That's why the most dangerous curves of the Capital Beltway are in the richest neighborhoods. The residents of those areas had the money to file suit after suit challenging the "straight thru" and best right-of-way. Eventually the state (or the cable company or whover) gives up.
There's a whole different, less deadly set of curves near the Mormon Temple in Kensington that are dedicated to the environmentalists that demanded changes in the right of way so as not to disturb the various creeks that flow across the right-of-way. IIRC, Sligo and Rock Creek were the number one and two concerns.
AFAIK, the Mormons had nothing to do with the alignment, although they set their temple at the head of one of the existing bends so that you can see it for miles and miles away. It's really quite a breathtaking site, as anyone who's traveled that section of I-95/495 can attest to. Sadly, the gawking seems to produce a higher than normal number of accidents in that stretch of road but I don't think anyone has the stats to prove why. The area is still mostly parkland and the Temple is the only tall structure visible. That's quite a feat in this heavily developed metro area. One downside for them is that with its gold leaf covered spiretops and statue of the Prophet Moroni, is that it attracts lightning like nobody's business. They have to regild the lightning damage several times a year because even with an impressive arrestor system, the air-to-metal transfer points burn, melt and vaporize depending on the power of the bolt.
-- Bobby G.