East End of I-70

[froggie]

I've mentioned it elsewhere, but another way to free up some route numbers and decrease driver confusion would be to send I-95 thru DC via 395/695/DC295/BW Parkway (obviously some relatively minor modifications considerable reconstruction would be required to DC 295 between East Capitol and 50.

FTFY.  In particular, the interchange at Braddock would effectively have to be blown up and redone from the sub-ground up at a level comparable to what was done on the 11th St Bridge project.

The topside of the Beltway west of I-95 is likely a reason (and a good one) to keep thru traffic following the eastern side, but theoretically, either way works depending on traffic.

Both that and the Legion Bridge.  The Beltway through MoCo bogs down considerably more often (and for longer periods) than through PGC.

[Alps]

Let's move back into nonfiction, plz

[theroadwayone]

I've mentioned it elsewhere, but another way to free up some route numbers and decrease driver confusion would be to send I-95 thru DC via 395/695/DC295/BW Parkway (obviously some relatively minor modifications considerable reconstruction would be required to DC 295 between East Capitol and 50.

That was the original plan.

[froggie]

^ No it wasn't.  The "original plan" was for I-95 to follow the "Northeast Freeway", basically extending the 3rd St tunnel parallel to New York Ave to near today's Amtrak yards, then north along the B&O corridor (today's CSX tracks and Metrorail Red Line) to at least Fort Totten.  There were two options going northeastward from Fort Totten to the I-95/Beltway interchange.

Due to opposition from the Northeast Freeway plan (especially in Takoma Park), an alternative was considered that would have utilized the then-proposed "New York Industrial Freeway" (basically parallel to New York Ave all the way to the BW Pkwy), then turn north along an upgrade of the BW Pkwy to the Beltway.  But this was also dropped.

At no point was I-95 ever proposed or considered along what is now DC 295.

[DJStephens]

Considering how deep 95 penetrated Washington, it was a major blunder it was not finished.  Obviously it should have been trenched, and or cut and covered as much as possible.   

[famartin]

Considering how deep 95 penetrated Washington, it was a major blunder it was not finished.  Obviously it should have been trenched, and or cut and covered as much as possible.

While I think 95 could have and should have been completed, the ultimate design they were going to follow was going to be grossly underpowered, in the end. At least as far as a mainline 2-di interstate.  Philly and Baltimore, for all their faults, at least built I-95 correctly in that they are 3-4 lanes with good geometry throughout.  Imagine I-95 snaking through DC going from the SW Freeway into the 3rd Street Tunnel, the way I-395 does now!  It probably wouldn't have worked well. 

[Beltway]

While I think 95 could have and should have been completed, the ultimate design they were going to follow was going to be grossly underpowered, in the end. At least as far as a mainline 2-di interstate.  Philly and Baltimore, for all their faults, at least built I-95 correctly in that they are 3-4 lanes with good geometry throughout.  Imagine I-95 snaking through DC going from the SW Freeway into the 3rd Street Tunnel, the way I-395 does now!  It probably wouldn't have worked well. 

I-95 in D.C. would have effectively been at least 4 lanes each way.

Those 2 lane ramps would have been augmented by the whole Inner Loop concept, which would have included a I-295 east loop providing additional capacity to the I-95 route.

[ixnay]

While I think 95 could have and should have been completed, the ultimate design they were going to follow was going to be grossly underpowered, in the end. At least as far as a mainline 2-di interstate.  Philly and Baltimore, for all their faults, at least built I-95 correctly in that they are 3-4 lanes with good geometry throughout.  Imagine I-95 snaking through DC going from the SW Freeway into the 3rd Street Tunnel, the way I-395 does now!  It probably wouldn't have worked well. 

I-95 in D.C. would have effectively been at least 4 lanes each way.

Those 2 lane ramps would have been augmented by the whole Inner Loop concept, which would have included a I-295 east loop providing additional capacity to the I-95 route.

Overturning rigs at the 3rdStTun//SE/SWFwy connection would've been a fortnightly event.

ixnay

[ixnay]

[P]lease stop bringing up decommissioning 695 around Baltimore, as that is a pet peeve of mine and others on this forum.

Probably a pet peeve of (the recently retired from WTOP) Bob Marbourg too, if he vists this site, who sometimes called the Baltimore Beltway "the real 695". 

If there is a road numbering that says "Baltimore", it's Interstate 695 as applied to that city's beltway.  IMO.

ixnay

[cpzilliacus]

[P]lease stop bringing up decommissioning 695 around Baltimore, as that is a pet peeve of mine and others on this forum.

Probably a pet peeve of (the recently retired from WTOP) Bob Marbourg too, if he vists this site, who sometimes called the Baltimore Beltway "the real 695". 

If there is a road numbering that says "Baltimore", it's Interstate 695 as applied to that city's beltway.  IMO.

I agree.  Maryland's I-695 is a real Beltway, and is easily the longest (by far) of the I-695's at about 51 centerline miles.

[Beltway]

Maryland's I-695 is a real Beltway, and is easily the longest (by far) of the I-695's at about 51 centerline miles.

Just three --

Interstate 695 (District of Columbia), a partially built connector in Washington, D.C.
Interstate 695 (Maryland), a beltway around Baltimore, Maryland
Interstate 695 (New York), a short connector in Bronx County, New York

[The Ghostbuster]

I assume Interstate 695's current sequential exits will remain the same for all time. Given the beltway is 51 miles long, and the exits go from 1-44, that's probably why they left the Baltimore Beltways exit numbers untouched while the rest of the state is mileage-based.

[Henry]

I assume Interstate 695's current sequential exits will remain the same for all time. Given the beltway is 51 miles long, and the exits go from 1-44, that's probably why they left the Baltimore Beltways exit numbers untouched while the rest of the state is mileage-based.

Plus, most of the exits on the northern side of the Beltway match the mile markers, so that might be another good reason to leave them as they are.

Probably a pet peeve of (the recently retired from WTOP) Bob Marbourg too, if he vists this site, who sometimes called the Baltimore Beltway "the real 695". 
ixnay

He has a point, as the DC version of I-695 was unsigned for many years until the 11th Street Bridges and the major overhaul of the I-295/DC 295 interchange occurred.

Just three --

Interstate 695 (District of Columbia), a partially built connector in Washington, D.C.
Interstate 695 (Maryland), a beltway around Baltimore, Maryland
Interstate 695 (New York), a short connector in Bronx County, New York

And there are lots of cancelled I-695s, the most notable examples including a downtown loop in Boston, a connector/loop in Philadelphia, and another connector off the north end of the Somerset Freeway in suburban NJ.

[D-Dey65]

The delays enabled the opposition to gel and prevent a good part of the road to not be built - aside from the I-170 trench.  In hindsight - the area and neighborhoods decayed anyway, without much of the freeway.   

Much like the never-built Cross Brooklyn Expressway and Williamsburg Expressway in Brooklyn, which is further proof that the alleged connection between highway improvements and neighborhood decline is strictly bogus.

BTW. if ending it at the originally planned terminus wouldn't be an option, I'd settle for the formerly proposed I-170 to the Baltimore Travel Plaza at Exit 57. And yes overlap I-83 with it too.

[Beltway]

Just three --
Interstate 695 (District of Columbia), a partially built connector in Washington, D.C.
Interstate 695 (Maryland), a beltway around Baltimore, Maryland
Interstate 695 (New York), a short connector in Bronx County, New York

And there are lots of cancelled I-695s, the most notable examples including a downtown loop in Boston, a connector/loop in Philadelphia, and another connector off the north end of the Somerset Freeway in suburban NJ.

Those are the only canceled I-695 routes.

One that I hope gets added is the VA-288 western and southern Richmond beltway which is built to Interstate standards.

[Alps]

The delays enabled the opposition to gel and prevent a good part of the road to not be built - aside from the I-170 trench.  In hindsight - the area and neighborhoods decayed anyway, without much of the freeway.   

Much like the never-built Cross Brooklyn Expressway and Williamsburg Expressway in Brooklyn, which is further proof that the alleged connection between highway improvements and neighborhood decline is strictly bogus.

BTW. if ending it at the originally planned terminus wouldn't be an option, I'd settle for the formerly proposed I-170 to the Baltimore Travel Plaza at Exit 57. And yes overlap I-83 with it too.

It's not strictly bogus. Just because other neighborhoods have declined without freeways doesn't mean there's no correlation.

[D-Dey65]

The delays enabled the opposition to gel and prevent a good part of the road to not be built - aside from the I-170 trench.  In hindsight - the area and neighborhoods decayed anyway, without much of the freeway.   

Much like the never-built Cross Brooklyn Expressway and Williamsburg Expressway in Brooklyn, which is further proof that the alleged connection between highway improvements and neighborhood decline is strictly bogus.

BTW. if ending it at the originally planned terminus wouldn't be an option, I'd settle for the formerly proposed I-170 to the Baltimore Travel Plaza at Exit 57. And yes overlap I-83 with it too.

It's not strictly bogus. Just because other neighborhoods have declined without freeways doesn't mean there's no correlation.

Actually, it's not only that, but the fact that others haven't declined with them.

[sprjus4]

One that I hope gets added is the VA-288 western and southern Richmond beltway which is built to Interstate standards.

Just curious... has VDOT submitted any official request to AASHTO / FHWA to add it to the interstate highway system?

That definitely could be a candidate for an interstate highway if VDOT were to pursue an addition to the system.

[Beltway]

One that I hope gets added is the VA-288 western and southern Richmond beltway which is built to Interstate standards.

Just curious... has VDOT submitted any official request to AASHTO / FHWA to add it to the interstate highway system?

Nope.  That was one of the ones that I provided detailed recommendations to them about 2 years ago, and they at least at that point said 'no'.

[The Ghostbuster]

I doubt VA-288 will ever become an Interstate, although I am fully aware that portions of it were to be part of an Interstate 295 beltway around Richmond. Perhaps they could give the exits on VA-288 numbers, although that probably won't happen either.

[sprjus4]

I doubt VA-288 will ever become an Interstate, although I am fully aware that portions of it were to be part of an Interstate 295 beltway around Richmond. Perhaps they could give the exits on VA-288 numbers, although that probably won't happen either.

I agree at minimum exit numbers should be provided. And another thing - raise the speed limit to 70 mph.

[wdcrft63]

I doubt VA-288 will ever become an Interstate, although I am fully aware that portions of it were to be part of an Interstate 295 beltway around Richmond. Perhaps they could give the exits on VA-288 numbers, although that probably won't happen either.

The road really needs exit numbers.

[The Ghostbuster]

On that note, let's steer the conversation back to the subject title, which was the East End of I-70 in Baltimore, Maryland (a.k.a. Exit 94: Security Blvd.).

[mgk920]

On that note, let's steer the conversation back to the subject title, which was the East End of I-70 in Baltimore, Maryland (a.k.a. Exit 94: Security Blvd.).

When is that entire I-70/95/695 area likely to come due for major maintenance/re-engineering/bridge work?

Mike

[cpzilliacus]

On that note, let's steer the conversation back to the subject title, which was the East End of I-70 in Baltimore, Maryland (a.k.a. Exit 94: Security Blvd.).

When is that entire I-70/95/695 area likely to come due for major maintenance/re-engineering/bridge work?

In the fairly near future, if documents here are correct.