Site Navigation Delaware District of Columbia Maryland New Jersey Pennsylvania Virginia West Virginia     Terminated Interstate 170 (U.S. Highway 40) Interstate 170 was the planned freeway spur for downtown Baltimore from Interstate 70 to the west. The highway saw construction in the late 1970s and 1.25 miles of Interstate 170 freeway opened amid controversy in a residential area west of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in 1979. U.S. 40 remained on the parallel frontage streets of Franklin and Mulberry Streets through to the mid 1980s. Unfortunately since the freeway construction, the areas surrounding the freeway continued in their decline and remain in a blighted state to this day. A look at the Interstate 170 freeway west of Downtown Baltimore. Opened in 1979, the U.S. 40 freeway originally was signed as Interstate 170. The designation was removed when Interstate 70 was cancelled within the Baltimore city limits. The life span and actual length of Interstate 170 saw truncation during the 1980s when the Interstate 70 project between the Baltimore city line and Interstate 95 was cancelled. The construction of the freeway was cancelled due to the impacts to both Gwynn Falls Park and residential areas between there and Interstate 95. Since Interstate 70 was unconstructed, the remaining segment of Interstate 170 between Pulaski Street and its parent was also unconstructed. In approximately 1985, Interstate 170 was decommissioned and U.S. 40 was rerouted onto the short freeway between Greene and Pulaski Streets. U.S. 40 (Interstate 170) East U.S. 40 departs Mulberry Street after the intersection with Pulaski Street for the Interstate 170 freeway. The ramp travels alongside remnants of the unconstructed off-ramp to U.S. 1 (Fulton Avenue & Mulberry Street). A grassy berm and two retaining walls remain in place. Photo taken 08/27/05. A sign bridge featuring vintage button copy signs to U.S. 1 also remains in place over the ghost on-ramp. The signs do in effect direct motorists on the adjacent Mulberry Street to the one-way street couplet of the federal highway. Photo taken 08/27/05. On the eastbound carriageway of former Interstate 170 looking back to the west at non-existent oncoming traffic. Jersey barriers prevent drivers from continuing west to the freeway drop-off at Pulaski Street. Photo taken 01/02/01. Guide signs hover above the abandoned freeway mainline at the Mulberry Street on-ramp from Pulaski Street. The left-hand panel alludes to the freeway end at Greene Street near downtown. An off-ramp departs the Interstate 170 freeway otherwise for Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard within the next mile. Photo taken 08/27/05. The freeway travels below grade alongside Mulberry Street (east) and Franklin Street (west). A series of overpasses carry both vehicular and pedestrian traffic above. Photo taken 08/27/05. U.S. 40 eastbound reassurance shield posted near the Stricker Street pedestrian bridge. For a brief time the freeway carried Interstate 170 markers, with U.S. 40 remaining along the parallel frontage streets. Photo taken 08/27/05. The Interstate 170 freeway briefly carries six lanes between U.S. 1 and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The right-hand lane defaults onto the MLK Boulevard off-ramp for the Mount Vernon, Seton Hill, Lexington Terrace, and Ridgelys Delight communities on the periphery of downtown Baltimore. Photo taken 08/27/05. Traveling east at the Carollton Street pedestrian overpass on U.S. 40. The freeway median remains empty as it represents an unconstructed leg of the Baltimore Metro line. Photo taken 08/27/05. The final button copy sign bridge displays the only two exit ramps in association with U.S. 40 eastbound. The right-hand ramp descends to a signalized intersection with Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The mainline (left-hand ramp) continues over Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard onto Mulberry Street west of its intersection with Greene Street. A grassy right-of-way remains from the unconstructed Baltimore Metro Line. The scarring on the left-hand panel hints at the word "Baltimore". Photo taken 08/27/05. Traffic partitions between U.S. 40 (Mulberry Street) east to Greene Street and north downtown and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Interests to Inner Harbor area of downtown or Camden Yards should use MLK Boulevard southbound. MLK Boulevard northbound leads to Interstate 83 by way of Maryland Avenue and Falls Road. Photo taken 08/27/05. U.S. 40 sees a freeway ends sign bridge ahead of its merge onto Mulberry Street just east of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. This view looks from Mulberry Street eastbound below the ascending freeway. Photo taken 08/27/05. U.S. 40 ascends over Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on its approach to the Social Security Building and Greene Street. Greene Street carries the Maryland 295 designation southbound from Franklin Street/Pennsylvania Avenue to Russell Street. Paca Street, one block to the east, carries Maryland 295 northbound. Maryland 295 overall is vastly unsigned along its routing north of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Photo taken 08/27/05. The Interstate 170 freeway ends and U.S. 40 returns to its Mulberry and Franklin Street one-way couplet through northern reaches of the Baltimore central business district. Mulberry Street passes underneath the Social Security Building ahead of the traffic light with Greene Street. Greene Street travels south through the University of Maryland at Baltimore Campus to Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. Photo taken 08/27/05. Continue east along U.S. 40 U.S. 40 (Interstate 170) West U.S. 40 merges onto the former Interstate 170 freeway from Franklin Street westbound ahead of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard under crossing. Photo taken 08/27/05. A wide expanse of grass resides between the two carriageways of the U.S. 40 freeway between Greene Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The easternmost stretch of the Interstate 170 freeway alludes to something more, however an eastward extension into downtown was never planned. Photo taken 08/27/05. Traffic from the six-lane arterial onto U.S. 40 westbound merges onto the freeway from Franklin Street just west of its intersection with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Photo taken 10/14/01. U.S. 40 sinks to below grade and passes under the first in a series of overpasses at Arlington Avenue. Streets that were severed between Franklin and Mulberry Streets are still joined with pedestrian bridges such as the Carrollton Avenue span ahead. Photo taken 08/27/05. Affixed to the Carey Street over crossing is a vintage button copy overhead for the U.S. 40 off-ramp at Pulaski Street. Also visible in this scene is the empty median that was reserved for a never built line of the Baltimore Metro subway system. Photo taken 08/27/05. All traffic on the former Interstate 170 westbound freeway must exit onto Franklin Street westbound ahead of its intersection with Pulaski Street. A second button copy overhead affixes itself to the Stricker Street pedestrian over crossing. Photo taken 08/27/05. U.S. 40 prepares to depart the Interstate 170 freeway at the Mount Street overpass. The federal highway passes underneath U.S. 1 (Monroe Street & Fulton Avenue) ahead. Motorists destined for U.S. 1 should remain on Franklin Street west from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Photo taken 08/27/05. All U.S. 40 traffic returns to Franklin Street 1.25 miles west of Greene Street. The one-lane off-ramp was restriped to two lanes to accommodate the departing traffic of the federal highway. Monroe Street (U.S. 1 southbound) crosses overhead as U.S. 40 merges with Franklin Street ahead. Photo taken 08/27/05. A look at the Franklin Street (former U.S. 40 west) intersection with U.S. 1 south (Monroe Street). U.S. 1 northbound follows Fulton Street one block to the east. A button copy overhead looms overhead with a blank sign for "Interstate 170 West." Also visible is the blocked on-ramp to unconstructed Interstate 170 westbound from Franklin Street and U.S. 1. Photo taken 01/02/01. Looking westward from the Monroe Street (U.S. 1 southbound) overpass, one can see the literal end of the freeway and the path that was planned for Interstate 170. It appears that construction crews worked so feverishly, that even an empty sign bridge was installed for a never to be built next exit. Photo taken 01/02/01. Continue west along U.S. 40 Pulaski Street Looking at the western end of the Interstate 170 stub freeway from Pulaski Street. A large mural was painted on the wall of concrete, that was to support unconstructed Interstate 170, to obscure its blight from the surrounding neighborhood. Also note the growth of trees from what was to be the roadbed of the freeway. Photos taken 08/27/05. Mulberry Street (eastbound frontage street) Eastbound on Mulberry Street (former U.S. 40 east) at the never used off-ramp from Interstate 170 eastbound to U.S. 1 (Monroe Street & Fulton Avenue). The off-ramp sign bridge was hastily installed and shows directions for traffic to U.S. 1. The overhead in the background is depicted below. Photo taken 10/14/01. Button copy overhead posted on Mulberry Street eastbound after the merge of the never opened ramp in the above photo. U.S. 40 traffic merges onto the former Interstate 170 freeway from the intersection at Pulaski Street to the left of the exit ramp. Photo taken 10/14/01. Mulberry Street parallels the eastbound lanes of U.S. 40 (former Interstate 70) between the on-ramp at Monroe Street and off-ramp ahead of Greene Street. Mulberry Street intersects U.S. 1 southbound (Monroe Street) at a signalized intersection and proceeds one block to the signal at U.S. 1 northbound (Fulton Street). A button copy saw installation for the intended traffic departing Interstate 170 east bound for U.S. 1 northbound. Photo taken 10/10/04. Continuing eastward on Mulberry Street between U.S. 1 north (Fulton Street) and Mount Street. Grassy areas buffer the suppressed freeway between the adjacent frontage streets. Older row homes, most of which are in a neglected or vandalized state, front both Mulberry and Franklin Streets otherwise. Photo taken 10/10/04. Eastbound at the intersection with Gilmor Street one block east of Mount Street. The majority of the intersections between Mulberry & Franklin Streets with the north-south streets are governed by traffic lights. Photo taken 10/10/04. More boarded up former residences lie at the intersection of Mulberry Street and Carey Street midway between the U.S. 40 on and off-ramps onto the former Interstate 170 freeway below. Photo taken 10/10/04. Mulberry Street eastbound at Carrollton Avenue. Stricker Street and Carrollton Avenue were made discontinuous with the construction of the Interstate 170 freeway. Pedestrian overpasses cross above the freeway in lieu of roadway over crossings between the disjointed segments. Photo taken 10/10/04. Overgrown vacant lots front the intersection of Mulberry Street eastbound at Arlington Avenue. Arlington Avenue flows northward from Saratoga Street one block to the south to Fremont Avenue and Pitcher Street. Photo taken 10/10/04. Continuing east to the intersection with Schroeder Street on Mulberry Street eastbound. The depressed former Interstate 170 freeway emerges ahead to pass over Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Mulberry Street descends to intersect the six-lane boulevard below. Photo taken 10/10/04. Peering through the fence and foliage as the former Interstate 170 split between off-ramps to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Mulberry Street eastbound at Greene Street. U.S. 40 joins Mulberry Street east from the freeway to Orleans Street at St. Paul Place north of downtown Baltimore. Photo taken 10/10/04. Traffic from U.S. 40 eastbound merges onto Mulberry Street ahead of its intersection with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (Biddle Street). Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard loops west of downtown Baltimore between Chase Street and the western branch of Interstate 395. Use the Boulevard north for the Mount Vernon neighborhood. Photo taken 10/10/04. Mulberry Street eastbound at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The six-lane arterial intersects Lombard & Pratt Streets just west of the central business district. From there the boulevard continues to Camden Yards and directly onto the southbound beginning of Interstate 395. Mulberry Street continues east with U.S. 40 to Orleans Street near Interstate 83. Photo taken 10/10/04. Franklin Street (westbound frontage street) A second look at the Franklin Street westbound overhead for U.S. 1 (Monroe Street) southbound and the abandoned on-ramp to Interstate 170 westbound. U.S. 40 was to remain on Franklin and Mulberry Streets and continue west to Edmondson Avenue as Interstate 170 veers southwest to meet Interstate 70 at Gwynns Falls Park. Photo taken 10/13/04. While waiting at the Monroe Street traffic light, motorists can gaze upon the stub end of the Interstate 170 freeway and on-ramp ahead. Note the empty sign bridge and light posts installed in 1979. Photo taken 10/13/04. Peering westward at the former Interstate 170 freeway mainline and abandoned on-ramp from Franklin Street and U.S. 1. The freeway and ramps end abruptly along the east side of Pulaski Street two blocks ahead. Photo taken 10/13/04. The U.S. 1 on-ramp via Franklin Street crosses over the U.S. 40 westbound off-ramp from former Interstate 170 back to Franklin Street. Franklin Street meanwhile squeezes into one lane ahead of its intersection with Pulaski Street. Photo taken 10/13/04. U.S. 40 and Franklin Street converge at the intersection with Pulaski Street two blocks west of U.S. 1 (Monroe Street) south. Franklin Street merges with Mulberry Street beyond the railroad overpass in the distance and continues from there a short distance before transitioning into Edmondson Avenue. Photo taken 10/13/04. Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard Northbound Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard acts as a connector between the western branch of Interstate 395 and U.S. 40 (Franklin & Mulberry Streets), providing a through route around the western edge of downtown. This picture shows the boulevard as it approaches U.S. 40, which is former Interstate 170. Photo taken 05/31/04. Button copy signage on Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard northbound approaching the Interstate 170 freeway. Notice that an imprint is still evident from when this sign actually did display Interstate 170. Interstate 170 was signed here when the freeway opened to traffic in 1979. Photos taken 10/14/01 and 05/31/04. A second relic sign remains with an imprint from a removed Interstate 170 shield. This sign is located at the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard interchange. Mulberry Street parallels the freeway along the eastbound lanes and Franklin Street follows the westbound lanes. Photos taken 10/14/01 and 05/31/04. Page Updated May 2, 2006.