Tow trucks continue rescuing drivers in pothole disabled cars on GWpkwy - many stranded for HOURS #WTOP pic.twitter.com/yH0dTR48W6
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) March 11, 2015USpark Pox continue welfare checks w drivers of pothole disabled vehicles stranded for hours #WTOP pic.twitter.com/IEQK7wmkJb
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) March 11, 2015Tow trucks now beginning to collect stranded motorists fr GWpkwy SB #Potholes #WTOP pic.twitter.com/GEhs8QG47u
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) March 11, 2015US Park Pox report 15/20 pothole disabled cars SB GW Prkwy south of Amer Legion Br area. Repair crew working! #WTOP pic.twitter.com/VcK66NiWAE
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) March 11, 2015POTHOLE repair crew SB GWpkwy making a first pass ONLY in the left lane #WTOP pic.twitter.com/wYmHJnOXA4
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) March 11, 2015
NB GW Pkwy CLSD fr Spout Run to rt 123 for repair of MULT potholes such as this one. 15+cars damaged o/night #WTOP pic.twitter.com/5GGo0PRyYM
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) March 11, 2015NB George Washington Pkwy CLSD fr Spout Run to rt 123. Should reopen b4 5a #WTOP pic.twitter.com/FHSi5KUCRz
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) March 11, 2015USpark Pox Officer doing safety checks wMULT pothole victims lined up in MULT spots on GWpkwy SB south of rt123 #WTOP pic.twitter.com/7GsYb97gDP
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) March 11, 2015
WASHINGTON — Drivers may experience delays on the George Washington Parkway Wednesday as an emergency pothole repair effort continues through the day.
Potholes on George Washington Parkway disabled 15 or more vehicles Tuesday night, causing a portion of the roadway to be closed for emergency road repairs.
From roughly midnight until about 4 a.m., the northbound lanes of the parkway were closed between Spout Run Parkway and Route 123.
Road crews used about 5 tons of asphalt to patch the potholes, says National Park Service Spokeswoman Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles. Since last Tuesday, 20 tons of asphalt have been used to repair potholes on the George Washington Parkway.
Near the Central Intelligence Agency exit, a collection of potholes was described as a minefield. Two large craters north of Spout Run Parkway claimed numbers of vehicles.
On Wednesday, drivers can expect to see rolling roadblocks along the George Washington Parkway as road crews search for and repair potholes they may encounter.
Crews are working on Spout Run Parkway outbound from George Washington Parkway to Lorcom Lane. After that, crews will do work on the inbound lanes from Lorcom Lane to George Washington Parkway.
Anzelmo-Sarles asks driver to be patient as they see delays or encounter the road crews working on repairs.
“Please don’t try to turn around on the median,” she says. “The ground is so wet, people are getting stuck and that will just further delay your ride today. And also, some of the most dangerous and serious crashes are when people try to cross the median and head back in the other direction.”
An overnight worker who drives the stretch regularly says the roadway was in decent shape Monday evening. Tuesday’s rain likely caused an acceleration of deterioration of minor road cracks into major potholes.
“Drivers are advised to use caution on all area roads because the recent weather changes (from freezing temperatures and snow to warming temperatures and rain) are causing road damage throughout the region,” Anzelmo-Sarles said in an email.
Tow trucks pulled cars off the roadway in the early morning hours Wednesday putting up to a half dozen in each of two scenic overlooks and in the parking lot for the U.S. Park Police substation near the exit for CIA.
If you see a pothole that needs to be repaired, call 703-289-2500 or email Gwmp_superintendent@nps.gov.
Last December, one lane of the parkway southbound was closed for almost a day because of a pothole described as a “sinkhole” adjacent to a concrete bridge deck near Spout Run Parkway. That closure caused traffic congestion for miles as drivers adjusted routes because of the closure.
