Maryland 5 (Leonardtown Road) northbound at the Charles County line near Hughesville. The state highway travels a four-lane divided highway eight miles north from Maryland 235 to the county line. Leonardtown Road loses its median through Hughesville ahead. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Junction Maryland 231 shield posted along Maryland 5 (Leonardtown Road) northbound for the intersection with Burnt Store Road and Prince Frederick Road in Hughesville. Maryland 231 comprises 16.39 miles between Burnt Store and Prince Frederick to the east. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Northbound at the signalized intersection with Maryland 231 in Hughesville. Maryland 231 (Prince Frederick Road) migrates two miles to Patuxent and seven miles to Benedict at the Patuxent River crossing. The state highway stems three miles west via Burnt Store Road to Olivers Shop Road at Burnt House. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Maryland 5 leaves Hughesville and turns westerly on the ten-mile drive to Waldorf. The four-lane divided highway meets Bryantown and Olivers Shop Roads at Bryantown. Olivers Shop Road travels south to Burnt Store. Bryantown Road continues the road north to Woodville and Doctor Samuel Mudd Roads. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Continuing west on Maryland 5 northbound between Bryantown and Waldorf. The highway retains four lanes and a grass median on the drive through eastern Charles County. Photo taken 09/25/04.
A pair of Maryland 488 shields advise motorists of the junction with Laplata Road on Maryland 5 (Leonardtown Road). Maryland 488 stems west from Maryland 5 six miles to Maryland 6 outside of Laplata. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Mast arm supported traffic lights govern the turns between Maryland 5 (Leonardtown Road) and the eastern terminus of Maryland 488 (Laplata Road). The town of Laplata was the site of an F4 tornado that devastated the area in 2003. The town lies at the crossroads of Maryland 6 and U.S. 301. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Through traffic along Maryland 5 can bypass Maryland 488 (Laplata Road) without stopping. The traffic light only stops left-hand turning traffic onto Laplata Road westbound. Maryland 5 otherwise continues north four miles to Beantown. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Maryland 5 (Leonardtown Road) enters the Beantown, Waldorf, and St. Charles area at its split with Maryland 5 Business. Maryland 5 turns north to bypass Waldorf via Mattawoman Beantown Road as Maryland 5 Business continues Leonardtown Road west to junction U.S. 301 and Maryland 228. Photo taken 09/25/04.
All traffic to U.S. 301 northbound should utilize the Maryland 5 bypass of Waldorf for Mattawoman and points north to Washington. Maryland 5 Business travels west to meet U.S. 301 and Maryland 228 (Berry Road) in the heart of Waldorf. St. Charles Parkway enters the fold from the south, linking Maryland 5 & 5 Business with Billingsley Road through St. Charles itself. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Maryland 5 South
Upon passing through the interchange with the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95-495), Maryland 5 continues on its way south from the Maryland-District of Columbia border southeast toward Andrews Air Force Base via Branch Avenue. The entire route from the District southeast to U.S. 301 is a divided highway, and the section from the Beltway south to Maryland 223 is a freeway. This picture shows the first set of guide signs along southbound Maryland 5 after the Beltway interchange. Photo taken 06/01/04.
This mileage sign provides the distance to several key points of interest, including the Maryland 223/Woodyard Road interchange (four miles), the northern U.S. 301 junction (where U.S. 301 and Maryland merge for a distance), and the town of Waldorf. The next two exits (Linda Lane and Junction Maryland 337/Allentown Road) are omitted from this mileage sign. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Southbound Maryland 5 reaches the Linda Lane exit, which is almost a 90-degree exit onto the frontage road. While there is access back onto southbound, there is no direct access to northbound Maryland 5. Photo taken 06/01/04.
The next exit along southbound is the Maryland 337/Allentown Road interchange. The Maryland 337 exit leads southwest into Camp Springs and east to Andrews Air Force Base. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Since the exits are not numbered along Maryland 5, the gore point signage here uses a Maryland 337 shield affixed to a small green guide sign. Photo taken 06/01/04.
This mileage sign provides the distances to the next three exits: Old Branch Avenue/Kirby Road, one mile; Coventry Way, 1.25 miles; and Schultz Road, two miles. Note that Maryland 5 retains its freeway characteristics, and there is no cross traffic. Photo taken 06/01/04.
The Old Branch Avenue/Kirby Road exit accesses services for food and gas; to reach Old Alexandria Ferry Road, use the Coventry Road exit. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Old Branch Avenue, which has paralleled Maryland 5 since the Capital Beltway, is the old alignment of Maryland 5 before the current freeway/expressway was constructed. At this interchange, Old Branch Avenue departs in a southwesterly direction away from Maryland 5. Kirby Road is an east-west road that heads west to Tinkers Creek Stream Valley Park. Photo taken 06/01/04. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Southbound Maryland 5 reaches the Old Branch Avenue and Kirby Road exit. The next exit is Coventry Way to Andrews Air Force Base and Old Alexandria Ferry Road. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Views of the exit ramp for the Old Branch Avenue/Kirby Road interchange. The off-ramp for Coventry Road follows very quickly. Photos taken 06/01/04.
The next exit along southbound is Coventry Way/Old Alex Ferry Road, which leads to Clinton and Andrews Air Force Base. Another mileage sign is also posted here for the next three interchanges: Schultz Road (one mile), Junction Maryland 223/Woodyard Road (1.50 miles), and Surratts Road (three miles). The Surratts Road junction is an intersection, not an interchange. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Now reaching Schultz Road, Maryland 5 continues as a freeway. Most maps do not display Maryland 5 as a freeway, but it is completely access controlled for another several miles … but not all the way to U.S. 301. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Schultz Road connects Maryland 5 with Springbrook Lane and Old Branch Avenue. Photo taken 06/01/04.
A southbound Maryland 5 shield is posted just prior to the exit ramp to Maryland 223/Woodyard Road. Maryland 223 heads southeast to Piscataway and west to Maryland 4 east of Andrews Air Force Base. Photo taken 06/01/04.
After passing the Maryland 223/Woodyard Road interchange, the Maryland 5 freeway begins to end. The first sign of the transition from freeway to expressway with intersections is the termination of the left lane on the bridge over Woodyard Road. Photo taken 06/01/04.
The second tell-tale sign of the end of the freeway is a traffic delay. At the time this photo was taken, it was the afternoon commute, and Maryland 5 was clogged with traffic from Woodyard Road south to U.S. 301. There are a series of traffic signals ahead that regulate the traffic. Photo taken 06/01/04.
As noted on the mileage sign three miles ago, Surratts Road is the next junction after Maryland 223/Woodyard Road. However, this is an intersection rather than an interchange. The afternoon rush hour traffic continues south along Maryland 5. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Ample rights of way provide space for future expansion of Maryland 5 perhaps into a six-lane freeway. The highway is not developed in any way, and access points are limited to the traffic signalized intersections. Photo taken 06/01/04.
The next intersection along southbound is the Brandywine Road intersection, which allows traffic to turn east to meet U.S. 301 north en route to Bowie and Annapolis. Photo taken 06/01/04.
In addition, Brandywine Road connects with Maryland 381, which heads southeast to Ashbox, Horsehead, Poplar Hill, and Patuxent. Photo taken 06/01/04.
The next intersection along southbound is the junction with Maryland 373. Maryland 373 goes west to a junction with Maryland 210 (Indian Head Highway) near Accokeek. Photo taken 06/01/04.
After the junction with Maryland 373, Maryland 5 reaches the interchange with U.S. 301. All traffic is diverted onto southbound U.S. 301/Maryland 5. The overpass shown in this photograph carries U.S. 301 over the Maryland 5 mainline. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Southbound Maryland 5 becomes the left lanes of combined U.S. 301-Maryland 5 south as they merge in this photo. Photo taken 06/01/04.
U.S. 301 and Maryland 5 are merged together from this interchange south to Waldorf. Maryland 5 continues from that point southeast to Point Lookout State Park via Charlotte Hall and Leonardtown, and U.S. 301 angles southwest toward La Plata, the seat of Charles County. After passing through Charles County, U.S. 301 crosses the Potomac River into Virginia. With this bridge, U.S. 301 provides a direct expressway route to Interstate 95 and Richmond. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Maryland 5 southbound reassurance marker posted along Leonardtown Road in the community of Hughesville. The state highway crosses paths with Maryland 231 (Burnt Store Road / Prince Frederick Road) in the village just two miles north of the St. Marys County line. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Maryland 5 crosses into St. Marys County from Charles County. Leonardtown Road name changes to Three Notch Road as Maryland 5 draws near Charlotte Hill and Newmarket. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Southbound at the signalized intersection with Mohawk Drive near the county line. Maryland 5 continues southeast from Newmarket to Leonardtown, St. Mary's City, and Point Lookout at the southern tip of St. Marys County on the Chesapeake Bay. Photo taken 09/25/04.
Maryland 5 Business
The northbound beginning of Maryland 5 Business (Leonardtown Road) at Beantown. Maryland 5 Business continues Leonardtown Road west tow miles to junction U.S. 301 and Maryland 228 (Berry Road) at Waldorf. Maryland 925 (Old Washington Road) intersects Leonardtown Road ahead of the junction with U.S. 301 (Robert Crain Highway). Photo taken 09/25/04.
Northbound at the intersection between Maryland 5 Business (Leonardtown Road), Maryland 228 (Berry Road), and U.S. 301 (Robert Crain Highway). U.S. 301 comprises the main commercial drag through Charles County and the communities of LaPlata, Waldorf, and Cheltenham. The federal highway crosses the Governor Nice Bridge between Newburg and Owens, Virginia to the south. Maryland 228 stems west from Waldorf as a four-lane divided highway to junction Maryland 210 (Indian Head Highway) at Accokeek. Photo taken 09/25/04.
