Live Q&As

The bridge reconstruction project is behind schedule. It got started in January 2008. The original timetable called for completion in February 2010. Project managers say it has been delayed till spring 2011, because of unforeseen problems with the utilities in the area, ground conditions and bad weather.

While that's more than a year's delay, which is bad, the rebuilding on such a busy commuter route has not caused as much trouble as I thought it would. Looking back to what I was writing at the time this started, I see that I was recommending all kinds of twisty alternative routes that I thought drivers would be begging for. But I really don't hear much about detouring traffic. It's more, enduring traffic.

I think drivers who took I-66 west of Gainesville are probably saying the same thing today. It's awful to be stuck in such backups.

But look, this sort of problem occurs a handful of times each year. What planners and budgeters in Maryland and Virginia have to consider is whether that justifies investments of billions of dollars in expanding highways.

Maybe it does, but I have a feeling most taxpayers would not support it.

I agree with you that this is a problem. I'd rather try to solve it through the program to expand bike lanes in DC.

I say that partly because I walk the downtown streets where bicycles are banned right now. Who could tell there's a ban? There are plenty of cyclists speeding up from behind pedestrians and narrowly missing them. They should slow down and be more careful. But I can understand why cyclists don't feel like mixing in with traffic on some of the downtown streets.

I'm glad to hear that. Sounds like you made the most of timing and route for your getaway. Lots of people got stuck in miles of backups at the Newark Toll Plaza on I-95 in Delaware. We offered a few routes just to get around the toll plaza, but some drivers wrote to me and said that when the traffic backs up for many miles, it's difficult to get to those detour routes. Better, they said, to make a very extensive bypass, such as the swing up to Pennsylvania.

I've talked to VDOT, the HOT lanes project and the Dulles Metrorail project about the holiday season in Tysons Corner. I'm just about certain that the way you see the Tysons road network  today is the way you'll find it through New Year's.

For example, the HOT lanes construction schedule allowed the project managers to open up those left lanes on Route 123 for the 2009 holiday season. That's not the case this year. They'll remain closed. And the new left-turn at the light from Route 123 onto the inner loop of the Beltway will stay as it is.

Route 7, where the Dulles Metrorail line is under construction, also will stay pretty much as you see it now.

This will be a difficult season for Tysons shoppers.

I can tell you that Metro put out this announcement on its Web site last Monday:

"Metro will temporarily close the L’Enfant Plaza Metrorail station entrance at 9th and D Sts., S.W. starting on Nov. 26 through Dec. 8, due to a rehabilitation project in the promenade area adjacent to the station entrance. The entrance at 9th and D Sts. will reopen on Dec. 9.

"The entrances at 7th St. and Maryland Ave, S.W. and 7th and D St. S.W. will remain open.

"To alert customers of the entrance closure, signs and banners were placed at the entrance and e-alerts will be issued. Metro’s next train display signs will have a message on the closing and public address system announcements will be made."

Drivers do have the responsibility for maintaining their vehicles' safety devices.  But there isn't much chance you'll get off the hook on a rear-end collision if the other driver's bulb was burned out.

You've described a very common problem for Metro riders. In fact, I'd be surprised to find there are many transit users who haven't gone through a similar experience in 2010. I had a "Dear Dr. Gridlock" letter from a reader suggesting that Metro develop a program to add stairs between platform and mezzanine at as many stations as possible. I like that idea very much. Metro clearly can't maintain 588 escalators.

Good point about the annual inspections. In Maryland, you get your car inspected once and that's it.

I'm sure many commuters found themselves in the same situation. We miss announcements, e-mails, banners. I've missed my regular station (Farragut North) a few times.

Yes. There's a problem with the tracks in that section of the Red Line. It's not a big enough problem to require single-tracking, but enough so Metro ordered the trains to slow down until a fix could be done. It's been a few weeks now, so I'll check on what's up with that.

This isn't an unusual situation in the aging rail system. But I don't understand why Metro can't routinely announce why the trains are under speed restrictions. There's a policy to announce why a train has stopped between stations, but nothing about slowdowns -- which regular riders always notice.

Delaware is using federal stimulus money to build highway-speed E-ZPass lanes in the middle of the I-95 toll plaza. Those of us who drive I-95 are going to be very grateful when those open -- but it won't be till next summer.

While Delaware and the other transportation departments pull up the orange cones for the holidays, they can't do anything about the longterm projects -- the stuff behind jersey barriers. (See earlier response about Tysons Corner construction.) This will be the only holiday season -- I hope -- during which we'll have to endure the situation at the Newark Toll Plaza, but it is very painful.

What Delaware did at the peak of the holiday congestion was lift the tolls and let everyone through for free. That was a good move. Not sure whether it will be repeated. Don't look for an announcement before-hand.

Thanks to my producer, here's the link.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/13/AR2010111304595.html

There were significant delays at the toll plaza every single day during the Thanksgiving period, including on Thanksgiving Day. The worst times, I believe, were from mid-morning through late afternoon.

There most likely will be delays around Christmas time, but they may not be quite as bad, because people concentrate their Thanksgiving travel into just a few days.

I'm glad you had that experience. You can see that not everyone did. In fact, many, many people did not. The Delaware toll plaza is no fun even under normal conditions. This year's construction of the highway-speed toll lanes has made it much worse. Still, I'm glad Delaware is doing this. Some fix was long overdue.

Very glad to hear that. As I said to a previous commenter, you combined timing and route to good effect. I wish everyone could do that -- more and more people are trying to.

I take notes from you travelers each holiday season and use your reports to refine the getaway guides we publish.

This is a very, very bad spot this fall and is likely to continue to be bad for quite some time. The lane pattern accommodates the construction of the High Occupancy Toll lanes.