Interstate 395

Every time I look at a map of the National Mall, I see this Interstate 395 freeway cutting right through the middle of it, almost at the steps of the US Capitol.

So my question is--does the freeway go in a tunnel underneath, or on a bridge overhead? Seems like it would be an eyesore if it was above ground.

(I know, dumb question. :-) )

Interstate 395

The portion of the highway nearest the Capitol goes under tunnels.

Interstate 395

The freeway does not go in the tunnel. You get off of the freeway and then you go through the tunnel That would be the 3rd Street tunnel exit for the Capitol Buildings.

There is an overpass the goes over the area near the capitol. While driving on 395 (Also referred to as SE/SW Freeway) just before entering or exiting VA coming from the South (VA) you will see the monuments and the capitol buildings on the left.

If you are leaving Reagan Airport for instance you would take 395 to Washington and stay get off where it says D Street or Senate buildings, etc. It will be in the 2 righ lanes after the 12th street exit.

Hope this helps you. If not, I could answer some more questions. I actual use the 3rd street tunnel everyday since I work in the Capitol Hill area.

This was more just an observational question--I won%26#39;t be doing any driving. Sorry to make you write out a whole set of directions.

The reason I asked, is because it made sense that there were tunnels, not a freeway cutting through the National Mall. But then it leads to another question--how do they keep a terrorist from driving a big truck full of explosives into the tunnel, and setting it off underneath the National Mall?

Your guess is as good as mine. Although the tunnel doesn%26#39;t go under the mall it goes between the mall area and capitol area. It really isn%26#39;t a ';tunnel'; as compared to the one say in Baltimore. It%26#39;s more like an under street overpass. Not very long at all and everytime I see a car stop a police officer is right behind them moving them out of the way because it causes traffic jams. And you better believe the people of DC won%26#39;t allow you to cause a traffic jam in the tunnel if at all possible. They will honk, call the cops, call the military, yell profanity out the window, all of the above to get you out of the way.

Wasn%26#39;t a dumb question at all; many maps imply what you%26#39;ve seen. What was dumb, or at least confusing, was the decision to name the exiting spur ';I-395,'; rather than the freeway that continues another short distance. Seriously -- continuing eastbound means you%26#39;re on a differently-designated freeway; if you want to literally stay on I-395, you take the right-hand exit and travel the ';tunnel,'; ending at New York Avenue. Check out the road signs pictured on this site: http://www.aaroadtrips.com/i-395_dc.html

(Sorry, MrsMaryland, I just had to gripe about the odd routing of 395. I had visitors last month try to get from Reagan National to Baltimore %26amp; beyond, and sure enough, they followed 395%26#39;s signage and ended up on NY Ave instead of crossing the Anacostia heading north. %26lt;Grumble%26gt;)

And as for the lack thus far of a tunnel terror act...I figure there are things I don%26#39;t need to know. Instead, I%26#39;m just grateful....

No need to worry about a freeway interrupting your photo ops on the mall. You%26#39;ll be able to get great shots from the mall to the Capitol and Capitol to the Washington Monument without any nasty roadways blocking the view.

I-395 was supposed to run through Washington DC and connect the Capital City to I-95 near College Park and provide a convenient link to Baltimore. The freeway was designed to sit in a subterranean trench to avoid disrupting city streets and the beauty of the National Mall. But doing so it required extensive preparation work. You probably can%26#39;t tell, but the freeway sits upon a 10-foot deep concrete slab that prevents it from popping up due to being below the District%26#39;s water table.

But then the environmentalists and anti-growth crowd got active and successfully tied up the project in lawsuits and the project was eventually cancelled. Now we have a $100M ';freeway to nowhere'; - an eight-lane interestate tunnel that suddenly and abruptly ends at New York Avenue, forcing travellers onto congested city streets, searching for a way to get to Baltimore without the benefit of adquate signage.

And to think its opponents blocked the freeway%26#39;s completion in the guise of preserving neighborhoods%26#39; quality of life and protecting city streets!

DR WONG: You said it best. It is a little pointless and a total waist of money. And the freeway can be more backed up than the city streets sometimes. It%26#39;s crazy. From what the famous Dr. Gridlock said before leaving the Washington Post, the project to complete the 395 (11th street/Sousa Bridge corridor) should be up and running in 2008 I believe. It is finally going to connect the two together so you don%26#39;t have to use Howard Road or Penn. Ave, to get to the other side. WONDERFUL WONDERFUL can save commuters a useless 20 minutes or more.