Security at Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center Increases; Research Center and Claude Moore Farm Visitors Affected |
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Federal Highway Administration
July 22, 2002
Monday, July 22, 2002
Contact: Lori Irving
Tel: 202-366-0660
Improving physical security at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) has been a priority for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for the last year. Based on recommendations from a physical security review by the Federal Protective Service, and reinforced by the general requirements of the Homeland Security Directive, security procedures will be enhanced to control access to or through the Federal-owned and operated TFHRC of the FHWA in McLean, VA. The new procedures took effect July 22, 2002.
These procedures will impact both visitors to the Research Center, as well as vehicular traffic to the Claude Moore Colonial Farm administrative building parking area. The Farm, located on National Park Service property, is adjacent to the Research Center; and vehicular access to the Farm's administrative parking lot is through the Research Center. Visitors to the Farm who park in the public lot off Colonial Farm Road are unaffected by the new procedures.
FHWA, the National Park Service and the Farm have agreed to the construction of a new road that will provide dedicated access to the Farm and eliminate the current security procedures for visitors to the Farm.
FHWA has completed a design for the new road, which the National Park Service will fund. The FHWA is expecting to initiate construction as it does for much of the National Park Service road work nationwide, as soon as the Park Service completes the environmental review around September 1. This road will provide independent access to the Farm's administrative building parking lot.
Until the new road to the Colonial Farm is completed, the following procedures will be followed to grant vehicular access through the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) property to the Claude Moore Colonial Farm (CMCF) administrative and maintenance area. Please note there are minor differences noted below in the procedures followed between 7:00am and 7:00pm (daytime) and between 7:00pm and 7:00am (evening/nighttime). These procedures will be the same for weekday and weekend.
All individuals, including commercial entities, requesting access through TFHRC to the Farm must use the Route 193/Colonial Farm Road entrance to the TFHRC property. Vehicles destined to the Farm requesting entry at the George Washington Parkway entrance will be redirected to the Route 193/Colonial Farm Road entrance; pedestrians will not be admitted.
The driver of a vehicle requesting access through the TFHRC property to the Farm must present a picture ID to the Security Guard at the entrance gate.
No lists will be utilized by TFHRC to determine if access will be granted. When individuals arrive at the Route 193/Colonial Farm Road entrance, they need only tell the entrance gate Security Guard that they desire to visit the CMCF.
CMCF visitors will be asked to fill out a simple visitor log before entry. The log will consist of the date of the visit, the visitor's full printed name, and the time of entry.
After review of the visitor's ID and completion of the visitor log, the entrance gate Security Guard will alert the Security Guard located at the fence gate entrance to CMCF about a visitor arriving for the Farm. The fence gate Security Guard will open the gate to the Farm. The entrance gate Security Guard will provide access to the visitor and instruct him/her to drive to the Farm gate. Both the entrance gate Security Guard and the fence gate Security Guard will visually monitor the visitor until they enter the CMCF property. The fence gate Security Guard will then close the fence gate. When vehicles want to exit the Farm, they need only pull up to the fence gate area. The fence gate Security Guard will open the fence gate for them and alert the entrance gate Security Guard that a vehicle from the Farm is departing. Both Security Guards will visually monitor the vehicle until it departs the TFHRC property. The fence gate to the Farm will be re-closed.
In no case should a vehicle destined to or from the Farm depart the direct roadway between the entrance gate and the entrance to the Farm parking area.
Access between 7:00pm and 7:00am will be similar to day time, except the gate to the Farm will be opened by personnel dispatched from the TFHRC Main Security Desk. The fence gate will be left unlocked during these hours, but the security system alarm will be turned on.
During the time that the entrance gate Security Guard is conducting the ID check and the visitor to the Farm is filling out the log, the Security Guard will also alert the Main Security Desk to request that someone be sent over to open the fence gate to the Farm. Once a Security Guard arrives at and opens the fence gate, the entrance gate Security Guard will instruct the visitor to proceed directly to the Farm entrance. Both the entrance gate and the fence gate Security Guards will visually monitor the visiting vehicle until it passes through to the Farm. The fence gate to the Farm will then be re-closed.
When drivers want to leave the farm, they must first call the TFHRC Main Security Desk at 202-493-3003 to request that someone be sent to open the fence gate. They should then pull their vehicle up to the gate and wait for the gate to be opened. The Main Security Desk Guard will alert the entrance gate Security Guard that a vehicle from the Farm is departing and someone from the Main Desk is going to open the fence gate. Once the fence gate is opened, both Security Guards will visually monitor the vehicle until it departs the TFHRC property. In no case should a vehicle destined to or from the Farm depart the direct roadway between the entrance gate and the entrance to the Farm parking area.
Please note that the fence gate Security Alarm System will be operational between 7:00 pm and 7:00 am or whenever the security guard is not present at the fence gate to the Farm. If anyone other than a TFHRC Security Guard opens the fence gate, the alarm will immediately sound. It will cease sounding upon closing.
For Information from FHWA, Contact: Doreen McCarthy, 202-493-3175
For Farm Escort Information, Contact: Claude Moore Colonial Farm, 703-442-7557