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'State Route 193', also known as 'Georgetown Pike', is a primary state highway in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It runs from State Route 7 at Dranesville in a general east-southeasterly direction, parallel to the Potomac River, to State Route 123 at Langley. It has an interchange with Interstate 495, the Capital Beltway.

Contents

History

Historical preservation

Traffic

Safety

References

External links

History

It is thought that Georgetown Pike originated as an animal trail prior to significant human habitation of the area. Grazing animals would have travelled north until they reached the Potomac River, at which point they would have had to follow it to the northwest or southeast.
The trail was used by Susquehannoc Indians in the seventeenth century as they traded furs with other Native Americans and European settlers. With the development of Virginia's agriculture, the road became an important shipping avenue for tobacco, providing access to ports on the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.
In 1814 President James Madison, and his wife Dolley Madison, used the road to escape the British invasion of Washington, D.C. The intersecting portion of State Route 123 in Langley is known as Dolley Madison Blvd.

Historical preservation

The road is considered to be a historical landmark by many Northern Virginians. Efforts to expand it to a four lane roadway have consistently been opposed.^[2] This is a topic of controversy for many residents of McLean and Great Falls.
In 1973 Georgetown Pike was designated as the first Virginia Scenic Byway. In 1992 citizens nominated the road to the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Registry.^[3]

Traffic

Traffic is typically heavy during rush hours. In the morning, commuters from Great Falls travel eastward to access the Capital Beltway and the George Washington Parkway. Traffic tends to be less severe to the east of the I-495 interchange.

Safety

Georgetown Pike is considered to be a fairly dangerous road and has been blamed for many deaths. It is a winding, banked roadway between the I-495 interchange and the Route 7 ending (the Great Falls area). The road is ungraded, following the contours of the land; there are many sharp, blind turns and sudden hills. Deer collisions are frequent and the abundance of trees and greenery along the roadside make it difficult to see obstacles.
Concern for historical preservation and lack of funds may play a role in the progress of safety improvements.^[4]

References

1.
2. Virginia General Assembly, Senate Document No. 47, 1994.
3. Great Falls Virginia Citizens' Association.
4. Washington Post: "Road Cuts to be Made Final Today".

External links

★ Virginia Highways Project: VA 193

★ Great Falls Virginia Citizens' Association: "Georgetown Pike History and Brochure"