| U.S. Route 50 | ||||
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| West end: | I-66 / US 50 near T.R. Island | |||
| US 1 at Constitution Avenue I-395 |
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| East end: | US 50 near Langdon | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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United States Numbered Highways Numbered highways in Washington, D.C.
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U.S. Route 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic Ocean, to West Sacramento, California, nearly to the Pacific Ocean. In the District of Columbia, US 50 passes between Arlington County, Virginia, and Prince George's County, Maryland, predominantly along surface streets, including a part of Constitution Avenue along the National Mall.
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U.S. Route 50 and Interstate 66 enter the District of Columbia from Arlington, Virginia on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge over the Potomac River. US 50 traffic exits I-66 to Constitution Avenue, N.W., along the north side of the National Mall, passing the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the White House, the World War II Memorial, and the Washington Monument, then traveling between Federal Triangle's office buildings on the north and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, and a National Gallery of Art sculpture garden to its south.
Near the National Art Gallery, Route 50 turns left onto 6th Street, N.W., and after several blocks, right onto New York Avenue, N.W. The route continues northeast on New York Avenue through Northeast Washington, passing the United States National Arboretum. Beyond the Arboretum, New York Avenue becomes a freeway, with an off-level interchange with South Dakota Avenue, N.E. in the Fort Lincoln area. US 50 then crosses the Anacostia River and continues into Maryland, where it becomes the John Hanson Highway and soon has an interchange with the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
US Route 50 enters the District of Columbia from Maryland on the John Hanson Highway, which, as noted above, eventually becomes New York Avenue, N.E. The westbound route then follows New York Avenue into Northwest Washington, then turns right onto L Street, N.W., left onto 9th Street, N.W., and right onto Constitution Avenue, N.W. After passing the National Mall, it then joins Interstate 66, which it follows across the Potomac River into Virginia on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge.
Northbound U.S. Route 1 is concurrent with eastbound U.S. Route 50 along Constitution Avenue from 14th Street to 6th Street, N.W., and along 6th Street from Constitution Avenue to New York Avenue, N.W. Southbound U.S. Route 1 is concurrent with westbound U.S. Route 50 along L Street between 6th and 9th streets, N.W., and along 9th Street from L Street to Constitution Avenue. Interstate 66 and U.S. Route 50 are concurrent on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. U.S. Route 1 Alternate is concurrent with Route 50 along New York Avenue between 6th Street, N.W., and Bladensburg Road, N.E.
The northern terminus of Interstate 395 is at a signaled intersection with New York Avenue and 4th Street, N.W. At that intersection, traffic from New York Avenue in either direction may turn south onto Interstate 395, but traffic on northbound Interstate 395 may turn only right (east) onto New York Avenue, but not west toward downtown Washington.
The New York Avenue Industrial Freeway, if built, would have replaced New York Avenue as U.S. Route 50 east of Interstate 395.
| U.S. Route 50 | ||
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| Previous state: Virginia |
District of Columbia | Next state: Maryland |