New Eisenhower Ramp Opens on Beltway This Weekend!

For anyone who commutes on the Capitol Beltway from Mount Vernon to the west every day (like me), this is welcome news. This should take care of the majority of the backup from the Inner Loop Beltway onto Telegraph Road every morning. No more dodging cars.

New Ramp to Open at Telegraph Road Interchange Ramp to Provide Direct Access from Telegraph Road to Eisenhower Avenue

By early Saturday morning, June 12, a new ramp from Telegraph Road North and over the Capital Beltway to Eisenhower Avenue will open. This never before available direct access not only improves flow on Telegraph Road, but also eliminates a long standing and inconvenient weave-merge at Telegraph Road and Pershing
Avenue. Minimal impact to motorists is expected during the traffic changeover but the change will require drivers to become accustomed to a new configuration.

"Opening this new ramp is a major milestone in the completion of the Telegraph Road interchange," says John Lynch, VDOT Woodrow Wilson Bridge project manager and regional transportation program director. "The addition of this ramp will provide a much-needed traffic outlet along this busy Beltway corridor, and allow previously unavailable direct access to Eisenhower Avenue."

Earlier this year, the ramp from the Outer Loop to Telegraph Road North was demolished, and a temporary detour route was created for Outer Loop traffic exiting to Telegraph Road North. Temporary traffic signals at Telegraph Road control the detoured traffic. Travelers bound for the Eisenhower Valley proceeded north of the Beltway to a temporary signal at Pershing Avenue.

With the opening of the new ramp, the right turn from Telegraph Road North and temporary signal at Pershing Avenue will be permanently eliminated. Telegraph Road North motorists will now access the Eisenhower Valley much earlier: south of the Beltway immediately after crossing the Cameron Run bridge.

Additional changes to conditions to which drivers are currently familiar include:

Outer Loop traffic will continue to use the temporary exit to Telegraph Road North, and then will be able to continue straight toward Duke Street or turn right onto the new ramp to Eisenhower Avenue. But, Outer Loop traffic needing to access the Eisenhower Valley must use the right lane of the detour route so that they can immediately turn right onto the new ramp.

Inner Loop traffic to Telegraph Road North will continue to use the temporary exit via the ramp from the Inner Loop to Pershing Avenue, but can freely flow onto Telegraph Road North without a traffic signal.

A temporary connection connects Telegraph Road North to the new ramp. It will be in use until the Telegraph Road bridge over Cameron Run is reconstructed. This new bridge will be wider and slightly higher to accommodate a new sidewalk leading to the bike and pedestrian path on the new ramp, scheduled to open in 2011.

To review the improvements to the Telegraph Road interchange, and for details and visuals of the traffic configurations for the 2010 construction season, visit the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project website at www.wilsonbridge.com.