Who should a driver call when he or she encounters a flooded road? Wilson Blvd. in Arlington had 6-12 inches of water on it last night where it bottoms out near Bluemont Park, and there were no authorities anywhere around. I was unsure whether this was significant enough to merit a call to 911. What should I have done?

Joan Morris: Hi - you can call VDOT 24/7 to report problems. 703 383 VDOT. BUT, if it's an emergency dial 911 or #77 from a cell phone.

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95 South: Will VDOT be lifting HOV restrictions this afternoon?

Joan Morris: No, we are not lifting HOV restrictions.

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Arlington, Va.: Where can I find out about road closures in the area?

Joan Morris: We have a list on www.virginiadot.org. Click on the scrolling headline on the home page.

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Haymarket, Va.: Can you give me an update on the planned fix for I-66 E west of Manassas? There was a bump in the road that got much worse over the weekend in the work area.

Joan Morris: We will report this just in case it is not already being addressed.

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Washington, D.C.: Do you know if Rock Creek Parkway has re-opened/ if it will be open for the evening commute?

Joan Morris: That's a question for DC DOT - I can only speak for Virginia.

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Washington, D.C.: Will the Huntington Avenue/metro area be closed during the afternoon rush hour period? Will buses from there heading to Route 1 and Mount Vernon be available?

Joan Morris: Metro says everything is open.

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Mt. Vernon Trail: Perhaps this is out of your purview, but here goes: I'm hoping to avoid a repeat of Metro aggravation tomorrow morning by biking in. Is the Mt. Vernon bike trail clear?

Joan Morris: Yikes - you are going to bike in the pouring rain? Good for you but be careful. You would have to check with the National Park Service on whether the trail is clear. I hate it that I can't answer all of these questions:)

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Washington, D.C.: As a "reverse-commuter" I'm scared of getting stuck in Virginia. Any word on which of the bridges are expected to be open/closed during tonight's commute from Virginia to D.C. (i.e., prognosis for the Memorial Bridge, 14th St Bridge, etc.)

Joan Morris: Not at this stage. Check before leaving home tomorrow a.m. -- Washingtonpost.com or WTOP or any of the TVs. Again, VDOT's web site is www.virginiadot.org

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washingtonpost.com: Virginia Department of Transportation

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Springfield, Va.: Is there some sort of new suggestion for people to put on their 4-way flashers when driving conditions are bad? I was driving down 270 and the Beltway last night in the torrential downpour and saw a number of cars -- driving just like everyone else, not stopped -- with their flashers on. I found it terribly distracting and that it made it more difficult to see if the car was applying its brakes. And it's not as if I needed the help to tell that the road conditions were bad ... What exactly am I missing, here?

Joan Morris: Not that I am aware of - but I've seen motorists use their flashers during downpours to alert others that they are driving much slower than the speed limit.

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washingtonpost.com: Washington Post Radio

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Alexandria, Va.: I live in Alexandria and work in Reston. It's pouring out in Reston now. Are there any closures on the Dulles Toll Road or 66 as of yet. Also, I have an engagement tonight in D.C., is there any chance I'll get down there (either driving or Metro?)

Joan Morris: Be prepared for slow going. We have not had problems on 66 as of yet -- but that could change.

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Washington, D.C.: What are the road conditions on the G.W. Parkway?

Joan Morris: I have not heard of any problems on the Parkway at this point.

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Fairfax, Va.: How ready are you all for tonight's rush hour commute should another torrential rainfall occur?

Joan Morris: Just got word that 66 is gridlocked from the Beltway to Manassas.

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Arlington, Va.: Does VDOT have an emergency alert system? I receive messages from Arlington Alert to my e-mail and cell phone, which is great, but it would be nice to have alerts for all of Northern Virginia.

Joan Morris: You can sign up at 511Va.com for traffic alerts.

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Joan Morris: Thanks all -- I hope this helped. For the person that asked about I-66 Eastbound at Manassas - that bump was fixed today!

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Tysons Corner, Va.: Maybe I'm missing it, but I can't find any weather closure info on the "road conditions" section of the VDOT web site that you keep referring to ... all it shows for NoVa is 2 "Information" icons about planned construction-related closures.

Does that mean everything is open currently?

Joan Morris: On the home page, click on the scrolling banner (top, center) which will take you to a list of roads closed.

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