Maryland

[The Ghostbuster]

Is it likely that Interstate 68 in Cumberland will be reconstructed anytime soon?

[Beltway]

Any alternative I can see, it would be a highly impacting urban freeway project.
I don't think relocating to a bypass would work (that may be one of their alternatives), it is mountainous to the north and they would have to go thru West Virginia to the south and there is no good place to put it.

Prefacing my comments with the note that I drive to or through downtown Cumberland on average more than once a month, my thoughts are:
[...]
Relocating Highway
Despite the complexity, I think this is the better answer as it helps to clean up a lot of issues.
Heading eastbound, I would envision I-68 crossing the North Branch Potomac River into WV and then back into MD on a centerline around the present WV 28 ALT/Jewell Street intersection. As it came back into MD, it would start an arc to the northern passing through the northern part of the Fairfield Inn, cross Park Street roughly at Cecilia Street, and tie back in to I-68 just east of Maryland Avenue.

I have considered that alternative in the past. It would eliminate the three major curves that make the alignment such a problem.

But that means building two river bridges, impacting a small neighborhood in WVA that may like their relative isolation from the city, and getting another state involved that may have a different set of priorities and not want to accept this.

That is probably why the current alignment was built the way it was 60 years ago. The same reasoning may still be in effect.

[Bitmapped]

Is it likely that Interstate 68 in Cumberland will be reconstructed anytime soon?

Maryland is studying it per https://www.mdot.maryland.gov/OPCP/MDOT_BIPGrant_I-68CumberlandViaduct.pdf. The existing viaduct needs a $100M full deck replacement in the next couple years and the steel superstructure has fatigue cracking. MDOT SHA is looking to see if there are other alternatives that would better fit Cumberland than just rehabbing the existing structure.

[vdeane]

I mean, I get that local traffic is used to using I-68 to bypass traffic lights and railroad tracks, but that doesn't mean they need it.  Most areas wouldn't expect to use an interstate for such short hops.

[epzik8]

Well, I got to use part of the newly reconfigured ramp from MD 24 south to I-95 south today. Just cannot wait for those concrete barriers to disappear from there.

[Mapmikey]

well it took a decade but i finally found where MD 538 was...

See pg. 300 here - https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/stagser/s1800/s1883/000000/000030/pdf/msa_s1883_000030.pdf

It part of a series of streets in Montgomery County that became part of MD 513 (now MD 320)...

The 1949 Montgomery County map does not get detailed enough to show MD 538.

[epzik8]

I caught SHA in the act of putting up a new light at US 1 and MD 276 in Cecil County:

[Bitmapped]

Maryland is significantly upgrading truck-related signage for the I-68 eastbound descent into Cumberland. They now have sets of signs every 2-3 miles warning of the grade beginning at the flat part west of Finzel, which first shows a 14-mile downgrade. They've added many more speed limit assemblies for the truck speed limit, and they are now posted on both sides of the road.

In the past month, they've installed an overhead cantilever just east of MD 36 with flashing lights that will turn on to warn trucks they are going too fast. (Truck speed limit is 45, car speed limit is 70 here.) There are two other sets of foundations poured in the median in the same vicinity, although it's not clear what they're for.

[MASTERNC]

I caught SHA in the act of putting up a new light at US 1 and MD 276 in Cecil County:

Definitely needed a light there given all the turning traffic and high rates of speed

[TheOneKEA]

I caught SHA in the act of putting up a new light at US 1 and MD 276 in Cecil County:

Definitely needed a light there given all the turning traffic and high rates of speed

I am genuinely surprised that it took this long to get a traffic light there. Every time I've passed through that intersection, weekday or weekend, there are always several cars either waiting to turn or making a turn to or from MD 276 onto US 1.

[epzik8]

SHA has officially announced the I-97 widening plans.

[epzik8]

Looks like the future northbound onramp to Belvidere on I-95 in Cecil is paved and the old Belvidere overpass is being dismantled.

[epzik8]

Bay Bridge run was cancelled at the last minute because MDTA decided not to two-way the westbound span due to the weather threat. Might end up being a massive overreaction on their part.

[Alex]

Was updating the U.S. 301 Maryland pages northbound from MD 19 to the Delaware state line with photos I took last year on Christmas Eve and noted that all references to MD 299 for Sassafras Road were removed sometime between 2020 and 2022:





Was this done in an effort to dissuade shunpiking?
A MD 299 shield is still posted along Sassafras Road southbound by U.S. 301, and MD 299 remains acknowledged from U.S. 301 southbound as well.

Also FWIW, the distance sign for Wilmington - 32 posted on U.S. 301 north after MD 299 was also removed by 2022.

[dgolub]

Was this done in an effort to dissuade shunpiking?
A MD 299 shield is still posted along Sassafras Road southbound by U.S. 301, and MD 299 remains acknowledged from U.S. 301 southbound as well.

It seems odd that Maryland would care about people shunpiking a toll in Delaware.

[elsmere241]

Was this done in an effort to dissuade shunpiking?
A MD 299 shield is still posted along Sassafras Road southbound by U.S. 301, and MD 299 remains acknowledged from U.S. 301 southbound as well.

It seems odd that Maryland would care about people shunpiking a toll in Delaware.

Especially since for decades they've told truckers the best ways to shunpike the I-95 toll.

[epzik8]

Was updating the U.S. 301 Maryland pages northbound from MD 19 to the Delaware state line with photos I took last year on Christmas Eve and noted that all references to MD 299 for Sassafras Road were removed sometime between 2020 and 2022:





Was this done in an effort to dissuade shunpiking?
A MD 299 shield is still posted along Sassafras Road southbound by U.S. 301, and MD 299 remains acknowledged from U.S. 301 southbound as well.

Also FWIW, the distance sign for Wilmington - 32 posted on U.S. 301 north after MD 299 was also removed by 2022.

I do think that MD 299 font on the ¼ mile sign looks nice (if dated) and hate that it went.

[Dough4872]

Was updating the U.S. 301 Maryland pages northbound from MD 19 to the Delaware state line with photos I took last year on Christmas Eve and noted that all references to MD 299 for Sassafras Road were removed sometime between 2020 and 2022:





Was this done in an effort to dissuade shunpiking?
A MD 299 shield is still posted along Sassafras Road southbound by U.S. 301, and MD 299 remains acknowledged from U.S. 301 southbound as well.

Also FWIW, the distance sign for Wilmington - 32 posted on U.S. 301 north after MD 299 was also removed by 2022.

Looking at Street View imagery from October 2025 there is still a No Trucks over 5T on South MD 299 sign present on northbound US 301 approaching the intersection. Also it doesn't make sense to remove signs for southbound MD 299 as that goes the opposite way from the toll motorists would want to shunpike. Turning left and following MD 282 to DE 299 or using Edgar Price Road (which has a Road Closed to thru traffic sign) to DE 15 would be the way to shunpike.

[epzik8]

I got to see the 835A shield in person today:

[epzik8]

Signage along I-95 approaching exit 85 as well as along each offramp at it has been added for the new hospital in Aberdeen, meaning the signage for the closed Harford Memorial Hospital at exit 89 has likely been removed.

[roadman65]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/L8YmuB1fxJTMvqwEA?g_st=ac
I see that spaces on the guide signs along MD 704 for US 50 show intent to sign I-595.

[Beltway]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/L8YmuB1fxJTMvqwEA?g_st=ac
I see that spaces on the guide signs along MD 704 for US 50 show intent to sign I-595.

Yes -- I have noticed that before.

[The Ghostbuster]

It's unfortunate that US 50/301 isn't Interstate Standard east of MD 70. Then the 595 designation could have gone all the way to Exit 46. I also would have liked it to go west of Interstates 95/495 to South Dakota Ave. NE/V St. NE (assuming that portion was upgraded to Interstate Standards).

[TheOneKEA]

The Reddit sub r/maryland spotted a sign goof on US 1 in College Park; the route is signed as MD 1 in both directions at an intersection with another highway.

https://www.reddit.com/r/maryland/comments/1q5jaya/saw_these_md1_signs_on_baltimore_avenue_in/

The top comment on the post is a link to Mike Pruett's US 1 page on mdroads.com. The photos are especially egregious because the sign contractor used a three-digit blank for a single digit, so there is a lot of wasted white space on the sign.

[roadman65]

How come the BW Parkway dont use the brown park guide signs for I-95 & 495, but the standard green ones unlike thr other exits?