Virginia State Route 244
Encyclopedia
State Route 244, also known as Columbia Pike, is a primary state highway
in the U.S. state
of Virginia
. It is a four-lane road that runs from State Route 236 (Little River Turnpike) in Annandale
, Fairfax County
east to State Route 27 at the Pentagon
in Arlington County
.
chartered a turnpike Company to build three separate roads through the newly-formed District of Columbia to outlying destinations. One of these roads was to be built through a portion of the District of Columbia that had previously been part of Virginia. This portion was then known as Alexandria County, D.C. (now Arlington County, Virginia
). The purpose of this road was to provide access westward from the new Long Bridge that predated the 14th Street Bridge complex
to the Little River Turnpike Road, now Virginia State Route 236
. The new road was built on a pre-existing cow path as the Washington Graveled Turnpike and was also known as the Washington Road, the Columbian Road, and the Arlington Turnpike.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture paved
the road with concrete
in 1928 from the bridge west to Palmer's Hill in Barcroft as part of an experimental testing program.
Columbia Pike was first numbered as State Route 720 in 1930 from U.S. Route 1 near the Long Bridge west for around 1 mile (1.6 km). In the 1933 renumbering, it was renumbered State Route 244 and the numbering was extended first to State Route 7 at Bailey's Crossroads
and then, between 1934 and 1937, further west to its current terminus at SR 236 in Annandale. With the construction of the Pentagon
Columbia Pike was replaced by the Shirley Highway as the Virginia approach to the Long Bridge/14th Street Bridge. By 1944, SR 244 was truncated at the Pentagon; the piece curving away from the original alignment became a state highway in 1964. Until the 1990s, Columbia Pike accommodated rush hour traffic by reversing the direction of one lane using overhead signals. In October 2010, Virginia transferred responsibility for the eastern portion of Columbia Pike to Arlington County.
and the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail, multi-use trails for pedestrians and cyclists leading northwest to Glencarlyn Park and southeast to Shirlington, at South Four Mile Run Drive.
In 2002, Arlington County adopted the Columbia Pike Initiative, a revitalization plan for the three-and-a-half mile corridor in Arlington. The plan called for development of a high-capacity transit system. The Columbia Pike Initiative was followed in 2003 by adoption of the Form Based Code, which guides development along Columbia Pike. In 2004, the Columbia Pike Street Space Planning Task Force recommended future transit operate in mixed traffic and that the transitway be located in the curb lanes.
Recent efforts by the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization include the replacement of older traffic signals with newer and more aesthetic ones, and the addition of brick texture to crosswalks. County officials also teamed up with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
to increase mass transit service along the corridor. This new program called Pike Ride
remodeled bus stops and doubled bus frequency along Columbia Pike. In 2006, the Arlington County and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved plans of bringing railed streetcars to Columbia Pike along an either a 5 or 6 miles (9.7 km) stretch from the Pentagon to the Skyline area.
!County
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" | Fairfax
| Annandale
| 0.00
|
| Western terminus
|-
| Bailey's Crossroads
| 4.06
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | Arlington
| Westmont
| 6.25
|
|
|-
|
| 7.28
|
| Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
| The Pentagon
| 8.25
|
| Eastern terminus at Rotary Road
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It is a four-lane road that runs from State Route 236 (Little River Turnpike) in Annandale
Annandale, Virginia
Annandale is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 41,008 at the 2010 census, down from 54,994 in 2000 due to the splitting off of the western part of it to form Wakefield and Woodburn CDP's.-Geography:...
, Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
east to State Route 27 at the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
in Arlington County
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
.
History
Columbia Pike dates to 1810 when the U.S. CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
chartered a turnpike Company to build three separate roads through the newly-formed District of Columbia to outlying destinations. One of these roads was to be built through a portion of the District of Columbia that had previously been part of Virginia. This portion was then known as Alexandria County, D.C. (now Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
). The purpose of this road was to provide access westward from the new Long Bridge that predated the 14th Street Bridge complex
14th Street Bridge (Washington, D.C.)
The 14th Street Bridge is a complex of five bridges across the Potomac River, connecting Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Three of the spans are each four-lane automobile bridges—one northbound, one southbound, and one with two general purpose lanes in each direction—that carry Interstate...
to the Little River Turnpike Road, now Virginia State Route 236
Virginia State Route 236
State Route 236, also known for part of its length as Little River Turnpike, is a primary state highway in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It runs from the split of U.S. Route 29 and U.S...
. The new road was built on a pre-existing cow path as the Washington Graveled Turnpike and was also known as the Washington Road, the Columbian Road, and the Arlington Turnpike.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture paved
Pavement (material)
Road surface or pavement is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the past cobblestones and granite setts were extensively used, but these surfaces have mostly been replaced by asphalt or concrete. Such...
the road with concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
in 1928 from the bridge west to Palmer's Hill in Barcroft as part of an experimental testing program.
Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia
Bailey's Crossroads is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 23,643 at the 2010 census...
and then, between 1934 and 1937, further west to its current terminus at SR 236 in Annandale. With the construction of the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
Columbia Pike was replaced by the Shirley Highway as the Virginia approach to the Long Bridge/14th Street Bridge. By 1944, SR 244 was truncated at the Pentagon; the piece curving away from the original alignment became a state highway in 1964. Until the 1990s, Columbia Pike accommodated rush hour traffic by reversing the direction of one lane using overhead signals. In October 2010, Virginia transferred responsibility for the eastern portion of Columbia Pike to Arlington County.
Contemporary Columbia Pike
The road is a center for Arlington's immigrant community, with many stores, restaurants, and other businesses representing south Arlington's cultural diversity. Also, a weekly farmer's market is held each Sunday during the warmer months of the year. The Pike is intersected by the Four Mile Run TrailFour Mile Run Trail
The Four Mile Run Trail is a 7-mile, paved bike trail in Arlington County, Virginia that runs along Four Mile Run from Falls Church to the Mount Vernon Trail near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where Four Mile Run empties into the Potomac River...
and the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail, multi-use trails for pedestrians and cyclists leading northwest to Glencarlyn Park and southeast to Shirlington, at South Four Mile Run Drive.
In 2002, Arlington County adopted the Columbia Pike Initiative, a revitalization plan for the three-and-a-half mile corridor in Arlington. The plan called for development of a high-capacity transit system. The Columbia Pike Initiative was followed in 2003 by adoption of the Form Based Code, which guides development along Columbia Pike. In 2004, the Columbia Pike Street Space Planning Task Force recommended future transit operate in mixed traffic and that the transitway be located in the curb lanes.
Recent efforts by the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization include the replacement of older traffic signals with newer and more aesthetic ones, and the addition of brick texture to crosswalks. County officials also teamed up with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess...
to increase mass transit service along the corridor. This new program called Pike Ride
Pike Ride
Pike Ride is a combination of bus routes along Columbia Pike in Northern Virginia, United States. It consists of service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Arlington Transit , connecting the Pentagon and Pentagon City Washington Metro stations in Arlington County...
remodeled bus stops and doubled bus frequency along Columbia Pike. In 2006, the Arlington County and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved plans of bringing railed streetcars to Columbia Pike along an either a 5 or 6 miles (9.7 km) stretch from the Pentagon to the Skyline area.
Major intersections
{| class=wikitable!County
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" | Fairfax
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
| Annandale
Annandale, Virginia
Annandale is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 41,008 at the 2010 census, down from 54,994 in 2000 due to the splitting off of the western part of it to form Wakefield and Woodburn CDP's.-Geography:...
| 0.00
|
| Western terminus
|-
| Bailey's Crossroads
Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia
Bailey's Crossroads is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 23,643 at the 2010 census...
| 4.06
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | Arlington
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
| Westmont
| 6.25
|
|
|-
|
| 7.28
|
| Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
| The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
| 8.25
|
| Eastern terminus at Rotary Road