Everything about Constitution Avenue totally explained
In
Washington, D.C.,
Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the
United States Capitol in the city's
Northwest and
Northeast quadrants. The avenue carries heavy commuter traffic on weekdays and heavy tourist traffic on the weekends; it's also an important parade route.
Washington Canal
The segment of Constitution Avenue west of
Pennsylvania Avenue was once the Washington Canal.
Construction on the canal, which was part of
Pierre L'Enfant's original plan for the city, began in 1810.
Tiber Creek was transformed into the Washington Canal, which ran along what is today Constitution Avenue, eventually working its way towards the
U.S. Capitol. It is believed that early city plans called for an extensive network of canals snaking through the Northeast corridor of the
United States. In 1872 the canal was filled in; it had become common for Washington residents to throw their garbage into it and the unsanitary conditions became a health concern. Additionally, plans for an extensive canal system were abandoned around this time in favor of a
railroad system that would connect Washington to the West. These plans were not successful; after completion of the
B&O Railroad, city officials abandoned their plans for a rail system. The canal was filled and paved over.
Original street name
In Washington's
Cartesian-coordinate-based street system, Constitution Avenue was originally known as North B Street. If it had stayed in the city's lettered street system, it would today be known as B Street NW and NE. The street on the other side of the
Anacostia River corresponding to Constitution Avenue is called Blaine Street NE.
Route numbers
Sections of Constitution Avenue are designated
U.S. Route 1,
U.S. Route 50, or both. Specifically, U.S. 50 runs along the road from its west end to
Sixth Street NW (eastbound) and
Ninth Street NW (westbound). U.S. 1 northbound uses the eastbound lanes of Constitution Avenue from
14th Street NW to Sixth Street NW; southbound U.S. 1 used to run west from Ninth Street NW to
15th Street NW but now continues straight through the
Ninth Street Tunnel to
I-395.
Termini
The western terminus of Constitution Avenue is the
Theodore Roosevelt Bridge; thus, Constitution Avenue connects the city's ceremonial core with
Interstate 66. The eastern terminus is at 21st Street NE, just short of
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. Through traffic is diverted via
North Carolina Avenue and C Street to the
Whitney Young Memorial Bridge.
Locations of interest along avenue
In
Northwest Washington, Constitution Avenue separates the
National Mall from the
Federal Triangle. The avenue is lined on its north side by the headquarters of several federal agencies, and on the south side by several
Smithsonian museums, the
National Gallery of Art,
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Constitution Gardens, and the
Lincoln Memorial. Other locations of interest include the
Embassy of Canada,
Organization of American States,
National Academy of Sciences, and
National Science Foundation. In Northeast, the avenue passes through the
Capitol Hill and Lincoln Park neighborhoods.
National Highway System
Between Louisiana Avenue and Interstate 66, Constitution Avenue is part of the
National Highway System.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Constitution Avenue'.
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