The Jones Branch Connector will soon be open to one lane of traffic in each direction.
The Connector is a new roadway connecting I-495 Express Lanes and Jones Branch Drive to Scotts Crossing Road, providing an alternative route across the Beltway and linking the eastern and central areas of Tysons. The aim of the project is to relieve traffic on Route 123 and other congested intersections around Tysons.
Ellen Kamilakis, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), said the bridge is still on time and on budget for $58 million. The Connector’s partial opening is scheduled on or before Dec. 12. One lane in each direction on the roadway will be available, as well as one of the multi-use paths on the side of the road.
Construction on the project started in January 2017. Substantial completion is planned for October 2019, meaning the Connector will be completely operational. Full completion is planned for November 2019. When it’s finished, the Connector will have two travel lanes and on-street bike lanes in each direction. Aiming to help make Tysons more walkable, the project features eight to twelve foot lighted sidewalks.
The Connector is expected to carry more than 32,000 vehicles per day by 2040.
Kamilakis said the most recent update on the project is that roadway grading is underway, with crews readying to lay down asphalt. Work is being done concurrently on the storm sewers and utility work. Work is also being done on the project’s three bridges, which will cross over I-495.
Photos and map via VDOT
If you signed up for Tysons Reporter’s email newsletter via a Facebook ad prior for Memorial Day, you will need to re-subscribe here.
Tysons Reporter will officially launch Sept. 25 — and you’re invited to the launch party — but there’s a big problem: some 1,400 people who tried to subscribe to our newsletter from had their info deleted by Facebook before we could import it into our system. The situation is a bit complex, but was explained in greater detail on our Arlington-based sister site, ARLnow.
Bottom line: we need your help us spread the word to anyone in Tysons, McLean or Vienna that if they signed up for the email newsletter via Facebook before June 1, they should sign up again to get their daily dose of local news for Tysons and surrounding communities.
You can also use the form below to subscribe. Thank you for your support as we try to overcome this major setback in our mission to bring high-quality daily journalism to the Tysons area.
In the era of #MeToo, with advocates seeking to increase the representation of women in positions of power, one local PAC is taking the next step and working to support women running for office.
The Brass Ovaries PAC, founded by Democratic activist Gail Gordon Donegan, is raising money for first-time, female candidates. The PAC is launching with a kick-off fundraiser tomorrow (Friday) evening from 7-10 p.m.
The event will be held in Vienna, with the exact address — a private residence — provided on confirmation at the event’s website.
There’s a variety of donation levels, all of which come with thematic titles.
- $500 – Co-Host
- $300 – Optimal Ovary
- $200 – Vaginal Victor
- $100 – Fallopian Fellow
- $50 – Utopian Uterus
- $25 – Badass
The event will act as a meet and greet for a variety of local candidates, from town and city councils to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Loudoun Chair Phyllis Randall, Del. Jennifer Boysko, Del. Mark Keam, state Sen. Chap Petersen, and Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol are all scheduled to attend as well.
The PAC does not currently endorse candidates, instead focusing on providing seed money for women running for office. How much is distributed is dependent on how much the event raises.
Image via Brass Ovaries PAC
When a adult male on the sixth floor of a construction site had a medical emergency, Fairfax County firefighters had to improvise a rescue plan: the construction site crane.
The rescue occurred on Monday (Sept. 10) at 4:20 p.m. on the 8300 block of Westpark Drive.
Captain Wayne Whetsell from Station 29 described the incident on the Fairfax Fire and Rescue website:
While the medic crew assessed the patient, I worked with the construction site supervisor to determine the best way to remove the patient. It was quickly determined that there was no working elevator and the stairwell was too narrow and full of construction debris to remove the patient via that route… Once Medic 429’s crew determined that the patient had to be removed lying down, due to his condition, our team worked with the site supervisor to utilize the sky crane to move the stokes to the roof for patient removal.
Once the patient was attached to the crane, a paramedic rode down with the patient to continue administering aid until the patient could be secured for transport to a local hospital.
Update on Sept. 18 — Social Media Week Fairfax has been rescheduled for Oct. 18.
The uncertainty of Hurricane Florence’s path has led to Social Media Week Fairfax being postponed.
The event, originally scheduled for Friday (Sept. 14) in Tyson’s Capital One Auditorium, is a one-day forum on how social media and technology are influencing society. Tickets purchased for the event will be valid for whichever date the event is rescheduled for.
“Please know that this decision did not come easily, but our main concern is and will always be the safety of our attendees and speakers,” said Rachel Adler, executive director of Social Media Week Fairfax, in a statement. “We are currently looking for a new date to present the same great lineup and will be contacting you shortly.”
The hurricane — currently a Category 3 storm — is expected to make landfall Thursday night. While the projected route will have North and South Carolina taking the brunt of the impact, substantial wind and rainfall is still expected in parts of Virginia.
The storm is expected to bring 2-4 inches of rain locally with the potential for flooding over the weekend. The impact of the flooding could continue into next week as floodwaters make their way southeast across Fairfax County, according to the county government.
Tomorrow’s Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) meeting to discuss congestion solutions in McLean, meanwhile, has been cancelled. Supervisor John Foust said the meeting was cancelled partially because of the weather risk and partially to allow VDOT to focus its effort on storm-related transportation issues. The meeting will be rescheduled.
Image via NOAA
Editor’s note: The social media video was removed Tuesday night.
(Updated at 9 a.m) Video has emerged of an arrest in Tysons Corner Center mall that escalated into a brawl.
In the video, uniformed officers and officers in plain clothes apprehend and force to the ground several people outside of Swatch, a watch store on the first level of the mall. At one point, one of the victims on the ground says “I can’t breathe.”
When other people join in the melee, someone is heard shouting “shoot him.”
Following the initial publication of this article, Fairfax County Police released the following statement about the brawl.
Two young men were seen concealing merchandise at the Tysons Mall. Tysons Urban Team officers attempted to detain them and they resisted. Three other with them interfered with the arrest. Officers were able to take all five into custody but three officers received minor injuries. Two of the arrested complained of pain and were evaluated by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. Two of the involved were juveniles and released to their parents. Abdias Umana, 20, of Hyattsville MD, was arrested for petit larceny, two counts of obstruction of justice, and disorderly conduct. Cameron Reeder, 18, of Landover Hills MD, was arrested for obstruction of justice and two counts of petit larceny. Jairo Martinez, 19, of Hyattsville MD, was arrested for two counts of obstruction of justice and one count of disorderly conduct.
The Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce is inviting new and prospective members to a networking orientation.
The event will be held in the Tower Club (8000 Towers Crescent Dr.) on Thursday (Sept. 13). The orientation will run from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. There is no charge for the event for new and prospective members but guests must register online. Sandwiches will be provided.
The Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce acts as a voice for businesses in the Tysons region and helps member businesses build relationships. At the orientation, the Chamber will help new members learn how to take advantage of the resources provided through events, committees and other benefits.
“Whether you are looking to network to grow your business or give back to the community, join us and we will help you get engaged in what works for you,” said the Chamber in a statement.
Image via Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce
While car and metro are still the go-to for many Tyson commuters, some local establishments are working to make bicycling a little more accessible.
Towers Crescent, a sprawling four building mixed-use complex, recently added new bicycle parking and repair tools inside the parking garage on-site and on the nearby streets. Towers Crescent also created a series of bicycle maps for riders to navigate around the North Tysons area.
https://twitter.com/RonitADancis/status/1034521179904720896
Across the broader Tysons area, Access Tysons, a collaboration between Tysons Corner Center and government partners, has put together a detailed map of bike routes throughout Tysons and a guide of where to park at the Tysons Corner Center.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is looking at drastic measures to try and reduce the impact of congestion in I-495 on the neighborhoods near the Beltway.
Traffic on the Beltway bottlenecks at the American Legion Bridge. While longer term plans are in development to extend the express lanes to the bridge, as it stands the bottleneck builds on the Virginia side in the afternoons. Congestion on I-495 often results in navigation apps like Waze of Google Maps redirecting drivers through the smaller side streets in the surrounding neighborhoods, overcrowding the residential streets and sometimes sealing local residents inside their driveways.
On Thursday (Sept. 13), VDOT will host a meeting to discuss proposals to address neighborhood access and congestion concerns, among them a plan to implement a pilot program that would limit access to the ramp from Georgetown Pike to Northbound I-495 during weekday afternoon/evening periods.
While closing the ramp would limit access from the Beltway to local streets, it would also limit the access for local residents to the Beltway.
The meeting will be held at McLean High School (1633 Davidson Road) at 7 p.m. Public comments can also be emailed to [email protected] with “McLean Traffic Analysis” in the subject line.
Photo via Virginia Department of Transportation
Tysons Corner is celebrating local history with a futuristic twist.
The Tysons Corner Center opened up its “Tysons: Then and Now” exhibit celebrating the mall’s 50 year anniversary. The artwork contrasts historic Tysons with scenes from today, but all of the painting is done by robots. Pindar Van Arman, a local artist, designs robots that paint portraits.
These robots are more than printers. They observe their own work and correct accordingly. Facial recognition algorithims help give them context to their art. According to Arman, the machines are even capable of learning from outside sources and imitating the techniques of their creator.
At the ribbon-cutting, the machines were on display and continuing to work. Throughout the month they will continue working on a larger mural. The exhibit will run from Sept. 6-29.
Photo One via @vanarman
Photo Two and Three via Tysons Corner Center
