Baltimore, MD

Designated as Interstate 70N (I-70S was assigned to I-270 leading southeast from Frederick to I-495) until 1973, I-70 joins Baltimore with Frederick, Hagerstown and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the west. The freeway was proposed to continue east through western reaches of Baltimore to end at Interstate 95 east of Caton Avenue.

The initial plan for Interstate 70N east into Baltimore outlined an easterly route utilizing a portion of the U.S. 40 (old I-170 freeway) east to Arlington Avenue. This alignment concluded Interstate 70 just west of an interchange with MD 295 (Baltimore-Washington Expressway). A subsequent plan shifted the freeway onto a more southeasterly track to end at Interstate 95 between Caton Avenue and Washington Boulevard, with a freeway spur (Interstate 170) extending east along U.S. 40. Beyond provisions made for the proposed interchange with I-95, only a short section of the I-170 freeway was ever built for Interstate 70 within the city of Baltimore.

This span wire sign posted along U.S. 40 (Edmondson Avenue) in 1994 referenced Interstate 70N, the former designation for I-70 between Frederick and Baltimore. This sign, and a similar assembly posted elsewhere along Edmondson Avenue westbound, was replaced by the mid 2000s. 05/23/25

Interstate 70N opened 12 miles west from the Baltimore city line in 1968. The six lane freeway directly replaced portions of U.S. 40 west to Frederick. Cancellation of the route east to Interstate 170 occurred in 1981, though a small section south from I-170 to I-95. remained planned until 1983

East of the Baltimore Beltway, I-70 spurs to a park and ride lot located east of MD 122 (Security Boulevard) and west of Gwynns Falls Park. As approved by AASHTO on May 29, 2014, this section of freeway was officially dropped from the Interstate system.

Interstate 170 was to link the second proposal of I-70 from the west with northern reaches of the Baltimore central business district via Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and U.S. 40 to the east. 1.4 miles of the freeway, from Smallwood Street to Greene Street (MD 295), opened to traffic in 1979. The remaining 0.9 miles of freeway west to unconstructed Interstate 70 were never built.

When plans for I-70 east from the city line were canceled in 1981, it left I-170 without a connection to the Interstate system. A separate proposal remained in consideration for two years, outlining a freeway link south from the I-170 west end to Interstate 95. The 1.8 mile alignment of proposed freeway, and the existing Interstate 170 were to be redesignated as Interstate 595. Community opposition remained strong though, and that proposal was ultimately dropped.

Despite not connecting to its parent, Interstate 170 remained signed until 1989. During that time, the route was decommissioned, with U.S. 40 shifted from parallel frontage streets to overtake the below grade freeway.³ Despite community efforts calling for the removal of the freeway in the late 1970s, the highway remains in place with traffic counts topping out at 40,000 vehicles per day.

The I-170 right of way included provisions for a light rail lane between the east and westbound carriageways. The metro line remains unbuilt, though construction at the west end leveled a portion of the unbuilt roadway to accommodate new commuter parking lots.

Traveling 85 miles overall, Interstate 85 runs north from Baltimore to York and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The 34.5 mile portion in Maryland utilizes the Jones Falls Expressway within the Baltimore Beltway (I-695) and the Baltimore-Harrisburg Expressway between Interstate 695 and the state line. The Baltimore-Harrisburg Expressway predates the Interstate system as the alignment for U.S. 111 north to Pennsylvania. The first section opened to traffic by 1955 from the beltway north to Shawan Road (Exit 20).¹

Although two plans called for directly linking the Baltimore-Harrisburg Expressway with the Jones Falls Expressway independent of the Baltimore Beltway, those never came to fruition. Instead I-83 briefly dog legs west along side I-695 between Exits 23 and 24 to continue south into Baltimore.

Southward, Interstate 83 overtakes the Jones Falls Expressway from a spur originating at MD 25, to Druid Hill Park, Bolton Hill and an alignment east of the central business district. Original plans called for the freeway to swing east through historic Fells Point to directly link with Interstate 95 near Canton. This alignment was dropped due to community opposition and difficulties with right-of-way acquisition. Remnants of the plan remain at the interchange joining I-95 with Boston and O'Donnell Streets.

The Jones Falls Expressway was completed from I-695 south to Guilford Avenue by 1963 and to Monument Street by 1983.¹ After lengthy delays, the elevated portion south to Fayette Street was finished in 1990.¹

Interstate 95, "East Coast's Main Street," joins Baltimore with Washington, DC to the south and Wilmington, Philadelphia and New York to the north. Traveling with a minimum of six overall lanes, I-95 serves both commuter and through traffic throughout the Baltimore-Washington area.

Construction of Interstate 95 was completed from the Capital Beltway outside Washington to Interstate 695 (Baltimore Beltway) by 1971. Early 1960s plans for the route across Baltimore followed a more northerly course through Fells Point. Reducing impacts to area neighborhoods, the alignment was eventually shifted southward to cross the Northwest Harbor of the Patapsco River at Fort McHenry. Until completion of the tolled Fort McHenry Tunnel in 1985, through-traffic across Baltimore defaulted onto the 1957-completed Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway.

Heading northeast toward Elkton, Interstate 95 opened as the Northeast Expressway on November 14, 1963. Completion of the toll road coincided with opening of the Delaware Turnpike east to the Delaware Memorial Bridge (via Interstate 295). Renamed the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, ramp tolls were collected along I-95 at interchanges between MD 43 and Delaware State Route 141 until the 1980s. Tolls are still collected at main line plazas located northbound after the Millard Tydings Bridge over the Susquehanna River and in both directions east of the state line near Newark.

Major reconstruction along Interstate 95 took place between 2007 and 2014 as part of the I-95 Express Toll Lanes project. Work reconfigured the wye interchange with Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway) near Moravia Road to move the split from the left-hand side of I-95 southbound to the right. This coincided with expansion of I-95 from Baltimore east to MD 43 with the addition of four toll lanes running between the eight general travel lanes.

The exchange joining Interstates 95 and 695 was also redesigned into a multi-level interchange with high speed flyovers. The work eliminated left-hand ramps between the two freeways and realigned the carriageways of I-95 so that they no longer switched places above I-695. The Express Toll Lanes use all electronic toll collection requiring motorists to have E-ZPass transponders. The lanes opened to traffic on December 6, 2014.

A 4.71 mile long freeway linking Thurgood Marshall Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) with Interstate 95 and MD 166 near Catonsville, I-195 was fully completed on June 20, 1990. This freeway varies between four and six lanes and carries a 60 mile per hour speed limit.

Interstate 195 was approved by AASHTO in 1975, to link the separate freeway for MD 46 and MD 166. The southern spur connected then-Friendship International Airport with MD 295 (Baltimore-Washington Parkway), while MD 166 traveled along Metropolitan Boulevard north from U.S. 1 to I-95 and the campus of the University of Maryland - Baltimore County. Patapsco Valley State Park fell within the 1.5 mile gap between the two routes, resulting in extended environmental study and the lengthy time frame for completion of the freeway link.

Interstate 395 constitutes a two pronged freeway connecting the Inner Harbor and Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard with I-95 west of the Fort McHenry Tunnel. The split branches come together just east of M&T Bank Stadium (home of the Baltimore Ravens NFL franchise), funneling stadium and tourist based traffic to Interstate 95 for an exit of the city. The route opened to traffic on December 9, 1982.

Interstate 395 begins above the waters of the Patapsco River Middle Branch at a semi-directional T interchange with I-95. The freeway proceeds northward a short distance before separating into two branches. The western branch merges directly with Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, a six-lane urban arterial arcing north to U.S. 40 (former Interstate 170) and Central Baltimore. The eastern branch serves the Inner Harbor area via Howard Street north and Conway Street east to Calvert Street (MD 2).

Interstate 695 encircles the city of Baltimore from Towson to the north to Dundalk and Glen Burnie to the south. The 51.5-mile loop constitutes a suburban route for most of its course north of I-95 and an industrial route to the south of I-95. 30.57 miles of the beltway are included within the Interstate system, while a 19.37 mile section, from Exit 33 south and west to Exit 4, are officially MD 695, but signed as I-695.³

Initial work on the Beltway commenced in 1951 on the stretch between MD 295 and MD 168 (Nursery Road). State officials took over the county-based project by 1953,³ and the beltway opened between Exits 4 and 7 and Exits 23 and 27 by 1958. During that same year, the beltway was designated Interstate 695.

Work on the beltway north of Interstate 95 was completed by July 1962. Construction on the route south of Interstate 95 would follow slowly under the designation of MD 695. The state route-based freeway opened between Exits 2 and 3 and Exits 35 and 39 by 1973. Completion of the route coincided with the opening of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 23, 1977.

Late 1990s and early 2000s projects focused on the expansion and modernization of the Baltimore Beltway. These projects involved widening the highway from six to eight lanes on the northern portion of the highway, expanding the two-lane section near Sparrows Point, and installing sound barriers throughout the route.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a continuous through truss bridge shaped with a steel arch, crosses the Patapsco River as it empties into Chesapeake Bay. Representing milepost zero for the beltway exit numbering system, the Key Bridge is tolled in both directions.

Known as the Northwest Expressway, Interstate 795 links the Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695) with the northwestern suburbs of Reisterstown, Owings Mills and Westminster via MD 140. Southernmost reaches of the freeway, from Exit 4 (Owings Mill Station) to I-695, parallel the Baltimore Metro Line, including a section where the transit corridor occupies the freeway median. I-795 varies with six lanes to the south and four lanes along the northernmost portion.

Interstate 795 opened initially from Interstate 695 to Owings Mill Boulevard in November 1985. Completion of the entire route followed in October 1986.

Planning for the Northwest Expressway included an extension of the route southeast from I-695 and over Wabash Avenue from Northern Parkway to MD 140 (Reisterstown Road), near the Cold Spring Metro Station. Due to community opposition, the project was canceled in 1973.

The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway opened on November 30, 1957. The 15-mile long toll road provides an alternate route to Interstate 95 and the Fort McHenry Tunnel through central Baltimore. Carrying just four overall lanes, the limited access highway includes a rural type stretch signed with 65 mile per hour speed limits along the southernmost portion of I-895. The K-Truss Bridge spans a CSX Railroad yard east to the Harbor Tunnel toll plaza.

The Harbor Tunnel descends to a maximum depth of 101 feet above the Patapsco River. The four-lane tunnel emerges ahead of the Canton Viaduct, which leads I-895 north back to Interstate 95 through eastern Baltimore.

The Harbor Tunnel was the first of three Interstate-grade crossings over or under the Patapsco River. Tolled in both directions of travel, the Harbor Tunnel totals 7,392 feet in length. Tolls increased to $4.00 per passenger vehicle on July 1, 2013.

Two Spurs of Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway) connect the Patapsco River crossing with Interstate 97 (Glen Burnie Bypass) and MD 2 (Governor Richie Highway) to the south. These are generally unsigned, though a reassurance shield was once posted on the southbound off-ramp for Interstate 895 Spur. The spurs shuttle traffic southward to Anne Arundel County and northward from the connecting routes. There are no exits on the I-895 Spurs, nor in the northbound direction of the I-895 mainline until after the tunnel.

Measuring just 17.53 miles in length, Interstate 97 was first approved by AASHTO in 1975 from proposed Interstate 68 north to Interstate 695 (Baltimore Beltway). The route included the Glen Burnie Bypass (MD 3), an older freeway built between 1954 and 1957, and upgraded between 1994 and 1996. The route south from there to MD 3 and 32 was completed in 1989, and the new alignment southeast to U.S. 50/301, outside Annapolis, opened to traffic in 1991. The highway links southern Baltimore with Annapolis and the Bay Bridge/Eastern Shore area.

Designation of Interstate 97 resulted in the truncation of MD 3 south to Millersville. Business MD 3 runs north of that location, serving Glen Burnie to the east of I-97.

Through the Baltimore metro area, U.S. 1 follows its original alignment. Traveling Washington Boulevard northeast from Waterloo, the US route meets Interstate 195 just east of the Patapso River and Howard County line. U.S. 1 then splits with Washington Boulevard (U.S. 1 Alternate) and joins Southwestern Boulevard north to Arbutus and an entrance into Baltimore city.

Once in Baltimore, U.S. 1 quickly overtakes Wilkens Avenue from MD 372 and turns eastward to the one-way couplet of Fulton Avenue and Monroe Street. Scores of row homes line much of the alignment through to its turn onto North Avenue.

Doubling as a truck route for U.S. 40, North Avenue takes U.S. 1 east with up to six lanes along a commercial boulevard from Monroe Street (former U.S. 140). Gay Street angles northeast from Biddle Street to become Bel Air Road, where U.S. 1 turns northeast from North Avenue. Bel Air Road derives its name from the Harford County seat and the destination of U.S. 1 leading northeast from the city.

U.S. 1 Alternate constitutes a 3.92 mile long loop from U.S. 1 along Washington Boulevard northeast to the five point intersection with Caton Avenue north, Patapsco Avenue east and Hammonds Ferry Road south, located just inside Baltimore. Although not signed within Baltimore, U.S. 1 Alternate lines Caton Avenue back to U.S. 1 (Wilkens Avenue) near Violetville.

U.S. 29 ends at the intersection with MD 99 (Old Frederick Road) just north of Interstate 70 at Exit 87 in Howard County. The US highway comprises a full freeway southward from I-70 to Columbia and Burtonsville in Montgomery County. Several upgrades were made to bring U.S. 29 to limited access standards during the 1990s.

Prior to 1955, U.S. 29 extended east from Ellicott City to Baltimore. U.S. 29 followed a shared alignment with U.S. 40 east from Old Columbia Pike along Frederick Road through Catonsville to Frederick Avenue in the city. This alignment was redesignated as MD 144.

U.S. 40 overlaps with I-70 east from Frederick into Howard County. The US highway separates from the freeway at Exit 82 to follow Baltimore National Pike east to Ellicott City. MD 144 (Frederick Road) west from there represents the pre-freeway alignment.

Crossing the Patapso River, U.S. 40 enters Baltimore County and continues along Baltimore National Pike onto Edmondson Avenue through west Baltimore. Frederick Road (MD 144) parallels to the south as the previous alignment.

Edmondson Avenue leads U.S. 40 east over Gwynns Falls to Franklin Street. The US route partitions into a one-way couplet of Franklin Street (west) and Mulberry Street (east). This alignment connects U.S. 40 with the former Interstate 170 freeway, which travels between Franklin and Mulberry Streets, at Pulaski Street. U.S. 40 emerges from the below grade freeway at Greene Street (MD 295).

Rejoining Franklin and Mulberry Streets, U.S. 40 passes north of Downtown Baltimore en route to St. Paul Place and the Orleans Street viaduct over Intestate 83 (Jones Falls Expressway). Orleans Street carries the route east to the Pulaski Highway, which U.S. 40 follows to Elkton and State Road, Delaware.

Coinciding with the cancellation of Interstate 70 east from Gwynns Falls Park, U.S. 40 was realigned to overlap with I-170 along the Franklin and Mulberry Street freeway alignment in 1981.⁴

A partially signed truck route for U.S. 40 across Baltimore utilizes MD 151 (Erdman Avenue) northwest from Pulaski Highway to U.S. 1 (North Avenue), and North Avenue west from Monroe Street. Hilton Parkway leads the truck route south back to U.S. 40 (Edmondson Avenue).

An original U.S. highway, U.S. 111 ran north from Baltimore to York, Harrisburg and Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. Within Baltimore, U.S. 111 began at U.S. 1 (North Avenue) and followed Greenmount Avenue north. Greenmount Avenue becomes York Road at 42nd Street, which U.S. 111 lined northward to Towson and the Pennsylvania state line.

As sections of the Baltimore-Harrisburg Expressway (I-83) opened, starting in 1955, U.S. 111 shifted from York Road westward onto the freeway. Interstate 83 and U.S. 111 were cosigned through to 1963, when U.S. 111 was eliminated. York Road was subsequently renumbered as MD 45.

U.S. 140 traveled just 48 miles from Baltimore northwest to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The route was decommissioned in 1977, partially due to the close proximity of the planned Northwest Expressway (Interstate 795) from Pikesville to Reisterstown.

MD 140 replaced U.S. 140 from Baltimore northwest to Westminster. The alignment north from Westminster to the Pennsylvania state line near Littlestown was renumbered as MD 97. Prior to 1977, MD 97 followed what is now MD 140 west from Westminster to Emmitsburg.

The south end of U.S. 140 in Baltimore changed by the 1950s when the US route shifted onto the one-way couplet of Fulton Avenue and Monroe Street to end at U.S. 1 (North Avenue). The route previously followed Reisterstown Road southeast onto Pennsylvania Avenue to end a short distance east of Fulton Avenue at U.S. 1 (North Avenue).

When it was extended north from Petersburg, Virginia in 1941, U.S. 301 traveled along Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard / Annapolis Road (MD 648) north to Russell Street in southwest Baltimore. The route ran north along Paca Street to U.S. 40 (Franklin Street). U.S. 301 was later relocated east along side MD 2 on St. Paul / Calvert Streets to end at U.S. 1 (North Avenue).

By 1959, U.S. 301 was relocated again, angling northwest along Monroe Street from Russell Street to U.S. 1 at Wilkens Avenue. The route south into Anne Arundel County utilized portions of the Baltimore-Washington Expressway (MD 295), the Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695) and the the Glen Burnie Bypass (Interstate 97). A major change followed in 1960, with U.S. 301 replacing MD 71 along the Eastern Shore to Middletown, Delaware.

* - unsigned route

MD 3 follows Robert S. Crain Highway north from Bowie (U.S. 50/301) to Interstate 97 at Millersville. The state route used to extend north to Baltimore utilizing the Glen Burnie Bypass (I-97), Baltimore Beltway (I-695), MD 295 (Baltimore-Washington Parkway) and Monroe Street (former U.S. 301) to end at U.S. 1 and Wilkens Avenue.

MD 32 forms a nearly 52 mile arc from MD 178, east of Waterbury, north to the city of Westminster. The state route overlays the Patuxent Freeway between Clarksville (MD 108) and Interstate 97 near Odenton. Construction to build the Patuxent Freeway ran from the early 1990s to 1996. Signalized intersections at Fort Meade however remained in operation until 2004.⁵

MD 100 is a limited-access highway linking U.S. 29 near Columbia with Lake Shore and MD 177 east to Gibson Island. The freeway was built in stages, with the portion from MD 10 to MD 177 (Mountain Road) completed by the early 1980s. Ensuing construction in through the 1990s completed the route, with the final stretch opened between MD 103 and MD 295 (Baltimore-Washington Parkway). Portions of the original freeway were also rebuilt at that time.

Opened to traffic in 1952, Baltimore-Washington Parkway was the first limited access highway built in the metropolitan area. The state maintained portion runs north from MD 175 at Jessup to the city of Baltimore. The parkway south from MD 175 to Kenilworth Avenue outside D.C. is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS). This stretch was completed in 1954.

Baltimore-Washington Parkway doubled as the temporary alignment for Interstate 95 during the early 1960s as the freeway remained unbuilt between the Capital and Baltimore Beltways. The I-295 designation was applied to the route in 1969, but necessary upgrades to the parkway to bring it up to Interstate standards were never made. Instead the state maintained portion was signed as MD 295 and the NPS section left unnumbered.

Despite carrying just four lanes of traffic, Baltimore-Washington Parkway remains both a busy commuter and through route. Trucks are prohibited along the parkway due to NPS restrictions and low clearance arch bridges.

The Baltimore-Washington Expressway portion of MD 295 extends north through Westport and Interstate 95 in Baltimore. The freeway transitions into Russell Street north ahead of M&T Bank Stadium and Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Although poorly marked as MD 295, the state route separates into a couplet of Paca Street (north) and Greene Street (south) through to its terminus at U.S. 40 (Franklin / Mulberry Streets).

MD 702 spurs 4.13 miles southeast from Interstate 695 at Exit 36 to Back River Neck Road in southeastern Baltimore County. The state route follows the Southeast Freeway from the Baltimore Beltway to MD 150 (Eastern Boulevard) and an arterial route (Southeast Boulevard) through Middleborough.

A cancelled proposal extended the Southeast Freeway beyond Eastern Avenue to Rocky Point along the Back River and Hawk Cove. Early plans for the Baltimore Beltway incorporated a portion of the Southeast Freeway, joining it with a proposed freeway west of Cedar Beach and east of Stansbury Point.