York Avenue NE, U.S. Route 50, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway as the best route to get in and out of downtown Washington from the northeast. The main advantage of New York Avenue NE is that drivers need only put up with about two-and-a-half miles (4 km) of traffic lights between downtown Washington and the last traffic light at Bladensburg Road, while the distance between downtown Washington and the closest controlled-access freeway is more than twice as far for the two next best alternative routes, MD 650 and MD 500/MD 410. Major reconstructions New York Avenue NW and NE within the boundary of the old Federal City has generally remained in good to excellent condition. The city rebuilt New York Avenue between 9th and 15th Streets NW from 1992 to 1994. New York Avenue NE beyond Florida Avenue NE, however, has had serious degradation issues. This section of the roadway saw only minor repairs until the mid 1980s, when major portions of the road began to fail. In 1987, a complete reconstruction of New York Avenue NE from Bladensburg Road to South Dakota Avenue occurred. The lower portion of the street did not receive major repairs, and by 1990 was listed by the city (along with South Capitol Street) as one of the worst for potholes. In 1995, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) estimated that New York Avenue Extended carried 107,000 vehicles each day. By 1997, this had risen to 135,000 vehicles every day. The road was D.C.'s most heavily trafficked; only the 14th Street Bridge and the Southeast-Southwest Freeway (I-395) were more traveled. It was also the city's most-used commercial corridor, as semi-trailer trucks were twice as likely to use New York Avenue to enter the city than any other street. In the spring of 1998, the city announced a two-year, $24.7 million ($ in dollars) project reconstructed New York Avenue from South Dakota Avenue to the District line. The two bridges which created two-lane traffic jams were replaced and the roadway widened to three lanes in each direction. The ramps connecting South Dakota Avenue with New York Avenue were also replaced. A new roadway design, which incorporated a reinforced concrete road surface, was used on this section of the street. The project also installed new street and traffic lighting and improved storm water drainage. Design and delays in obtaining federal funding kept the project on the