Interstate 295 - Anacostia Freeway

The Anacostia Freeway, named after the river it parallels, constitutes an urban route along Interstate 295 north into Washington. The freeway overall carries four lanes, with exits serving the Bellevue and Congress Heights communities and Boiling Air Force Base in southeastern Washington. I-295 measures 6.00 miles in total length from the Capital Beltway north to the 11th Street Bridge (I-695) in Washington.

Interstate 295 Washington, DC Guides

North - 28 photos

South - 33 photos

The route for Interstate 295 ended at the 11th Street Bridge interchange with the Southeast Freeway (I-695) until 2009. This end point was a leftover from when I-295 was planned to continue north first as the 1960s East Leg Freeway to unconstructed I-95 near Eckington. It remained in place as a 1982 proposal for the Barney Circle Freeway took I-695 eastward from Pennsylvania Avenue to the Anacostia Freeway near Randle Circle.²

Ultimately dropped due to vehement opposition by 1996, the Barney Circle Freeway and bridge were replaced in planning by proposed upgrades to the 11th Street Bridge and interchange with the Anacostia Freeway. Work commenced on a $390 million project to replace the 11th Street Bridge and add ramps to the Anacostia Freeway north in December 2009.³ The project replaced the 1960s-built spans over the Anacostia River and constructed a new directional T interchange with the Anacostia Freeway. Renumbering of I-295 and I-695 coincided with the work, with I-695 shifting from the Southeast Freeway southward onto the 11th Street Bridge to replace I-295 to D.C. 295. The new interchange between I-295 north, D.C. 295 south and I-695 east opened in phases throughout 2012.

The Anacostia Freeway was completed on August 7, 1964 after seven years of construction. Costing $36 million, the route tied into the Capital Beltway to the south and the Kenilworth Avenue Freeway, at East Capitol Street, to the north.¹

scenes

Interstate 295 trailblazers posted at the end of the South Capital Street northbound off-ramp to Malcolm X Avenue (formerly Portland Street). Drivers bound for I-295 north can utilize the on-ramp from Malcolm Avenue east. Southward bound traffic to the Anacostia Freeway is directed to turn around via the South Capital Street on-ramp from Malcolm Avenue west to the Overlook Avenue on-ramp.

09/25/04

2 photos

Interstate 295 shields posted along Malcolm X Avenue east for the northbound on-ramp to the Anacostia Freeway. I-295 serves Downtown Washington via the Capitol Avenue Bridge and 11th Street Bridge (I-695) off-ramps. District of Columbia 295 continues the freeway northeast to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Baltimore.

09/25/04

References:

1. Anacostia Freeway (I-295 and DC 295), DCRoads.net.
2. Southeast Freeway (I-695), DCRoads.net.
3. 11th Street Bridge Project. https://ddot.dc.gov/page/ 11th-street-bridge-project District Department of Transportation (DDOT).

Connect with:

Interstate 95

Interstate 495 - Capital Beltway

Interstate 695 - Southeast Freeway

District of Columbia Route 295

Route 210 Indian Head Highway

Page Updated Wednesday February 08, 2023.