Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway | |
---|---|
Route information | |
Maintained by NPS | |
Length | 2.9 mi[1] (4.7 km) |
Existed | 1944–present |
Restrictions | No trucks[2] |
Major junctions | |
South end | Lincoln Memorial Circle on the National Mall |
| |
North end | Shoreham / Beach Drives in Rock Creek Park |
Location | |
Country | District of Columbia |
Highway system | |
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Historic District | |
Location | Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, |
NRHP reference No. | 05000367[3] |
Added to NRHP | May 4, 2005 |
The Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, informally called the Rock Creek Parkway, is a
The Parkway was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 4, 2005. Built from 1923 to 1936, it is "one of the best-preserved examples of the earliest stage of motor parkway development".[4]
During
Route description
The Parkway has two points of origination on its southern end, one at the
After passing under the Roosevelt Bridge, the parkway passes the
Past Virginia Avenue, the parkway has many characteristics of a
Pennsylvania Avenue crosses over both the parkway and the creek on a combined bridge, with a single loop ramp from the southbound Parkway to Pennsylvania Avenue eastbound. Just to the north, M Street Northwest also crosses the parkway and creek together, with no access between the roads.
Further north,
The
The end of the parkway is near an intersection with Beach Drive, which continues generally northward along the creek. A left turn from southbound Rock Creek Parkway provides access to Beach Drive from local roads. Just north of Beach Drive, the parkway again splits, with Cathedral Avenue heading northeast next to Beach Drive under the William H. Taft Bridge and Duke Ellington Bridge (Connecticut Avenue and Calvert Street), and the parkway becoming 24th Street Northwest at Calvert Street, with easy access to Connecticut Avenue. Cathedral Avenue is one-way at the same times as the parkway. Beach Drive continues as a two-lane road parallel to Rock Creek, enters a tunnel under a hill, passes the National Zoo, and continues towards Maryland.
Trucks and other commercial vehicles are barred from the parkway.[2]
Major intersections
This section is missing mileposts for junctions. |
The entire route is in Washington, D.C..
Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
At-grade intersection | |||||
0.28 | 0.45 | Arlington Cemetery | |||
E Street Expressway | No southbound exit | ||||
0.42 | 0.68 | At-grade intersections ; no left turn southbound | |||
0.92 | 1.48 | E Street Expressway – Kennedy Center, Thompson Boat Center | At-grade intersection; no left turn northbound | ||
US 29 south) | |||||
Pennsylvania Avenue NW east | Southbound exit only | ||||
1.62– 1.77 | 2.61– 2.85 | P Street NW | No northbound exit | ||
1.99– 2.62 | 3.20– 4.22 | Massachusetts Avenue NW (via Waterside Drive NW) | No southbound exit | ||
2.90 | 4.67 | Beach Drive NW / Cathedral Avenue NW / Connecticut Avenue NW – National Zoo | At-grade intersection; access via Shoreham Drive NW | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
Trail
The Rock Creek Park Trail runs along the Parkway from the Lincoln Memorial to Connecticut Avenue, where it continues along Beach Drive to Broad Branch Road. The trail continues north along Beach from Joyce Road to Bingham Drive.
The Shoreline section along the Potomac is the oldest section of the trail, built before 1967.[10][11]
In 1971, the Park Service set aside a lane of the Parkway north of Virginia Avenue for a week to promote commuting by bicycle. The experiment was a success, but caused traffic jams, so the Park Service paved bridle paths immediately to the west that had existed since the park was founded.[12] The trail was extended in September 1971 to Calvert Street,[13] and then 2 miles (3.2 km) to Bluff Bridge in 1972.[14]
In 1981-82, the parkway bridge over Rock Creek at L Street was replaced and as part of that project, a separate trail bridge was built. It replaced a narrow section of the existing bridge that then served as part of the bike path.[15]
In 1997, the Shoreline Trail section was repaved and realigned.[10]
See also
- National Register of Historic Places portal
- U.S. Roads portal
- United States portal
References
- ^ a b c Google (August 1, 2012). "overview of Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ^ a b 36 CFR 7.96 (f )(1)) Archived 2009-08-04 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- Historic American Buildings Survey. Library of Congress. No. DC-697.
- ^ "When is the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway one way?". Frequently Asked Questions. National Park Service.
- ^ Tom (2013-01-29). "When Did Rock Creek Parkway Become One-Way?". Ghosts of DC. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
- ^ Folliard, Edward T. "Truman Accepts Italy's Gift of Memorial Bridge Statues." Washington Post. September 27, 1951.
- ^ "Four Italian Bronze Horses Here for Span." Washington Post. June 8, 1951.
- ^ "Route of Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway". MapQuest, Inc. Archived from the original on August 6, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
- ^ a b "Recreation and Parks Plans Upgrade of Bike, Hiking Trails". The Washington Post. 2 October 1997.
- ^ "AMAZING PHOTO OF WATERGATE AND KENNEDY CENTER CONSTRUCTION FROM THE AIR". Ghosts of DC. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
- ^ Cranor, David. "A brief history of biking in Rock Creek Park". Retrieved 7 September 2018.
- ^ "Bike Lanes End on Friday Night". The Washington Post. 16 September 1971.
- ^ Hodge, Paul (11 November 1971). "Bike Path to Extend South of Alexandria: Before Christmas". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Rock Creek Parkway Construction". The Washington Post. 27 August 1981.
External links
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. DC-55, "Rock Creek Park Road System"
- Official site at the National Park Service
- Rock Creek Park (National Park Service)
- Rock Creek Parkway Becomes One-Way Traffic Zone