Thank you for joining everyone, we're just gonna wait a couple of minutes for people to blog on, and then we will begin the presentation.
Good evening, everybody, and they're welcome to the National Park Service, George Washington Memorial, Parkway, Public Information Session for the North Parkway Rehabilitation, Project my name, is Mark Malloy I'm the Acting, Public Information Officer, At the George Washington Memorial Parkway and I Will be
Your moderator for this evening. next slide.
So welcome, we are holding this virtual public meeting to provide information on the current Rehabilitation of the North Parkway and Implementation of Temporary Reversible Lanes, Later this Winter if you are not Already Aware Closed Captions, are Available for this Meeting you Can Just Click on the
Clues, caption found in the meeting controls at the bottom of your Zoom screen to start viewing the Closed Captioning throughout the Meeting.
We invite you to submit questions. through the Q. A.
Box, in Zoom, These questions will be addressed after the Presentation as part of the Question and Answer session of the program, we will read your question out loud, and our Presenters and Panel members will respond the team will do their best to answer all questions but in the event that we do not
Get to your question. we will provide contact information at the end of the presentation where you can go for post meeting following this meeting will be 90 min.
Long we will adjourn at 8 30 Pm.
If we get through all of your questions early, the Meeting will conclude once all those questions have been answered, please note that this meeting is being recorded and before we Dive into the Presentation I'd like to take a minute, to introduce our presenters next slide
Joining us this evening as Presenters, we have Charles, Cooper, Le Superintendent at the Georgia Memorial Parkway.
We also have Michael Thomas the Project Manager for the National Park Service, myself, who I introduced, and we also have Robert Moore the Design Project Manager from Wsp we also have several Additional Panelists, Available to Answer questions they include Representatives, from the Us.
Department of Transportation, the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, Fort Meyer Construction and the Engineering Firm, Wsp and They will Introduce themselves, if they are called upon to Answer a Question, next Slide so here we have our Agenda and We Appreciate, you
Taking your time, out of your evening to learn more about this rehabilitation project our Agenda, is going to start with a Project Overview a Brief Overview of the George Washington Memorial Parkway before We Turn it into over for a Construction update and then
We will finish with the question and Answer Sessions, with that I will now turn the presentation over to Charles Coogleier, Superintendent of the George Washington Memorial Parkway
Thank you, mark appreciate your facilitation. This evening. Good evening, everyone.
I'm Charles Cooler, I'm the Superintendent on the towards Washington.
Well, perkly next slide, please we're excited to share this update tonight, we think we always may be grounded in who we are as an organization, our our purpose the George Washington will Parkway is A Scenic Roadway Honoring the Nation's First Project that Protects, Protects, and Preserves
cultural natural resources as part of a comprehensive system of Parks, Parkways, and recreation areas that surround the nation's, capital it includes the fact that it's list on the national Register, if it's, Replaces, It's, doneated for or designed for recreational driving it
Links important commemorative sites in our American history, in a particular Preserves habitat for local, wildlife.
It is truly more than just a parkway next slide
As you know. Here on the the Graphics, the Project Site goes from spout run on the southern terminus, to the Capital about we have the north end.
It's 7.6 miles and it concludes both work in Fairfax and Arlington Counties, it's a design build Project which means the Contract is working with an Engineering Firm to complete final design Phases, this Method allows for innovation Reducing Schedules and allows the
Design and contractor, to Working in Hand Construction, can be underway in one section of the Work Project Area.
While design is occurring in another section, along with asphalt repairs to the Parkway, we Anticipate 128 Drainage Outlets, And Bridges, 10 Bridge Is Located within the Area, are Included Within the Project We're gonna Provide an Update on some of the
Activity, related those in just a minute. the reasons for this project are the physical roadways reaching end of its lifespan there's obviously Damage Sections of Guardrail Deterioration of Drainage, Infrastructure and Stone Guard Walls, that Line, the Parkway, so you Might remember.
The sync that we experienced back in May of 2,019, that required emergency repairs due to values of the Day Adjacent drainage, Infrastructure.
The project, and the intent of the Project is to repair rehabilitate.
These deteriorating sections of the roadway as well as implement safety Improvements, while Preserving the Cultural and Historical Characteristics of the Parkway, our Work is Guided by An Environmental Assessment That was Completed in 2,000 and 18 that Information the Design Decisions for this Project It's.
available to the public and can be accessed from what we call Pepsi, the National Park Services Planning environment, and public comment, website, next slide please
To give you an overview of the rehabilitation project and the Scope of Work That's Involved We're gonna Replace, the Asphalt Pavement, That Includes the Base Pavement and the Overlay Pavement, We're going to Conduct a Redesign
Of the Route, 123, interchange all that work has to be done and approved by V.
Dot, since it is associated with intersection in their jurisdiction well repair, stormwater management, systems, we're Gonna Lengthen, the Entrance and Exit Lanes some of our Interchanges We're Going, to Reconstruct Stone Law and Roadside
Barriers. We're gonna rehabilitate, the historic overlooks.
And we are in attentions on reopen some of the historic views, along the Partway next slide as mark mentioned, we have a lot of partners on this Project and one was we are Radically, involved with is our partners@v.and Project 400 and 95 next as their Construction, and our
Construction, overlap each other at the terminus of the Parkway, where it enters the capital, that way, that project project next is of course, a 2, and a half mile, extension of the 49 400, and 95 Express, Lanes from the Dollar's, Toll Road, Interchange to the George
Washington Mall Parkway. Our team is engaged in regular recurring meetings with the V.
Dot Project next team, and then effort to coordinate and Deconflict Construction activities ensure that we have good messaging, and where there needs to be corrections, we can make those corrections, as close to real time.
As possible. Next i'd like to introduce Michael Thomas, Michael is our Parkway liaison on this Project and lead for the Project and Michael's, gonna provide you a Project update, I go Out Mobile, Board.
Yes, sir, thank you for the introduction. Charles. Good afternoon.
Everybody. My name is Michael Thomas I'm the Co.
Project, manager for the George Waterson Memorial Park, Right Northern Rehabilitation, Project, so Just 3 from Charles to give a brief Overview.
Where we are now with the construction schedules, we're actually construction activities, is that we have begun the temporary widening from 495 coming onto the Gw Part by itself, down and we also will be phasing the construction for what we call the
First section 495, so once, we, 23 Interchange and from 1, 23 to Spout run as saying this project may take over the course of 2, 3 years, and we are currently Tracking, all Activities next, slide please
So as you, all are saying, we just started digging or starting the construction.
But we have been performing a completing a lot of pre-construction act activities.
As we all know, this is a parkway, it's a road, and between a park.
So we have a lot of natural, natural, cultural, archaeological, environmental resources.
So we're leaving low, stone, unturned, no plan attended, but on with that we have been completing the time test pits, slower surveys traffic collection, Data we've been doing surveys.
On the trees, and the Median, and on the shoulders, to make sure we derive due diligence to make sure we bring the part, back, and bring it back with the Intent of Improving the Scenario and the original Center for the Park was created for we are in the
Middle of Reviewing, some middles for the bridges.
The Bridge stage will be coming in a separate some middle West Charles so this is a design, the whole project versus time good build so we're using that to kind of Fast track the Project I tried to Project and kind of reduce the time Schedule, for Work so we have
Completed, a lot of Reports for Tree surveys.
Those are coming in and we will be reviewing with our internal team, our product team members and along with consulting parts that makes sense
So as Previously, you stated the construction activities.
Right now that are going on. there have installed installed saving it areas in the medians, we also have using fort, Marc for our stage, and errors, and Donaldson, Overlook as well for some of that we are also removing trees, in the Median and also which
Is upcoming you'll see Construction progress, photos from all the work that you, if you're trying the Parkway, you can see all of the Activities. And this is wherever you are so next slide please
These photos are one of the Khrushchev Activities.
We are demolished and removing trees and shrubbery from the stone guard wall, at the CIA Interchange.
If you looked at the picture on the left, that is existing this for photos existing, when the tree or submarine, and the Pitcher, the Middle to see, the Natural progression of our Work with the Trees, and Shrubbery Activities, beginning and that's where we are now with the Trees are
Moved upcoming that'll be demolishing, the stone wall and the continuation of Tree Removal in the media next slide, please
So with the historical photo of the black and white picture on the upper right hand corner.
We know this is big project, and we we keep the the vision in mind, the vision and so we like to the part Process of Restore, then send a vipox, creative so as you drive on the Park we can you know view and discover, the vistas and the views, hopefully at a little
Pace so. But these photos are just the construction activities, with the trees being removed.
We have, did the Full, Do, with Identified Trees Market Trees for Removal, and we were will also be replacing trees one for one, this I said, will come later on and the of the Twilight, and the Project but just we have the plan Regretation plan started and we are paying
Attention, to the cataloging all the trees that we remove and we'll be bringing in trees, native trees, the also tree moves will be non invasive, species, or remote trees from meeting as some of the Shoulders so up and bring it back to this Brand or understand this next slide.
Okay, thanks. Mike. wanted wanted to go ahead and talk to you a little bit about the activities that are gonna happen with the temporary lane, widening this image shows some sections across the road to give you an idea of the type, of work or you know where the Work is occurring and how
It's gonna be phased just to orient you, these these sections, broken by phase, are as if you were standing in the middle of the Parkway, Kind of Looking Southbound, so the southbound, Lanes are on the Right Hand Side the Northbound Lanes, are on the Left
Hand side, so as you've heard. We're some of the initial work is to do some temporary lane widening in the media we will only be doing that widening work on along the inside of the Northbound Lanes, and the Purpose behind doing, it in this Fashion
Is to create a third, lane along the northbound.
So that we can Isolate the Work area on the Southbound Lanes, and the Team will continue to widen that space, along the Northbound Lanes Mainly at This Stage of the Project between 100, and 23 North to 4 95
It's that work is anticipated to be completed somewhere around midwinter.
However, you know with that is whether permitting you know, based.
You know, obviously this time of year that that may not may not be quite as efficient as working say in this over time, but that is the goal is to be done around that time once that is installed the traffic will be able to like I said be moved over and it allows us to
Isolate, the Southbound Lanes and Do all of the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Work, in those Soft Phone, Southbound Lanes Without Traffic, Running, Right next to where the Work, Zone is This Will, Be Safer, for the Public and Safer, for the Workers, Out there
As we move down through the phases. Once that work is complete, we'll be able to shift traffic over to those southbound lanes, still, using the Widen the temporary widening Lane that was Built under phase one and then they Can start working on the northbound
lands, and that will be more of a phased construction.
Like you may see on Typical Roadway projects, because there will be some shifting around on the Northbound Lanes.
But the goal, behind, this, behind this configuration really is using 3 lanes with one of those lanes, being a reversible lane and that's really going to be given preference to what direction in terms, of Rush hour so I'm gonna be moving on to show some graphics that we
Put together. I think that this will help illustrate things.
A little bit better than these initial screens but this at least gives you the sense of what We're doing.
And I guess I'll just mention to the public. Notifications have begun.
There'll be information at the end of the Presentation on how to sign up.
So you can be added to the mailing list
Okay. looking at your screen. Right? Now, On the left hand side.
You see the existing roadway. This is this is pretty much what is the existing George Washington Memorial Parkway. Looks like. Right.
Now you've got 2 northbound lanes to Southbound lanes with a Wider Median in most locations, as you can see on the right hand Graphic there's a 10 Foot Wide temporary Widening Lane being Constructed along those Northbound
Lands.
Okay, this this graphic, it shows you once that widening once that lane is built, you can get a sense of the configuration, that will be in place there there will be a lane, for a northbound tree that will be northbound at all times and there will be a lane for southbound
At all times, it's the middle Lane which will function as a reversible lane, as I mentioned it, depending on rush hour.
It'll it'll vary. Which direction that is occurring.
This particular graphic shows the morning rush hour. So it has 2, lanes, heading Southbound towards Washington, DC.
And as you can see by moving all of the traffic over it. Allows us to work on the southbound lanes, isolated and at a good distance away from the rest of the traffic
Okay, it's a similar situation. Once it's Pm Rush Hour, instead of having the 2 Lanes going southbound.
Now you've got 2 lanes coming northbound, giving giving preference to the rush hour, direction.
Alright, and then the next phase that I talked about a little bit before once we have completed the work on the Southbound line, we will go ahead and shift traffic over onto those Lanes, and then again, you'll still have this Configuration of the 2 outside Lanes
being northbound and southbound at all times. You know, depending on which one you're in and then that Middle, Lane Functioning as a reversible link depending on rush hour
Now, when he gets to the bridges. This is an example.
This is the Turkey, run bridge up close to for the northern end of the Project.
There's limited space out on these bridges and widening the bridge, as we did.
The Median is not really feasible, so we will still follow a three-lane configuration at all times it's just that we'll be splitting the traffic between the 2 bridges, as you see on your screen, right now a barrier will separate the Work Zone.
From the traffic, and just to let people know most of the Bridge work will will be occurring underneath or Subsurface, which means you may see a right line Closure and there may be minimal Activity perhaps in that Lane that's blocked Off but They're mostly the Work is Occurring under the
Bridge that will include things like, repair work to some of the Bridge Elements as well, as painting, the Steel Girders, Underneath, and Working on other Aspects of the Bridge and Abundance, the Bridge Work is Scheduled to Begin South of the 100, and 23,
Interchange. Most of the roadway work that we described here is going to be occurring north of that interchange, but
We'll be kind of working on the bridges as we go. Some of them.
You know, extending south along that stretch
Just a couple of Safety Reminders. We wanted to make sure we we covered with everyone, I know, most you know most people are used to these types of things, but you know it is a change from what's, on the Parkway.
Right now, so we, wanna make sure. People know you know. At least one lane of traffic in each direction will always be open throughout the project the northbound Lane closures may occur between 6, 30 am.
And 245 and southbound Lane closures can occur between 9, 30, and 7, night and weekend work is anticipated on this Project at least one Land of Traffic will always be open in each direction during those Timeframes there are can gonna be a lot of
Construction, equipment, and crews and workers in the area, they're there to conduct at least initially right now some of the tree Removal Necessary for the Widening some Lane changes and other, Types of Activities Related to Constructing the Temporary Media Widening There's.
Gonna be new signage out there, that people need to be aware of, and that will include things like variable message signs, orange Construction, Signage, and other and other Types of signage that to Alert Drivers of any Change, Consistent Conditions, Out, there, Another Thing, to Highlight, is there will be a lower
Speed limit with this area being a work zone, the speed limit on this portion of the Parkway will be reduced to 40 miles an hour.
That is intended to keep not only workers, safe, but motorists.
Using the Roadway Safe and this will be posted along the Parkway there'll be traffic shifts Occurring as well, throughout the Project and this is being done to allow the Crews to Rehabilitate the Parkway, and I guess in General just some Safety Reminders, you know everybody needs to
Pay, close attention. There's gonna be flaggers out there or signs that you'll need to be aware of and it could change depending on the day that you're out, that you know that you're driving on the road be patient we ask that people show some patients as as we go through this
Process, to to rehabilitate the Parkway, Drive, the Posted Speed, we understand it's lower than what you're used to out there.
But it's important to keep safety in mind with that just to keep an eye out for cruise or any other type of debris that might be out there and this kind of goes without saying, but we always want people to minimize distractions try to you know, avoid using your phone and
Other types of things that could distract you while you're driving through the corridor, another another suggestion would be to turn on your headlights, when you're going through there, it helps make you more Visible like Helps, the workers, out as well, in general just proceed with caution you know they close Attention, even when you
Don't see workers out there, this is gonna be a construction. Service.
We recognize that the with the work, to rehabilitate the Parkway well, have an impact on visitors for the duration of this Project we certainly want to get it done.
As fast as we can. But drivers you know, are gonna experience, some impacts and we wanna propose you know, suggest that maybe if you can consider alternate roots or choose to use the private.
But if you do use the Parkway, please do so with caution, and with that I think that will conclude our project overview Portion of the Presentation, I'm going to pass it back to mark who will.
Be providing some instructions for any questions that people might have
Alright. Well, thank you to Charles Michael and Robert for all that information,
And now we'll turn to the Q. A portion of the meeting.
You go ahead, click the next slide, if you have a question you'd like to submit it please post it to the Q.
And a, but as you see on the screen, there additionally, as you can see on there, if you want to raise your hand and ask a question you can use that raise hand feature, and then we will be able to unmute your line and we'll leave this slide up for a little bit and then there'll
Be another slide. They'll show you about additional information on how to stay in Touch and Contact Us, and as we noted at the beginning of the Meeting, this Meeting will be 90 min long and We'll join at 8 30 and in the event that all the the Questions Are, Addressed before the
End, time, we'll conclude so at that time at this time, if anybody has any any questions, go ahead, and either place them into the question, answer box and or go ahead, and and raise your hand.
Please and now I'll be introducing Mister Robert Morris Who's a designer of record for the Project Rob Let's follow us
It looks like we have one question here already. why have Jersey barriers been added in the Grass Medium and for that I think I'll let if Michael wants to be able to answer that question you can join me on here and describe that
Yes, smart. Yeah, so George Barry is in place for the indication.
Of still our Drivers, that you know that we're, such in that section office, was the youicular barrier and just a for the Safety of motorists, Driving along the Parkway
And the phone, Robert from the AD. Anything Else and please feel free
And thank you, Michael, for that. And we also got another question, about please describe what we'll happen at the Virginia, 1 23, interchange so yeah, I don't know if either.
Robert or or Michael can can give a little more information on that I will say that on our web, page on the North Parkway Rehabilitation Web, page, we do have some renderings on there on some proposed changes happening there but if one of you would like to answer that question
that'd be great
Sure it's it's not gonna be too much of a major change.
It really just involves making some modifications to 2 of the ramps to try to make it it function, a little bit more efficiently, like you know, like like we said there there'll be We'll have some graphics, on the website that can show it in more detail and certainly as
we get closer to that point of construction. We'll be sharing those details.
As well, kind of how traffic will will function and operate in those locations
Thank you, Robert, for that alright we, right. Now we don't have any other questions.
We'll give you all couple more minutes. if you wanna think of something to to go ahead, and populate either into the the Q, a feature or to to raise your hand and like I said if if we if we don't if you don't have any other questions after a
couple of minutes. We'll we'll conclude the session
And just so you're also aware as I mentioned earlier, this is being recorded and will be posting, this to our website, within the next week.
I was just gonna add that for Mr. Smith to ask the question about the interchange.
If if you're provide your contact information, I'm sure we could share those those images with you I don't know if there's a there's a way for us, to to obtain that maybe through the email that you'll share, here Shortly
Yeah, into that as far as staying in contact actually, if you flip to the next slide, I can also show you some ways that you can stay up to date with what's happening with the the North, Parkway rehabilitation you can visit our website, we have a page dedicated specifically
To this project, @go.nps.gov.
Slash North Parkway, you also have the opportunity to opt in to for e blasts and Genevieve has included that in the Chat box as well, a link you can go to and sign up to get kind of updates Weekly as the Project contains
Of course, we have our Park Contact information you can reach out to also contact the team as well. So you can stay up to date with what's happening with the North Parkway Rehabilitation
Right again. You don't have any other questions at this moment.
We'll just give it probably 2 more minutes.
So if you have any questions, feel free to go ahead and and and ask them, and we'll be happy to answer them for you
All right. Well, we like I said earlier, we appreciate you all taking a time out of your busy schedules, and evenings to to come here with us to learn more about the North Park way, and like I said, the upcoming versatile Lanes, thank you all for for
tuning in this evening and if we have any other questions. Like I said, go ahead and and reach out to the team and and we'll do our best to help you out, so thank you all for joining us, this evening