Interstate 695 encircles the city of Baltimore as both a busy commuter route for the many suburbs and a truck route across the Patapsco River for industrial areas at Dundalk and Curtis Bay. The Francis Scott Key Bridge also represents the hazardous materials bypass for the Fort McHenry Tunnel (I-95).
I-695 is fully signed along the entire 51.46 mile long beltway, but only recognized by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Route Log for 30.57 miles clockwise from I-97 (Exit 4) near Glen Burnie to I-95 (Exit 33) near Overlea. The remaining portion to the southeast, including the Key Bridge, is inventoried by the Maryland State Highway Authority (MDSHA) as Maryland Route 695.
The cargo ship Dali collided with one of the main piers supporting the truss portion of the Francis Scott Key Bridge around 1:30 AM EDT on March 26, 2024. The collision resulted in the collapse of the steel through arch bridge. Power on the container ship failed multiple times prior to impact.2
BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse pic.twitter.com/OcOrSjOCRn
— BNO News (@BNONews) March 26, 2024
Interstate 695 Maryland Guides
Inner Loop
The Baltimore Beltway was completed between MD 2 (Ritchie Highway) near Arundel Village and U.S. 40 (Pulaski Highway) near Essex in 1962. An extension of the route opened from U.S. 40 southeast to Eastern Boulevard (MD 150) in 1972 as the Southeast Freeway. This portion of the beltway was to continue further south along Back River Neck to a new bridge across the Back River toward Dundalk.1
Plans for the Beltway changed by 1978, when the Southeast Freeway section was dropped. Instead the beltway shifted westward along a portion of the Windlass Freeway to the west of Essex and the Patapsco Freeway south from there to Edgemere. That stretch was opened to traffic by 1974. This shift orphaned a short portion of the Southeast Freeway, leaving it as newly designated MD 702.1
This progress left the crossing of the Patapsco River between Hawkins and Sellers Points. Initial plans called for another tunnel, but those were revised into a bridge. Named the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the span was completed in 1977, but with two lane approaches on each end. Expansion of the viaduct followed to the west, but not until 1999 to the east.1
 scenes |
 | Edmondson Avenue meets Interstate 695 at one of two Catonsville interchanges (Exit 14). A loop ramp joins the Beltway southbound to Arbutus and Glen Burnie in this scene. 07/02/10 |
 | Eastbound Edmondson Avenue at the northbound (inner loop) ramp of Interstate 695 north to Interstate 70 and Pikesville. A parclo interchange joins Edmondson with the Baltimore Beltway. 07/02/10 |
 | MD 158 (Bethlehem Boulevard) eastbound at the southern terminus of MD 157 (Peninsula Expressway) adjacent to the Baltimore Beltway at Exit 43. MD 158 comprises 2.35 miles between the entrance to the Bethlehem Steel Plant and MD 151 (North Point Boulevard) at Edgemere. MD 157 meanwhile stems northwest 4.79 miles via the four lane Peninsula Expressway and Merritt Boulevard to I-695 / MD 151 at Exit 39. Despite the name and some 1980s road maps displaying it as a freeway, the Peninsula Expressway is nothing more than a draw bridge over the Bear Creek and the approaches associated with it. 10/10/04 |
- MDRoads: I-695.
- "Key Bridge collapses into Patapsco River in Baltimore after vessel hits support column; state of emergency declared " The Baltimore Sun (MD), March 26, 2024.
Photo Credits:
10/10/04, 07/02/10 by AARoads
Connect with:
Interstate 70
Interstate 83
Interstate 95
Interstate 97
Interstate 795 - Northwest Expressway
Interstate 895
U.S. 1
U.S. 40
Route 10 - Arundel Expressway
Route 41 - Perring Parkway
Route 43 - Whitemarsh Boulevard
Route 295 - Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Page Updated 03-26-2024.