TheClara Barton Parkwayis aparkwayin the U.S. state ofMarylandand theDistrict of Columbia.The highway runs 6.8 miles (10.9 km) fromMacArthur BoulevardinCarderock, Maryland,east toCanal Roadat theChain BridgeinWashington.The Clara Barton Parkway is a two- to four-lane parkway that parallels thePotomac Riverand theChesapeake and Ohio Canal(C&O) in southwesternMontgomery County, Maryland,and the far western corner of Washington. The parkway provides access to the communities ofCabin JohnandGlen Echoand several units of theChesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.The Maryland portion of theGeorge Washington Memorial Parkwaywas constructed from Carderock pastInterstate 495(I-495) to Glen Echo in the early to mid-1960s. The parkway was proposed to continue west toGreat Fallsand east toGeorgetown.However, these proposals never came to fruition and the parkway was extended only to the Chain Bridge in the early 1970s. The Maryland portion of the George Washington Memorial Parkway was renamed in 1989 forClara Barton,the founder of theAmerican Red Cross,and whoseoriginal headquartersis located in Glen Echo.
Clara Barton Parkway | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained byNational Park Service | |
| Length | 6.8 mi[1](10.9 km) |
| Existed | 1930[2]–present |
| Tourist routes |  C&O Canal Scenic Byway |
| Restrictions | No trucks; one-way traffic during rush hour |
| Major junctions | |
| West end | MacArthur BoulevardinPotomac, MD |
| |
| East end | Chain Bridge/Canal RoadinWashington, DC |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Maryland,District of Columbia |
| Counties | Montgomery |
| Highway system | |
Route description
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The Clara Barton Parkway begins at an intersection with MacArthur Boulevard in Carderock. MacArthur Boulevard heads west toward Great Falls and the community ofPotomac.The Clara Barton Parkway heads east as a two-lane surface road that becomes a four-lanefreewayahead of itsdiamond interchangewith an access road to theCarderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Centerto the north, which features theDavid Taylor Model Basin,and Carderock Recreation Area of the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal to the south. East of the naval lab, the two roadways split for the parkway's six-ramp interchange with I-495 (Capital Beltway). There is no direct access from the Clara Barton Parkway westbound to I-495 north or from I-495 south to the parkway eastbound. The parkway roadways come together in Cabin John just west of parking areas accessible from the eastbound direction to C&O Canal Lock 10 and C&O Canal Lock 8 and River Center. Access to Cabin John is provided by a diamond interchange to a road connecting the parkway with MacArthur Boulevard in that community.[1]
The Clara Barton Parkway reduces to one lane eastbound as it crossesCabin John Creekand meets theCabin John Parkwayat a partial interchange featuring ramps from the Clara Barton Parkway westbound to the Cabin John Parkway and from the Cabin John Parkway to the Clara Barton Parkway eastbound, which becomes two lanes again. At this point, the parkway passes in front of the historicUnion Arch Bridgewhich spans the creek and carries theWashington AqueductandMacArthur Boulevard.The parkway continues east to its final interchange, which provides access to MacArthur Boulevard in Glen Echo, the location ofGlen Echo ParkandClara Barton National Historic Site.The interchange features a U-turn ramp from the eastbound direction to the westbound lanes of the parkway, a tight right-turn ramp from the access road to westbound Clara Barton Parkway, and an unused bridge over the westbound direction. There is no access from MacArthur Boulevard to the eastbound parkway.[1]
East of Glen Echo, the Clara Barton Parkway reverts to a two-lane surface road that closely parallels MacArthur Boulevard on the hillside to the north. The parkway passes a pair of parking areas for Little Falls before passing a third parking area for C&O Canal Lock 6. This segment of the parkway includes two pedestrian overpasses providing access from MacArthur Boulevard and Ridge Drive respectively, and aligned with pedestrian crossing over the C&O Canal below, offering access to the canal’s towpath. The first pedestrian overpass is approximately half-way between Lock 6 and 7 (also aligning withSycamore Island) and the second at Lock 5. The Clara Barton Parkway crossesLittle Falls Branchand enters the District of Columbia before reaching its eastern terminus at an intersection with Canal Road and Chain Bridge Road. Canal Road heads east toward Georgetown while Chain Bridge Road crosses the Chain Bridge intoArlington, Virginiato connect with Virginia State Routes120and123.[1]Adjacent to the parkway’s terminus is access to theCapital Crescent Trail.
Commercial vehicles, including trucks, are prohibited from the Clara Barton Parkway without a permit from theNational Park Service,which maintains the highway. Speed limits on the parkway are 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) from the western terminus to the Carderock interchange, 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) from the Carderock interchange to the Glen Echo interchange, and 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) from the Glen Echo interchange to the Chain Bridge. The Clara Barton Parkway operates as a one-way road between the Glen Echo interchange and its eastern terminus at the Chain Bridge Monday to Friday. Traffic flows eastbound only toward Washington from 6:15 a.m. to 10 a.m. and westbound only toward Glen Echo from 2:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.[3]The Clara Barton Parkway is a part of theNational Highway Systemas a principal arterial for its entire length.[4]
History
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Congress approved the construction of parkways on both sides of the Potomac River from Great Falls toFort WashingtonandMount Vernonin Maryland andVirginia,respectively, in 1930.[2]Construction on what was originally named the George Washington Memorial Parkway on the Maryland side of the Potomac River was underway by 1961.[5]The parkway was completed from its western end at MacArthur Boulevard to the interchange with Cabin John Parkway, which was not yet completed, in 1964.[6]In 1965, the parkway opened from Cabin John east to the Glen Echo interchange. The Glen Echo interchange design was originally intended to be temporary, pending the construction of a signalized interchange just to the east, including an onramp overpass for west-bound traffic from McArthur Blvd. The concrete overpass bridge was completed but due to local objections, the new interchange was never completed.[citation needed]Extensions of the George Washington Memorial Parkway were proposed in both directions. From the west end, the parkway was to extend to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park site at Great Falls. Going east, the parkway would continue to Georgetown, where it would tie into the western end of theWhitehurst Freewayat its junction with theFrancis Scott Key Bridge.[7]The unused bridge at the Glen Echo interchange was constructed and preliminary infrastructure work was done east of the interchange in anticipation of constructing a second carriageway east toward Georgetown. The plans to extend the parkway to Great Falls and Georgetown were abandoned by 1969.[2]The parkway was completed in its present form from the Glen Echo interchange to the Chain Bridge in 1970.[8]Maryland's version of the George Washington Memorial Parkway was renamed for Clara Barton in 1989.[9]
Major intersections
edit| State | County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | Montgomery | Potomac | 0.0 | 0.0 | MacArthur Boulevard–Great Falls,Cabin John | Western terminus |
| 0.7 | 1.1 | Western end of freeway section | ||||
| Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center | Diamond interchange | |||||
| 1.6 | 2.6 |   I-495–Maryland,Virginia,Dulles Airport | Exit 41 on I-495 (Capital Beltway); no westbound access to I-495 north | |||
| Cabin John | 3.1 | 5.0 | Cabin John | Access viaMacArthur Boulevard | ||
| 3.5 | 5.6 |   Cabin John Parkwaynorth toI-495north –Maryland | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||
| Glen Echo | 4.2 | 6.8 | MacArthur Boulevard–Glen Echo | No eastbound entrance; western terminus of rush hour one-way segment | ||
| Eastern end of freeway section | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Washington | 6.8 | 10.9 | Chain Bridge/Canal Road NW | Eastern terminus | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||||
See also
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References
edit- ^abcde"Clara Barton Parkway"(Map).Google Maps.RetrievedNovember 15,2010.
- ^abcKelly, John (September 10, 2011)."A Mystery Bridge on Clara Barton Parkway".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on September 10, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 9,2013.
- ^"George Washington Memorial Parkway"(PDF).Title 36 – Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Compendium.National Park Service. March 31, 2011.RetrievedSeptember 9,2013.
- ^Federal Highway Administration (October 1, 2012).National Highway System: Washington, DC-VA-MD(PDF)(Map). Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on January 11, 2014.RetrievedMay 16,2015.
- ^Federal Highway Administration (2012). "NBI Structure Number: 3300037P0000000".National Bridge Inventory.Federal Highway Administration.
- ^Maryland State Roads Commission (1964).Maryland: Official Highway Map(PDF)(Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission.
- ^Maryland State Roads Commission (1965).Maryland: Official Highway Map(PDF)(Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission.
- ^Davis, Timothy."George Washington Memorial Parkway"(PDF).RetrievedJuly 24,2023.
- ^"Bush Signs Bill Naming Parkway For Clara Barton".The Washington Post.November 29, 1989.
External links
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All of the following are filed under Montgomery County, Maryland:
- Historic American Engineering Record(HAER) No. MD-92, "Carderock Overpass, Spanning Clara Barton Parkway at Carderock Access Road, Carderock",3 data pages
- HAER No. MD-93, "Seventy-Ninth Street Cabin John Underpass, Spanning Seventy-ninth Street at Clara Barton Parkway, Cabin John",3 data pages
- HAER No. MD-94, "Cabin John Overpass, Spanning Clara Barton Parkway at Erricson Road, Cabin John",3 data pages
- HAER No. MD-95, "Cabin John Creek Bridge, Clara Barton Parkway, Cabin John",4 data pages
- HAER No. MD-96, "George Washington Memorial Parkway Northbound Lane Overpass, Spanning Clara Barton Parkway, Glen Echo",3 data pages
- HAER No. MD-97, "Sycamore Island Pedestrian Overpass, Spanning Clara Barton Parkway at trail to Sycamore Island, Glen Echo",4 data pages
- HAER No. MD-98, "Brookmont Pedestrian Overpass, Spanning Clara Barton Parkway at Brookmont pedestrian crossing, Glen Echo",4 data pages
- HAER No. MD-99, "Little Falls Branch Bridge, Spanning Little Falls Branch at Clara Barton Parkway, Glen Echo",3 data pages