page_title: Special routes of U.S. Route 1
section_title: Washington alternate route
hierarchical_section_title: Special routes of U.S. Route 1 / Alternate routes / Washington alternate route
caption_attribution_description: English: View north along U.S. Route 1 Alternate (Bladensburg Road) at Maryland State Route 208 (38th Street) on the border of Colmar Manor and Cottage City in Prince George's County, Maryland
context_page_description: Several special routes of U.S. Route 1 exist, from Florida to Maine. In order from south to north, separated by type, these special routes are as follows.
context_section_description: U.S. Route 1 Alternate is an alternate route forming a loop off U.S. Route 1 between Washington, D.C., and Hyattsville, Maryland.
  Route description
  In the District of Columbia, U.S. 1 Alternate splits from U.S. 1 at New York Avenue, following U.S. Route 50 east.  U.S. 1 Alternate then turns on to Bladensburg Road, which it travels into Prince George's County, Maryland.  After passing through Colmar Manor and Cottage City, the road enters Bladensburg and turns onto Baltimore Avenue toward Hyattsville, where it rejoins U.S. 1 at Rhode Island Avenue.
  US 1 Alternate crosses Eastern Avenue NE and enters the state of Maryland from the District of Columbia in Prince George's County. The route heads northeast along the partially four-lane divided Bladensburg Road passing industrial areas and warehouses on the northwest and the Fort Lincoln Funeral Home and Cemetery on the southeast straddling the southeastern boundary of the town of Cottage City. US 1 Alternate crosses over Dueling Creek adjacent to the Bladensburg Dueling Grounds on the southeast before heading into a commercial area where the route begins to follow the northwestern boundary of the town of Colmar Manor. In this area, the route insects the southern terminus of Maryland Route 208 (38th Street), before continuing along the town line and passing through a mix of residential and commercial areas. US 1 Alternate leaves the boundary between Colmar Manor and Cottage City as it crosses over the Anacostia River just to the southeast of the confluence between its Northeast and Northwest Branches and enters the town of Bladensburg. Immediately after crossing the river, the route's median for its directional Y intersection with the eastern terminus of MD 450 (Annapolis Road), which is the old alignment of US 50 in the capital region of Maryland which heads east into downtown Bladensburg. In the middle of the insection is a Maryland memorial for World War I soldiers known as the Peace Cross.
  Past MD 450, US 1 Alternate curves north and its name changes to Baltimore Avenue passing industrial areas on the east and the Old Port of Bladensburg Community Park on the west. The route leaves Bladensburg at its crossing over the Northeast Branch and enters the city of Hyattsville. The route narrows to a two-lane undivided road and continues through a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial areas. US 1 Alternate reaches an at-grade railroad crossing with a component of the wye junction between CSX's Capital Subdivision line and its Alexandria Extension. A short distance past the crossing, the route enters a long bridge with a sweeping curve that crosses over the Capital Subdivision before the route reaches its northern terminus at US 1 (Baltimore Avenue) in downtown Hyattsville. Baltimore Avenue turns northward on US 1, taking over that route name from US 1 Alternate through the northern suburbs of Prince George's County including Riverdale Park, University Park, College Park, Beltsville, and Laurel.
  History
  In the 1940s, this route was known as Bypass US 1, and was cosigned with U.S. Route 50 Alternate and Maryland Route 411.
  Major intersections
caption: View north along US 1 Alt. at MD 208 in Colmar Manor
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