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Re: Capital Beltway Semantics



Richard Looney (rlooney@csc.com) wrote:
: Nobody does it better (beard@PROBLEM_WITH_INEWS_GATEWAY_FILE) wrote:

: > 1) Briefly explain the "Beltway" concept. When were the roads built? Was there
: > a need for it? What was there before the beltway? Dis/Advantages?
:  
: Picture that belt around your waist. Now replace your stomache with DC,
: and start wearing that belt around 1964.
Completed in 1964. The part between Wisconsin Ave and Conn Ave actually
dates to the late 50's, but with far fewer lanes.

: >> -Differentiate between the East and West sections of the Beltway.
:  
: No. Directions of East and West only have sporadic meaning when you're
: traveling in a circle. That signage is just there to confuse people.

Western half is I-495 only. Eastern half is I-95/495.

: >> 4) If I'm correct, doesn't the beltway cut through two states?
: >>      Can you name the exits where the borders are?
:  
Numbering in MD starts at exit 2, I-295 in PG county. Once you hit the
Beltsville intersection, where 95 heads north, the numbering continues in
both directions, both north towards Baltimore, and east towards Montgomery
County. Different road numbers, so it's not confusing. Western bridge is the
"American Legion Memorial Bridge" (often called the Cabin John Bridge so as
to confuse those of us who know the Cabin John Aqueduct bridge by that
name). Clara Baron PKWY is just on the MD side, Geo Wash PKWY is just on the
DC side.  Eastern bridge is the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which has the
afore-mentioned I-295 on one side, and US 1 on the VA side.

:  
: >> 5) If possible, please name the counties and their respective states, that
: >> surround the beltway

: Alexandria & Fairfax, VA; and Prince Georges & Montgomery, MD. :
(Little-known fact: the southernmost wedge of DC cuts across one of the :
bridges.) The Beltway is the boundary between the City of Alexandria and
Fairfax County.  All the VA part is in Fairfax County (unless for some silly
reason the Inner Loop is considered to be in Alexandria during this 4 mile
stretch, but it's all maintained (?) by the state, so that doesn't really
come up).
-- 
-=dave wiecking, bethesda, md           
  wiecking@uspto.gov is used the most
  jsmg57a@prodigy.com and macfrek@ibm.net also work


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