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US 240 in Virginia: Photographic Proof

Started by Mapmikey, April 04, 2016, 08:57:07 PM

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Mapmikey

Ran across this gem just now (1932 pic):

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Looking_W_across_Columbia_Island_down_Memorial_Drive_at_Arlington_National_Cemetery_-_1930s.jpg

Zoom in and look at the light pole on the right at the end of the bridge.  It is a US 240 shield and a 'left' shield, meaning US 240 was directed to continue onto Columbia Island and ultimately a few hundred feet into Virginia.  On the eft side of the bridge is the backside of a US route shield, presumably 240 (note that US 50 was still running to Downtown Alexandria until 1935).

Mike


NE2

Nice. I suppose it's possible that it ended at the border, but with the feds maintaining the GWMP why not continue it to US 1?
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

davewiecking

AWESOME picture-I missed a good chunk of the second half of Villanova/UNC looking at it. Unfortunately, I believe that the US240 sign is in DC (as is all of Columbia Island). I think the photographer is positioned on Memorial Bridge at the Columbia Island shoreline (and has a nice telephoto lens). I think the "eagled column" beyond the parked car is the beginning of the bridge over Boundary Channel. Beyond that, I don't see the bridge (completed in 1937) over the Penn RR tracks (now Metro Blue line); on the other hand I don't see the train tracks either. By the time this picture was taken, Columbia Island had been transferred to the NPS. The left turn to follow US240 is now a series of traffic circles.

Mapmikey

Quote from: davewiecking on April 04, 2016, 11:56:01 PM
AWESOME picture-I missed a good chunk of the second half of Villanova/UNC looking at it. Unfortunately, I believe that the US240 sign is in DC (as is all of Columbia Island). I think the photographer is positioned on Memorial Bridge at the Columbia Island shoreline (and has a nice telephoto lens). I think the "eagled column" beyond the parked car is the beginning of the bridge over Boundary Channel. Beyond that, I don't see the bridge (completed in 1937) over the Penn RR tracks (now Metro Blue line); on the other hand I don't see the train tracks either. By the time this picture was taken, Columbia Island had been transferred to the NPS. The left turn to follow US240 is now a series of traffic circles.

Yes, the shields are in DC but it seems unlikely the designation ended at the Virginia line a few hundred feet short of US 1.  Hoping to someday find a picture at US 1 showing US 240 but this Columbia Island picture is proof enough for me...


Alex

Quote from: Mapmikey on April 05, 2016, 06:15:12 AM
Quote from: davewiecking on April 04, 2016, 11:56:01 PM
AWESOME picture-I missed a good chunk of the second half of Villanova/UNC looking at it. Unfortunately, I believe that the US240 sign is in DC (as is all of Columbia Island). I think the photographer is positioned on Memorial Bridge at the Columbia Island shoreline (and has a nice telephoto lens). I think the "eagled column" beyond the parked car is the beginning of the bridge over Boundary Channel. Beyond that, I don't see the bridge (completed in 1937) over the Penn RR tracks (now Metro Blue line); on the other hand I don't see the train tracks either. By the time this picture was taken, Columbia Island had been transferred to the NPS. The left turn to follow US240 is now a series of traffic circles.

Yes, the shields are in DC but it seems unlikely the designation ended at the Virginia line a few hundred feet short of US 1.  Hoping to someday find a picture at US 1 showing US 240 but this Columbia Island picture is proof enough for me...

Did you already see this 1942 General Drafting map of DC showing US 240 paired with US 50 Bypass?


davewiecking

I've seen similar vintage, but not that exact one. (I like the way the road around the Tidal Basin is labeled "Speedway" !) Shows the bridge over Boundary Channel also crossed the train tracks-not 2 separate bridges.

I'm also curious about the above statement that US50 used to go to Alexandria-is this where it terminated? I imagine when US50 was rerouted to Annapolis and eventually Ocean City, BYP50 was slapped on the stretch of the GWMP between Memorial Bridge and the 14th Street Bridge. I can't see any point in having BYP50 continue to Alexandria as a multiplex with US1.

Back to the original photo-I believe the small sign at the actual left turn seems to be a GWMP sign-I can barely make out the silhouette of George at the top.

Mapmikey

Quote from: davewiecking on April 05, 2016, 09:31:24 AM
I've seen similar vintage, but not that exact one. (I like the way the road around the Tidal Basin is labeled "Speedway" !) Shows the bridge over Boundary Channel also crossed the train tracks-not 2 separate bridges.

I'm also curious about the above statement that US50 used to go to Alexandria-is this where it terminated? I imagine when US50 was rerouted to Annapolis and eventually Ocean City, BYP50 was slapped on the stretch of the GWMP between Memorial Bridge and the 14th Street Bridge. I can't see any point in having BYP50 continue to Alexandria as a multiplex with US1.

Back to the original photo-I believe the small sign at the actual left turn seems to be a GWMP sign-I can barely make out the silhouette of George at the top.

The sign at the left says Alexandria, Mt. Vernon, and I can't read the bottom line.  The bottom line in similar font/size of the sign on the right for the Cemetery says 'straight ahead' so it may be a statement like that.

I've seen commercial maps from Gousha and Gen Draft show US 240 there from 1934-42 and it appears explicitly on 1 Virginia State Map (1937)


US 50 went to Alexandria then with US 1 to DC in the early days

1995hoo

That map Alex posted is so much cooler than most maps you see today. Thanks for posting it.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Henry

So then, US 240 was a short route that went to two states plus DC? Awesome!
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

NE2

Quote from: Henry on April 05, 2016, 11:31:39 AM
So then, US 240 was a short route that went to two states plus DC? Awesome!
In its earliest days it also went to Pennsylvania (but not Virginia).
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

noelbotevera

Quote from: Mapmikey on April 05, 2016, 10:00:32 AM
Quote from: davewiecking on April 05, 2016, 09:31:24 AM
I've seen similar vintage, but not that exact one. (I like the way the road around the Tidal Basin is labeled "Speedway" !) Shows the bridge over Boundary Channel also crossed the train tracks-not 2 separate bridges.

I'm also curious about the above statement that US50 used to go to Alexandria-is this where it terminated? I imagine when US50 was rerouted to Annapolis and eventually Ocean City, BYP50 was slapped on the stretch of the GWMP between Memorial Bridge and the 14th Street Bridge. I can't see any point in having BYP50 continue to Alexandria as a multiplex with US1.

Back to the original photo-I believe the small sign at the actual left turn seems to be a GWMP sign-I can barely make out the silhouette of George at the top.

The sign at the left says Alexandria, Mt. Vernon, and I can't read the bottom line.  The bottom line in similar font/size of the sign on the right for the Cemetery says 'straight ahead' so it may be a statement like that.
I can make out a "TO". I can also make out "Island", but I'm not sure what island would have been that way.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: noelbotevera on April 08, 2016, 03:42:25 PM
I can make out a "TO". I can also make out "Island", but I'm not sure what island would have been that way.

Almost certainly Columbia Island.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

#12
Quote from: davewiecking on April 04, 2016, 11:56:01 PM
AWESOME picture-I missed a good chunk of the second half of Villanova/UNC looking at it. Unfortunately, I believe that the US240 sign is in DC (as is all of Columbia Island). I think the photographer is positioned on Memorial Bridge at the Columbia Island shoreline (and has a nice telephoto lens). I think the "eagled column" beyond the parked car is the beginning of the bridge over Boundary Channel. Beyond that, I don't see the bridge (completed in 1937) over the Penn RR tracks (now Metro Blue line); on the other hand I don't see the train tracks either. By the time this picture was taken, Columbia Island had been transferred to the NPS. The left turn to follow US240 is now a series of traffic circles.

Agreed wrt awesome nature of the picture.

I believe the photographer was standing on the bridge that carries Memorial Drive over the Boundary Channel (and today, the southbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway), which I believe puts that cool U.S. 240 sign in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  The bridge in the distance is obscured these days by high hedges parallel to Memorial Drive, and (now) carries Memorial Drive over Va. 110 (Jefferson Davis Highway) [that may be the only part of Jeff Davis Highway that is not U.S.1 in Virginia].

Back then, there was indeed a railroad spur (could very well have been PRR or RF&P, not sure that ran north to Rosslyn), and that may have been the original reason that bridge was constructed.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

froggie

This photo wasn't taken from the bridge over Boundary Channel, and I say that for three reasons:

- First, look at the bridge downstream of the turn off to US 240.  The columns match those found on today's bridge over Boundary Channel.  There's nothing, either historically or today, that warrants or suggests such a bridge west of Boundary Channel.  In fact, the bridge over VA 110 has no such columns.

- If this photo was taken from over Boundary Channel, then that would imply that US 240 turned onto today's VA 110.  But that couldn't be the case here because what is now VA 110 wasn't built until the 1940s (as part of the Pentagon access roads).

- Every map that Mapmikey and I have discussed that shows US 240 on the west side of the Potomac puts it on the "Mount Vernon Memorial Boulevard", i.e. today's GW Pkwy.  As Mike showed upthread, the 1937 VA official map explicitly puts a US 240 shield on the parkway on Columbia Island.

davewiecking

#14
Quote from: cpzilliacus on April 08, 2016, 04:19:58 PM
Quote from: davewiecking on April 04, 2016, 11:56:01 PM
AWESOME picture-I missed a good chunk of the second half of Villanova/UNC looking at it. Unfortunately, I believe that the US240 sign is in DC (as is all of Columbia Island). I think the photographer is positioned on Memorial Bridge at the Columbia Island shoreline (and has a nice telephoto lens). I think the "eagled column" beyond the parked car is the beginning of the bridge over Boundary Channel. Beyond that, I don't see the bridge (completed in 1937) over the Penn RR tracks (now Metro Blue line); on the other hand I don't see the train tracks either. By the time this picture was taken, Columbia Island had been transferred to the NPS. The left turn to follow US240 is now a series of traffic circles.

Agreed wrt awesome nature of the picture.

I believe the photographer was standing on the bridge that carries Memorial Drive over the Boundary Channel (and today, the southbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway), which I believe puts that cool U.S. 240 sign in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  The bridge in the distance is obscured these days by high hedges parallel to Memorial Drive, and (now) carries Memorial Drive over Va. 110 (Jefferson Davis Highway) [that may be the only part of Jeff Davis Highway that is not U.S.1 in Virginia].

Back then, there was indeed a railroad spur (could very well have been PRR or RF&P, not sure that ran north to Rosslyn), and that may have been the original reason that bridge was constructed.
Can't remember what I read Monday evening, but source seemed reliable that it was the Pennsylvania RR; Rosslyn Branch. I don't think the RF&P ever made it further than the foot of the Long Bridge. (Oops-editing to add that the RF&P apparently did go to Rosslyn from 1896-1903)

Not really possible to come up with GSV photo that matches the OP because of the extreme telephoto nature of the 30's photo. But I was pretty convinced that the 4 columns with eagles matched those currently at each edge of the existing traffic circle. Fortunate that the Boundary Channel Bridge was built with an extra arch on each side-they were needed when these roadways were reconfigured in the 60's. The RR bridge (now Blue Line) would come next (both chronologically and in space along Mem Drive), followed by VA110 (JD Hwy).

(As I said, I missed a big chunk of the Final 4 trying to figure this out...)

Mapmikey

Quote from: cpzilliacus on April 08, 2016, 04:19:58 PM
Quote from: davewiecking on April 04, 2016, 11:56:01 PM
AWESOME picture-I missed a good chunk of the second half of Villanova/UNC looking at it. Unfortunately, I believe that the US240 sign is in DC (as is all of Columbia Island). I think the photographer is positioned on Memorial Bridge at the Columbia Island shoreline (and has a nice telephoto lens). I think the "eagled column" beyond the parked car is the beginning of the bridge over Boundary Channel. Beyond that, I don't see the bridge (completed in 1937) over the Penn RR tracks (now Metro Blue line); on the other hand I don't see the train tracks either. By the time this picture was taken, Columbia Island had been transferred to the NPS. The left turn to follow US240 is now a series of traffic circles.

Agreed wrt awesome nature of the picture.

I believe the photographer was standing on the bridge that carries Memorial Drive over the Boundary Channel (and today, the southbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway), which I believe puts that cool U.S. 240 sign in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  The bridge in the distance is obscured these days by high hedges parallel to Memorial Drive, and (now) carries Memorial Drive over Va. 110 (Jefferson Davis Highway) [that may be the only part of Jeff Davis Highway that is not U.S.1 in Virginia].

Back then, there was indeed a railroad spur (could very well have been PRR or RF&P, not sure that ran north to Rosslyn), and that may have been the original reason that bridge was constructed.

US 240 shield is definitely in DC.  The traffic circle was built in 1940 and is between the memorial columns (i.e. the parked car is where the circle is today).   The trailing car  of the two in the distance just crossed the Boundary Channel bridge...

Description of the photo can be found at the bottom of this link:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Island_(District_of_Columbia)#/media/File:Looking_W_across_Columbia_Island_down_Memorial_Drive_at_Arlington_National_Cemetery_-_1930s.jpg

Here is a 1935 aerial shot taken from the cloverleaf at the US 1/240 jct that clearly shows the US 240 shield pic was taken on Columbia Island (the railroad bridge near the cemetery was hidden then, too). 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Mount_Vernon_Memorial_Parkway_LOC_hec_39185.jpg

If you zoom way in at the cloverleaf at US 1, there appears to be a route shield on the first light pole NB on Mt Vernon Mem Hwy (parked car to the right of the pole).  No way to make out what it is but this could be another 240 shield...

Here is another 1935 photo from the Lincoln memorial showing the same thing...

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_view_showing_Lincoln_Memorial.jpg

incidentally Jefferson Davis Highway in southern Virginia still follows the original VA 1 routing using SR 712, US 58, and US 15 (which is Jefferson Davis Hwy in NC)...

Mike



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