The WTOP Traffic Center used factors such as average
volume, visibility, acceleration room, frequency
of reported accidents and weaving to choose the
10 worst traffic merges in the Washington D.C.
metro area. The majority of the merges were -
not surprisingly - in the city, where space for
interchanges is limited.
Southbound GW Parkway to Northbound I-
395/14th Street Bridge: After rounding a
tightly-curved clover leaf, this ramp leaves
motorists with no acceleration room once they
arrive at Interstate 395. Arlington motorists
must wait at the top of this ramp for breaks in the relentless inbound traffic flow
just south of the 14th Street Bridge. Accidents frequently occur as motorists jackrabbit from the ramp into the northbound lanes, forcing oncoming traffic to veer wildly to the left. (WTOP/David Dildine)
WTOP/David Dildine
Firth Sterling Ave. to Northbound I-295:
In the Anacostia area, the ever-changing
landscape of the 11th Street Bridge construction
site has motorists throwing caution to the wind
as they merge off Firth Sterling Avenue into the
northbound lanes of Interstate 295. Those who
seek access to the inbound 11th Street Bridge
from Firth Sterling Avenue and Howard Road are
forced to weave across three lanes of I-295 in
less than 1,500 feet. Project planners hope that
the opening of the new Anacostia Local Bridge
will give motorists from Anacostia a more
desirable option to access the Navy Yard and
Capitol Hill rather than taking their chances
with I-295. (WTOP/David Dildine)
WTOP/David Dildine
Third Street Tunnel to the Westbound Southwest
Freeway: One of the worst interstate weaves
in the Washington area occurs when southbound
travelers from the Third Street Tunnel encounter
westbound through traffic on the Southwest
Freeway. Commuters from the tunnel who are
headed into Virginia must wrestle their way
leftward into the through lanes while dodging
motorists merging right onto the Maine Ave and
Seventh Street exits. Major delays result from this
phenomenon on the Southwest Freeway. (WTOP/David
Dildine)
Outbound Pennsylvania Ave to Northbound DC-
295: The merge onto northbound DC-295
(Kenilworth Avenue) from outbound Pennsylvania
Avenue ranks high on the list simply because of
the chronic delays that plague this afternoon
commuting route. After crossing the John P.
Sousa Bridge, motorists are funneled into a
double left-turn lane and forced to wait at a
long traffic signal. Once beyond the light,
traffic is compressed from two lanes to one on a
pothole-ridden ramp that leads onto Kenilworth
Avenue. (WTOP/David Dildine)
WTOP/David Dildine
Waterside Dr./Mass. Ave. to Southbound Rock
Creek Pkwy: Drivers face a daunting merge in
the District of Columbia when they exit
Waterside Drive onto southbound Rock Creek
Parkway. Waterside Drive provides a connection
between Massachusetts Avenue and the Rock Creek
Parkway. Waterside ends at Rock Creek,
depositing traffic onto the left side of the
parkway. This left merge is preceded by a bend
in the parkway's southbound lanes, which
decreases line-of-sight. (WTOP/David Dildine)
WTOP/David Dildine
P St. NW to Northbound Rock Creek Pkwy: In
Northwest D.C. a large number of property-damage
crashes occur on the ramp from Dupont Circle's P
Street NW to the northbound lanes of the Rock
Creek Parkway. The angle of approach makes this
merge especially difficult. The sharp curve in
the northbound lanes of the Rock Creek Parkway
leading up to this ramp adds further
complication. During times of increased volume,
very few breaks in the traffic flow make this
merge a headache for motorists. (WTOP/David
Dildine)
Northbound DC-295 to Eastbound US Route 50:
DC-295's northbound lanes routinely back up
outbound from the Anacostia River bridges during
the afternoon commute. Outbound commuters headed
into Maryland must endure rush-hour congestion
caused by a merge onto eastbound Route 50 -- a
one-lane ramp that carries a large amount of
afternoon volume into Prince George's County,
Md. Anxious and selfish motorists are
often seen cutting in near the beginning of the
ramp, further slowing everyone else waiting in
the line. Rear-end collisions leading up to the
merge are a routine sight. (WTOP/David Dildine)
WTOP/David Dildine
Ninth St. Tunnel to EB SE/SW Freeway: In
Southwest D.C., wrecks at the bottom of the ramp
from the Ninth Street Tunnel to the eastbound
Southwest Freeway are a common occurrence. The
left on-ramp plants traffic into the fast lane
of the freeway and there is no merge room
between the end of the ramp and the left through
lane. Rear-end crashes are most common here as
it is often necessary to stop altogether to wait
for a break in traffic flow. In other cases,
motorists can be seen barreling down the ramp
unaware that there is no continuation of the
ramp lane at the freeway, forcing oncoming
traffic to veer wildly into the center lanes.
(WTOP/David Dildine)
WTOP/David Dildine
Memorial Circle/Washington Blvd to SB GW
Parkway: Many motorists, residents and
those from out of town alike have trouble
maneuvering through D.C.'s traffic
circles. Memorial Circle is particularly
difficult to navigate around, especially when
travel volume is high. From the circle, those
travelers who are destined for I-395, Reagan
National Airport or Old Town Alexandria must
first merge into the southbound lanes of the
George Washington Parkway. The ramp, an offshoot
of Washington Boulevard, injects traffic onto the
parkway on the left side. Left merges are
particularly perilous. Additionally, there is
very little acceleration area between the
downhill side of the ramp and the fast lane of
the parkway. (WTOP/David Dildine)
WTOP/David Dildine
NB GW Parkway to Inner Loop: Afternoon
commuters who use the northbound George
Washington Memorial Parkway to get to the
Beltway expect a long line of traffic in the
right lane waiting to merge onto the Inner Loop.
These motorists also must endure the added
frustration of queue jumpers, many with Maryland
license plates, who zoom down the left lane and
cut in line at the last moment. Fender-benders
can worsen outbound delays that often form well
before Route 123/Chain Bridge Road. This ramp is
also a hotspot for rollover accidents,
especially when it rains. (WTOP/David Dildine)
