| Constitution Avenue |
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| streets in washington, d.c. | |
| u.s. route 1 | |
| u.s. route 50 | |
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In Washington, D.C. , Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast Quadrant s. The avenue carries heavy commuter traffic on weekdays and heavy tourist traffic on the weekends; it is also an important parade route. WASHINGTON CANAL The segment of Constitution Avenue west of Pennsylvania Avenue was once home to the ''Washington Canal''. Construction on the canal, which was part of Pierre L'Enfant 's original plan for the city, began in 1810. Tiber Creek was transformed into the ''Washington Canal'' which ran along what is known today as Constitution Avenue, eventually working its way towards the U.S. Capitol . It is believed that early city plans called for an extensive network of canals snaking through the Northeast corridor of the United States . In 1872 the canal was filled in; it had become common for residents of Washington, D.C. to throw their garbage into it and the unsanitary conditions became a health concern. Additionally, plans for an extensive canal system were abandoned around this time in favor of a Railroad system that would connect Washington, D.C. to the West (these plans were not successful - the B&O Railroad was completed first and Washington, D.C. officials abandoned their plans for a rail system). The canal was filled and paved over. ORIGINAL STREET NAME In Washington's Cartesian-coordinate-based Street System , Constitution Avenue was originally known as North B Street. If it had stayed in the city's lettered street system, it would today be known as B Street, N.W. and N.E. However, Independence Avenue was originally known as South B Street, and having two major streets running so closely together in parallel, both called B Street, would presumably be too confusing for many people. The street on the other side of the Anacostia River corresponding to Constitution Avenue is called Blaine Street, N.E. ROUTE NUMBERS Sections of Constitution Avenue are designated U.S. Route 1 , U.S. Highway 50 , or both. Specifically, US 50 runs along the road from its west end to Sixth Street, N.W. (eastbound) and Ninth Street, N.W. (westbound). US 1 northbound uses the eastbound lanes of Constitution Avenue from 14th Street, N.W. to Sixth Street, N.W.; southbound US 1 used to run west from Ninth Street N.W. to 15th Street, N.W. but now continues straight through the Ninth Street Tunnel to I-395 . TERMINI The western terminus of Constitution Avenue is the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge ; thus, Constitution Avenue connects the city's ceremonial core with Interstate 66 . The eastern terminus is at 21st Street, N.E., just short of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium ; however, through traffic is diverted via North Carolina Avenue and C Street to the Whitney Young Memorial Bridge . LOCATIONS OF INTEREST ALONG AVENUE In Northwest, Constitution Avenue separates the National Mall from the Federal Triangle . Thus, the avenue is lined on its north side by the headquarters of several federal agencies and on the south side by several Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery Of Art . Other locations of interest include the Embassy Of Canada . In Northeast, the avenue passes through the Capitol Hill and Lincoln Park neighborhoods. NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM Between Louisiana Avenue and Interstate 66, Constitution Avenue is part of the National Highway System . |
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