 
U.S. Highway 50
U.S. 50 serves two functions in the state of Maryland. The first job of U.S. 50 is the handling of traffic between Washington, D.C. and the suburbs of Prince Georges and Anne Arundel Counties, including the city of Bowie. The second task of U.S. 50 is the carrying of travelers between the greater Washington and Baltimore Metropolitan area and the resort community of Ocean City and the Delaware coastline. U.S. 50 traverses the Chesapeake Bay via the William Preston Lane Jr. suspension bridges. The federal highway crosses the bay between Annapolis and Kent Island, representing only the second fixed auto route across the expansive body of water.
U.S. 50 departs the city of Washington via a four-lane freeway at the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. From there the freeway continues east to meet the Capital Beltway (Interstates 95 & 495) where U.S. 50 upgrades to Interstate 595. Interstate 595 entails the U.S. 50 freeway between Exits 7 and 24 in a hidden fashion. This section of freeway is quite modern with six to eight lanes of travel. U.S. 301 enters the fold from Exit 13 at Bowie and cosigns with U.S. 50 east across the Bay Bridge to Queenstown (Exit 46). There U.S. 301 splits northeast to Middletown, Delaware as U.S. 50 turns southeasterly to Easton, Cambridge, and Salisbury.
U.S. 50 did not always travel across the Chesapeake Bay onto Maryland's Eastern Shore. The federal route ended at Annapolis until 1948. Up until that time, U.S. 213 followed the routing of current U.S. 50 from Queenstown southeast to Easton, Cambridge, Salisbury, and Ocean City. U.S. 50 traveled a ferry route between 1948 and 1952, and the Bay Bridge from 1952 onwards to Queen Anne County. U.S. 213 saw truncation in 1948 to coincide with the U.S. 50 extension.1
Two highway guides cover U.S. 50 within the state of Maryland:
| Scenes Pertaining to U.S. 50 |
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The westbound on-ramp to U.S. 50 & U.S. 301 southbound from Winchester Creek Road at Exit 45B. Nesbit Road ventures north from Maryland 18 (Old Stevensville Queenstown Road) to Winchester Creek Road and the Chester River at Exit 45B. Winchester Road provides the connections to/from Nesbit Road for the westbound direction of the freeway. Photo taken 09/25/04. |
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