Interstate 95 South - Between the Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695)
Interstate 95 South
Just south of the Baltimore Beltway/Interstate 695 interchange, Interstate 95 southbound approaches the split between Interstate 95 and 895. Interstate 895/Harbor Tunnel Thruway predates Interstate 95 by 15 years or so, and retains only four through lanes and a slower, 50 miles per hour speed limit. However, the highway does provide a good alternative to the often-clogged Interstate 95 Fort McHenry Tunnel to the west, and it provides a more direct connection to Interstate 97 south to Annapolis and Maryland's Eastern Shore via U.S. 50-301 east. Photo taken 06/01/04.
There are no connections between Interstate 95 and either Moravia Road or U.S. 40, drivers should take Interstate 895 south to its first interchange to access those roadways. Moravia Road constitutes a four-lane divided highway northward from Pulaski Highway to U.S. 1 (Belair Road) in the Gardenville section of Baltimore. U.S. 40 passes underneath Interstate 95 on its westbound trek from Rossville to the Orangeville section of the city. Photo taken 12/18/07.
Hazardous materials are prohibited on both Interstate 95 and Interstate 895 south, since both routes enter tunnels under the Baltimore Harbor/Patapsco River. Photo taken 06/01/04.
As Interstate 95 approaches its split with Interstate 895, the freeway changes from the John F. Kennedy Highway (which carried Interstate 95 from Delaware all the way to the Baltimore City Limits) into the Fort McHenry Tunnel Approach. Both Interstate 95/John F. Kennedy Highway from Exit 109/Maryland 279 south to Exit 61/Interstate 895 and Interstate 95/Fort McHenry Tunnel Approach from Exit 61 south to Exit 50/Alternate U.S. 1/Caton Avenue are maintained by the Maryland Transportation Authority. Tolls finance the maintenance of the entire stretch, even though tolls are not collected at each entrance/exit point. Photo taken 10/13/04.
Interstate 895 south is also maintained by the Maryland Transportation Authority, and it is also a toll facility (like Interstate 95 and Interstate 695 across the harbor). Photo taken 10/13/04.
This interchange marks the northern beginning of Interstate 895 and the Harbor Tunnel Thruway. The two highways will again cross paths two miles to the south, as Interstate 95 takes a westward trajectory, while Interstate 895 continues in a southwest fashion. Both routes have a toll tunnel component, and the tolls on both tunnels (and the Key Bridge on Interstate 695) cost the same amount (two dollars). Photo taken 06/01/04.
Work associated with the Interstate 95 Toll Express Lanes will reconfigure Exit 61 from a conventional partial "Y" interchange with a left-hand movement for Interstate 895. Instead Interstate 895 drivers will depart and merge on the right-hand side with the option to access the new express toll lanes within the middle of Interstate 95. Construction commenced on this project in October 2006 and should be completed by October 2008. Photo taken 12/18/07.
The highway surface changes to concrete after Interstate 895 splits off Interstate 95. At the time this photo was taken, lanes were closed for repair work along the freeway. A sign reminds travelers that hazardous materials (including propane tanks and other flammable/potentially explosive items) are not permitted in the Fort McHenry Tunnel. Photo taken 04/30/04.
In the vicinity of this sign, U.S. 40 silently passes under Interstate 95, thus preventing the two major routes from having a direct interchange. Use Exit 59/Maryland 150/Eastern Avenue west to reach any number of surface streets north to rejoin U.S. 40/Pulaski Highway and Orleans Street. Exits 59 and 57 both provide access to John Hopkins University: Exit 59 connects to Maryland 150/Eastern Avenue west to the Bayview Medical Center, while Exit 57 connects to the Medical Center via O'Donnell Street. Photo taken 04/30/04.
A third and final service plaza is located along southbound as the freeway approaches the Fort McHenry Tunnel via Exit 57. Photo taken 06/02/03.
This mileage sign provides the distance along southbound Interstate 95 as it approaches Exit 59 to Junction Maryland 150/Eastern Avenue and Exit 57 to Boston Street/O'Donnell Street. Also note that Exits 56 and 55 serve the Port of Baltimore. Photo taken 04/30/04.
Maryland 150 follows Eastern Avenue east to Essex and Middle River, culminating in Chase near the mouth of the Gunpowder River. Photo taken 08/20/04.
As for westbound, Maryland 150 ends upon crossing into the city of Baltimore and becomes Eastern Avenue, which is a major east-west arterial that meets President Street a few blocks south of the southern terminus of Interstate 83. Photo taken 08/20/04.
Southbound Interstate 95 at Exit 59, Junction Maryland 150/Eastern Avenue. The next exit is Exit 57, O'Donnell Street/Boston Street. Photo taken 04/30/04.
In addition to accessing O'Donnell Street and Boston Street, Exit 57 also connects to the Baltimore Travel Plaza, which features the same kinds of features as the Maryland House and Chesapeake House further north. Crews were demolishing the railroad bridge to which this sign was attached in December 2007. Photo taken 04/30/04.
While both Camden Yards and the Inner Harbor may be reached via O'Donnell Street or Boston Street, it is better to take Interstate 95 south through the Fort McHenry Tunnel, then use Exit 55 or Exit 53/Junction Interstate 395 to reach Camden Yards and the Inner Harbor. Note the logos for the Baltimore Orioles (Major League Baseball) and Baltimore Ravens (National Football League) are placed on the overhead sign. Photo taken 04/30/04.
As Interstate 95 approaches Exit 57, it also approaches the historic southern terminus of Interstate 83. Interstate 83 was to be extended southeast from its current terminus at Fayette Street roughly along the Boston Street corridor, but vehement local opposition prevented that connection. Instead, Boston Street and President Street were widened to allow for a continuous traffic flow between Interstate 95 and Interstate 83. Some ghost ramps still remain in place here for the proposed interchange between Interstate 95 and Interstate 83. Photo taken 04/30/04.
The right lane of Interstate 95 south becomes the exit-only lane for O'Donnell Street and Boston Street west toward downtown Baltimore and to Interstate 83 north. Photo taken 04/30/04.
This picture shows the large signal ahead sign placed on the offramp from Interstate 95 south to Boston Street/O'Donnell Street. Note that Interstate 95 is now on a viaduct, as it prepares to cross over Interstate 895. Photo taken 04/30/04.
At this sign bridge, Interstate 95 passes over Interstate 895, the Harbor Tunnel Thruway. The next exit is Exit 56, Keith Avenue, followed by the toll plaza for the Fort McHenry Tunnel. Keith Avenue is the last exit before the toll. Southwest of the tunnel, Interstate 95 will approach its next exit, Exit 56/Key Highway. Photo taken 04/30/04.
The view of the Baltimore Harbor and port operations is stellar from this high viaduct. Large container cranes that lift cargo in and out of ships are visible in the distance. Keith Avenue is the next exit. Photo taken 04/30/04.
Between 2003 and 2004, the toll to cross the Fort McHenry Tunnel, along with the tolls for the Harbor Tunnel (Interstate 895) and Francis Scott Key Bridge (Interstate 695), were increased to $2 per car. The small variable message signs pictured here were removed by 2007. Photo taken 04/30/04.
Southbound Interstate 95 at Exit 56, Keith Avenue, which is the last exit before the toll plaza and the last opportunity for vehicles carrying hazardous materials to exit. Note the EZPass sign replacement which switches from Maryland yellow to the standard magenta. Photos taken 08/20/04 & 12/18/07.
To reach Exit 55, Key Highway, use the right lanes into the Fort McHenry Tunnel. As the name suggests, the Key Highway connects to historic Fort McHenry, which was the site of one of the most famous battles of the War of 1812 between the United States and the British Empire. Upon seeing the "dawn's early light" after a siege on the fort, American Francis Scott Key wrote the national anthem of the United States of America, proclaiming his pleasure to see that the Americans had won the battle because the "flag was still there." Photo taken 08/20/04.
In addition to Fort McHenry National Monument, Exit 55 also connects to several port areas, including Locust Point and Hull Street Pier. When it intersects Interstate 95, Interstate 95 is headed east-west and Key Highway is headed north-south. Use Key Highway north to Fort Avenue east to reach both Locust Point and Fort McHenry; use Key Highway south to reach McComas Street and South Locust Point Marine Terminal. Photo taken 08/20/04.
Now reaching the toll plaza, each lane is designated for a certain form of payment (cash, E-ZPass, and trucks). Photo taken 08/20/04.
The toll plaza is segregated into separate booths for electronic toll collection, cash toll collection, and truck toll collection (since the truck rate is calculated based on the number of axles on the truck). Photos taken 04/30/04.
Exit 55 departs on the west side of the Fort McHenry Tunnel for the Key Highway and the Fort McHenry National Monument. The off-ramp itself joins adjacent McComas Street east of its intersections with Key Highway northbound and Cromwell Street southbound. Photo taken 08/20/04.
Interstate 95 enters the Fort McHenry Tunnel, which passes under Baltimore's Inner Harbor in an east-west direction south of downtown and just off the point at Historic Fort McHenry. Opened to traffic in 1985, the 1.5-mile Fort McHenry Tunnel was constructed as an alternative to a bridge over the harbor to allow for minimal aesthetic impact to the historic Fort McHenry area. Photos taken 12/18/07 and 08/20/04.
The Fort McHenry Tunnel, like the Harbor Tunnel (Interstate 895) carries two lanes in each tube. Unlike the Harbor Tunnel, there are four rather than two tubes, resulting in a total of eight lanes of through traffic on the Fort McHenry Tunnel. Photos taken 04/30/04 & 08/20/04.
Interstate 95 south emerges back on land on Locust Point, having crossed under the Northwest Branch of the Patapsco River. From here, Interstate 95 ascends to an elevated viaduct as it approaches the main downtown Baltimore exits. Photo taken 04/30/04.
Southbound Interstate 95 at Exit 55, Key Highway to Fort McHenry and Locust Point Marine Terminals. Key Highway north is an alternative to Interstate 395 into downtown, as it culminates at Maryland 2/Light Street just southeast of the Baltimore Convention Center, Ravens Stadium, and Camden Yards. Use north Key Highway to reach Maryland 2 north and south Key Highway/west McComas Street to reach Maryland 2/Hanover Street south and Swann Park (for a view of the Interstate 95/395 interchange built over water). Photo taken 08/20/04.
The next exit along southbound is Exit 53, Junction Interstate 395 north into downtown Baltimore. Use Interstate 395 as the primary route to: Ravens Stadium, Camden Yards, Baltimore Convention Center, University of Maryland at Baltimore, and Hopkins Plaza. Interstate 395 is a feeder route that starts as a freeway, then separates into two legs: one to northbound Martin Luther King Boulevard, which avoids downtown but provides a quick route to destinations north and west of the core area, and another branch along South Howard Street, which passes by the convention center and Baltimore Arena before meeting U.S. 40 just west of Interstate 83. Photo taken 04/30/04.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits: Exit 53, Junction Interstate 395 north into downtown; Exit 52, Junction Maryland 295/Baltimore-Washington Parkway South; and Exit 50, Junction Alternate U.S. 1/Caton Avenue. There is no access along southbound to Maryland 2/Hanover Street. To reach Maryland 2 south, use Exit 55/Key Highway south to McComas Street, then follows McComas Street to Hanover Street. Southbound Maryland 2 crosses the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, then follows Potee Street into Brooklyn Heights. Photo taken 04/30/04.
Interstate 395 is the shortest Interstate highway in Maryland, and the sum of its two branches (one to Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and the other to Howard Street) equals the total mileage of the route as presented in the Federal Highway Administration Interstate Highway List and Route Finder. Nevertheless, Interstate 395 is the gateway route into downtown, and it is almost entirely built on viaducts. In fact, the interchange between Interstate 95 and Interstate 395 is built over the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River/Baltimore Harbor! A fine view of this interchange may be seen from Swann Park (use Exit 55/Key Highway exit south to McComas Street, then take McComas Street west to the park, which is located on the shore of the harbor). Photo taken 04/30/04.
Southbound Interstate 95 remains elevated as it approaches Interstate 395 (Exit 53). The next exit (Exit 52) is for Maryland 295 south, but note that there is no exit to Maryland 295/Russell Street north. Use either Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard or Charles Street to reach the destinations served by Russell Street. Photo taken 04/30/04.
Southbound Interstate 95 at Exit 53, Junction Interstate 395 north into downtown Baltimore. The next exit is Exit 52, Junction Maryland 295/Baltimore-Washington Parkway south to Baltimore-Washington International Airport. No trucks are allowed on Maryland 295 south of the interchange with Maryland 175. Photo taken 04/30/04.
This picture provides a view of the signage on the mainline of Interstate 95 as seen from the transition ramp from southbound Interstate 95 to northbound Interstate 395. Photo taken 04/30/04.
The city of Baltimore is strikingly beautiful when seen from the transition ramp from southbound Interstate 95 to northbound Interstate 395. Called the "Greatest City in America" on Baltimore's official website, it is hard to argue when seeing a skyline as beautiful as this one. Established in 1792, the city of Baltimore is known as the City of Firsts. For instance, in 1816, Baltimore was the first city to illuminate streets with hydrogen gas. A century later, in 1920, Baltimore was home to the first factory to manufacture stainless steel (Rustless Iron & Steel Company). With the history of the War of 1812 and the bountiful waterfront, Baltimore is a renaissance city. Photo taken 04/30/04.
The next exit along southbound is Exit 52, Junction Maryland 295/Baltimore-Washington Parkway south. As noted earlier, there is no connection to northbound Maryland 295/Russell Street. Photo taken 12/18/07.
Within the Interstate 95/395 stack interchange is this offramp from southbound Interstate 95 to southbound Maryland 295/Baltimore-Washington Parkway (Exit 52). The ramps for Maryland 295 actually parallel the Interstate 95 viaduct before joining merging traffic from southbound Russell Street to form the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (freeway). Photo taken 10/12/01.
Views of the cityscape and ramp structure of Interstate 95 and 395 as seen from the Exit 52 off-ramp onto Maryland 295 (Baltimore-Washington Parkway) southbound. Striking views of the elevated roadways for Interstate 395 over the Middle Branch of the Patapso River to the north are afforded. Additionally one can see M&T Bank Stadium (home of the NFL Baltimore Ravens) and Camden Yards from the perch high above. Exit 52 otherwise skirts underneath the Interstate 95 viaduct onto the parkway below as Maryland 295 transitions from Russell Street into the Parkway. Photos taken 08/20/04.
A rare Interstate 95 Maryland shield remains in place along southbound Interstate 95 immediately after the off-ramp for Maryland 295/Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Photo taken 10/10/04.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along southbound: Exit 50, Junction Alternate U.S. 1/Caton Avenue; Exits 49B-A, Junction Interstate 695, and Exits 47B-A, Junction Interstate 195 to Maryland 166. Photo taken 04/30/04.
Between Interstate 395 and Alternate U.S. 1, Interstate 95 carries eight lanes of through traffic and an auxiliary lane in each direction. The freeway descends back to ground level after passing along the viaduct between Exits 55 and 52. In this area, Interstate 70 was proposed to meet Interstate 95, and some evidence of that connection, including some stub ramps, are still visible today. With the elimination of Interstate 70 within the city of Baltimore, the superhighway comes to an unnaturally early terminus at a Park and Ride located about two miles within the Baltimore Beltway/Interstate 695. Even after it was determined that Interstate 70 would not cross into Gwynns Falls Park, a proposal was floated to build the section of Interstate 70 from here north to the Interstate 170 freeway and designate the whole route as Interstate 595. That plan was also opposed, and thus no freeway to freeway interchange was built here. Photo taken 04/30/04.
Alternate U.S. 1 is a fairly short highway that follows Caton Avenue from U.S. 1/Wilkens Avenue southeast to Washington Boulevard and Washington Boulevard from there south to U.S. 1/Southwestern Boulevard. Alternate U.S. 1 is signed at its interchange with Interstate 695 but is not signed at this interchange. That may be due to the fact that the Maryland Transportation Authority maintains this stretch of Interstate 95 while the Maryland State Highway Administration maintains Interstate 695 to the southeast. Photo taken 10/10/04.
Caton Avenue is a fairly long route through the city; north of U.S. 1/Wilkens Avenue, Caton Avenue passes Frederick Road and transitions onto Hilton Parkway, which passes U.S. 40/Edmondson Avenue, Gwynns Falls Park, and Hanlon Park (at the intersection with Maryland 26/Liberty Heights Avenue). Photo taken 10/10/04.
The right lane exits only onto Exit 50, Junction Alternate U.S. 1/Caton Avenue. Photo taken 04/30/04.
