New 11th Street Bridge Carries New (But Old) Route Designation: I-695

WASHINGTON -- With the opening of the new 11th Street bridge span over the Anacostia River, drivers might have spotted something new: signs for Interstate 695.

That's right: To go from I-295 to I-395, you now have to use I-695.

There's another I-695 in the region: The Baltimore Beltway. But the new I-695 has always been there, it's just District of Columbia transportation officials have now marked the route and moved it slightly. Confused?

The Southeast Freeway, which stretches between Pennsylvania Avenue SE at Barney Circle and the junction with the Southwest Freeway, was always designated as I-695, but it was never marked as such. (Similarly, I-595 in Maryland is not signed and known better as U.S. Route 50 between the Capital Beltway and Annapolis. Route 50, is a much longer cross-country highway does not meet interstate standards heading into the District of Columbia or Maryland's Eastern Shore.)

According to the District Department of Transportation, the city plans to decommission the Southeast Freeway connection between the 11th Street bridge and Barney Circle and create an an-grade boulevard that better integrates with the surrounding Capitol Hill neighborhood. And since that section of the previously unsigned I-695, will be going away the route was shifted to the 11th Street bridge.

For a complete history of the Southeast Freeway, click here.

To add to the naming and routing confusion, the 11th Street bridge, also carries the ceremonial designation of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, which also connects to Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive also shares another ceremonial designation with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Freeway which carries I-395 between the 3rd Street tunnel and the Francis Case Bridge. Some might better know the Eisenhower Freeway as the Southwest Freeway.

Still confused? We don't blame you.

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Comments

[froggyanearl]

11:19 AM on 12/21/2011

I really wish people would quit complaining and take the time to learn something. The highway and instate naming system is actually and very well designed system and if more people actually knew how to read the interstate signs it is actually almost impossible to get lost on any state route highway or interstate. There is a system to everthing from the names to color to postioning of signs, like whatside of the road they are where the exit number is placed on the sign. Brown signs green sign blue signs. Odd numbers even numbers. The last two digits of a theee digit interstate. Interstaes and routes that go north and south verses east and west. You whinners need to quit being ingorant and angry and try being happy and eduacted sometime it makes life alot more pleasant.

[Bigrcube]

01:01 PM on 12/20/2011

THIS IS why the U.S. Congress shuns the DC Gov'mint and they ONLY have Home Rule and will NEVER become the 51st State.

[redfoxsteering]

10:37 AM on 12/20/2011

i thought it was a mistake at first, since 695 is so close

[irtrad17]

10:32 AM on 12/20/2011

Only in DC! I've tried for years to find "The Southwest Passage" between Rt 50 , down 295 and over to 395 to get to Arlington or ALexandria. Coming back is even harder and barely signed at all. Why are transportation officials obssed with the number 95? there are hundreds of other numbers

[imonlyhereforthelaughs]

10:59 AM on 12/20/2011

You must not travel the US much. It's standard numbering convention for Interstate Highways. Two digit numbers are the major interstate. Three digit numbers begining with an Even number (such as 295, 495, etc) are branches off of the main Interstate (in this case 95) which travel around a metropolitan area ("Loops" are always begin with 2, 4, 6, 8). Three digit numbers begining with an Odd number (1, 3, 5, 9) are branches off of the main Interstate which run into the metropolitan area (in this case 395).

This is how it is done on every Interstate where it meets a metropolitan area.

[greyK]

02:09 PM on 12/20/2011

you're right, but a 695 already exist. they could have named it another 3-digit highway...like 495! HAHAHAHAHA.

seriously 595 would have been better

[thinkb4uleapII]

03:41 PM on 12/20/2011

Thanks for the info! I've traveled the US plenty and did not fully comprehend the naming convention you describe -- as I'm sure are most people.

[Jamie Kowalski]

11:00 AM on 12/20/2011

LOL at "there are hundreds of other numbers." Indeed!

[froggyanearl]

11:12 AM on 12/21/2011

There is a number system that all state follow. As such the number the can choose from are actually limited and even prechoosen by the system itself. The only interstates that dont repeat are two digit interstate. There can be repeats for three digits. The reason that is called 695 is because it comes from I95. 695 also loops. If you know anything about how highways are named and the interstate naming system you would be thankfull the government named it 695 because it is the right designation for it. Anything else would ahve been confusing.