construction began in october 1941. the first section in arlington, from the pentagon south to state route 7, mostly 2 lanes, was opened in october 1943. this section was completed with four lanes in october 1944. due to wartime constraints, the new highway had an unusual at-grade railroad crossing instead of a bridge over the washington and old dominion railroad just north of shirlington circle. this location was the site of a fatal collision between a train and a dump truck on june 26, 1952. the remaining portions of the shirley highway south to u.s. route 1 in colchester, just north of woodbridge, were completed in 1952. it facilitated the rapid development of arlington county in the shirlington, parkfairfax, and fairlington neighborhoods during world war ii, and during that period connected the city to suburban shopping opportunities at shirlington shopping center, at that time a five-minute trip away.