U.S. Route 15 in Maryland

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U.S. Route 15

Catoctin Mountain Highway

Length:

37.85 mi (60.91 km)

Formed:

1926

South end:

US 15 at VA state line near Point of Rocks

Major
junctions:

MD 28 in Point of Rocks

US 340 near Jefferson

I-70 in Frederick

US 40 in Frederick

MD 26 in Frederick

MD 355 in Frederick

MD 550 in Thurmont

US 15 Bus near Emmitsburg

MD 140 in Emmitsburg

US 15 Bus in Emmitsburg

North end:

US 15 at PA state line near Emmitsburg

Counties:

Frederick

Major cities:

Frederick
Thurmont

Highways in Maryland
< MD 14		MD 16 >
State highways - Minor - Decommissioned

U.S. Route 15 in Maryland forms the north-south backbone of Frederick County, serving the city of Frederick and providing a major route for north-south travelers passing through the state.

It is known throughout as the Catoctin Mountain Highway.

1 Cities and towns
2 Route description
3 Junction list
4 Scenic Byway
5 History
- 5.1 Frederick Bypass
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Cities and towns

[edit] Route description

The route enters Maryland at Point of Rocks, crossing the Potomac River on a two-lane bridge (the next crossing, the American Legion Memorial Bridge, is a considerable distance downstream).

The route immediately intersects the southern terminus of MD 28 before turning north and intersecting MD 464 one mile north of MD 28. It continues north in a nearly straight line, intersecting Mountville Rd. near Mountville before merging with US 340 east of Jefferson.

The two routes continue north as a four-lane high-speed freeway to Frederick, where they enter the Frederick Triangle [1], a trio of closely spaced interchanges on various major through routes. Upon entering the Triangle, US 15 interchanges with Interstate 70, MD 180, MD 351, and US 40. US 340 ends at US 40, while US 15 merges with US 40 onto the Frederick Bypass, a 1950s-era bypass route built for through traffic on both routes.

The two routes run together for a short distance before US 40 separates from US 15 at the Patrick St. interchange, allowing US 15 to continue north alone on the bypass. After interchanging with various local roads within Frederick, the limited-access bypass downgrades into a four-lane divided highway after the MD 26 interchange, at the northern terminus of MD 355. It continues in this form throughout rural Frederick County, running north through central Maryland towards and along Cunningham Falls State Park. Near the park, Catoctin Furnace Road (MD 806), a former alignment of US 15, splits off and parallels the highway.

At Thurmont, US 15 upgrades into a grade-separated freeway, while MD 806 serves as the downtown business route. US 15 serves Thurmont via MD 77, which it interchanges with west of Main St. US 15 also interchanges with MD 550 at Thurmont; north of the interchange, the route downgrades to a four-lane divided highway again as MD 806 reaches its northern terminus.

US 15 now follows a northeasterly track as it continues through rural Frederick County, intersecting the northern terminus of MD 76 near Mount St. Mary's University south of Emmitsburg. The route bypasses the town to the east, while US 15 Business runs through the downtown area. East of the town, US 15 interchanges with MD 140, then intersects US 15 Business near a rest area. Both routes continue into Pennsylvania; mainline US 15 upgrades into a grade-separated freeway again at a third intersection with US 15 Business north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

[edit] Junction list

Location	Mile	#	Destinations	Notes
continues from Virginia over the Potomac River
Point of Rocks	0.4		Maryland Route 28 east / Clay St. - Tuscarora	former route of
Point of Rocks	1.4		Maryland Route 464 / Point of Rocks Rd. - Brunswick
	5.25		Mountville Rd. - Mountville (to US 340)
	7.0	10	US 340 / Jefferson National Pike - Jefferson, Harpers Ferry WV	northbound entrance and southbound exit; joins
	8.8	11	Mt. Zion Rd. - Feagaville	signed reversal point for south / west
Frederick	11.3	14	Interstate 70 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway - Hagerstown, Baltimore, Washington D.C.
		11.54	Maryland Route 180 west / Jefferson Pike / Maryland Route 351 east / Ballenger Creek Pike - Adamstown	and mutually terminate within interchange
	11.9	5A-B	US 40 east / Baltimore National Pike - Washington D.C. (via I-270)	terminates at ; joins
	12.6	6A-B	US 40 west / Maryland Route 144 east / Patrick St. - Boonsboro, Downtown Frederick	separates from and returns to original alignment
	13.4	7	Rosemont St.
	13.9	7a	Seventh St. - Frederick Memorial Hospital
	14.6	8	Motter Ave.-Oppossumtown Pike - Frederick Community College, Bethel
	15.1	9	Maryland Route 26 east / Liberty Rd. - Libertytown	southbound entrance only; full northbound access available
	16.2		Maryland Route 355 south / Market St. - Urbana	downgrades to at-grade expressway
	17.07		Willow Rd. west
	18.02		Biggs Ford Rd. east
	19.42		Old Frederick Rd. north - Utica
	19.83		DeVilbiss Bridge Rd. east - Walkersville
	20.6		Hansonville Rd. west - Hessong Bridge Rd. north - Lewistown
	21.92		Powell Rd.
	22.74		Angleberger Rd. - Lewistown
Catoctin	24.6		Maryland Route 806A north / Catoctin Furnace Rd. - Catoctin Furnace	southern terminus of old alignment
	25.38		Catoctin Hollow Rd. west - Hunting Creek Lake (to MD 77)
Thurmont	26.98		Pryor Rd. - to MD 806
	27.83		Tippin Dr. - to MD 77 and MD 806	grade-separated interchange between routes
	28.6		Maryland Route 77 / W Main St. - Cunningham Falls State Park, Catoctin Mountain Park, Camp David
	29.4		Maryland Route 550 / Sabillasville Rd. - Sabillasville, Cascade
	30.69		N Franklinville Blvd. - Downtown Thurmont	northern terminus of old alignment
	33.5		Maryland Route 76 south / Motters Station Rd. - Rocky Ridge
	34.21		Annandale Rd.-College Ave. - Mount St. Mary's University
	35.0		US 15 Business north / S Seton Ave.-Old Frederick Rd. south-Keysville Rd. - Emmitsburg	runs north of and is poorly signed
Emmitsburg	36.6		Maryland Route 140 / Main St.-Taneytown Pike - Taneytown (to PA 16)	grade-separated interchange between routes
	37.4		US 15 Business / N. Seton Ave.-Welty Rd.-Emmitsburg Rd. - Emmitsburg	follows Seton Ave. and Emmitsburg Rd.
continues into Pennsylvania

[edit] Scenic Byway

US 15 in Maryland has been designated a Scenic Byway by the National Scenic Byways Program, administered by the Federal Highway Administration.

[edit] History

South of Frederick, US 15 originally followed MD 85 south to that route's terminus on MD 28. It then turned west and followed MD 28 to Point of Rocks, where it joined its current alignment to cross the Potomac River.

[edit] Frederick Bypass

US 15 follows the northern portion of the Frederick Bypass in downtown Frederick. The bypass was constructed in the 1950s and served through traffic on US 15 and US 40, allowing both highways to bypass the inner city areas. The eastern portion of the bypass, between the US 15/US 40/US 340 interchange (Exit 5) and Exit 59 on I-70, was upgraded when I-70 was built in the 1960s - now, south of Exit 5, one must exit to follow the bypass's original route (now I-70/US 40), and continuing straight ahead connects to I-270.

The northern portion remains in its original form, and the use of the eastern portion by I-70 is why the exit numbers on the bypass begin at Exit 5 - Exits 4 to 1 are Exits 54, 55, 56 and 59 on the Interstate.