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This 2007 photo shows the southern terminus of the Potomac River Freeway at Ohio Drive, just after I-66 departs for the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. The freeway narrows abruptly to a single lane in each direction, but it was continue southeast as the South Leg Freeway (unbuilt I-695). (Photo by Steve Alpert, www.alpsroads.net.)

ALONG THE POTOMAC AND THROUGH THE TIDAL BASIN: Early planning for the South Leg Freeway began in 1952 when the highway departments of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia developed a 10-year plan for accelerated highway construction in the Washington, DC area. The South Leg route was not in the 1950 report, The Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital and its Environs, published by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). However, the NCPC eventually adopted the South Leg proposal, particularly given its role of distributing traffic between the proposed Theodore Roosevelt Bridge (I-66) and the 14th Street Bridge (I-395 and US 1), which was to be expanded under the plan.

The South Leg Freeway received a boost in 1954 when prominent developer William Zeckendorf advanced a plan to redevelop the 10th Street corridor with new office buildings. Under this plan, dubbed "South Mall," 10th Street was to be converted into a boulevard dedicated local traffic serving new office buildings, while through traffic was to be diverted to the South Leg Freeway and Southwest Freeway.

In 1955, engineering design firm De Leuw, Cather and Company proposed the link as part of the $272 million, 18-mile Inner Loop project in a 1955 report. This report proposed two alternatives for the 1.9-mile (3.1-kilometer) long route:

  • OHIO DRIVE ALTERNATIVE: Beginning at the Potomac River Freeway / Theodore Roosevelt Bridge (I-66) interchange, the South Leg Freeway was to descend into a tunnel under Lincoln Memorial Circle before emerging just south of the circle onto Ohio Drive. Ohio Drive, which was to be rebuilt as a six-lane freeway, was to extend south to the Southwest Freeway / 14th Street Bridge (then I-95, now I-395) near the Jefferson Memorial. The projected $15 million cost of this alternative was lower than other parts of the Inner Loop project because it was to be built not only at ground level (i.e., without any tunneled or trenched segment), but also through parkland, which did not require any private property acquisitions.

  • INDEPENDENCE AVENUE / MAINE AVENUE ALTERNATIVE: Beginning at the Potomac River Freeway / Theodore Roosevelt Bridge (I-66) interchange, the South Leg Freeway was to descend into a tunnel under Lincoln Memorial Circle, though turn east inside the tunnel toward Independence Avenue, which was to rebuilt as a six-lane freeway. The alignment of the Independence Avenue alternative would be similar to the one in place today, with the eastbound lanes carried on a bridge over the northern edge of the Tidal Basin. Just east of the Tidal Basin, the South Leg Freeway was to turn southeast along Maine Avenue, which was to be rebuilt as a six-lane freeway. The Maine Avenue alignment was to have two exit ramps connecting directly to 14th Street from the northbound and southbound lanes before emptying onto the Southwest Expressway (then I-95, now I-395).

District officials pushed successfully to have the South Leg Freeway, along with the rest of the Inner Loop, as part of the Interstate highway system signed into law by President Eisenhower in 1956. The law provided for 90 percent financing for the freeway, with the remainder coming from District funds.

In 1958, the Center Leg Freeway received the I-695 designation. The I-695 route through the District was to comprise the South Leg, Southwest, and Southeast Freeways. The designation survives today in the District only on the Southeast Freeway.

1955 Ohio Drive alternative: This map shows the original plan for the South Leg Freeway (I-695). The riverfront route was to have been built almost directly over Ohio Drive. The entire route of I-695 from the Potomac River Freeway (I-66) to the Southwest Freeway (originally I-95, now I-395) was to have been built above ground. (Map from the De Leuw, Cather and Company report Inner Loop Freeway System; posted by Douglas A. Willinger.)

1955 Independence Avenue / Maine Avenue alternative: This alternative plan would have routed the South Leg Freeway over Independence Avenue and Maine Avenue. Most of the six-lane route would have been above-ground, but this plan introduced the idea of a short tunnel under Lincoln Memorial Circle. (Map from the De Leuw, Cather and Company report Inner Loop Freeway System; posted by Douglas A. Willinger.)

DECIDING ON AN ALTERNATIVE: As the 1960s dawned, officials prioritized early construction of the Southwest Freeway, the Potomac River Freeway, and the Anacostia Freeway under the District's Interstate highway program, thus placing the South Leg Freeway on the back burner. However, District highway officials worked with several other groups, including the NCPC, US Bureau of Public Roads, the National Parks Service, and the US Commission of Fine Arts.

By August 1963, it appeared the coalition had arrived at a solution for the South Leg Freeway. The updated proposal was similar to the original 1955 Independence / Maine alternative, but unlike the original proposal, which featured only one tunnel, the updated proposal had two tunnels.

  • REVISED INDEPENDENCE AVENUE / MAINE AVENUE ALTERNATIVE: Beginning at the Potomac River Freeway / Theodore Roosevelt Bridge (I-66) interchange, the South Leg Freeway was to descend into a 1,300-foot-long tunnel under Lincoln Memorial Circle, though turn east inside the tunnel toward Independence Avenue, which was to rebuilt as a six-lane freeway. A ramp connecting Lincoln Memorial Circle to the northbound South Leg Freeway was to be built near the present site of the Korean War Veterans Memorial, while a section of West Potomac Park was to be used for an entrance ramp connecting Ohio Drive to the southbound South Leg Freeway. The freeway was to descend into a second tunnel, also measuring 1,300 feet long, in the area of 17th Street, then emerge above ground just west of the current Independence Avenue-Maine Avenue split; the split was to be grade separated as it is today. At that point, the South Leg Freeway was to turn southeast along Maine Avenue, which was to be rebuilt as a six-lane freeway. The Maine Avenue alignment was to have two exit ramps connecting directly to 14th Street from the northbound and southbound lanes before emptying onto the Southwest Expressway (then I-95, now I-395).

This plan, which was estimated to cost $86 million, was presented at a public hearing on November 3, 1963, by the National Park Service and the DC Department of Highways and Traffic.

Construction appeared poised to begin in the summer of 1965, as contract drawings were advertised for bids on the tunneled segment under Lincoln Memorial Circle. However, the invitation for bids was canceled out of deference for the National Mall Master Plan, which were developed by design firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Like the Zeckendorf plan from 11 years earlier, the updated National Mall called for most through vehicular traffic to be diverted to nearby freeways.

1963 Independence Avenue alternative: This updated map shows an updated alignment for the South Leg Freeway (I-695). Continuing south from the Potomac River Freeway (I-66), the South Leg Freeway was to have been tunneled under Lincoln Memorial Circle, emerging above ground for a short distance along Independence Avenue, then tunneled once again in the area of 17th Street, and then emerging above ground along the eastern edge of the Tidal Basin along the rest of the route to the Southwest Freeway (originally I-95, now I-395). (Map from National Capital Planning Commission report; posted by Douglas A. Willinger.)

THE ALL-TUNNEL PLAN: The delay in construction gave planners time to revise plans. In 1966, the alignment of the preferred alternative was changed slightly along Independence Avenue to preserve the cherry trees that line the avenue. That year, US Senator Clifford Case (D-New Jersey), a critic of the city's Interstate highway program, proposed that the entire route of the South Leg Freeway be built as a tunnel under Lincoln Memorial Circle, West Potomac Park, and the Tidal Basin. Senator Case's proposal was approved by the NCPC on September 15, 1966 as follows:

  • FULL TUNNEL ALTERNATIVE: The entire route of the South Leg Freeway was to be comprised of a single, continuous 5,600-foot-long "West Potomac Park Tunnel." The six-lane tunnel, which was to have been built using traditional cut-and-cover construction, was to stretch on a diagonal from the northwest near the Lincoln Memorial Traffic Circle, to the southeast near Maine Avenue and the Southwest Freeway.

Although the $130 million West Potomac Park Tunnel was to have been completely below the surface, it was controversial because it not only was the most costly option, but also would have been routed under the Reflecting Pool. Moreover, its construction would have required the construction of ventilation towers, though perhaps as a compromise for its construction, the surface roads through West Potomac Park would have been removed.

On September 15, 1966, the NCPC approved the West Potomac Park Tunnel design and recommended it to the District of Columbia Board of Commissioners for implementation. However, at a meeting held on September 20, 1967, the Fine Arts Commission disputed the NCPC's findings on the West Potomac Park Tunnel, citing the potential removal of two rows of trees on the north side of the Reflecting Pool that would have been caused by the tunnel's construction. Although the tunnel was not built, the trees that would have been displaced by its construction were displaced and removed for other reasons.

BACK TO THE 1963 PLAN: By 1969, officials had reverted to backing the Independence-Maine alternative. Under the updated plan, the proposed I-695 was to include the tunnels adopted in the 1963 plan (i.e., at Lincoln Memorial Circle and again at 17th Street), but unlike the 1963 plan, the South Leg also was to have depressed trenches along the non-tunneled sections such that they could be topped with landscaped caps at a later date. In 1970, the influential private group Committee of 100 on the Capital City (or simply "Committee of 100"), which advocated strict adherence to the original L'Enfant Plan for land use in Washington, stated the following:

"The South Leg proposal, sponsored by the Park Service, is expertly conceived… we enthusiastically support it."

This plan was updated further in 1971 with the addition of a third tunnel, which would have been located just south the current site of the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The updated proposal, which would have placed nearly half of I-695 in tunnels, was estimated to cost $110 million. Construction was scheduled to begin in 1974, with completion scheduled in time for Bicentennial celebrations in 1976.

1966 full tunnel alternative: This updated map shows an updated alignment for the South Leg Freeway (I-695). Continuing south from the Potomac River Freeway (I-66), the South Leg Freeway was to have been built as a nearly continuous tunnel under the Lincoln Memorial, National Mall, and Tidal Basin, emerging above ground just west of 14th Street. A connector road and ramps were to have been built to connect to Independence Avenue. (Map from National Capital Planning Commission report; posted by Douglas A. Willinger.)

KILLING THE SOUTH LEG: The revised South Leg proposal was widely expected to be approved by the City Council and Mayor Walter E. Washington, but by the end of 1973, some City Council members voiced opposition to the freeway, citing success in stopping construction of other freeways within the District. Reacting to this opposition, City Council Chairman John Nevius took the vote on the South Leg off the Council's agenda, postponing a decision on its construction indefinitely. Although the Council initially backed Mayor Washington in recommending construction of the South Leg, it later reversed itself after opponents staged a rally opposing its construction. By early 1974, the Council voted to shelve plans for the South Leg.

Although the city did not cancel the South Leg Freeway immediately, there were concerns that I-695 construction would disrupt the District's plans for the Bicentennial celebration. At the same time, diverting Interstate highway funds to Metro construction was an increasingly palatable option from a political perspective. For this reason, the South Leg Freeway proposal likely died from benign neglect, even though there were no displacements planned for the South Leg, unlike other freeways proposed for the area.

On April 30, 1980, Mayor Marion Barry requested the removal of I-695, requesting that the $46 million in Federal funds slated for the route be transferred to Metro. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved the withdrawal on August 27, 1980.

These 2018 photos show sign replacement work on the Potomac River Freeway (I-695). The original signs were erected in 1965 in anticipation of the South Leg Freeway (I-695), which was to have been signed as a north-south route. A new sign directs motorists to Independence Avenue and Maine Avenue, which corresponds to the preferred alignment (1963, 1969, 1971) for South Leg Freeway. (Top left, top right, and bottom left photos by Dave Dildine, WTOP Radio. Bottom right photo by Dayv Galp, via the DCRoads Facebook group.

SOURCES: The Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital and Its Environs, National Capital Park and Planning Commission (1950); "Zeckendorf Backs 'South Mall' Demand With Three Plans Solving Traffic" by Inner Loop Freeway System, De Leuw, Cather and Company (1955); "South Leg of Freeway Hits Snag" by Paul A. Schuette, The Washington Post (2/03/1963); "Officials Agree To Dig Tunnel at Tidal Basin" by Jerry Doolittle, The Washington Post (8/04/1963); "Route for Loop's South Leg Approved by Commissioners," The Washington Post (9/20/1963); "City on Brink of 'Tunnel Era' for Its Roads" by Dan Morgan, The Washington Post (5/24/1965); "Senator Case Urges Tunnel for Leg of Inner Loop" by Elsie Carper, The Washington Post (4/13/1966); "War Over City Freeways Is Entering Decisive Stage" by Jim Hoagland, The Washington Post (1/23/1968); "Highway Department Revises Memorial Tunnel Plan" by Jack Eisen, The Washington Post (10/30/1969); Inner Loop Freeway System, DeLeuw, Cather Associates and Harry Wesse & Associates (1971); "A Freeway That Shouldn't Be Built" by Wolf Von Eckardt, The Washington Post (8/18/1972); "Interstate Route 695, South Leg: Administrative Action Draft Environmental 4(f) Statement," Federal Highway Administration and District of Columbia Department of Highways and Traffic (1972); "Inner Loop South Leg, Tunneling Urged" by Jack Eisen, The Washington Post (11/15/1973); "South Leg Freeway Decision Postponed" by William A. Elsen, The Washington Post (11/19/1973); "DC Council Shelves Plan for Freeway" by Jack Eisen, The Washington Post (1/15/1974); "Bidding a Final Farewell to a DC Ghost Road" by David Dildine, WTOP Radio (8/23/2018); Federal Highway Administration; Scott Kozel; Douglas A. Willinger.

  • I-695 shield by Ralph Herman.
  • Lightpost photos by Jim K. Georges.
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SOUTH LEG FREEWAY LINKS:

  • Theodore Roosevelt Bridge (I-66 and US 50)
  • 14th Street Bridge (I-395 and US 1)
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