I think MD-295 should have exit numbers (mileage-based, of course). Most of the other freeways/tollways in Maryland have exit numbers.
I also don't get how it looks like. It doesn't even look like an expressway or freeway. It looks like a major throughfare without exit numbers and what not. Thats probably why the speed limit is only 55.
You see highways like this all over New York City and the surrounding areas. There's the parkways which have substandard designs and then you have the expressways which are mostly interstate highways that still are substandard.
I mean, they are nice to drive on but there's no way to upgrade them to interstate standards.
I hope that the governor will push to take over the BW Pkwy from the National Park Service. If the road were under state jurisdiction, we can upgrade the road and put in toll lanes to widen the stretch between MD 175 (about halfway between DC and Baltimore) and the DC line. Currently, it's a 2-2 roadway, with a lot of deficiencies in design and signage. Perhaps they can even upgrade it for truck usage as trucks are allowed on the MD-295 and DC-295 portions south of NPS's zone of maintenance.
The BW Parkway is the only direct roadway (without signals) from Baltimore to DC. The roadway is busy enough to justify 3-3 free or 2-2-2-2 (with middle lanes being toll lanes). A reversible tollway of 2-2-2 may also work, but 2-2-2-2 is preferred.
I believe that the widening of the Parkway would not require too many houses and businesses being condemned, because the Parkway has a wide median and otherwise has a generous ROW. [There is some consternation over proposed Beltway widening because of the loss to homes and businesses, especially in the Silver Spring area.]