After departing the interchange with District of Columbia 295 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (Route 295), U.S. 50 emerges from New York Avenue in the District as a freeway in Maryland. The first exit along the eastbound route is Exit 3, Junction Maryland 202/Landover Road south to Upper Marlboro. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The next exit along eastbound U.S. 50 is Exit 5, Junction Maryland 410/East-West Highway to Ardwick-Ardmore Road, one mile. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Maryland 410 follows the East-West Highway southeast to Ardwick-Ardmore Road and northwest across the northern Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., en route to its western terminus at Maryland 355 (former U.S. 240) in Bethesda. The section of divided highway located between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (Route 295) and U.S. 50 actually heads northwest to southeast despite its name. In this photo, eastbound U.S. 50 reaches Exit 5/Junction Maryland 410/East-West Highway. The next exit along eastbound is Exit 7, Junction Interstate 95-495/Capital Beltway and Hidden Interstate 595, one mile. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The Capital Beltway, which encircles the nation's capital and the District of Columbia, is designated as Interstate 495. Passing through a variety of suburban locations in Maryland and Virginia, the beltway is also part of Interstate 95 along the eastern half. The control cities for Interstate 95 are listed on this freeway overhead sign, as Interstate 95 heads north to Baltimore and south to Richmond, Virginia. The two left lanes of the five available lanes exit only to the Beltway. Photo taken 06/02/03.
In addition to intersecting the Beltway, U.S. 50 also becomes part of the Interstate Highway System at this interchange. Between Interstate 95 and Maryland 70, U.S. 50 is secretly designated as Interstate 595. Originally planned as Interstate 68 (before the existing Interstate 68 was commissioned in the Appalachian Mountains), U.S. 50 was designated as Interstate 595 in 1991. Plans called for Interstate 595 shields to be placed along the route in the space to the left of the U.S. 50 shield in the pull-through overhead signs, including the one featured on this sign bridge. However, the Maryland State Highway Administration determined that having an extra route designation on this route might cause motorist confusion, so the decision was made to keep U.S. 50 as the primary signed route, but also include U.S. 50 in the Interstate Highway System inventory as Interstate 595. Interstate 595 is the longest stretch of unsigned Interstate highway in the country. Also note that both right lanes exit only here to the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95-495). Photo taken 06/02/03.
The off-ramp from U.S. 50 to Interstate 95-495 splits into two transition ramps: one headed north toward Baltimore (outer loop) and the other headed south toward Alexandria and Richmond (inner loop). After passing the sizeable interchange, the next exit along eastbound U.S. 50 (Hidden Interstate 595) is Exit 8, Junction Maryland 704/Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway to Glenarden, one mile. Photo take 06/02/03.
Maryland 704 heads southwest to the District of Columbia boundary in Fairmount Heights and northeast to Maryland 450/Annapolis Road via the Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Upon reaching the exit to Maryland 704/Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway (Exit 8), U.S. 50/Interstate 595 gain another eastbound lane for High Occupancy Vehicles (cars with two or more occupants, including carpools and buses). Again note the space allocated on the pull-through sign for an Interstate 595 shield that was never placed. Photo taken 06/02/03.
This mileage sign indicates the distance to Bowie, where U.S. 50/Interstate 595 meets U.S. 301. Just beyond that is the control city of Annapolis, the capital of Maryland and home to the U.S. Naval Academy. The final destination listed on this sign is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which is 24 miles east of here. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The next exit along eastbound is Exit 11, Junction Maryland 197/Collington Road to Bowie, one mile. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Maryland 197 travels along Collington Road northwest through Bowie to Laurel and south to U.S. 301. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Apparently we found the Maryland 197 exit in the middle of a sign replacement project. The two right lanes are exit only for Exit 11, Junction Maryland 197/Collington Road, while the three center lanes carry the main lanes. The left lane remains a carpool/high occupancy vehicle lane. The next exit along eastbound (per the tiny sign mounted at the base of the sign bridge on the left) is Exit 13 to U.S. 301 south and Maryland 3 north. Photo taken 06/02/03.
From the District of Columbia, there are many ways to reach Baltimore. Perhaps the most direct routes are Interstate 95 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway/Route 295. However, once traveling east on U.S. 50 and Interstate 595, there are other ways to reach Baltimore. One of them is to take Maryland 3, the Robert Crain Highway, north to Millersville, where it merges with Interstate 97. Maryland 3 is a divided highway with traffic signals and a fairly steady traffic flow. Another option is to continue east along U.S. 50/Interstate 595 until reaching the Interstate 97 interchange. This connection provides a direct freeway-to-freeway routing north to Baltimore. And if you really like local highways, U.S. 1, U.S. 29, and several Maryland state routes also head north to the vicinity of Baltimore. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Use Maryland 3/Robert S. Crain Highway (Exits 13B-C) north to reach Belair Drive and the Maryland Science and Technology Center. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Prior to 1959, the entire route of Maryland 3 from U.S. 50 north to Baltimore was part of U.S. 301. At that time, U.S. 301 terminated at an intersection with U.S. 1 in Baltimore. However, with the completion of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, U.S. 301 was rerouted east along U.S. 50 and then north along a corridor roughly parallel to former U.S. 213 before ending at an intersection with U.S. 40 south of Newark, Delaware. The remnant section of U.S. 301 north of U.S. 50 was then commissioned as Maryland 3, and Maryland 3 was in turn reduced in size again when Interstate 97 was completed around 1997, when the Glen Burnie Bypass was brought up to Interstate standards. Today, Maryland 3 only exists for about ten miles between U.S. 50-301 at Bowie and Interstate 97. A remnant Business Maryland 3 remains signed in Glen Burnie, but that highway does not connect to Maryland 3 and probably should be renumbered as Business Loop I-97. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Westbound U.S. 50 and Interstate 595 at Exit 13, Junction U.S. 301 south to Richmond and Maryland 3 north to Baltimore. From here, U.S. 50-301 are cosigned along the freeway until they split east of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Photo taken 06/02/03.
View of the collector distributor lanes for the Maryland 3/U.S. 301 interchange as seen from the main lanes along eastbound. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Both U.S. 50 east and U.S. 301 north are signed with table-sized shields after passing by Exit 13. U.S. 301 is definitely the lesser known number of the two, as most traffic reports and even signs approaching the freeway acknowledge only U.S. 50. Of course, Hidden Interstate 595 is not recognized at all. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Interstate 595/U.S. 50-301 leave Prince George's County and enter Anne Arundel County. Note that the high occupancy vehicle lane ends, and the freeway resumes a six-lane (three in each direction) configuration. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The first exit along eastbound in Anne Arundel County is Exit 16, Junction Maryland 424/Davidsonville Road, one mile. Maryland 424 heads north to Crofton and south to Davidsonville. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Maryland 424 begins at Maryland 214/Central Avenue in Davidsonville, then follows Davidsonville Road north past U.S. 50-301 and Staples Corners before culminating at the intersection with Maryland 3 in Conaways near Crofton. Photo taken 06/02/03.
At the interchange with Exit 16, Maryland 424/Davidsonville Road, the pull-through sign omits U.S. 301 and does not have the space allocated for an Interstate 595 shield. This is a newer sign, minted after the original signs left that space. Also note that the Bay Bridge is mentioned as a control city on the overhead sign. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Although there is no visible sprawl or any sign of development to reflect it, the freeway approaches the city of Annapolis, the capital of Maryland. A seaside city, Annapolis is home to the U.S. Naval Academy and features a unique downtown setting featuring a variety of beautiful governmental buildings, parks, and state grounds. Waterways permeate the area, which proved to be a liability during Hurricane Isabel in September 2003. Several areas of picturesque Annapolis were flooded, but the city recovered well. Of the next four interchanges, use the last three (Exits 22/Maryland 665, Exit 23/Maryland 450, and Exit 24/Maryland 70) to reach Annapolis. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The first interchange in the vicinity of Annapolis is the southern terminus of Interstate 97, which heads northwest to Baltimore, with connections to both Maryland 32 and Maryland 100. Interstate 595, the hidden designation of U.S. 50-301, continues east beyond the interchange with Interstate 97 (Exit 21). Photo taken 06/02/03.
Use Exit 22, Maryland 665/Aris T. Allen Boulevard, to reach Maryland 2 south to Prince Frederick. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Interstate 97, built in stages during the 1980s and 1990s, was opened between U.S. 50-301 and Maryland 3 around 1989. Through the 1990s, existing Maryland 3 and the Glen Burnie Bypass were upgraded to Interstate standards, resulting in an express corridor from Annapolis north to Baltimore. Although there has been some consideration to extending Interstate 97 south, perhaps along U.S. 301 toward Richmond (especially as U.S. 301 grows as a result of development near La Plata), no firm plans exist for any southern extension of Interstate 97 at this time. At the northern end, Interstate 97 ends at the Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695), with connections to Interstate 895/Harbor Tunnel Thruway via Spur Interstate 895 and to Interstate 95 via Interstate 695. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Eastbound Interstate 595 and U.S. 50 and Northbound U.S. 301 at Exit 21, Junction Interstate 97 north to Baltimore. The next exit along eastbound is Exit 22, Junction Maryland 665/Aris T. Allen Boulevard to Riva Road and Annapolis, one-half mile. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Eastbound U.S. 50 and Northbound U.S. 301 reaches Exit 22, Junction Maryland 665/Aris T. Allen Boulevard to Riva Road. This exit ramp merely transfers local traffic onto a collector-distributor lane that originated from traffic transitioning from Interstate 97 south onto U.S. 50 east. The actual interchange with Exit 22/Maryland 665 is still ahead. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Maryland 665/Aris T. Allen Boulevard goes into the city of Annapolis as a freeway, with a cloverleaf interchange with Maryland 2 south and connections to Maryland 450/West Street. The collector-distributor lanes continue east as a parallel freeway, and they merge onto the main lane east of the interchange. The overpass carrying Maryland 665 over the freeway is visible in the distance. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The next exit along eastbound is Exit 23, Junction Maryland 450 (Old U.S. 50) to Maryland 178 and Parole, one-half mile. Note the use of the smaller state shield used for Maryland 178/Generals Highway. Maryland 178 parallels Interstate 97, and much of its importance has been transferred to the freeway. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The exit only lane here is the only lane left of the collector-distributor lanes from the Interstate 97 and Maryland 665 interchange complex. U.S. 50-301 (Interstate 595) resumes three through lanes at this point. Note that U.S. 301 is signed "east" here, but at least it is signed (unlike Maryland 2). After Exit 23, Maryland 2 northbound silently yet briefly merges onto the U.S. 50-301 freeway (until Exit 27). Photo taken 06/02/03.
Interstate 595 approaches its eastern terminus as the U.S. 50-301/Maryland 2 freeway reaches the next exit, which is Exit 24, Junction Maryland 70/Rowe Boulevard south to downtown Annapolis and the Maryland State House and Capitol. Since this is the major exit into Annapolis, it makes sense for Interstate 595 to end here. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Eastbound U.S. 50 and Northbound U.S. 301/Maryland 2 reach Exit 24, Junction Maryland 70/Rowe Boulevard south to Annapolis and the state capitol. Interstate 595 comes to an end here. Now past Annapolis, the control city on the U.S. 50-301 pull-through sign reads "Bay Bridge." With the exception of the Bay Bridge, which is substandard (limited shoulders and reduced speed limit), U.S. 50-301 remains freeway and at Interstate standards even though Interstate 595 ends. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The next exit along eastbound is Exit 27, where Maryland 2 splits off the freeway. Maryland 2 heads north to Baltimore via the Governor Ritchie Highway, while the southbound exit links back to Maryland 450 to the U.S. Naval Academy. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Maryland 2 is a major north-south highway that roughly follows the west shore of Chesapeake Bay between Solomons Island in the south and Baltimore in the north; it briefly merges silently with U.S. 50-301 between Exits 24 and 27. For a time, Maryland 2 may have followed Old U.S. 50 (now Maryland 450) into Annapolis (based on older maps), but its routing has since shifted onto the freeway. Maryland 450, meanwhile, heads south past the U.S. Naval Academy, then heads west around downtown Annapolis, then northwest again to meet U.S. 50-301 and Interstate 595 at Exit 23. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Westbound U.S. 50 and Northbound U.S. 301 meet Exit 27, Junction Maryland 2 north and Maryland 450 south (Historic U.S. 50 east). U.S. 50-301 continues east toward the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Delmarva Peninsula. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The next exit along eastbound is Exit 28, Bay Dale Drive, one mile. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Bay Dale Drive heads north to College Parkway (which heads northwest to Anne Arundel Community College and Maryland 2/Ritchie Highway) and south to St. Margarets Road. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Use Exit 28 to reach Old Mill Bottom Road as well as some motorist services. Notably, the blue signs for gas, food, and lodging are not very common along the Interstate 595 portion of U.S. 50. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The next exit along eastbound is Exit 29B, Cape St Claire Road and East College Parkway, 0.25 mile. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Eastbound U.S. 50 and Northbound U.S. 301 reach Exit 29B, Cape St Claire Road and East College Parkway. Both of the next exits (Exits 30 and 31) are for Whitehall Road, which acts as a frontage road along the southside of the freeway. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The first exit for Whitehall Road along eastbound is Exit 30, which is shown in this photograph. Another exit accesses Whitehall Road via Exit 31, which is not shown. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The final exit before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is Exit 32, which provides access to Sandy Point State Park. This is the last exit before the toll bridge ($2.50 toll as of June 2004) and is the last opportunity to turn around before crossing the bay. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The 4.3-mile long Chesapeake Bay Bridge (William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge) enjoys one of the cheaper toll rates of the myriad toll facilities in Maryland. Operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority, the toll is $2.50 for eastbound only. This compares to the $2 toll rate for the Francis Scott Key Bridge (Interstate 695), Harbor Tunnel (Interstate 895), and McHenry Tunnel (Interstate 95) in Baltimore; the $3 toll for the Governor Harry W. Nice Bridge (U.S. 301 over the Potomac River); and the $5 toll rate for the Interstate 95/John F. Kennedy Highway bridge and the U.S. 40/Hatem Bridge over the Susquehanna River. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Now past the toll booth, U.S. 50 and U.S. 301 prepare to cross Chesapeake Bay. There are actually two bridges that cross the bay: the 1952 eastbound bridge, which carries two lanes and the 1973 westbound bridge, which carries three lanes. The lane configurations may be altered for periods of construction, special events (such as the annual Bridge Walk), holiday weekends, and even evacuations. On occasion, the eastbound span may carry one lane for each direction. Photo taken 06/02/03.
This picture provides the first glimpse of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, a dual suspension span. Unlike many other suspension bridges, two separate spans carry the two directions of traffic. As we drive eastbound, U.S. 50-301 will cross the older, 1952 span. Prior to the completion of this span, U.S. 301 headed north to end in Baltimore, and U.S. 50 terminated in Annapolis. Ferries used to connect Annapolis with the Delmarva Peninsula. With the completion of the span, U.S. 50 was extended east via former U.S. 213 all the way to Ocean City (this rerouting occurred between 1948 and 1952). By 1973, the remaining northern portion of U.S. 213 (from Queenstown to Elkton) was replaced by U.S. 301 and Maryland 213. Photo taken 06/02/03.
This suite of photos shows the U.S. 50 east and U.S. 301 north crossing of the Chesapeake Bay over the 1952 span. With only two lanes and no shoulders, this bridge is not Interstate standard and offers no opportunity for pulling off the road in case of a vehicle malfunction, tire blow out, or other problem. For more information on the construction of the bridge, aerial photos, and other information, visit Roads to the Future: Chesapeake Bay Bridge (Scott Kozel). Photo taken 06/02/03.
Eastbound U.S. 50 and northbound U.S. 301 reach Kent Island and the Delmarva Peninsula and Maryland's Eastern Shore. At the time this photo was taken, the Maryland Lottery pays for bridge tolls for all travelers between 7:00 p.m. and midnight, thus making the bridge free to travelers. The highway widens out to full shoulders, and it approaches its first exit at the Eastern Shore, Exit 37, Junction Maryland 8. Photo taken 06/02/03.
The freeway widens out to three lanes in each direction after the bridge. Maryland 8 heads north to Stevensville and south to Matapeake State Park. The next two exits after Exit 37 are Exit 38, Thompson Creek Road and Exit 39, Cox Neck Road. Photo taken 06/02/03.
Eastbound U.S. 50 and southbound U.S. 301 reach Exit 37, Junction Maryland 8 to Stevensville and Romancoke. U.S. 50-301 will continue as a combined route and freeway until reaching Exit 46, where the routes divide. Both routes remain at least four-lane, divided highways for the remainder of their travels through Maryland. Photo taken 06/02/03.
