U.S. Route 301 in Maryland

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U.S. Route 301
Robert Crain Highway,
John Hanson Highway,
Ocean Gateway,
Blue Star Memorial Highway
Length: 123.30 mi (198.43 km)
Formed: 1940
South end: US 301 at VA state line near Newburg
Major
junctions:		 MD 5 in Waldorf
MD 4 in Upper Marlboro
US 50 in Bowie
I-97 in Annapolis
MD 2 in Annapolis
MD 18 near Queenstown
MD 213 near Centreville
MD 313 near Galena
North end: US 301 at DE state line near Warwick
Counties: Charles
Prince George's
Anne Arundel
Queen Anne's
Kent
Cecil
Major cities: Waldorf
Bowie
Annapolis
Highways in Maryland
< MD 300 MD 302 >
State highways - Minor - Decommissioned
"Blue Star Memorial Highway (Maryland)" redirects here, see also U.S. Route 50 in Maryland

U.S. Route 301 in Maryland runs from Delaware to the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge into Virginia. It passes through three of Maryland's four main regions: the Eastern Shore, the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, and Southern Maryland. US 301 serves mainly as a bypass of Baltimore and Washington from Delaware to Virginia.

Contents

[edit] Counties traversed

[edit] Cities and towns

[edit] Route description

[edit] Robert Crain Highway

The Robert Crain Highway in Prince George's County
The Robert Crain Highway in Prince George's County

US 301 is a minimum of four lanes throughout the state of Maryland. It enters the state via the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge and joins the original route of Maryland Route 3 near the town of Newburg in Charles County. Between the Potomac River and the city of Bowie, the route is known as the Robert Crain Highway. Running north, the highway serves the towns of La Plata, Waldorf (where it briefly multiplexes with MD 5), Brandywine, Upper Marlboro (where it interchanges with MD 4), and Bowie before joining US 50 in Bowie and meeting the southern terminus of MD 3, which continues along the Crain Highway to I-97 and MD 32.

[edit] John Hanson Highway

Now following US 50 (and secret I-595) east along the John Hanson Highway, the route serves Annapolis and crosses the Severn River via the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge before traversing Sandy Point State Park to the foot of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The route meets the southern terminus of Interstate 97, which connects to the highway near the western terminus of MD 665, a freeway spur into downtown Annapolis. US 301 connects to other local highways such as MD 450, MD 2 (which joins the route at this interchange), and MD 70. At MD 70, secret I-595 ends, and US 50, US 301 and MD 2 continue across the Severn River. Both highways form an effective freeway bypass of Annapolis, but both highways also experience enormous backups in the eastbound direction during the summer months due to heavy tourist traffic attempting to cross the Chesapeake Bay.

[edit] Ocean Gateway

After crossing the Chesapeake Bay, US 301 enters Queen Anne's County at Kent Island. The eastern portion of the US 50/US 301 multiplex is known as the Ocean Gateway, a name primarily associated with US 50. Continuing east, the highway crosses the Kent Narrows via a high-level bridge (with MD 18 making use of the original drawbridge) and finally separates from US 50 near Queenstown. This segment is noted for the many right-in/right-out interchanges with MD 18 and MD 835, a legacy of the days when the route was a four-lane at-grade expressway.

[edit] Blue Star Memorial Highway

Downgrading from a six-lane freeway to a four-lane at-grade expressway, the route runs north, serving as one of the backbones of the Delmarva Peninsula. Known as a Blue Star Memorial Highway, the route connects with several major highways in the northern segment of the Eastern Shore, including MD 213 and MD 313. It narrows abruptly to a two-lane country road as it enters the state of Delaware.

[edit] Junction list

County Location Mile # Destinations Notes
continues from Virginia over the Potomac River (Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge)
Charles Newburg 3.8
Maryland Route 257 east / Rock Point Rd. - Cobb Island		 former route of
5.7
Maryland Route 234 east / Budds Creek Rd. - Chaptico
Chapel Point Rd.-Bel Alton Newtown Rd. - Chapel Point State Park, Newtown (to MD 6)
La Plata 14.8 Maryland Route 6 / Port Tobacco Rd.-Charles St. - Port Tobacco, Charlotte Hall
15.5
Maryland Route 225 west / Hawthorne Rd. - Indian Head
White Plains 19.6
Maryland Route 227 west / Marshall Corner Rd. - Pomfret
Waldorf 20.8
Maryland Route 925 north / Old Washington Rd.		 former route of through Waldorf
23.3
Maryland Route 5 Business east / Leonardtown Rd. / Maryland Route 228 north / Berry Rd. - Accokeek, Bryantown
26.3
Maryland Route 5 south / Mattawoman Beantown Rd. - Bryantown		 joins
Prince George's Brandywine 28.9
Maryland Route 5 north / Branch Ave. - Andrews Air Force Base (to I-95/I-495)		 diverges from
29.2
Maryland Route 381 east / Brandywine Rd. - Aquasco
Cheltenham Frank Tippett Rd. north - Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery
36.6
Maryland Route 382 south / Croom Rd. - Croom
Old Crain Highway north - Upper Marlboro (to MD 202) former route of through Upper Marlboro
Upper Marlboro 40.4 Maryland Route 4 / Pennsylvania Ave. - Dunkirk, Washington D.C. (to I-95/I-495) grade-separated interchange between two routes
46.2 Maryland Route 978b / Old Central Ave. - Davidsonville, Largo former route of at
46.3 Maryland Route 214 / Central Ave. - Davidsonville, Washington D.C. (to I-95/I-495) grade-separated interchange between two routes
Bowie 49.4
Maryland Route 197 north / Collington Rd. - Laurel
50.3
US 50 west / John Hanson Highway / Maryland Route 3 north / Robert Crain Highway - Crofton, Washington D.C. (to I-95/I-495)		 southern terminus of ; use north for /
joins on the John Hanson Highway (mileposts switch to series)
Anne Arundel 16.5 16 Maryland Route 424 / Davidsonville Road - Davidsonville, Crofton
Annapolis 21.2 21
Interstate 97 north / Maryland Route 665 east - Baltimore, Downtown Annapolis		 terminates at
23.0 22 Maryland Route 450 / Defense Highway - Parole, Crownsville (to MD 178)
23.5 23
Maryland Route 2 south / Solomons Island Rd. - Edgewater		 silently joins
24.8 24A-B
Maryland Route 70 south / Rowe Boulevard-Bestgate Road - Annapolis		 split into 24A ( south) and 24B (Bestgate Road) westbound; secret ends at
Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge / Severn River Bridge - Severn River
Arnold 26.7 27
MD 2 north / MD 450 south / Governor Ritchie Highway - Baltimore, Severna Park, Naval Academy		 split into 27A ( south) and 27B ( north) westbound; diverges from

MD 648 north / Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard		 direct turnoff from westbound carriageway
27.6 28 Bay Dale Drive - Bay Hills Golf Club
29.2 29 Maryland Route 179 / St. Margarets Road / Busch's Frontage Road / Cape St. Claire Road / East College Parkway / (MD 908A) / (MD 931Q) split into 29A () and 29B (Cape St. Claire Road) eastbound
Sandy Point 30.6 31
Maryland Route 908C east / Whitehall Road		 direct turnoff from eastbound carriageway
31.4 32
Maryland Route 908D north / Oceanic Drive - Sandy Point State Park
Chesapeake Bay Bridge (toll: $2.50 cars - eastbound only) - Chesapeake Bay
Queen Anne's Stevensville 37.2 37 Maryland Route 8 / Romancoke Road- Stevensville, Romancoke (to MD 18)
37.9 38A
Maryland Route 835A north / Thompson Creek Road-Duke Street		 Thomspon Creek Rd: eastbound exit and entrance; Duke Street: westbound entrance and exit (right-in/right-out)
38.9 38B Shopping Center Rd. - to Main St. westbound entrance and exit
39.0 39A Maryland Route 18H / Castle Marina Road-Cox Neck Rd. Castle Marina Rd: westbound entrance and exit; Cox Neck Rd: eastbound exit and entrance
Chester 39.5 39B Maryland Route 552 / Dominion Rd.-Chester Station Ln. - to Maryland Route 18T : eastbound exit and entrance; Chester Station Ln: westbound entrance and exit
40.1 40A Piney Creek Road right-in/right-out entrance/exit from both carriageways
40.5 40B Dundee Avenue eastbound exit and entrance
Kent Narrows 40.8 41 Maryland Route 18 / Main Street-Piney Narrows Rd. - Kent Narrows : eastbound exit and entrance; Piney Narrows Rd: westbound entrance and exit
Kent Narrows Bridge - Kent Narrows
41.9 42 Maryland Route 18 - Main Street / Maryland Route 835 west / Kent Narrows Rd. - Kent Narrows : eastbound entrance and exit; : westbound entrance and exit
Grasonville 42.8 43A Maryland Route 18 / Main Street / Maryland Route 835 / Long Point Rd.-Jackson Creek Rd. - Grasonville : eastbound entrance and exit; : westbound entrance and exit
43.4 43B Chester River Beach Road - to MD 18 and MD 835 westbound entrance only; full eastbound access available
43.8 44A Station Ln. / VFW Ave. - to MD 18 Station Ln: eastbound exit and entrance; VFW Ave: westbound entrance and exit
44.2 44B Maryland Route 835 / Winchester Creek Rd-Evans Ave. - to MD 18 : westbound entrance and exit; Evans Ave: eastbound exit and entrance
44.5 45A Homeport Dr.-Hess Rd. - to MD 18 and MD 835 Homeport Dr: westbound entrance and exit; Hess Rd: eastbound exit and entrance
44.9 45B Nesbit Road - to MD 18 and MD 835
Queenstown 46.1 46
US 50 east / Ocean Gateway - Wye Mills, Salisbury, Ocean City		 eastbound exit and westbound entrance; freeway ends
diverges from (mileposts return to series)
Queen Anne's Queenstown 84.4 Maryland Route 18 / Main St.
84.9
Maryland Route 456 east / Del Rhodes Ave. - to US 50
89.5 Maryland Route 213 / Centreville Rd. - Centreville, Wye Mills grade-separated interchange between two routes
92.5 Maryland Route 304 / Ruthsburg Rd. - Centreville, Ruthsburg
Carville 94.2
Maryland Route 305 west / Hope Rd. - Centreville
98.6 Maryland Route 405 / Station Rd. - Church Hill, Ruthsburg
100.6 Maryland Route 19 / Roberts Station Rd. - Roberts, Church Hill (to MD 213), Ingleside (to MD 313)
102.1 Maryland Route 302 / Barclay Rd.-Hall Rd. - Barclay
104.5 Maryland Route 300 / Sudlersville Rd. - Church Hill (to MD 213), Sudlersville (to MD 313)
106.5 Maryland Route 290 / Dudley Corners Rd. - Dudley Corners, Crumpton grade-separated interchange between two routes; former route of
110.0
Maryland Route 544 west / Mcginnes Rd. - Mcginnes (to MD 313
Kent 112.0 Maryland Route 291 / River Rd. - Millington
115.8 Maryland Route 313 / Galena Rd. - Galena, Massey
119.2 Maryland Route 290 / Galena Sassafras Rd. - Galena, Sassafras grade-separated interchange between routes
Cecil 122.0 Maryland Route 299 / Sassafras Rd. - Sassafras, Warwick (via MD 282)
continues into Delaware

[edit] History

In 1940, the completion of the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge heralded the entry of US 301 into Maryland. A short connector between the northern end of the bridge and MD 3 resulted in the majority of the latter route being taken over by US 301, with only a small portion remaining signed as MD 3 (this portion is now MD 257).

Originally, the route went all the way along former MD 3 into Baltimore and ended near present-day Maryland Route 295 Russell Street. As US 301, it was upgraded into a four- and six-lane divided highway throughout in the 1940s and 1950s. In the 1960s, the route was rerouted along US 50 to the Eastern Shore where it was routed up former Maryland Route 71 into Delaware. Today, Route 301 is a multi-lane highway throughout its path through the state with the exception of the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge; the nine miles of MD 3 between US 50 and Interstate 97 is also a four- and six-lane divided highway and is part of the same continuous physical route.

The segment of the highway between the eastern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the US 50/US 301 split in Queenstown was originally built as a four-lane at-grade divided expressway. By the late 1980s, traffic levels were so high that the route was upgraded into a six-lane grade-separated limited-access freeway, with most of the intersections converted into right-in/right-out interchanges, and a few others being converted into more standard interchanges. The upgrade of the route was completed by the early 1990s.

[edit] Future developments

Current event marker
 This article contains information about a planned or expected future road.
It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the road's construction and/or completion approaches and more information becomes available.
  • As the route enters Delaware, it becomes a two-lane roadway. However, plans exist in Delaware to build the U.S. Route 301 Turnpike, a freeway that will link the divided US 301 in Maryland with Delaware Route 1 providing a multi-lane alternative to Interstate 95 between Northern Delaware and Washington, D.C.
  • A group known as the Eastern Shoreway Alliance is seeking to have US 301 from Queenstown to the Delaware line redesignated as the Eastern Shoreway [1], similar to the Ocean Gateway designation of US 50 to the south.

[edit] Notes

The numbering of US 301 coincidentally fits into the Maryland State Highway System as it passes through the area on the Eastern Shore where a route numbered MD 301 would be found, in Kent County and northern Queen Anne's County. It also crosses Maryland Route 300, Maryland Route 302 and even the former Maryland Route 301.

[edit] Related routes

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Virginia
U.S. Route 301
Maryland		 Succeeded by
Delaware
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../u/2E/s/U.S._Route_301_in_Maryland_0206.html"