Northbound 495 to eastbound 66 – why do they have this exit like this?

[Anonymous]

So if you’re heading to DC heading north on 495 on the inner loop, from the Annandale area, you would be taking a right exit to go east.

But instead you have the first right exit is to go west, and then nest next to the toll road also going west, is the eastbound 66 exit it is so easy to miss and end up on the westbound routes. Every time I do it. I am not sure I’m actually on the right road even though I take it several times a month.

What am I not getting about this section, it just baffles me in a way that things like Springfield doesn’t even bother me

[Anonymous]

You’re not the only one. It’s confusing going west as well when you want the non toll.

[Anonymous]

I've taken that same wrong exit many times as well. The 66 eastbound ramp is almost hidden behind the westbound one.

I'm used to it now but newcomers I;m sure have to then travel the additional 6 miles round trip to turn around.

[Anonymous]

In this same area, have you ever been driving 66 west on the express lanes and you see "Express Exit to 495N" and it takes you off the express lanes and puts you in the normal 495N lanes. The exit after is the 495N Express lanes exit. This always gets me unless I'm focused.

[Anonymous]

It’s my exit and it’s so easy to miss!

[Anonymous]

It’s really emblematic of our times: the jump scare exit ramp

[Anonymous]

I miss the old exit ramp right for 66 east and left for 66 west.

[Anonymous]

I think if you never took this exit before 95% chance you will either exit too soon to west 66 or miss it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I miss the old exit ramp right for 66 east and left for 66 west.

Same. The new exit is terrible.

[Anonymous]

Design constraints. They had little extra space to work with when placing those exits. The area around it was mostly built up.

Same with some notorious exits on the MD side of 495, like MD-97 (Georgia Ave) and MD-29 (Colesville Road). ALways backed up due to how they had to shoehorn an exit into a built-up area.

[Anonymous]

It's because of how close together the exit is with the merge before it. Many more cars come off 50W and then exit to 66W than come off 50W and would want to go to 66E. Much safer to have fewer merges this way.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to the PPs with explanations. And solidarity with the other people who hate it.

Was this ever a left exit? I have vague memories of being freaked out by a left exit decades ago, before I moved here and was less used to the roads and drivers around here

[Anonymous]

Yes, back before the HOT lanes the exit to 66W from 495N was a left exit (similar to current 495N-HOT to 66W-HOT). You can see it on old Street View images from 2008/2009.

[Anonymous]

I’ve taken the wrong exit twice. It’s quite far to the next exit to turn around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve taken the wrong exit twice. It’s quite far to the next exit to turn around.

Yeah I’ve taken 66w by accident (GPS is very misleading). You all all the way to NUTLEY in VIENNA to turn around. Like 4 miles!