UPDATE: Night-time Demolition of Lewinsville Bridge Completed

UPDATE: The folks at Virginia Megaprojects tell us they wrapped up night time demolition of the old Lewinsville Road bridge over the Beltway on Monday night.

 They also finished removing the last couple of concrete piers and outer loop side abutment Wednesday. 

Aside from a little bit of mop up  and equipment demobilization we’re ready to pick-up where we left off on completing tie-in work on both sides of the bridge.

The old Lewinsville Bridge was replaced to make way for the new toll express (HOT) lanes down the center of the Capital Beltway. It was one of 58 bridges replaced.

The bridge demolition was the source of mysterious sounds that awakened McLean neighbors in the middle of the night in early January.

The new toll express lanes will be completed by the end of 2012.

UPDATE JAN 12.  The folks at Virginia Megaprojects told a McLean citizens committee Tuesday night that they are responsible for waking up McLean residents in the middle of the night.

They are demolishing the old  Lewinsville Road bridge over the Capital Beltway. The wrecking crews are razing the bridge by breaking up the re-enforced concrete in 20 foot sections, Jeff Wagner, of Megaprojects explained to the Transportation Committee of the McLean Citizens Association Tuesday night.

A machine with a spear at one end pierces the  concrete deck to break it up.

The bridge removal occurs overnight because three lanes of Beltway traffic must be closed to accommodate the demolition. You can't close three lanes of the Beltway during the day. Closing three lanes for 20 minutes in the wee hours of the moring causes backups of more than a mile, Wagner said.

All concrete must be removed from the steel girders supporting the bridge to make sure none falls on unsuspecting motorists during the day, he said.

Virginia Megaprojects notified neighbors within  a mile of the bridge of the upcoming demolition but the sound has traveled far beyond that radius.

Speaking of the immediate neighbors on Tembley Way, “They have had some rough nights. There is no doubt about it,”  Wagner said.

Wagner asked the neighbors for patience because the nocturnal noises will continue for two or three nights, he said.

The Lewinsville Road bridge is one of 58 bridges being replaced to accommodate the new toll lanes now under construction down the middle of the Beltway for 14 miles from Springfield to Maryland. The so-called HOT lanes, which will cost $1.4 billion,  are scheduled to open later this year.

UPDATE Monday. The neighbors continue to ask what are those sounds they hear after midnight.

It was quite a conversation topic at church Sunday. "It's like a long snoring sound," said a neighbor at church as she asked, what is it.

Neighbors who live near the Beltway report hearing the sounds in the early morning hours. Best guess is the demolition of the old Lewinsville Road Bridge over the Beltway which started last week.

We'll inquire of VDOT Monday morning and share what we find out.

Please share your thoughts and ideas.

ORIGINAL STORY SATURDAY JAN. 7. Supervisor John Foust tried to track down the source of a strange sound that some McLean residents heard shortly after midnight Friday morning.

Our neighbor wrote: "Last night I was reading in bed (around 12:15 am) and heard a strang noise. At first I thought it was our furnace so I turned off everything in the room and traced the noise to outside the house. I opened the window and the noise appeared to be coming from the McLean Medical Center area (could be further or closer than that – approx NNW from my house. The noise lasted about five minutes then stopped. It reoccurred after a short pause. Then it stopped, then started again after a short pause.
 
The actual sound is hard to describe. Sort of sound like heavy traffic or something mechanical. Very steady noise that got louder but not closer."

Foust reported: "Police don’t know what caused it. Dulles Rail says it wasn’t them. We’re checking with HOT Lanes. We have had reports that the noise came from around the McLean Medical Building and also reports that it came from near the Lewinsville Bridge."

The supervisor said his best guess is the demolition of Lewinsville Bridge, which started Monday night.

Please share your thoughts if you heard it.