Interstate 495 (Maryland) - Capital Beltway

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Interstate 495 (I-495) is a circumferential freeway of Washington, D.C. commonly referred to as the Capital Beltway. It connects major D.C. suburbs of Virginia and Maryland, such as College Park, Silver Spring, Bethesda, McLean, Tysons Corner, Springfield, and Alexandria. The Beltway briefly crosses within Washington's borders for about 0.1 miles near Alexandria over the Potomac River. The eastern side of the Beltway also carries Interstate 95 around Washington, D.C., despite earlier plans to run the interstate through downtown. The northwest portion in Maryland has one of the most significant bottlenecks at the I-270 interchange (comprised of I-270 and the I-270 Spur, which are separated by 2.6 miles). The road is down to six lanes through this section, with the Inner Loop having only two through lanes at one point.