U.S. Route 50 in the District of Columbia

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 50 in the District of Columbia. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 50.

U.S. Route 50 marker

U.S. Route 50

Map of the District of Columbia with US 50 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by DDOT
Length: 9 mi (14 km)
Major junctions
West end: I66 / US 50 in Rosslyn, VA
  I66 in Foggy Bottom
US 1 in Downtown Washington
I395 in Mount Vernon Square
East end: US 50 near Cheverly, MD
Highway system
US 29I66

U.S. Route 50 (US 50) is a major eastwest route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic Ocean, to West Sacramento, California, nearly to the Pacific Ocean. In the District of Columbia, US 50 passes between Arlington County, Virginia, and Prince George's County, Maryland, predominantly along surface streets, including a part of Constitution Avenue along the National Mall.

Route description

The Theodore Roosevelt Bridge over the Potomac River on I-66 and US 50, with the Rosslyn area of Arlington, Virginia, along the riverbank
The Department of Justice's Robert F. Kennedy Building, in the Federal Triangle along the north side of Constitution Avenue (US 50) in Washington, D.C.
South Facade of the White House, passed by US 50 in Washington, D.C.
The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., with US 50 and various buildings of the Federal Triangle to its north (left)

Eastbound

U.S. Route 50 and Interstate 66 enter the District of Columbia from Arlington, Virginia on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge over the Potomac River. US 50 traffic exits I-66 to Constitution Avenue, N.W., along the north side of the National Mall, passing the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the White House, the World War II Memorial, and the Washington Monument, then traveling between Federal Triangle's office buildings on the north and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, and a National Gallery of Art sculpture garden to its south.

Near the National Art Gallery, Route 50 turns left onto 6th Street, N.W., and after several blocks, right onto New York Avenue, N.W. The route continues northeast on New York Avenue through Northeast Washington, passing the United States National Arboretum. Beyond the Arboretum, New York Avenue becomes a freeway, with an off-level interchange with South Dakota Avenue, N.E. in the Fort Lincoln area. US 50 then crosses the Anacostia River and continues into Maryland, where it becomes the John Hanson Highway and soon has an interchange with the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

Westbound

US Route 50 enters the District of Columbia from Maryland on the John Hanson Highway, which, as noted above, eventually becomes New York Avenue, N.E. The westbound route then follows New York Avenue into Northwest Washington, then turns right onto L Street, N.W., left onto 9th Street, N.W., and right onto Constitution Avenue, N.W. After passing the National Mall, it then joins Interstate 66, which it follows across the Potomac River into Virginia on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge.

Overlaps

Northbound U.S. Route 1 is concurrent with eastbound U.S. Route 50 along Constitution Avenue from 14th Street to 6th Street, N.W., and along 6th Street from Constitution Avenue to New York Avenue, N.W. Southbound U.S. Route 1 is concurrent with westbound U.S. Route 50 along L Street between 6th and 9th streets, N.W., and along 9th Street from L Street to Constitution Avenue. Interstate 66 and U.S. Route 50 are concurrent on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. U.S. Route 1 Alternate is concurrent with Route 50 along New York Avenue between 6th Street, N.W., and Bladensburg Road, N.E.

Interstate 395 junction

The northern terminus of Interstate 395 is at a signaled intersection with New York Avenue and 4th Street, N.W. At that intersection, traffic from New York Avenue in either direction may turn south onto Interstate 395, but traffic on northbound Interstate 395 may turn only right (east) onto New York Avenue, but not west toward downtown Washington.

History

U.S. 50 shield on Constitution Avenue across from the Federal Reserve Building

The New York Avenue Industrial Freeway, if built, would have replaced New York Avenue as U.S. Route 50 east of Interstate 395.

Major intersections

The entire route is in the District of Columbia.

LocationmikmDestinationsNotes
Potomac River00 I66 west / US 50 west to GW ParkwayContinuation into Virginia
00Theodore Roosevelt Bridge
Foggy Bottom I66 east / E Street ExpresswayInterchange; Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; Eastern terminus of concurrency with I-66; I-66 Exit 2
Independence Avenue SW (via Ohio Drive SW)Interchange; Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
1223rd Street NWEastern terminus of freeway section
National MallDowntown23 US 1 south (14th Street NW) to I395 southWestern terminus of concurrency with US 1
12th Street ExpresswayNorthern terminus of the 12th Street Expressway (one-way northbound)
46 9th Street Expressway south to I-395 / 9th Street NW north
US 1 north / US 50 east
Northern terminus of the 9th Street Expressway (one-way southbound)
Southern terminus of one-way pairs (6th Street NW north / 9th Street NW south)
Downtown
US 1 Alt. north (Pennsylvania Avenue NW)
Southern terminus of US 1 Alternate; No access from US 1 south
Mount Vernon Square US 1 north (6th Street NW) / New York Avenue NW westEastern terminus of concurrency with US 1 and one-way pairs; US 50 west connects to 9th Street via L Street
I395 south (3rd Street Tunnel)Northern terminus of I-395
GatewayArboretum711
US 1 Alt. north (Bladensburg Road NE) to US 1 Bladensburg, MD
Western terminus of freeway section
36th Place NEInterchange; Eastbound exit and entrance
Fort LincolnSouth Dakota Avenue NE / Fort Lincoln Drive NEInterchange; No access from southbound South Dakota Avenue to westbound US 50; No access to Fort Lincoln Drive from US 50 east
Anacostia Park914 US 50 east (John Hanson Highway) to I-295 south / Baltimore-Washington Parkway Annapolis, Richmond, BaltimoreContinuation into Maryland
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

U.S. Route 50
Previous state:
Virginia
District of Columbia Next state:
Maryland
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, March 04, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.