This is a 1970 photo of the area. The original Mixing Bowl had not begun reconstruction yet. The design consultant produced this rendering of what the reconstructed Shirley Highway would look like. The completed project looks virtually identical. The reconstruction was completed in 1975.

Looking north, you can see the weaving section on the left of the photo, with the two interchanges with VA-27 Washington Blvd. In the top center of the photo, you can see the Pentagon Building (U. S. Department of Defense headquarters). You can see the huge South Parking Lot and North Parking Lot. At the top of the picture, the Potomac River is visible, with the 14th Street Bridge complex.

Above, Shirley Highway and the Mixing Bowl under construction in 1971. Construction was in its early stages, so the original Mixing Bowl is still pretty much intact. The District of Columbia is visible across the Potomac River. Photo by Virginia Department of Transportation. Click on photo for larger version.

(Created 10-3-1997, updated 11-3-2002)