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Manhole explosion, ice force major tie-ups
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Joggers and tourists walk around Pepco workers while they work to repair damage at 7th and Madison Street SW on the National Mall after an underground explosion blew manhole covers off and caused traffic congestion in Washington, DC on Wednesday February 21, 2007.
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - A manhole explosion and fire in Southwest Washington Wednesday blew out dozens of traffic signals and backed up roads for miles during the height of the morning rush.
Combined with icy spots on some well-traveled D.C. and suburban parkways, the commute was a nightmare for area residents, tying up major roads - Interstates 495, 395 and 66, and 16th Street - across the region for hours.
The manhole explosion and fire occurred at about 3 a.m. at Seventh Street and Madison Avenue Southwest on the National Mall. The blast knocked out power to 73 Pepco meters, many of which were traffic signals, said Robert Dobkin, Pepco spokesman.
By 9 a.m., traffic was backed up some 14 miles on I-395. The D.C. Department of Transportation brought in temporary generators just to get the signals working on Constitution Avenue, while police officers directed traffic on Independence Avenue and 14th Street. Pepco had most, but not all, of the signals working by noon. Commuters making their way into the District had few alternatives. Ice forced the National Park Service to close Beach Drive, while salt crews de-iced lanes of Rock Creek Parkway.
Three accidents on the George Washington Parkway, one involving a seven-month pregnant park service employee, tied up the Virginia highway. And a growing number of potholes regionwide further slowed the advance. The pregnant car accident victim suffered cuts due to the deployment of her airbag, said Bill Line, NPS spokesman.
Comments from Examiner Readers
1:16 PM MST on Wed., Jul. 23, 2008 re: "City ‘gateway toll’ considered"
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re: "I-95 north of Baltimore home to region’s worst bottlenecks"
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8:16 PM MST on Wed., Nov. 28, 2007
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9:16 AM MST on Wed., Oct. 17, 2007
re: "Study: Traffic costs D.C. $2B, Baltimore $1 billion annually"
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6:09 PM MST on Sun., Sep. 9, 2007
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Examiner Reader said:
I guess SF really doesn't want people to come to the City! What a load of crock. Nobody in the SF govt has any business sense. Great, kill the goose that lays the golden eggs (businesses and sales taxes).
6 agree | 3 disagree
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just shoot me said:
sweet - another friggin toll. I already pay $1000/month in commute costs.
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
If there were a viable, reliable CLEAN option then people would be able to not drive. Without that option people must drive. Clean up MUNI, make it dependable and regular and co- ordinate with other transit agencies and people will want to get out of their cars. As it is if you are in a hurry or out of communte hours MUNI is not an option. Also, I am unclear why people love BART!. Signage is pathetic and it is NOT co-ordinated with MUNI or Golden Gate transit, what's the point? Take a look at NYC, London or Paris to get a look at what good transit systems are. Funny, their workers show up and they keep to a timetable. Maybe we could try doing that?
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Bruce Simmons said:
for one, I don't understand how it cost $30 million to instigate the deployment of traffic control officers and traffic cones. Second, how would diverting a traffic jam to El Camino Real alleviate anything. El Camino Real is already questionably jammed up at traffic time and the ensuing flood of motor vehicles would only spill the excess onto the various side streets around that road. Spend the $30 million where it's needed, on the school systems or homeless shelters.
8 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
R.I.P. DeKeisha Skaggs! We will all miss you! -Jessica G. P.
8 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
600 Million dollars? Much too expensive and way too late to fix the problem. By the time the road is built, no one will care because the people will be gone.
6 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
These choke points have been around for over 30 years - and the drivers that dart into the lane and slam on their brakes that have not killed themselves are still endangering the rest of us! Leave the Baltimore area for good - I did 12 years ago and life is so much better since I don't have to deal with the crime or the local corporate societal ladder. I love to hear the companies complain about the lack of talent in the region. The problem is everybody in the Baltimore business district is trying to rape each other so what is left is table scraps for the locals - they don't have a problem hiring out of staters and paying them big bucks but if you are a local they hate the fact that they are reliant on you - especially if you are white and have a moral value system.
6 agree | 7 disagree
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ms jackson said:
All this money spent on highway dividers, anti smoking campaigns, youth violence intiatives, dietary labeling, unwanted pregnancies, anti suicide barriers, etc. could be saved by introducing a microscopic brain implant that would cause extreme pain and forced change of action any time somebody begins to behave in a way that creates any sort of societal problems. Of course, this would mean about 95 percent of huimanity would be constantly groaning in pain and apparently changing their minds!
10 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
oh my gosh that is bad people need to start being more careful
152 agree | 125 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
When someone does something like this, it not only saves lives, it leaves the rest of us with the knowledge that one of us did a great good thing. I'm so grateful for that knowledge. John Beatty is a really good man.
201 agree | 208 disagree
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San Francisco Voter said:
Wow. I knew there were at least a few good people around here.
212 agree | 201 disagree
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Mike Licht said:
>>Re: Study: Traffic costs D.C. $2B, Baltimore $1 billion annually<< Editorial decision to omit hyperlink to the actual study is a gross disservice to readers.
235 agree | 228 disagree
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William Cooke said:
Great race. Thanks Annapolis, Annapolis Police, and AA County Police.
295 agree | 243 disagree
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