It seemed like a good idea: Marking the 60th anniversary of the Capital Beltway

Neal Augenstein | naugenstein@wtop.com
August 16, 2024, 9:35 AM

As planners in the mid-1950s envisioned the construction of a 41,000-mile national system of interstate highways, the Capital Beltway was already in the works — even though it was called the Washington Circumferential Highway at the time. ... The goal was simple: provide passenger vehicles and trucks with a convenient and nonstop way to bypass driving through downtown D.C.

Saturday marks the 60th anniversary of the completion of the Capital Beltway, when the final stretch of the highway opened to traffic, on Aug. 17, 1964. ... In the past six decades, the Beltway has been widened several times, become a well-known political reference, been supplemented with high occupancy toll lanes and become synonymous with congested commutes in and around the nation’s capital.

The first segment opened in 1957 — the 1.6-mile stretch between Maryland 355/Wisconsin Avenue and Connecticut Avenue, in Montgomery County, Maryland, according to the Capitol {sic} Beltway History blog. ... Four years later, the first segment in Virginia opened — a 6.1-mile stretch between Interstate 95/Shirley Highway and U.S. Route 50/Arlington Boulevard.

The final stretch to open was the top of the Beltway. The 24-mile highway between Route 355 in Montgomery County and Route 4/Pennsylvania Avenue in Prince George’s County marked the completion of the 64-mile loop around the District. ... On Aug. 17, 1964, Maryland Gov. J. Millard Tawes cut the ribbon in a ceremony near the New Hampshire Avenue interchange.

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Neal Augenstein
Neal Augenstein has been a general assignment reporter with WTOP since 1997. He says he looks forward to coming to work every day, even though that means waking up at 3:30 a.m.
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