Interstate 270 - Maryland Travel Information

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Interstate 270 Southbound

The guide for Interstate 270 is split between two pages:

Interstate 270 South
Interstate 270 southbound continues the U.S. 15 & 40 freeway southeast from the split at Frederick (pop. 52,767) underneath Interstate 70 to junction Maryland 85 (Exits 31B/A). Maryland 85 travels five miles north from Buckeystown into the city of Frederick. Photo taken 08/07/04.
One half mile from the partial-cloverleaf interchange with Maryland 85 (Exits 31B/A) on Interstate 270 south. Known as Buckeystown Pike, Maryland 85 serves the nearby Francis Scott Key Mall and Monocacy National Battlefield (via Maryland 355) within the vicinity of the interchange. Photo taken 08/07/04.
Button copy signs remain in use at the ramp departure for Exit 31B onto Maryland 85 (Buckeystown Pike) southbound. Buckeystown Pike links Interstate 270 with Adamstown (via Adamstown Road) in five miles and Maryland 28 near Tuscarora in nine miles. Photo taken 08/07/04.
Interstate 270 southbound at the loop ramp onto Maryland 85 (Buckeystown Pike) northbound for the city of Frederick. Maryland 85 merges with Maryland 355 (Urbana Pike) in 1.4 miles to end near the Urbana Pike interchange with Interstate 70. Maryland 355 represents the historic routing of U.S. 240 between Frederick and Washington, D.C. Photo taken 08/07/04.
Dusk view of the Interstate 270 southbound exit ramp (Exits 9B/A) for Interstate 370 and the Sam Eig Highway. At present Interstate 370 consitutes a short spur east to the Metro-Shady Grove Station and west onto the Sam Eig Highway within the city of Gaithersburg (pop. 52,613). Photo taken 07/24/04.
Interstate 270 partitions into a local and express configuration beyond the directional cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 370. The multi-carriageway freeway carries inbound traffic into Washington, D.C. metro from Interstate 370 to the split with Interstate 270 Spur near the Capital Beltway. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Many crossovers carry traffic from the local lanes of Interstate 270 onto the express lanes. Pictured here is the crossover that brings Interstate 370 drivers onto Interstate 270 express near the Shady Grove Road interchange (Exit 3). Photo taken 09/25/04.
Exit 8 departs Interstate 270 southbound for Shady Grove Road and Fields Road northbound for the Rio Center and Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg. Shady Grove Road comprises a surface arterial through the suburbs of Gaithersurg, Derwood, and Redland (pop. 16,998). The highway interchanges with Interstate 370 two miles to the northeast. Photo taken 09/25/04.

Interstate 270 Express southbound at the crossover onto Interstate 270 Local for Exit 6 (Maryland 28). Access to all of the local interchanges is provided by advance crossovers from the express lanes. Maryland 28 follows Damestown Road through Gaithersburg before transitioning onto Key West Avenue into Rockville (pop. 47,388). Photo taken 09/25/04.
Exits 6B/A consitute a three-quarter cloverleaf interchange with Maryland 28 (Montgomery Avenue) adjacent to Woottons Mill Park in Rockville. Maryland 28 transitions into Montgomery Avenue from Key West Avenue at its intersection with Damestown Road to the west of Interstate 270. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Maryland 28 (Montgomery Avenue) eastbound travels into the heart of Rockville, or Rockville Town Center via Exit 6A. Photo taken 09/25/04.
The next crossover onto the local lanes for Interstate 270 Express southbound occurs one mile to the south for the interchanges with Maryland 189 (Exit 5) and Montrose Road (Exit 4). A crossover will allow local travelers to merge onto the express lanes south of Maryland 28 (Exit 6). Photo taken 09/25/04.
A single ramp departs Interstate 270 Local for Maryland 28 (Montgomery Avenue) east and west. Exit 6 splits into Exits 6B/A at the end of the ramp with Montgomery Avenue. Maryland 28 intersects the northern terminus of Maryland 189 (Falls Road) 1.1 miles to the east. There the highway turns onto Jefferson Street into downtown Rockville. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Passing underneath Maryland 28 (Montgomery Avenue) on Interstate 270 southbound. The Exits 5 & 4 crossover for Interstate 270 local occurs in one half mile for southern reaches of Rockville. Photo taken 09/25/04.
One-half mile overhead for the Exit 5 SPUI (Single Point Urban Interchange) with Maryland 189 (Falls Road) on Interstate 270 Local southbound. Maryland 189 travels 5.7 miles southwest from Rockville to junction Maryland 190 (River Road) at the community of Potomac (pop. 44,822). Photo taken 09/25/04.

Interstate 270 Express southbound crossover for Maryland 189 and Montrose Road. There are no additional crossovers between the express lanes and Interstate 270 Local between here and the Interstate 270 & 270 Spur partition. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Auxiliary overhead for Exit 5 with Maryland 189 (Great Falls Road) for the cities of Potomac and Rockville. Falls Road travels 7.6 miles south to its end near Potomac at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Traffic to Maryland 189 (Exit 5) departs Interstate 270 Local for Rockville and Potomac. The SPUI features a sign bridge with traffic lights midway across the Interstate 270 overpass. Falls Road intersects Wootton Parkway west of the freeway and Maryland Avenue east of it. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Exits 4B/A connect Interstate 270 southbound with Montrose Road at Rockville and Cabin John Regional Park. A full-cloverleaf interchange facilitates the movements between the 12-lane freeway and surface arterial above. Wootton Parkway travels overhead Interstate 270 at this sign bridge. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Exit 4B leaves Interstate 270 Local for Montrose Road westbound to Seven Locks Road and junction Maryland 189 (Falls Road). Note the Interstate 270 Maryland reassurance shield posted within the median of the local and express lanes. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Traffic not departing Interstate 270 Local onto Exit 4A (Montrose Road east) defaults onto the merged Interstate 270 southbound mainline ahead. Montrose Road derives its name from the nearby community of Montrose between the freeway and Maryland 355 (Rockville Pike). Montrose Rose transitions into Maryland 183 (Randolph Road) two miles to the east at the intersection with Rockville Pike (historic U.S. 240). Photo taken 09/25/04.
The left-hand lane of Interstate 270 Express carries HOV-2 traffic from the Interstate 270 local and express split southward to the partition with Interstate 270 Spur. The HOV roadway features its own set of ramps for Interstate 270 south to Interstate 495 east or Interstate 270 Spur south to Interstate 495 south. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Interstate 270 local and express come together one mile ahead of the Interstate 270 & 270 Spur split. Interstate 270 south to Interstate 495 east serves Silver Springs (pop. 76,540), College Park (pop. 24,657), Interstate 95 north, and Interstate 595 & U.S. 50 east to Annapolis (pop. 35,838). The segment of Interstate 270 between Interstate 270 Spur and Interstate 495 constitutes the original alignment of Interstate 70S. Photo taken 09/25/04.
An Interstate 270 Maryland mainline shield remains in use southbound between Montrose Road and junction Interstate 270 Spur. At the time of Interstate 70S, the Interstate 270 Spur freeway comprised Interstate 270 itself. Later on Interstate 270 overtook Interstate 70S to the east and the Interstate 270 Spur freeway became Interstate 470. Interstate 470 lasted a short while before it was rechristened Interstate 270 Spur. Photo taken 10/14/01.
Interstate 270 splits in one half mile for branches to Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) east and south. Use Interstate 270 Spur southbound for Interstate 495 south or outer into Northern Virginia or to Washington D.C. via Maryland 190 (River Road) or Cabin John Parkway south. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Another set of signs for Interstate 495 guides motorists onto the respective ramps of the HOV-2 roadway southbound. The HOV-2 is enforced between 6 and 9 am each weekday morning for the inbound commute. Note that the HOV-2 lanes in the northbound direction also segregate from the mainline of the Interstate 270 & 270 Spur merge. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Interstate 270 and Interstate 270 Spur diverge toward their respective directions of the Capital Beltway. The guide signs here are the only to still acknowledge the Spur designation for the Interstate 495 southbound freeway. Interstate 270 Spur and Interstate 495 carry drivers 5.7 miles to the Virginia state line across the Potomac and 9.4 miles south to Tysons Corner, Virginia. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Three departure points remain of Interstate 270 southboubd beyond its split with Interstate 270 Spur. Exit 1 for Maryland 187 (Old Georgetown Road) and Rocklidge Boulevard lies one half mile ahead. The off-ramp also serves Rockledge Boulevard southbound to Democracy Boulevard and the Montgomery Mall (both accessible via Interstate 270 Spur directly). Photo taken 09/25/04.
Interstate 270 turns eastward on its approach to Interstate 495 east / inner ahead of Exit 1 for Rockledge Boulevard and Maryland 187 (Old Georgetown Road). A collector/distributor roadway system serves both roadway from Interstate 270 southbound. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Six lanes of Interstate 270 (four mainline and two HOV-2) travel underneath Rockledge Boulevard ahead of Maryland 187 (Old Georgetown Road) at Exit 1. Maryland 187 loops west of Maryland 355 (Wisconsin Avenue and Rockville Pike) 5.6 miles between Bethesda (pop. 55,277) and Rockville north of the District of Columbia. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Overhead on the Exit 1 c/d roadway for the Rockbridge Boulevard on-ramp to Interstate 270 south. The ramp to Maryland 187 intersects Old Georgetown Road ahead. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Diagrammatical overhead for the final interchange of Interstate 270 southbound with Maryland 355 (Rockville Pike). The merge onto Interstate 495 eastbound / inner occurs at the Capital Beltway interchange with Rockville Pike (Exit 34) at Rock Creek Park. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Interstate 270 ends at the split with the Maryland 355 southbound on-ramp to Rockville Pike and Wisconsin Avenue and mainline merge with Interstate 495 east / inner. Maryland 355 continues the former U.S. 240 route into Bethesda and ultimately Washington D.C. as Wisconsin Avenue. The National Naval Medical Center exists along Rockville Pike just south of junction Interstate 270 & 495. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Maryland 355 south & Interstate 495 eastbound gore point sign posted at unsigned Exit 0. Interstate 270 southbound motorists merge onto the left-hand lanes of Interstate 495 Inner 1.6 miles ahead of Exit 33 with Maryland 185 (Connecticut Avenue). The suburb of Silver Spring lies four miles ahead. Photo taken 09/25/04.

Page Updated November 12, 2004.