Northeast Freeway (Washington, D.C.)
Northeast Freeway | |
Route information | |
Existed | 1971–1977 (never built) |
Location | |
Country | United States |
Highway system | |
The Northeast Freeway was a planned freeway in
The entire route was canceled in 1977 after the government of the District of Columbia canceled the
Route description
As proposed in the 1971 D.C. Interstate System program, the Northeast Freeway, eight lanes wide, would have separated from the
History
1963-64 North Central Freeway Study
In a series of proposals published in 1963 and 1964, the subsequent study of the
One important aspect of the study was the consideration of a consolidated route, where the North Central Freeway and Northeast Freeway would join into a single freeway that would then run south to the Inner Loop. Many different alignments, including ones paralleling Georgia Avenue and Sherman Avenue through northern D.C., were considered as part of a consolidated routing of the North Central Freeway south of the Northeast Freeway.[1]
This study stated that the Northeast Freeway should enter D.C. between Gallatin St. and Galloway St., in the vicinity of
- a route extending west of the B&O railroad to meet a North Central Freeway routed via Georgia Avenue and Sherman Avenue
- a route that would turn south along the railroad and parallel a separately-routed North Central Freeway
- a route that would combine with a North Central Freeway routed via the railroad corridor
The last option was the option recommended by the study.[1]
1966 North Central Freeway Supplementary Study
The enormous opposition to the 1964 and 1965 alignments for the North Central Freeway led to a supplementary study being conducted in 1966 that affected the routing of the Northeast Freeway.
As noted above, the Northeast Freeway (I-95) was to enter the District via the Fort Drive route. The 1966 plans included several changes to the junction with the North Central Freeway; one lane per carriageway from I-95 would connect with ramps to and from North Capitol Street, while the remaining three lanes per carriageway would join with the six-lane North Central Freeway. 'Round-the-corner' connections between I-95 south and I-70S north, and between I-70S south and I-95 north, were also removed from the junction in the 1966 study. Otherwise, few modifications were made to the routing of the Northeast Freeway.[2]
1971 De Leuw-Weese Study
In 1971, a study released by De Leuw-Weese defined a new route for the Northeast Freeway that had a significantly lower impact on surrounding neighborhoods. I-95 was planned as an eight-lane freeway within a 250-foot (76 m) right-of-way; it would have run entirely within the Pepco power line corridor, and would have entered D.C. in the vicinity of New Hampshire Avenue, following it for 3,200 feet (980 m) in a depressed roadway configuration, before burrowing beneath it to join and parallel the B&O railroad corridor. The median of this route was planned as a transit right-of-way; the transit line was later built as the WMATA Green Line.[3]
The study described this routing as superior to previous routings, especially in terms of cost and complexity of construction. The study concluded that the route as proposed, between the Union Station interchange and the
1973 Pepco Route
In 1973, this routing was adopted by the
The routing as proposed by MDOT SHA would have been 4.89 miles (7.87 km) in length, avoided the wholesale destruction of portions of Northwest Branch Park, and displaced a significantly fewer number of homes — only 25 in D.C., and zero in Maryland, mainly due to less expansive interchange designs. However, the 2-2-2 configuration would have resulted in a minimum 25% capacity reduction compared to a 4-4 configuration, though been virtually as wide owing to the extra shoulders from the median carriageway.[4]
See also
- Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
- North Central Freeway
- Inner Loop (Washington, D.C.)
References
- ^ a b Willinger, Douglas. A Trip Within the Beltway: 1963-64 North Central Freeway Study URL accessed 13:33, 13 February 2007.
- ^ Willinger, Douglas. A Trip Within the Beltway: 1966 North Central Freeway Supplemental Study URL accessed 15:15, 8 February 2007.
- ^ Willinger, Douglas. A Trip Within the Beltway: 1971 DeLeuw URL accessed 15:28, 8 February 2007.
- ^ a b Willinger, Douglas. A Trip Within the Beltway: 1971: PEPCO I-95 Conceptualization URL accessed 14:37, 8 February 2007.