Site Navigation Delaware District of Columbia Maryland New Jersey Pennsylvania Virginia West Virginia     Interstate 395 / Southwest Freeway Interstate 395 is the original route of Interstate 95; it was created when Interstate 95 was moved to the Capital Beltway when the northern section was canceled. Interstate 395 is the main freeway connection to the government district. The highway carries six to eight lanes with a two lane reversal HOV-2 roadway within the median. Interstate 395 serves the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, while passing underneath the U.S. Capitol area and National Mall in central Washington. The highway ends unceremoniously at U.S. 50/New York Avenue. Interstate 395 - North Interstate 395 and U.S. 1 enter the District of Columbia together as they travel together on the Potomac River Bridge. The Washington Monument and Thomas Jefferson Memorial are clearly visible in the downtown skyline. Photo taken 06/02/03. Upon crossing the Potomac River, northbound Interstate 395 and U.S. 1 split. U.S. 1 angles northeast and then north via 14th Street, then merges with U.S. 50 at Constitution Avenue and continue north along the 6th Street/9th Street couplet. Photo taken 06/02/03. The next exit ramp along northbound leads into Potomac Park. Photo taken 06/02/03. This diagram sign shows the separation between northbound Interstate 395 and the upcoming 12th Street exit. Photo taken 06/02/03. The 12th Street exit follows a ramp north under the National Mall and meets U.S. 1-50/Constitution Avenue, then crosses Pennsylvania Avenue only four blocks southeast of the White House, home of the U.S. President. Photo taken 06/02/03. Northbound Interstate 395 at the 12th Street exit, which connects to L'Enfant Promenade. Photo taken 06/02/03. The next exit along northbound Interstate 395 is the Maine Avenue exit. Photo taken 06/02/03. Northbound Interstate 395 at the Maine Avenue exit. Photo taken 06/02/03. This variable message sign is mounted on an overpass as Interstate 395 approaches the Interstate 695/Southeast Freeway interchange. Photo taken 06/02/03. All hazardous cargo must use Interstate 695 (left lanes) rather than Interstate 395 through the tunnel. Photo taken 06/02/03. The left lanes connect to Interstate 695 east en route to southbound Interstate 295 and northbound District of Columbia 295. Interstate 395, meanwhile takes the right lanes toward the U.S. Capitol and National Mall. Photo taken 06/02/03. Northbound Interstate 395 exits from itself here, and the left lanes continue straight ahead as unsigned Interstate 695 to Interstate 295 and Pennsylvania Avenue. Photo taken 06/02/03. Immediately after the split from the Southeast Freeway/Interstate 695, northbound Interstate 395 approaches its next exit, C Street S.W. to the U.S. Capitol. Photo taken 06/02/03. Surprisingly, Interstate 395 is restricted to only two lanes along northbound, but the signs here do not deceive: through traffic should remain in the right lane. The left lane is an exit only to C Street S.W. Photo taken 06/02/03. Northbound Interstate 395 is restricted to just one through lane as it navigates the maze of ramps in the Interstate 395/695 interchange complex. Note the left exit to C Street S.W. and the U.S. Capitol. Photo taken 06/02/03. Interstate 395 enters the tunnel that passes under the National Mall and U.S. Capitol. Photo taken 06/02/03. View of northbound Interstate 395 as it emerges from the Capitol Mall tunnel. Photo taken 06/02/03. Northbound Interstate 395 at the Massachusetts Avenue interchange. Interstate 395 only continues for a short distance longer, ending at U.S. 50/New York Avenue. Note the use of the old Interstate 95 marker on the pull-through sign; to reach Baltimore, motorists must use U.S. 50 east to District of Columbia 295 north/Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Photo taken 06/02/03. Almost like Florida standards, the district placed an "END Interstate 395, 2,000 feet" sign just prior to the second tunnel. Interstates 175 and 375 in St. Petersburg have similar end markers. Photo taken 06/02/03. View of the green rights of way along northbound Interstate 395 as it approaches U.S. 50/New York Avenue. Photo taken 06/02/03. Interstate 395 ends as it approaches U.S. 50/New York Avenue. Note how the freeway ascends to meet U.S. 50; had the freeway continued as originally planned, the freeway would have remained below grade and connected with U.S. 50 via an interchange. Photo taken 06/02/03. Now at the New York Avenue intersection, Interstate 395 and its freeway come to an end here at the intersection with U.S. 50. If Interstate 95 were to be routed through here, the houses directly ahead would have to be removed, along with the tree-lined boulevard. Photo taken 06/02/03. Interstate 395 - South After departing the traffic signal that marks the northern terminus of Interstate 395 at U.S. 50, Interstate 395 heads below grade toward several tunnels that carry the freeway under some buildings and the National Mall. Interstate 395 does not reemerge at grade until reaching the Interstate 695 interchange. The freeway begins its southerly journey with four lanes (two lanes in each direction) until Massachusetts Avenue, but it gains more lanes as it heads underneath downtown Washington toward the Southeast Freeway/Interstate 695. Photo taken 06/01/04. This is the first southbound Interstate 395 reassurance shield after the U.S. 50/New York Avenue intersection. Photo taken 06/01/04. Southbound Interstate 395 approaches the first tunnel. The freeway could be widened a bit to add another lane if needed. Based on map research, the tunnels along Interstate 395 under downtown Washington were opened in stages: the initial portion of the tunnel (from Interstate 695 north to approximately Massachusetts Avenue) appears to have opened in the early 1970s, and the extension to from there north to New York Avenue/U.S. 50 seems to have opened by the early 1980s. Photo taken 06/01/04. After the first tunnel, Interstate 395 reemerges as a below-grade freeway. It retains only two lanes in each direction, but sufficient room exists for expansion if needed. Note that the speed limit here is only 45 miles per hour. Photo taken 06/01/04. Interstate 395 continues south into the second tunnel, the Third Street Tunnel, which will ferry traffic under the National Mall to the Southeast Freeway (Interstate 695 east) and Southwest Freeway (continuation of Interstate 395 south). The freeway widens to three southbound lanes upon entering the tunnel. Photo taken 06/01/04. Even before entering the second tunnel, the lanes along southbound Interstate 395 are split -- the left lanes connect to eastbound Interstate 695/Southeast Freeway, while the right lanes access an exit within the tunnel (2nd Street S.W./U.S. Capitol) and provide for the continuation of Interstate 395 south. Photo taken 06/02/03. Now Interstate 395 enters the tunnel, which burrows under the U.S. Capitol and National Mall. There is an exit within the tunnel, which is shown below. Photo taken 06/02/03. Entering the government district tunnel on southbound, Interstate 395 passes under the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall. Photo taken 10/15/01. View of the inside of the southbound Interstate 395/Third Street Tunnel. Up above this freeway is the relatively peacefulness of the National Mall; down here, cars travel at 45-50 miles per hour. Photo taken 06/01/04. Southbound Interstate 395 at Exit 3, Second Street SW. Photo taken 06/01/04. Gore point for a downtown exit on southbound within the tunnel. After exiting the tunnel, Interstate 395 intersects the Southeast Freeway (Interstate 695 east) and Southwest Freeway (continuation of Interstate 395 south). Interstate 395/Southwest Freeway leads to a Potomac River crossing and approaches the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia before turning south toward Alexandria. Photo taken 10/15/01. Southbound Interstate 395 at the interchange with Interstate 695 east. The left lanes transition to Interstate 695, while the right lanes continue southwest along Interstate 395 toward Virginia. Note the use of Richmond as the control city for Interstate 395. Also note the use of a "state" name in the Interstate shield for Interstate 295. Photo taken 06/02/03. This Interstate 295 District of Columbia shield is mounted on the overhead signs along southbound Interstate 395 at the split between Interstate 395 and the Southeast Freeway (Hidden Interstate 695) eastbound. Photo taken 06/01/04. Now on the ramp from southbound Interstate 395 to eastbound Interstate 695, the overhead sign advises that the left lane of this transition ramp leads to Interstate 295. Photo taken 06/02/03. These signs are in place on the transition ramp from southbound Interstate 395 to eastbound Interstate 695/Southeast Freeway. An exit to South Capitol Street is located on the transition ramp. Photos taken 06/02/03. Departing the freeway west of Interstate 695 is the 6th Street SW and 7th Street SW off-ramp for L'Enfant Plaza. The L'Enfant Plaza is named for the designer of the city, Pierre L'Enfant. The plaza was dedicated in 1968 as part of an urban renewal plaza and is Washington's only paved square. Included on the grounds is a central garden that provides a break in the cluster of office buildings and the elegant Loews L'Enfant Plaza. Below the plaza is an array of shops and restaurants. Photo taken 09/25/04. Interstate 395 depresses below the city street grid on the approach to the downtown Washington off-ramp for Maine Avenue and 12th Street SW. The five lane southbound carriageway partitions into two lanes for downtown and three lanes for Northern Virginia. Photo taken 09/25/04. Traffic partitions into ramps for 12th Street SW northbound and Maine Avenue westbound. 12th Street SW travels underneath the National Mall between Independence Avenue and U.S. 1 & 50 (Constitution Avenue) at the National Museum of American History. Maine Avenue ventures northwest along the Tidal Basin to junction U.S. 50 (Independence Avenue) at the Washington Monument. Photo taken 09/25/04. The 9th Street SW on-ramp partitions into ramps for Interstate 395 south and Maine Avenue west ahead of the L'Enfant Plaza over crossing. Photo taken 09/25/04. Interstate 395 ascends over the Washington Channel between Maine Avenue and East Potomac Park. A two-digit sized reassurance shield with Arial font is posted on the channel bridge. Photo taken 09/25/04. The right-hand lane of the Interstate 395 Washington Channel bridge defaults to East Potomac Park. The off-ramp joins the freeway with Ohio Drive SW near Basin Drive SW. Use the Potomac Park exit for the East Potomac Golf Course and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Photo taken 09/25/04. Interstate 395 reaches the East Potomac Park island at the Ohio Drive SW loop ramp. The freeway splits ahead with an HOV-2 roadway for the trek southwest into Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia. U.S. 1 merges onto Interstate 395 southbound from 14th Street SW ahead. Photo taken 09/25/04. The Richmond Frederick Potomac Railroad line passes over Interstate 395 southbound at the dual partial "Y" interchange between U.S. 1, Interstate 395, and the Interstate 395 HOV roadways. U.S. 1 overlaps with Interstate 395 from East Potomac Park across the Potomac River to the Jefferson Davis Highway interchange (Exit 9). Interstate 395 meets the George Washington Parkway (Exits 10B/A) on the west banks of the Potomac in one half mile. Photo taken 09/25/04. Interstate 395 features a HOV-2 carpool roadway from Washington, D.C. south to the Springfield Interchange at Interstates 95 & 495. The carpool lanes line the median of the Shirley Memorial Highway from Arlington southwest carrying two overall lanes of reversible traffic. Four HOV-2 lanes cross the Potomac River between the U.S. 1 ramps with Jefferson Davis Highway) and 14th Street SW. Photo taken 09/25/04. The George Mason Memorial Bridge carries the southbound mainline of Interstate 395 & U.S. 1 and the HOV-2 roadways of Interstate 395. Pictured here is the beginning of the Potomac River span and Exit 10 sign bridge for the George Washington Memorial Parkway three-quarter cloverleaf interchange. The George Washington Memorial Parkway lines the western banks of the Potomac River between Ronald Reagan National Airport northward to Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway). Photo taken 09/25/04. Interstate 395 & U.S. 1 southbound near the George Washington Parkway northbound off-ramp to Arlington National Cemetery and Rosslyn. The George Washington Memorial Parkway is a controlled access facility maintained by the National Park Service. The four-lane freeway is not open to commercial truck traffic. Photo taken 09/25/04. All single occupant vehicles using the HOV-2 roadway from the George Mason Memorial Bridge southbound must depart the roadway for the Interstate 395 & U.S. 1 southbound mainline. Interstate 395 enters the state of Virginia and travels the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway southwest to Alexandria and Springfield. The Shirley Memorial Highway used to carry the Interstate 95 mainline and Virginia 350 beforehand. Photo taken 09/25/04. Interstate 395 & U.S. 1 southbound pass over the George Washington Memorial Parkway at the Exit 10B off-ramp. The Parkway continues south to Ronald Reagan National Airport, the city of Alexandria, and Mount Vernon. Photo taken 09/25/04. Other Interstate 395 Pictures This trailblazer points the way to Interstate 395 south from downtown Washington, D.C. Photo taken 01/20/00 by Jeff Royston. Links See also Virginia @ AARoads - Interstate 395 For more background and other related information for Washington area highways, please see the Roads to the Future page by Scott Kozel. Page Updated April 20, 2005.