Maryland 222 came into existence with the 1995 truncation of U.S. 222 from Perryville to Conowingo. The state route encompasses all of the former U.S. highway including its alignment on Aiken Avenue south of U.S. 40. The highway was downgraded to a state route due to the narrow nature of the route through the hamlet of Port Deposit. Despite the state highway status, the highway is still a recommended scenic drive along the Susquehanna River between Port Deposit and Conowingo.
Another vestige of U.S. 222 remains in place to the east of Maryland 222. U.S. 222 Truck became Maryland 222 Truck with the redesignation and remains in place along U.S. 1, Maryland 276 and Maryland 275 between Conowingo and Perryville.
Northern Terminus
Southern Terminus
Road Names
Mileage
U.S. 1 at Conowingo Dam
Maryland 7 Perryville
Aiken Avenue, Perryville Road, Perrylawn Drive, Bainbridge Road, Main Street, Susquehanna River Road
11.36
Southern Terminus - Maryland 7 at Perryville
Maryland 7 (Broad Street) eastbound in downtown Perryville at the southern terminus of Maryland 222 (Aiken Avenue). There are no signs for Maryland 222 on either direction of Broad Street for the Aiken Avenue intersection. Contrary to popular belief, this intersection does compose the historic south end of U.S. 222. While Broad Street was replaced with the Pulaski Highway to the north as the U.S. 40 alignment, U.S. 222 continued to end here until its demise in 1995. Photo taken 03/28/04.
Northern Terminus - U.S. 1 at Conowingo Dam
Shrouded in the late day light are U.S. 1 & 222 shields posted at the north end of Maryland 222 (Susquehanna River Road) near Conowingo. Susquehanna River Road ends as U.S. 1 departs the adjacent Conowingo Dam to the west. There is no end sign posted for Maryland 222 and Maryland 222 is not co-signed with U.S. 1 eastward to its junction with U.S. 222. Photo taken 08/11/05.
Maryland Scenic Byway signs posted at the north end of Maryland 222. A Maryland 222 Truck shield assembly directs U.S. 1 (Conowingo Road) northbound motorists to Maryland 276 (Jacob Tome Memorial Highway). Maryland 222 Truck overlaps with U.S. 1, Maryland 276, and Maryland 275 before returning to Maryland 222 north of Perryville. Photo taken 08/11/05.
Looking west from the Maryland 222 terminal intersection is the Conowingo Dam itself. U.S. 1 crosses the barrier via a two-lane roadway between Cecil and Harford Counties. Normal water depths of Conowingo Pond, north of the dam, are 108.5 feet. Photo taken by JP Nasiatka (08/29/03).
Maryland 222 reaches its northern terminus at its intersection with U.S. 1. Not to be confused with U.S. 222, Maryland 222 is a truncated section of U.S. 222 from Conowingo southeast to U.S. 40 at Perryville. The route is substandard, and the U.S. 222 designation was likely retracted because it is not an exceptional through route to Interstate 95. Photo taken 06/05/05.
Southbound U.S. 1 (Conowingo Road) at its junction with Maryland 222 (Susquehanna River Road) south. A significant descent occurs between U.S. 222 and the river for U.S. 1 southbound drivers. Truck climbing lanes exist on either side of the dam for the ascent out of the valley. Susquehanna River Road consists of a 4.5-miles scenic drive between Conowingo and Port Deposit. Photo taken 06/17/00.
Maryland 222 2003 Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
8,675 - Between Maryland 7 and U.S. 40 (Pulaski Highway)
14,975 - Between U.S. 40 (Pulaski Highway) and Interstate 95 (Exit 93)
3,075 - Between Maryland 275 (Perrylawn Drive) & 824 and Maryland 276 (Center Street)
2,775 - Between Maryland 276 (Center Street) and U.S. 1 (Conowingo Road)
Source: 2003 Highway Location Reference file for Cecil County (MDSHA)
Maryland 222 Guide
Maryland 222 North
Maryland 222 (Aiken Avenue) northbound as it approaches junction U.S. 40 (Pulaski Highway) in Perryville. The Pulaski Highway travels the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge across the Susquehanna River into Havre De Grace to the left. Seven miles to the east lies the town of North East. Photo taken 03/28/04.
Aiken Avenue ends and Perryville Road begins as Maryland 222 progress northward toward Interstate 95. Traffic turning left defaults onto the Hatem Bridge into Harford County. The cantilever bridge is tolled in the eastbound direction at a rate of $5 per passenger vehicle (same rate applied to Interstate 95 northbound motorists). Photo taken 03/28/04.
Freeway sized junction shield for Interstate 95 posted on Maryland 222 (Perryville Road) northbound on the approach to the Exit 93 folded diamond interchange. Perryville Road travels 1.4 miles north from U.S. 40 and Perryville to the junction with Interstate 95 (John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway). Photo taken 03/28/04.
Maryland 222 (Perryville Road) splits with Maryland 824 (Blythedale Road) ahead of the interchange with Interstate 95. Maryland 824 loops underneath Interstate 95 east of the Maryland 222 interchange before returning to Maryland 222 at Maryland 275 (Perrylawn Drive). Reservoir Road stems eastward from the split to Jackson Station Road. Photo taken 03/28/04.
Maryland 222 westbound reassurance shield posted on Bainbridge Road after its intersection with Maryland 824 & 275 (Perrylawn Drive). The state route descends toward the Susquehanna River and village of Port Deposit over the course of 2.5 miles. Photo taken 03/28/04.
Steep grade overhead posted on Bainbridge Road as it sinks toward Port Deposit. The route is not recommended for truck traffic due to the grade and narrow Main Street ahead. These factors were part of why U.S. 222 saw decommissioning in 1995. Photo taken 03/28/04.
The Susquehanna River draws into view as Maryland 222 (Bainbridge Road) approaches its final curve onto Main Street at Port Deposit. The river opens out into the Chesapeake Bay southwest of Perryville. Photo taken 03/28/04.
Maryland 222 follows Main Street through the heart of Port Deposit alongside the Susquehanna River. The narrow street must be traversed slowly due to the closeby proximity to homes, churches, on-street parking, and the adjacent CSX Railroad line. Photos taken 03/28/04.
The narrow strip of land in which Port Deposit resides disallows for many cross streets in the town itself. The junction with Maryland 276 (Center Street) is the first such street that intersects Maryland 222 at a perpendicular angle. The state route begins here and travels northeast to junction Maryland 275 (Perrylawn Drive) and from there north to Rising Sun and U.S. 1 (Conowingo Road). Photos taken 03/28/04 & 08/11/05 to show the winter versus summer perspectives.
Continuing northbound on Maryland 222 (Main Street) through Port Deposit. Vannont Drive spurs to the west in the first photograph. Mill Street and Granite Avenue (former Maryland 269) travel east from Main Street on the north end of town. Otherwise the state route narrows significantly as it closes in on the CSX Railroad underpass before leaving Port Deposit. Photos taken 03/28/04.
Maryland 222 passes underneath the adjacent railroad and departs Port Deposit via Susquehanna River Road. The 4.5-mile drive alongside the waterway is heavily forested and recommended scenic drive between Conowingo and the Interstate 95 and U.S. 40 corridors. Susquehanna State Park lies three miles ahead otherwise. Photos taken 08/11/05 & 03/28/04.
Representing a portion of the Susquehanna River Scenic Drive, Maryland 222 (Susquehanna River Road) straddles both the Susquehanna River and CSX Railroad on its northward drive out of Port Deposit. A canopy of trees shades most of the route from sunlight between Port Deposit and junction U.S. 1 (Conowingo Road). Photos taken 08/11/05.
Maryland 222 South
Maryland 222 southbound shield posted after the split with U.S. 1 (Conowingo Road) southbound near Conowingo Dam. Susquehanna River Road carries the state highway southward along the river and parallel CSX Railroad into the small town of Port Deposit. Photo taken 08/11/05.
Typical view of Susquehanna River Road along Maryland 222 southbound in western Cecil County. Dense forest covers the state highway between U.S. 1 and Port Deposit. Photo taken 08/11/05.
Maryland 222 (Main Street) passes underneath the CSX Railroad line and enters Port Deposit. Susquehanna River Road narrows into a two-lane surface street upon reaching town. Photo taken 03/28/04.
Main Street initially is shoulderless with no on-street parking. Older style row homes literally feature front porches on the former U.S. route's frontage. Photo taken 03/28/04.
Traveling through the intersection with Granite Avenue on Maryland 222 southbound in Port Deposit. Granite Avenue was once apart of Maryland 269, a north-south route between Port Deposit and Maryland 276 (Jacob Tome Memorial Highway) at the community of Colora. The highway was decommissioned in the early 1980s. Photo taken 03/28/04.
Junction Maryland 276 shield for the Main and Center Street intersection in the heart of Port Deposit. Vannont Drive spurs west to the Susquehanna River to serve a bank of condominiums along the waters edge to the right. Photo taken 03/28/04.
The southern terminus of Maryland 276 (Center Street) as seen from Maryland 222 (Main Street) southbound. Maryland 276 ascends abruptly from Port Deposit 2.2 miles to junction Maryland 275 (Perrylawn Drive) via the Jacob Tome Memorial Highway. Rowland Drive spurs to the right to another set of modern homes and a marina. Photo taken 03/28/04.
Maryland 222 ascends from the Susquehanna River valley via Bainbridge Road to endpoints of both Maryland 824 and Maryland 275 (Perrylawn Drive). Maryland 275 acts as a short connector to Maryland 276 for traffic bound to Rising Sun and Colora. Maryland 824 follows old Maryland 222 east of the nearby Interstate 95 interchange to Principio and Reservoir Roads. Maryland 222 Truck reunites with Maryland 222 from Maryland 276 and 275. Photo taken by Adam Froehlig (03/02/04).
Maryland 222 (Perrylawn Drive) southbound at the Interstate 95 (John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway) southbound on-ramp at Perryville. Interstate 95 crosses a high-level bridge across the Susquehanna River into Harford County to the west. 32 miles separate Exit 93 from the Baltimore City line via the freeway. Photos taken 03/28/04.
A folded-diamond interchange composes the junction between Maryland 222 (Perrylawn Drive) and Interstate 95 (JFK Memorial Highway). Pictured here is a southbound reassurance shield and companion U.S. 40 trailblazer on Perrylawn Drive after the Interstate 95 southbound on and off-ramps. Photo taken 03/28/04.
Maryland 222 southbound at Interstate 95 northbound. Interstate 95 northbound travels seven miles to North East (Maryland 272) and 16 miles to Elkton (Maryland 279) before crossing the Delaware state line. Note the control city for Interstate 95 north is New York City, not Wilmington or Philadelphia. New York City is used extensively as the control point for Interstate 95 from Baltimore northward to Elkton. Photos taken 03/28/04.
A parting shot of the Interstate 95 northbound on-ramp and a trailblazer for Maryland 824 (Blythedale Road) on Maryland 222 south. Maryland 824 begins ahead and returns northward to Principio Road. Use the left-hand turn to access Reservoir Road east to Jackson Station Road east of Perryville. Photo taken 03/28/04.
Perrylawn Drive southbound at Maryland 824 (Blythedale Road), Reservoir Road, and Heather Lane. Blythedale Road comprises the original Maryland 222 alignment underneath Interstate 95 to the northeast. Ahead Maryland 222 becomes Perryville Road on the 1.4 mile drive to junction U.S. 40 (Pulaski Highway). Photo taken 05/31/04.
Junction U.S. 40 (Pulaski Highway) on Maryland 222 (Perryville Road) southbound at Perryville. U.S. 40 crosses the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge to Havre De Grace west of Perryville Road. Eastward the federal highway undulates over rolling hills seven miles to junction Maryland 272 at North East. Maryland 222 continues southward via Aiken Avenue to Maryland 7 (Broad Street). Photo taken 05/31/04.
