Maryland Route 545

Maryland Route 545 marker

Maryland Route 545

Maryland Route 545 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDSHA
Length: 5.92 mi[1] (9.53 km)
Existed: 1933 – present
Major junctions
South end: MD 213 in Elkton
  MD 279 in Elkton
North end: Kirk Road / Warburton Road at Pleasant Hill
Location
Counties: Cecil
Highway system
← MD 544MD 546 →

Maryland Route 545 (MD 545) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Blue Ball Road, the state highway runs 5.92 miles (9.53 km) from MD 213 in Elkton north to Kirk Road and Warburton Road at Pleasant Hill in central Cecil County. MD 545 was constructed to Little Elk Creek near Childs in the early 1930s and extended to Pleasant Hill in the late 1940s.

Route description

MD 545 in Elkton after MD 213

MD 545 begins at MD 213 (Bridge Street) on the west side of Elkton. The state highway heads west as Elkton Boulevard, a two-lane road through an industrial area. At Blue Ball Road, MD 545 turns northwest onto Blue Ball Road and intersects MD 279 (Elkton Road). The state highway's surroundings transition to a mix of farmland and forest after leaving the town of Elkton and passing Dogwood Road. MD 545 crosses Little Elk Creek immediately after passing under Interstate 95. The state highway has a narrow, curved passage under CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision as it enters the village of Childs. MD 545 has a four-way stop at Leeds Road and passes scattered residences in a forested area before reaching its northern terminus at an intersection with Kirk Road and Warburton Road in the hamlet of Pleasant Hill. Blue Ball Road continues northwest as a county highway.[1][2]

History

MD 545 was paved from Easton Boulevard to Little Elk Creek near Childs in 1933.[3][4] The bridge over Little Elk Creek was completed in 1932.[4] MD 545 was extended to Pleasant Hill in 1949.[5] In January 2010, the Maryland State Highway Administration put the 1932 pony truss bridge MD 545 uses to cross Little Elk Creek up for sale to any buyer willing to preserve the bridge at a new location.[6] No interested party was found so the old bridge was demolished in June and July of 2011. The new bridge opened in November 2011.[7]

Junction list

The entire route is in Cecil County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Elkton0.000.00 MD 213 (Bridge Street) – Chesapeake City, Fair Hill
0.711.14 MD 279 (Elkton Road) – Newark, DE
Pleasant Hill5.929.53Blue Ball Road north / Kirk Road east / Warburton Road west
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Highway Information Services Division (December 31, 2013). Highway Location Reference. Maryland State Highway Administration. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  2. ↑ Google (2010-10-14). "Maryland Route 545" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  3. ↑ Maryland Geological Survey (1933). Map of Maryland Showing State Road System: State Aid Roads and Improved County Road Connections (Map). Baltimore: Maryland Geological Survey.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Byron, William D.; Lacy, Robert (December 28, 1934). "Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland" (1931–1934 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 328. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  5. ↑ Reindollar, Robert M.; George, Joseph M.; McCain, Russell H. (December 20, 1950). "Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland" (1949–1950 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 112. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  6. ↑ "State Highway Administration replaces MD 545 bridge over Little Elk Creek in Cecil County". Maryland State Highway Administration. 2010-01-11. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  7. ↑ Staff (December 1, 2011). "Project Tracker - Blue Ball Bridge over Little Elk Creek". Cecil Whig (Elkton, MD: David Fike). Retrieved 2012-09-04.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maryland Route 545.

Route map: Bing