Interstate 395 North

North

The northbound mainline of I-395/U.S. 1 spans the Potomac River along the Arland D. Williams, Jr. Memorial Bridge. Opened on May 9, 1950, the bridge carries northbound traffic. The four lane bridge includes a draw span south of the midpoint of the river. 12/16/16

A damaged diagrammatic overhead just beyond the draw span outlines the separation of U.S. 1 north for 14th Street from Interstate 395 north along the Southwest Freeway. 12/16/16

The Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument appear to the northeast. 12/16/16

Exit 2 immediately follows the split with U.S. 1 north for Buckeye Drive SW at East Potomac Park. 12/16/16

U.S. 1 branches away from I-395 north at Left Exit 1 onto 14th Street SW to the National Mall and Constitution Avenue NW (U.S. 50). Interests to Capitol Hill, Nationals Park and the Capital One Arena are directed onto the Southwest Freeway. 12/16/16

North

A folded diamond interchange (Exit 2) joins Interstate 395 with East Potomac Park at Buckeye and Ohio Drives near the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. A U.S. Park Police Substation lies to the south along Ohio Drive SW. 12/16/16

Exit 3 departs next for the 12th Street Expressway. The northbound only roadway travels below the National Mall to emerge at Constitution Avenue NW (U.S. 1/50), seven blocks away from Capitol One Arena (home of the NHL Washington Capitals and NBA Washington Wizards). 12/16/16

Truckers bound for the Center Leg Freeway along I-395 north are alerted to the Mall Tunnel height restrictions (13 feet 0 inches). 12/16/16

Crossing the Washington Channel Bridge, Interstate 395 partitions with the two lane ramp (Exit 3) for the 12th Street Expressway north. A companion roadway, 9th Street Expressway, brings traffic southward back to I-395 to the east. 12/16/16

Interstate 395 lowers from the Washington Channel Bridge onto the Southeast Freeway. Departing in one quarter mile is Exit 4 onto 9th Street SW at L'Enfant Plaza. 12/16/16

The flyover to the 12th Street Expressway spans I-395 adjacent to the left side entrance ramp from Maine Avenue SW. The ramp is a leftover from the unconstructed South Leg Freeway (I-695), which would have followed Maine Avenue westward toward the Lincoln Memorial and Potomac River Freeway (I-66). 12/16/16

9th Street SW connects I-395 north with Maine Avenue west toward the Washington Monument and southeast to the SW Waterfront and Nationals Park (home of the MLB Washington Nationals) via M Street SW. 12/16/16

A second left side entrance ramp joins the 9th Street Expressway south with Interstate 395 north, expanding the Southwest Freeway eastbound to four overall lanes. 12/16/16

Interstate 395 turns north onto the Center Leg Freeway in one quarter mile. Changes approved by AASHTO in November 2020 renumber I-395 north through the Third Street Tunnel as Interstate 195 and replace I-695 along the Southeast Freeway as an extension of I-395. 12/16/16

The Southwest Freeway mainline defaults onto I-695 (Southeast Freeway) east toward the Washington Navy Yard and 11th Street Bridge via Left Exit 5 while a two lane ramp lowers from the right onto the Center Leg Freeway. 12/16/16

Interstate 695 (Southeast Freeway) leads two miles east from the directional T interchange at Exit 5 to I-295 south and D.C. 295 north along the Anacostia Freeway. 12/16/16

The I-395 mainline reduces to a single through a tunnel leading onto the Center Leg Freeway. Exit 6 to the U.S. Capitol and The House of Representatives via C Street SW departs beyond the tunnel next. 12/16/16

CSX Railroad lines cross overhead as I-395 emerges from the tunnel below I-695 at Left Exit 6. 12/16/16

A two lane entrance ramp joins Interstate 395 (Center Leg Freeway) north from the west end of I-695 (Southeast Freeway) to the right beyond the gore point for Left Exit 6. 12/16/16

The ramp from I-695 west to I-395 north includes an exit to the U.S. Capitol via D Street SW at Washington Avenue SW. 12/16/16

Interstate 395 enters the Mall Tunnel below the U.S. Capitol reflecting pool. The tunnel system accommodates four lanes in each direction with outside shoulders. 12/16/16

The entrance ramp from D Street forms the fourth northbound lane along I-395 through the Mall Tunnel. 12/16/16

The Mall Tunnel was completed in 1973 at a cost of $100 million. The 3,400 foot long twin tubes travel below sea level.1 08/04/13

Turning more northward, the right lane of I-395 drops at Exit 9 for the northern U.S. Capitol area. 08/04/13

No advance signage precedes Exit 9 to the U.S. Capitol and U.S. Senate. The off-ramp curves away from I-395 north onto C Street NW east ahead of 1st Street NW and Louisiana Avenue NW. 08/04/13

Continuing north, Exit 10 departs from the north end of the Mall Tunnel onto adjacent 2nd Street NW north. 08/04/13

Interstate 395 (Center Leg Freeway) partitions with lanes for Exit 10 to Massachusetts Avenue NW and H Street NW and two lanes into the Third Street Tunnel. 08/04/13

Interstate 395 emerges from the Mall Tunnel briefly before passing under another cut and cover tunnel. A ventilation area separates two sections of a park plaza by the United States Tax Court building above I-395. 12/16/16

Massachusetts Avenue angles southeast to Union Station, which serves AMTRAK, MARC and Washington Metro. The pull through panel for I-395 north was carbon copied as it still references I-95 to Baltimore. I-95 was never built from New York Avenue northward onto the North Leg Freeway and points beyond. I-95 was formally relocated from the Center Leg Freeway to the Capital Beltway in 1977. 12/16/16

Interstate 395 ends just beyond the 3rd Street Tunnel. Completion of the northernmost portion of I-395 was delayed until 1987. 08/04/13

Prior to the southward extension to E Street NW, the 3rd Street Tunnel measured 1,250 feet in length below an apartment building and parking lot. Constructed over the course of 12 years, the original four lane tube cost $84 million.2 08/04/13

Interstate 395 ascends from the 3rd Street Tunnel northwest to New York Avenue NW at 4th Street NW south. 08/04/13

The Center Leg Freeway end defaults onto New York Avenue NW (U.S. 50) east. U.S. 50 leads east from Washington to Baltimore-Washington Parkway and the Capital Beltway en route to Annapolis. 08/04/13

The turn onto U.S. 50 (New York Avenue NW) east is signalized. New York Avenue next intersects New Jersey Avenue NW. There is no access to U.S. 50 west toward Downtown as U-turns are prohibited from nearby. 08/04/13

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Photo Credits:

08/04/13, 12/16/16 by AARoads

Connect with:
Interstate 695 - Southeast Freeway
U.S. 1
U.S. 50

Page Updated 02-09-2023.