Erratic driving and crashes on the Southeast-Southwest Freeway at the 3rd Street Tunnel could continue for several more years as D.C.’s interstate renumbering plan stalls.
At the Southeast-Southwest Freeway’s midpoint, the quirky divergence of Interstate 395 at Interstate 695 contributes to a flurry of eastbound weaving and swerving. WTOP’s dedicated traffic camera shows last-second lane changes and drivers suddenly sending their vehicles in reverse dozens of times every hour at the ramp for the 3rd Street Tunnel.
Nearly four years after proposing more logical route and exit numbers, the District’s Department of Transportation has asked federal officials to void the original deal in order to buy more time.
DDOT acting Director Sharon Kershbaum wrote to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials that the department now wants to withdraw its applications for the changes until it can actually move toward fixing the signage to “eliminate unintended confusion.”
DDOT never amended the signs in the three years following federal approval. The city’s inaction has worsened an already confusing exit at the 3rd Street Tunnel. Some paper maps and navigation apps incorporated the new but unsigned numbers. The agency has reached out to some of those app makers and asked that the old numbers be displayed.
The plan originally called for signing the entire freeway as I-395 and smoothing out the exit numbers. Currently, there are two sets of exit numbers for the freeway — a sequential scheme for I-395 and a mile-based set of exits for I-695. DDOT also sought to lessen confusion by giving the 3rd Street Tunnel its own route number, I-195.
The letter to the transportation association, of which Kershbaum is a voting member on its board of directors, states the agency needs an additional two to three years to figure out how to re-sign the freeway and tunnel in a way that makes sense to local and out-of-town drivers.
“DDOT anticipates completing relevant procurement, design and construction activities in support of the proposed changes within the next 2-3 years. Following this, DDOT will resubmit the application for the proposed changes,” the letter reads.
This crash just happened a few minutes ago at @DDOTDC‘s notorious I-395/I-695 interchange. Last-minute lane changes happen repeatedly here because of the confusing exit condition. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/FiqluJy2AV
— WTOP Traffic (@WTOPtraffic) July 3, 2024
The association’s Special Committee on Route Numbering rescinded the application in April. The transportation organization sent a confirmation letter to DDOT on May 7.
The Federal Highway Administration is still weighing whether to accept DDOT’s request for additional time.
“The Federal Highway Administration has reviewed and provided comments on the District Department of Transportation’s renumbering request and expects to receive an updated request from the District soon,” a FHWA spokesperson told WTOP in early August.
A DDOT spokesperson insists the agency is not delaying the renumbering.
“Before the renumbering can be done, DDOT will first need to procure a design company,” a DDOT spokesperson told WTOP. “Once the design is completed, DDOT will move to secure construction funding, make a construction contract, and then change the numbering.”
A major sign structure improvement project concluded in late 2020, but the new signs that were fabricated displayed the old route numbers. A spokesperson told WTOP at the time that the shields and exit tabs would be amended with metal overlays.
I-395 is D.C.’s busiest road, carrying more than 160,000 vehicles per day, many from out of town.
WTOP’s Scott Gelman contributed to this report.
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