The days of saving up loose change to pay the Dulles Toll Road’s fees are officially in the past.
Effective today (Wednesday), the 14-mile highway also known as Route 237 has converted to an all-electronic, cashless payment system, joining the network of express lanes that criss-cross Northern Virginia.
“Eliminating cash toll collection is expected to speed traffic flow and benefit the environment by reducing emissions that would have been produced by vehicles waiting in toll-booth lines,” the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates the road, said in a news release.
All coin baskets have now been deactivated.
The MWAA Board of Directors approved the plan to transition away from coin payments on Nov. 16. At that same meeting, the board also increased fees on the Dulles Toll Road for the first time in five years, a hike that took effect on Jan. 1.
Under the new system, payments can be made with an E-Z Pass or mobile apps. Drivers who don’t have an E-Z Pass transponder will be identified by their license plate and get an invoice mailed to them.
For those who “pay by plate,” two-axle vehicles will be charged $5.60 at the toll road’s main plaza and $3.60 on the ramps. That rate includes a $1.60 administrative fee that state law permits MWAA to collect “to recover the costs of pay-by-plate transactions.”
The fees can be paid online before or after an invoice arrives.
Fees are slightly lower for E-Z Pass users at $4 for the main plaza and $2 for the ramps, since they don’t have to pay the administrative fee.
According to MWAA, about 2% or 726,367 Dulles Toll Road transactions were paid by cash in 2022. The authority had already removed many toll booths to create E-Z Pass express lanes in 2019, and manual toll collections ceased in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Dulles Toll Road stretches from Route 28 by the Dulles International Airport in the west to the Capital Beltway near Tysons to the east.
Toll revenue goes toward the highway’s operating and maintenance costs, while also funding construction of Metro’s Silver Line, which launched service from Reston to Ashburn on Nov. 15.
Child Care Enrollment Starts Next Week — “Registration for 2023-2024 Fairfax County School Age Child Care (SACC) will begin on March 9. Registration will open on a rolling basis in alphabetical order by school…The SACC School Year Program…offers before- and afterschool care for children attending kindergarten through sixth grade in most Fairfax County public elementary schools and several community centers.” [Neighborhood and Community Services]
Couple Found Dead in Fairfax Home — Fairfax County police are conducting a death investigation after an adult man and woman were found dead in a home on the 8900 block of Walker Street. Police believe preliminarily that the “elderly couple” died in a murder-suicide incident. [FCPD/Twitter]
Judge Drops Murder Charge in Hybla Valley Fatal Shooting — “At a preliminary hearing Feb. 7 the prosecutor called only one witness, the responding police officer, and the judge dropped the charges, saying not enough evidence was presented.” The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney plans to seek a grand jury indictment that could reinstate the second-degree murder and firearm charges once forensic results are available. [NBC4]
Beer Garden Coming to Annandale Shopping Center — “The last empty storefront at the EastGate Square shopping center on John Marr Drive is going to be a beer garden. That was confirmed by workers fixing up the interior space.” Home to The Block food hall, the center is being eyed for a partial redevelopment that could add housing. [Annandale Today]
Metro Will Take Three Years to Fix Trains — “Metro says it is planning to re-press all 5,984 wheels on its 7000-series trains, a process that will take an estimated three years and cost about $55 million.” The transit agency has been slowly returning the trains to service after removing them following a derailment in Arlington in October 2021. [DCist]
Vienna Town Council Won’t Halt Sidewalk Project — “On Monday, Councilmember Nisha Patel proposed stopping any more engineering studies on the final design of sidewalk on the even number side of Melody Lane SW. Patel cited a resident petition against the sidewalk on the even side of Melody Lane mentioning concerns of drainage issues, safety and potential impacts to trees.” [Patch]
Couple Behind Braddock Community Center Honored — County leaders, community members and relatives gathered on Monday to celebrate the late James and Marguerite Mott. “According to the Post, the Motts began their activism after they were turned away from picnicking at Lake Fairfax Park in 1965. They subsequently sued in U.S. District Court in Alexandria and won equal access to county facilities for Black people.” [NCS]
Tysons Communication Company Faces Federal Scrutiny — “Tysons TV station owner Tegna Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) says it is ‘currently evaluating its options’ after the Federal Communications Commission asked its administrative court to review the media company’s proposed $5.4 billion purchase by hedge fund Standard General on antitrust grounds.” [Washington Business Journal]
Bill to Notify Schools of Employee Arrests Reaches Governor — “A Virginia bill that would require police to notify schools when educators are arrested is now awaiting Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s signature. Its passage follows an incident involving a Fairfax County middle school counselor who remained on the job, months after his arrest connected to child sex crimes.” [WTOP]
It’s Wednesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 58 and low of 35. Sunrise at 6:42 am and sunset at 6:02 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) Fairfax County hopes to get a head start on its annual street paving and restriping efforts this year, thanks to the D.C. area’s warmer-than-usual winter weather.
The county and Virginia departments of transportation program will kick off next month in Merrifield with the proposed addition of bicycle lanes on Ellenwood Drive from Route 29 to Route 50, along with crosswalks at two intersections.
“Because of the warmer winter weather, VDOT recently began repaving some streets during the winter on short notice,” an FCDOT spokesperson said. “The Ellenwood Drive project was selected for this accelerated schedule, which also helps reduce the repaving backlog.”
The street’s two travel lanes will narrow to 10 feet to make room for the 5-foot-wide bicycle lanes, which would be separated from the curb by 7-foot-wide parking lanes, according to a presentation from the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.
In addition to linking two key thoroughfares, Ellenwood Drive is a good candidate for on-road bicycle lanes, because it has wide travel lanes, on-street parking and sidewalks on both sides, and the lanes can connect to trails on both ends, FCDOT says.
The Arlington Blvd service road at the southern end of Ellenwood has a trail connection to Armistead Park. In addition, the upcoming Fairfax Landing neighborhood’s developer is constructing a 6-foot-wide asphalt trail that will extend the Armistead Park Trail north to the Route 29 service road.
Per the presentation, parking reductions will be limited to the loss of two spaces at Ellenwood and the Route 29 service road.
However, the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling (FABB) says more parking likely needs to be sacrificed to build bicycle lanes that are actually safe and comfortable to use.
“If you keep on-street parking, your options are very limited to add safe bicycling routes,” FABB board member Shawn Newman said. “Our preferred option would be to remove the parking on one side of that street and to add in buffered bike lanes, so a bike lane with adequate space next to it in order to provide bicyclists space between them and the vehicle.”
While the restriping program has resulted in some good, safe lanes, the new facilities are often similar in design to the lane proposed on Ellenwood, Newman says. The lack of buffers puts bicyclists at risk of either getting hit by passing vehicles or “doored” when people exit their parked cars.
FABB says it was a “challenging decision” to come out in opposition to the county’s proposal, given the group’s mission of advocating for more bicycling infrastructure, but the board feels the planned design would make the lanes a “net negative” for cyclists.
“They look good on paper, but they’re hard to use in reality, and they don’t encourage people to bike more,” Newman said. “What they end up doing is drivers see them, and they see them empty, and they’re like, ‘Why don’t people use the bike lanes?’ Because they’re not comfortable or safe, the end.”
Ellenwood doesn’t have room for the design option suggested by FABB, and it wouldn’t be allowed by VDOT, according to FCDOT spokesperson Robin Geiger. She noted that the proposed design is similar to other bicycle lanes in the county and complies with Federal Highway Administration guidelines.
“Hearing from the community and community partners like FABB is very important in the development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout the county,” Geiger said. “Although not all suggestions are able to be implemented, the input from bicyclists and others who use bike lanes and pedestrian pathways is critical for successful outcomes.”
FCDOT has also proposed painting crosswalks at Jersey Drive and the Arlington Blvd service road. The former will introduce parking restrictions for 11 spaces — one on the west side of Ellenwood and 10 on the east side — while the latter will “repurpose” about eight spaces on the west side.
FCDOT and the Virginia Department of Transportation will discuss the proposal at a virtual public meeting today (Tuesday) at 7 p.m. Comments will only be accepted at the meeting and online through the project page until noon on Friday (March 3).
“Pending community input, the project is scheduled to be repaved within the next few weeks,” FCDOT said.
The department says working with VDOT to add bicycle lanes and crosswalks when it repaves and restripes roads allows it “to increase driver, bicyclist and pedestrian safety with road and crosswalk improvements while minimizing the financial investment in restriping work.”
The 2023 program will take place from spring to November. Most of the planned changes haven’t been announced yet, since the public meetings aren’t scheduled until April.
Photo via Google Maps
The traffic safety advocacy group Fairfax Families for Safe Streets (Fairfax FSS) says the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is primarily to blame for Fairfax County’s high pedestrian fatality count last year.
The Safe Streets Report compiled by Fairfax FSS examines the crashes that resulted in 32 pedestrian fatalities and 53 serious injuries in 2022. Like the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) earlier report, Fairfax FFS found that the county saw a dramatic increase in fatalities and serious injuries last year from any other year going back to 2010 — the first year where data is available.
The median count for pedestrian fatalities in Fairfax County was 13, but there were over twice as many in 2022.
Fairfax FSS lays the blame at underfunding for pedestrian-focused projects in its report:
Years of underfunding of critical projects and lack of sufficient attention to pedestrian safety in new projects and development has led to increasing systemic risk for pedestrian safety. Safety is more important than speed. Particular attention is needed to provide safety in identified high risk corridors. While we applaud increased commitment for future funding, the proposed levels are insufficient to reduce today’s risk.
Most of that frustration was directed at VDOT, which controls the majority of the county’s roadways.
According to the report:
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), as the primary agency with authority for road infrastructure design and maintenance throughout Fairfax County, bears significant responsibility for the safety of pedestrians. The high number and increasing trend of pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries indicates that VDOT has not sufficiently prioritized pedestrian safety, lacks an understanding of the current risks to pedestrians, and/or has operationally failed a basic safety responsibility. Fairfax FSS requests VDOT leadership evaluate its culture, organizational structure, and operations to ensure that pedestrian safety is appropriately elevated and integrated throughout VDOT.
The report also said Virginia’s criminal code is too lenient on drivers who crash into and kill pedestrians. Of the 32 pedestrian fatalities in 2022, only five crashes saw the drivers charged with a felony. One case was finalized, with the driver pleading guilty to a misdemeanor. Four others remain pending.
Four drivers were charged with misdemeanors. One was reduced to an infraction, one was found not guilty, and another was abandoned without prosecution. The last case remains pending. One driver was charged with an infraction.
“The report also highlights the lack of consequences in Virginia’s criminal code when drivers who crash into and kill pedestrians (many of whom had the legal right of way in a crosswalk) receive de minimis financial fines, no points and rarely jail time of any sort,” the release said.
Fairfax FSS said local residents should expect more from their local and state elected officials when it comes to pedestrian safety.
“Each pedestrian fatality and serious injury is preventable,” the release said. “Our local and state elected leaders along with transportation officials need to demonstrate a greater level of commitment and urgency in implementing comprehensive and effective solutions. Making greater investment today will save lives tomorrow.”
Each election cycle requires some tweaks to Fairfax County’s polling precincts, and 2023 will be no exception.
This year’s proposed revisions aren’t quite as intensive as 2022’s, which affected over half of the county’s precincts to account for redistricting changes. However, they’ll still have an impact on hundreds of voters in a year when nearly all key state and local offices will be on the ballot.
According to a staff memo, Tysons has grown enough to need two polling places. With the Tysons precinct now exceeding 5,000 registered voters, the county recommends splitting it up to create a new “Jones Branch” precinct.
The Jones Branch precinct will take over the existing polling place in the Providence Committee meeting room (7921 Jones Branch Road). Staff have proposed relocating the Tysons polling place to The PARC at Tysons (8508 Leesburg Pike), the county-owned events venue that replaced the Container Store.
“This building is well-situated in the Tysons precinct…and will accommodate the continued growth in this area,” staff said in the agenda for last week’s Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting.
It costs the county $23,865 to add a precinct, a price tag that covers voting equipment, election supplies and notices to affected voters. There’s also an annual cost of $4,800 per year to staff the new precinct with the election officers for at least two elections.
Also in the Providence District, the county suggests renaming the Oak Marr precinct to “Oaktree Crossing,” since the polling site is no longer in the Oak Marr Rec Center.
The polling place was relocated to the Oakton Library in March 2021 “to provide the 4,000 voters a more accessible voting location,” according to staff. The Oak Marr Rec Center now hosts a different, small precinct called Island Pond that was created after redistricting.
Nearby, the Difficult Run precinct in Oakton is permanently moving to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax (2709 Hunter Mill Road) after getting relocated there temporarily last year when its previous site became unavailable.
The church already has a polling place for the Oakton precinct, but it will have “separate voting rooms” for each precinct, per the staff memo.
The county is also considering moving the precinct Spindle #2 out of the Centreville Regional Library, where it’s currently co-located with Spindle #1. The polling place would be relocated to Bull Run Elementary School and renamed “Robinson Mill.”
Staff recommends the change after the county’s election team “reported that the library cannot logistically support colocated precincts” based on last November’s election.
Finally, the county intends to rename the Franconia #1 and #2 precincts as Edison #1 and #2, since they’re both located in Edison High School.
“This name change will avoid voter confusion resulting from the renaming of the magisterial district from Lee to Franconia,” staff said.
As authorized by the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 21, a public hearing on the proposed changes will be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7.
Four Displaced by Two-Alarm Tysons House Fire — A malfunctioning water heater started a fire in the 200 block of Trailwood Court that resulted in approximately $175,000 in property damages, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says. After an initial dispatch at 3:52 a.m. last Thursday (Feb. 23), additional Fairfax County and Arlington units had to be called to the two-story house, but no injuries were reported. [FCFRD]
Maryland Contractor Plans Fairfax County Move — “Amentum Services, Inc., a leading provider of engineering and advanced solutions and services to the U.S. government, allies, and commercial companies, will invest $495,000 to relocate its headquarters from Germantown, Maryland.” Its operations will be consolidated at 4800 Westfields Blvd in Chantilly, a move expected to create 157 new jobs. [FCEDA]
New Child Care Center Coming to Lorton — Expected to start pre-enrollment this May, Brynmor Early Education & Preschool will occupy the historic, currently vacant buildings P1 and P3 at Liberty Market, a development on the former Lorton Prison campus. The new facility will start with 154 kids from 6 weeks to 5 years old and include a “5,500-square-foot, enclosed outdoor play area.” [On the MoVe]
Hunter Mill Supervisor Launches Reelection Bid — “Walter Alcorn officially announced Saturday that he was running for re-election as the Hunter Mill District’s representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors…No candidate has come forward yet to challenge Alcorn in either the Democratic Party Primary on June 20 or the general election in November.” [Patch]
Northern Virginia Teens Struggling With Mental Health — “A recently released report shows that youth in Northern Virginia have experienced high rates of clinical depression, anxiety and feelings of hopelessness or sadness. The report from The Community Foundation of Northern Virginia further found that one in 10 high school students in the region had seriously contemplated suicide in the past year.” [Inside NoVA]
What to Know About “Long Covid” — As Fairfax County nears three years since its first COVID-19 case was confirmed, the county’s health department has launched a webpage with information about the long-term health effects experienced by some who’ve contracted the disease. The department notes that “long Covid” can involve physical and mental symptoms that vary from person to person. [FCHD]
Reston Security Tech Company Gets New TSA Contract — “When you go through security lines at the airport, it’s probably technology developed by Reston, Virginia-based Leidos that’s scanning you. And the company just received a new government contract that might make the process less intrusive for some passengers.” [WTOP]
Broadway Star Gives Tips to Tysons Theater Students — “As Marshall High School’s Statesmen Theatre prepares for its spring musical ‘Xanadu,’ there was no one better to help than one of the musical’s Broadway stars. Kerry Butler, who has played roles in Broadway musical premieres like ‘Hairspray,’ ‘Xanadu,’ ‘Mean Girls’ and ‘Beetlejuice,’ visited the high school theater program on Feb. 17.” [Patch]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 58 and low of 45. Sunrise at 6:44 am and sunset at 6:01 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 10 a.m. on 2/28/2023) The fatal police shooting of a man accused of shoplifting sunglasses at Tysons Corner Center last week has local civil rights groups questioning the Fairfax County Police Department’s commitment to enforcing its own policies.
The Fairfax County NAACP wants “an independent, transparent and comprehensive investigation” into the death of D.C. resident Timothy McCree Johnson, who was shot by officers on Wednesday (Feb. 22) during a foot chase that extended a quarter-mile from the Nordstrom where he allegedly stole a pair of designer sunglasses.
In a statement released this morning, the organization says the information shared so far about the incident suggests the shooting was unwarranted based on the FCPD’s own use-of-force policy.
“The tragic killing of Mr. Johnson reminds us once again how unjust America’s policing truly is,” Fairfax County NAACP President Michelle Leete said. “The facts as we know them signal that the officers’ actions were entirely out of step with FCPD’s Use of Force policy.”
The FCPD major crimes bureau is conducting a criminal investigation into incident, while the internal affairs bureau is tasked with leading an administrative investigation, which will be reviewed by the county’s independent police auditor.
The NAACP has set up a Gofundme to help Johnson’s family with funeral expenses.
Effective as of Aug. 12, 2022, FCPD’s policy says deadly force “shall not be used to apprehend a fleeing misdemeanant (unless they pose an imminent threat of serious physical harm or death to the officer or others).”
Notably, the parenthetical is a revision from the prior use-of-force policy that was in place in 2021.
It allows deadly force to be used to apprehend a fleeing person if certain conditions are met:
- The officer has probable cause to believe that the individual committed a felony involving violence, and
- All other means to effect an arrest have been exhausted, and
- The felon’s escape poses a significant threat of serious injury or death to the officer or others.
(Correction: This article previously cited the FCPD’s 2021 use-of-force policy as the current one but has now been corrected to reflect the most recent update.)
“Suspicion of stealing a few pairs of sunglasses without the use or possession of a weapon do not satisfy any — much less all — of [the policy’s] requirements,” the NAACP said. “Whether or not Mr. Johnson was guilty of a crime, he had the right to due process, and for the sanctity of his life to be respected by police officers to the maximum extent possible.”
The NAACP says the police department should release “unedited camera footage” of the Tysons incident, a medical examiner’s report, and the officers’ identities and complaint histories.
FCPD policies dictate that the names of officers involved in a shooting be made public within 10 days and that body-worn camera footage be released within 30 days.
Known as General Order 540, the use-of-force policy is next set to be reviewed in August 2025.
“Our policies set the standards and expectations for all our officers’ actions and help guide the department’s training curriculum,” FCPD Public Affairs Bureau Director Katherine Hayek said. “A key part of our department’s proactive strategy is our continual review and update of all our policies. We do this to ensure we are incorporating national best-practices and feedback.” Read More
The overhaul of the Nutley Street and I-66 interchange is nearing completion, promising an end to the unpredictability that has characterized trips near the Vienna Metro station over the past three years.
Two new roundabouts at the interchange are scheduled to open tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, the Virginia Department of Transportation recently announced, cautioning drivers to yield to traffic in the loops when entering.
“As part of this traffic pattern change, the temporary traffic signals allowing left turns from the ramps from I-66 West to Nutley Street South and from I-66 East to Nutley Street North will be removed,” VDOT said. “Drivers will instead use the roundabouts to make these movements onto Nutley Street. This is the permanent routing for these movements.”
Drivers in the area are no strangers to changing traffic patterns, but this time, the new arrangement is mostly here to stay.
Traveling from I-66 East to Nutley Street North
- Drivers traveling from I-66 East to northbound Nutley Street will take Exit 62 to Nutley Street North and stay to the left on the ramp. They will yield to southbound traffic, then use the roundabout to join northbound Nutley Street toward Vienna.
Traveling from I-66 West to Nutley Street South
- Drivers traveling from I-66 West to southbound Nutley Street will take Exit 62B to Nutley Street South and stay to the left on the ramp. They will yield to northbound traffic, then use the roundabout to join southbound Nutley Street toward Fairfax.
One temporary condition will still be in place. Drivers going from Nutley Street North to I-66 West and from Nutley South to I-66 East must use one of the new roundabouts to access the exit ramps.
“This is a temporary configuration for these movements while ‘bypass’ lanes are completed that will give direct access from Nutley Street North to I-66 West and from Nutley Street South to I-66 East without entering the roundabouts,” VDOT said.
The bypass lanes are expected to open late this spring.
The interchange reconfiguration is part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway project, which added 22.5 miles of new toll lanes on the interstate from the Capital Beltway in Dunn Loring to Gainesville.
Under construction since 2020, the new design for the Nutley Street interchange will be safer and more efficient for vehicles and pedestrians, according to VDOT.
A new grade-separated shared-use path will also be added. It will link to other pedestrian improvements planned around the Vienna Metro station as well as a multipurpose path proposed on the west side of Nutley into the Town of Vienna.
Passenger in Annandale Truck Crash Dies — The 27-year-old passenger of a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado that crashed into a tree and light pole by Little River Turnpike near John Marr Drive on Jan. 27 died at a hospital from his injuries last Tuesday (Feb. 21). The 29-year-old driver may face additional charges after already being charged with driving under the influence and without a license. [FCPD]
Government Center Affordable Housing Approved — Last week, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the Residences at Government Center II plan and $14 million in funding. The development will consist of two mid-rise residential buildings with 279 units for those earning between 30 and 70% of the area median income, along with a childcare center and urban park. [Fairfax County]
School Board Asks for Annual Pedestrian Safety Review — “On Thursday night, the School Board unanimously voted to seek an annual School Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Assessment Program from the superintendent…The annual review will examine schools with the most pressing road safety needs, safety mitigation measures, timelines to implement improvements, and updates on past mitigation projects.” [Patch]
Great Falls Delegate Won’t Seek Reelection — “Virginia Del. Kathleen Murphy of McLean announced Friday she will not run for re-election this fall after being placed into the same district as a fellow Democratic delegate…Shortly after Murphy’s announcement, Sullivan issued a news release stating that he would run for re-election in that district in the fall.” [Inside NoVA]
School Board Adopts Advertised Budget — The Fairfax County School Board adopted the FY 2024 Advertised Budget on Thursday. Totaling $3.5 billion, the budget highlights include $2 million to add more pre-K classrooms, free access to middle school athletic programs, and $6 million to develop strategies for closing the literacy achievement gap. [FCPS]
Annandale to Appear on PBS Show Next Week — “If You Lived Here” will air an episode on Annandale on Monday, March 6 after recently visiting Vienna. In addition to touring local homes, the episode will feature the Artisans United collective, a second-generation Korean-American restaurateur, and the sports memorabilia and comics shop Collector’s World. [Annandale Today]
Construction Progresses on Springfield Garage — “Construction on track to be completed in Fall 2023. This commuter garage will provide more options for Connector riders. And the pedestrian bridge over Old Keene Mill Rd. will provide access to bus stops and connect Springfield Plaza to the garage.” [Fairfax Connector/Twitter]
Legislative Deal May Tighten Regulation of Dominion Energy — “Virginia lawmakers have reached a tentative bipartisan agreement to bring the state’s biggest utility…under tighter regulatory oversight — reversing years of actions that loosened the reins over the powerful company.” The proposal would increase the frequency of SCC rate reviews and require 85% of “over-earnings” be refunded to customers, among other provisions. [The Washington Post]
Unbuilt McLean Home Tops D.C. Area Real Estate Listings — A vacant, 5-acre McLean property at 7020 Green Oak Drive hit the market Friday (Feb. 24) for $50 million. The planned, 30,000-square-foot mansion will have six bedrooms, 10 full baths, 10 half-baths and amenities that include a rooftop putting green, a crystal champagne room, a bowling alley, swimming pools, a full-sized sports arena, and a disco pub with a full bar and cigar room. [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Monday — Rain in the evening and overnight. High of 48 and low of 35. Sunrise at 6:45 am and sunset at 6:00 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 2:05 p.m. on 2/28/2023) The food, beer and throwback tunes will flow when Yard House opens its doors at Tysons Galleria this weekend.
The American sports bar chain will open on the mall’s second level, near Crate & Barrell, on Sunday (Feb. 26) — slightly later than previously anticipated.
The 14,236-square-foot restaurant will have an outdoor patio, a bar with 130 taps of craft and import beers, and a glass-enclosed keg room that can hold up to 4,000 gallons of beer.
“Yard House is all about bringing people together over great beer and food paired with an awesome classic rock playlist,” Yard House said in a statement. “We’re excited to finally open our doors and welcome the Tysons Galleria and the McLean community in to experience our energetic vibe.”
Owned by Darden Restaurants, Yard House has over 80 locations in the U.S. The Tysons restaurant is the fourth in the D.C. area, joining locations at Springfield Town Center, D.C.’s Chinatown and Gaithersburg, Maryland.
The operating hours will be 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to Tysons Galleria. Curbside pickups and online deliveries are also available at varying hours.
“Guests can toast to happy hour Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m. featuring half-price appetizers and $1-$4 off beer, wine and cocktails,” Yard House said.
The menu has over 100 items, including burgers, pizza, tacos, steak, seafood and a variety of salads and desserts. The Nashville-style hot chicken and poke nachos are among the most popular dishes, according to Yard House.
Tysons Galleria has been busy with openings recently, welcoming the movie theater CMX CinéBistro in late January and the restaurant Jiwa Singapura just last week. All three tenants are located in the renovated wing that once belonged to Macy’s.
Still to come to the mall this year is a Dior clothing store, which is slated to open in June.
