Skip to main content

Fall 2009 DC Roadmeet

Last weekend, Adam Froehlig hosted the first Washington DC roadmeet. So I decided to head up and attend the meet and visit family at the same time.

For the entire meet set - head here.

There's a lot going on in the Metro DC area - and the first part of the meet took a look at the recently completed Woodrow Wilson Bridge. We took a brief walk across the newly opened pedestrian and bikeway. The views of the traffic and upstream on the Potomac are impressive.

IMG_2044

The beginning of the walkway on the Alexandria, VA side.

IMG_2057

The US Capitol viewed from the bridge.

IMG_2059

Washington Monument

IMG_2058

Sailboats were out

IMG_2060

A look at the inner loop's newly opened local lanes.

We did a driving tour of the Springfield (I-95/I-395/I-495) Interchange construction's final phase - HOV lane connections and of the construction of the missing piece of the Fairfax County Parkway. I was driving - and I didn't take any photos of that.

Next, was a driving tour of the 495 HOT (High Occupancy Toll) construction with a stop along a local rail trail. The rail trail gave a great look at the construction in and around the Beltway's interchange with I-66.

IMG_2088

Construction on the Outer Loop.

IMG_2091

Inner Loop construction.

Next, we headed into DC. One of the stops was a sign stop to see maybe one of the oldest freeway signs in DC. A pair of button copy overheads for E Street and I-66.

E Street and I-66 West in Button Copy

The biggest question was - what's behind the plywood covered signs?

The beginning of I-66 West

After this stop, we weaved our way through DC towards Barney Circle and the incomplete freeway connections there. Unfortunately, it was getting quite dark, and the photo opportunities were fleeting. Along the way, we passed by the Vietnam, World War II, Lincoln and Washington Monuments along the way. This trip was my first time into DC since 1997 (and that was for a RMC football game at Georgetown), and I am itching to go back. I haven't really had the chance to see the monuments and all of the history - and would love to really explore the city once again.

Finally, a tip of the cap to Adam Froehlig. He did a wonderful job in planning the meet ahead of time. His knowledge of DC and the traffic was extremely helpful in a three car caravan. The maps printed for turn by turn navigation allowed the entire crew of 14 attendees to take the circuitous route without incident or getting lost.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l

Ghost Town Tuesday; Mannfield, FL and the stairway to Hell

Back in 2015 I went searching the Lecanto Sand Hills for the original Citrus County Seat known as Mannfield.  Unlike Centrailia in Hernando County and Fivay in Pasco County I did find something worth seeing. Mannfield is located in the Lecanto Sand Hill section of Withlacoochee State Forest somewhat east of the intersection of Citrus County Route 491 and Mansfield Road. Mannfield was named after Austin Mann and founded in Hernando County in 1884 before Citrus County Split away.  In 1887 Citrus County was split from northern Hernando County while Pasco County was spun off to the south.  Mannfield was selected as the new Citrus County seat due to it being near the county geographic center.  Reportedly Mannfield had as many as 250 people when it was the County Seat.  The town included various businesses one might include at the time, even a sawmill which was common for the area.  In 1891 Citrus County voted to move it's seat to Inverness which set the stage for the decline of M

The National Road - Pennsylvania - Great Crossings Bridge and Somerfield

West of Addison, US 40 crosses the Youghiogheny River at what once was the town of Somerfield.  When crossing the current modern two lane bridge, you many not realize that it is actually the third to cross the Yough at this site.  The first - a stone arch bridge - was known as the Great Crossings Bridge.  Built in 1818, this three arch bridge was part of the original National Road.  The name Great Crossings comes from the men who forded the Youghiogheny here - George Washington and George Braddock. (1)  If you cross the bridge at the right time, this historic bridge and what was once the town of Somerfield will appear out from underneath this massive man-made lake. Historical Postcard showing the 'Big Crossings' bridge and Somerfield.  Image submitted by Vince Ferrari. The Great Crossings Bridge was located in the town of Somerfield.  Somerfield, originally named Smythfield until 1827, would develop as a result of the National Road. (1)  Somerfield would go through va