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Interstate 66 Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Length:	76.2 mi[1] (122.63 km)
West end:	I-81 in Middletown, VA
Major junctions:	US 340 / US 522 near Front Royal, VA US 17 near Warrenton, VA US 15 in Haymarket, VA SR 234 in Bristow, VA US 50 near Fairfax, VA I-495 in Dunn Loring, VA SR 267 near Falls Church, VA
East end:	US 29 in Washington, D.C.

Interstate 66 (I-66) is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. As indicated by its even route number, it runs in an east–west direction. Its western terminus is at Middletown, Virginia, at an intersection with Interstate 81;^[2] its eastern terminus is in Washington, D.C., at an intersection with U.S. Route 29.^[3] Interstate 66 has no physical or historical connection to U.S. Route 66.

Route description

I-66's western terminus, where it splits from I-81

Virginia

Rush hour traffic on I-66 westbound in Fairfax County

Because I-66 is the only major highway running west from Washington, D.C., into Northern Virginia, traffic on the road is often extremely heavy. For decades, there has been talk of widening I-66 from 2 to 3 lanes each way inside the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495) through Arlington, Virginia, although many Arlington residents are adamantly opposed to this plan. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is studying the prospect of implementing this one-lane-plus-shoulder extension on westbound I-66 within the Beltway (in an attempt to reduce congestion for people commuting away from D.C.).^[4]

Between Vienna and western Arlington County, the Orange Line of the Washington Metro runs along the median of the highway. Four stations (Vienna/Fairfax-GMU, Dunn Loring-Merrifield, West Falls Church, and East Falls Church) are located along this section.

I-66 east has two exits, one from each side of the highway, to the Inner Loop of I-495. One is a right exit, while one is a left exit; the latter is retained primarily for use by high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) traffic. There is no access from the Outer Loop of I-495 to I-66 east; traffic wishing to make this movement must use State Route 267 east.

I-66 east also has two exits, one from each side of the highway, to the Outer Loop of I-495. One is a right exit, while one is a left exit; the latter shares a ramp with the exit to the Inner Loop of I-495.

I-66 is named the "Custis Memorial Parkway" east of the Capital Beltway in Virginia. The name commemorates the Custis family, several of whose members (including Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, George Washington Parke Custis, Eleanor (Nellie) Parke Custis Lewis and Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee) played prominent roles in Northern Virginia's history.

HOV designation and rules

Due to heavy commuter traffic, I-66 features high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes in varying degrees. Between the Prince William Parkway (State Route 234) in Bristow, Virginia and the Beltway, the left lane on eastbound I-66 is reserved for HOV-2 (meaning 2 or more occupants per vehicle) traffic during the morning rush (5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.), and the left lane on westbound I-66 is reserved for HOV-2 traffic during the evening rush (3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.). During the morning rush, the eastbound shoulder lane (far right lane) is open to all traffic from 5:30 am until 11 a.m. In the evening rush, the westbound shoulder lane (far right lane) opens to all traffic at 2 p.m. and remains open until 8 p.m.^[5]

Between the Beltway and the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, the entire eastbound (inbound) roadway is reserved for HOV-2 and Washington Dulles International Airport traffic during the morning rush (6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.), and the entire westbound (outbound) roadway is reserved for HOV-2 and Dulles Airport traffic during the evening rush (4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.). This is enforced by random police presence on the on-and -off ramps, because single-passenger vehicles are allowed to enter the highway inside the Beltway in the direction of rush-hour traffic when they intend to use the Dulles Access Road at exit 67.^[6]

Besides allowing HOV-2 traffic, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) also allows "clean special fuel" vehicles access to the I-66 HOV-2 lanes. This designation is currently used primarily by hybrid vehicles, although other non-gasoline vehicles (such as natural gas-powered or electric) are candidates for this designation.^[7] During vehicle registration, the vehicle owner must specifically ask for the designation and pay the appropriate fees. A "clean special fuel" license plate is necessary to qualify for this exemption. Under current law, this exemption is scheduled to expire June 30, 2010.^[8]

District of Columbia

In Washington D.C., I-66 follows the West Leg of the Inner Loop freeway. After crossing the Potomac River on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge concurrent with US 50, the route quickly turns north, separating from US 50. The highway interchanges with the E Street Expressway spur before passing beneath Virginia Avenue in a short tunnel. After an indirect interchange with the Rock Creek Parkway (via 27th Street), the highway terminates at a pair of ramps leading to the Whitehurst Freeway (US 29) and L Street.

This is the only 2 digit Interstate to enter the District of Columbia, other than the 100 yards (91 m) or so that I-95 passes through DC on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge (part of the Capital Beltway).

History

Virginia

Interstate 66 in Fairfax County outside of the Capital Beltway, with the Metrorail Orange Line in the median. The left lane is HOV, and the right shoulder is used as a travel lane during rush hour.

As with many urban Interstate Highway projects, I-66 has encountered opposition from local citizen groups.

Most notably for I-66 was the construction through Arlington, Virginia, proposed in 1956. After the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) (then known as the Virginia Department of Highways) acquired two sections of the former route of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad to provide a right-of-way through Arlington for the new highway, the Arlington Coalition on Transportation (ACT) filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in 1971 opposing the Arlington portion of the project. The group objected to that urban segment due to concerns over air quality, noise and community cohesion changes. In 1972 the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of ACT, technically blocking any construction. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the ruling in favor of ACT later in 1972.^[9]

The impasse was eventually broken when the parties agreed on experts to conduct air quality and noise studies for VDOT; the firm of ESL Inc., the expert hired originally by ACT, was agreed upon to be hired by VDOT. Then, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Coleman personally intervened in 1976 with negotiations to reach a compromise of a reduced highway width including a transit element.^[10][11]

Less controversial was the portion of the highway's route immediately west of Arlington. There, VDOT decided to curve the highway to bypass the City of Falls Church, increasing the highway's length while sparing the city from the road's immediate environmental impacts.

District of Columbia

A map of I-66, showing cities and intersections with other interstates.

In Washington D.C., I-66 was planned to extend east of its current terminus along the North Leg of the Inner Loop freeway. I-66 would have also met the eastern terminus of Interstate 266 at US 29, and the western terminus of the South Leg Freeway (I-695) at US 50; I-266 would have been a parallel route to I-66, providing more direct access to the North Leg from points west, while I-695 would have been an inner-city connector between I-66 and I-95.

The final plans for the North Leg Freeway, as published in 1971, outlined a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) six-lane tunnel beneath K Street, between I-266/US 29 and New York Avenue, where the North Leg would emerge from the tunnel and join with the Center Leg Freeway (formerly I-95, now I-395); the two routes would run concurrently for three-fourths of a mile before reaching the Union Station interchange, where I-66 was planned to terminate. Despite the plan to route the North Leg in a tunnel beneath K Street, the vitriolic opposition to previous, scrapped alignments for the D.C. freeway network, which included previous alignments for the North Leg Freeway, led to the mass cancellation of all unbuilt D.C. freeways in 1977, resulting in the truncation of I-66 at US 29.

No auxiliary routes were constructed. Interstate 266 was planned in northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. It was cancelled in 1972 due to community opposition and environmental concerns.

Exit list

County	Location	Mile	#	Destinations	Notes
Frederick	Middletown	0.0	1	I-81 – Winchester, Roanoke	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Warren	Front Royal		6	US 340 / US 522 – Winchester, Front Royal
			13	SR 79 to SR 55 – Linden
Fauquier			18	SR 688
			23	US 17 north / SR 55 west – Delaplane, Paris	West end of US 17/SR 55 overlap
	Marshall		27	VA 55 east/SR 647 - Marshall	East end of SR 55 overlap
			28	US 17 south – Warrenton, Fredericksburg	East end of US 17 overlap
	The Plains		31	SR 245 / Old Tavern Road
Prince William	Haymarket	40.5	40	US 15 – Leesburg, Haymarket
	Gainesville	43.1	43	US 29 – Gainesville, Charlottesville
	Manassas	44.5	44	SR 234 south (Prince William Parkway)	West end of SR 234 overlap
		47.3	47	SR 234 north / SR 234 Bus. (Sudley Road) – Manassas	East end of SR 234 overlap
Fairfax	Centreville	52.1	52	US 29 to SR 28 south – Centreville
		53.2	53	SR 28 (Sully Road) – Dulles Airport,Centreville	Eastbound exit 53 is VA 28N (Dulles Airport) only; Westbound exit 53 is VA 28N/S
	Fair Lakes	54.9	Not numbered	SR 645 (Stringfellow Rd.) - Fair Lakes,Centreville	HOV Only - Westbound left exit, eastbound left entrance
		55.9	55	SR 7100 (Fairfax County Parkway) – Springfield, Reston, Herndon
	Fairfax	57.1	Not numbered	SR 6751 (Monument Dr.) - Fair Lakes,Fairfax	HOV Only - Westbound left exit, eastbound left entrance
		58.1	57	US 50 – Winchester, Fairfax, Fair Oaks
		60.1	60	SR 123 – Fairfax, Vienna
	Vienna	62.5	62	SR 243 (Nutley Street) – Fairfax, Vienna
	Dunn Loring	65.1	64	I-495 (Capital Beltway) – Richmond, Baltimore	Left and right exit eastbound (left from HOV lane); no westbound exit to I-495 north
	Tysons Corner		66	SR 7 (Leesburg Pike) – Falls Church
	Falls Church		67	SR 267 to I-495 north / to Dulles Toll Road – Dulles Airport	Westbound exit only
Arlington			68	Westmoreland Street	Eastbound exit only
			69	US 29 (Lee Highway) / SR 237 (Washington Boulevard) / Sycamore Street
			71	SR 120 (Glebe Road) / SR 237 (Fairfax Drive)
			72	US 29 (Lee Highway) / Spout Run Parkway	Eastbound exit only
			73	US 29 (Key Bridge) – Rosslyn
			75	SR 110 south – Pentagon, Alexandria, Pentagon City, Crystal City	Eastbound exit only
			Not numbered	US 50 west / Arlington Boulevard, George Washington Memorial Parkway	West end of US 50 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
State line
Washington				Independence Avenue
				US 50 east / Constitution Avenue – Downtown	East end of US 50 overlap; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
				E Street Expressway
				Rock Creek Parkway	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
				Pennsylvania Avenue / L Street NW	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
				US 29 south / Canal Road	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
				M street NW	At-grade intersection

Auxiliary routes

• Interstate 266 (unbuilt)

References

External links

• HOV schedule in Northern Virginia, from Virginia Dept. of Transportation
• December 22, 1982 Completion of I-66, from AASHTO
• This Day In Interstate Highway System History, from AASHTO
• Roads to the Future: Washington D.C. Interstates and Freeways

Main Interstate Highways (major interstates highlighted)
4	5	8	10	12	15	16	17	19	20	22	24	25	26	27	29	30
35	37	39	40	43	44	45	49	55	57	59	64	65	66	68	69
70	71	72	73	74	75	76 (W)		76 (E)		77	78	79	80	81	82
83	84 (W)		84 (E)		85	86 (W)		86 (E)		87	88 (W)		88 (E)		89	90
91	93	94	95	96	97	99	(238)		H-1		H-2		H-3
Unsigned			A-1		A-2		A-3		A-4		PRI-1		PRI-2		PRI-3
Lists		Primary			Main - Intrastate - Suffixed - Future - Gaps
		Auxiliary			Main - Future - Unsigned
		Other			Standards - Business - Bypassed

Browse numbered routes
< SR 65	VA		SR 67 >
< US 50	DC		I-95 >