DC looking to alleviate highway confusion with new Interstate names

Two of the most frequently traveled roadways in Washington DC will soon be getting new names in an attempt to alleviate some long standing confusion over exits. 

Interstate 695 and the Third Street Tunnel will soon get new numbers that will designate the tunnel as a brand new interstate, Interstate 195,  acting as an extension of the pre-existing I-395. 

Currently, when drivers enter I-695, a short interchange connecting I-395 to I-295, they are thrown off guard by the sudden change. The new plan will absorb I-695 as part of I-395, eliminating the confusion of the brief connecting interstate and sudden signage changes. The second part of the plan will convert the Third Street Tunnel into its own interstate, I-195. 

“Motorists are often surprised and confused by the atypical conditions presented by the termination of the I-395 and the beginning of the I-695,” read the original proposal. The changes are expected to reduce the more than 100 crashes annually that are associated with “weaving activity” due to the “unexpected exit condition,” reported WTOP News.

The change will also require new exit numbers for the Barracks Row, Nationals Park, and Navy Yard exits. 

While already approved, the shift will not take place for another 12 to 18 months.