From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
Interstate 395
Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System |
| Interstate 395A (western branch) |
| Length: |
0.65 mi (1.05 km) |
| Formed: |
1969 |
| North end: |
 Russell Street in downtown Baltimore |
Major
junctions: |
MD 295 in Baltimore |
| South end: |
 Interstate 395 in Baltimore |
|
|
Interstate 395 (abbreviated I-395) is a 2-mile-long spur from Interstate 95 that travels from Interstate 95 to downtown Baltimore. The Eastern Branch is deciated to Cal Ripken, Jr. and is known by Cal Ripken Way. It ends near Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and is by some definitions the shortest three-digit Interstate in the country. It is notable for a 3-Y (3-way stack) interchange with I-95 that is entirely elevated above the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River; in fact, the entire road is a skyway into downtown.
[edit] Route description
The route begins at a high-speed directional interchange with I-95 over the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River. It continues due north for a short distance and then divides into two separate branches. The eastern branch continues straight ahead and descends to ground level to terminate at Howard St. and Conway St. This segment is signed as the mainline I-395. The western branch passes over the eastern branch and runs northwest, interchanging with Russell St. before descending to ground level and meeting the at-grade portion of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. at Washington Blvd.
[edit] History
In 1969, the Design Concept Team, a multi-discipline group assembled in 1966 by the city government to help design freeway routings that would not disrupt the city's fabric, published the Baltimore 3-A Interstate and Boulevard System. In the 3-A system, I-395 was planned as a freeway spur from I-95 to the south edge of the central business district, connecting to a new route named City Boulevard (now known as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard). As routed in the 3-A System, I-95 would act as a bypass of the central business district, with I-395 providing direct access.[1]
[edit] Miscellanea
- Originally, the Federal Highway Administration recorded I-395's length at 0.72 miles, from I-95 Exit 53 to the I-395 split. Later, the FHWA lengthened I-395 to 1.33 miles, to include the eastern branch to Conway St. and Howard St. in downtown Baltimore. However, the length of I-395 has been extended again to 1.98 miles and now includes the limited-access portion of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., as far as Washington Blvd.
- While the highway was originally constructed and maintained by the city of Baltimore, it has been turned over to the Maryland Transportation Authority and is now maintained using revenue from the state's seven toll facilities, as well as payments from the city government.
- On May 30, 2008, the Eastern Branch was officially dedicated for Cal Ripken, Jr., the Hall of Fame baseball player who played for the Baltimore Orioles from 1981 to 2001 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. The Eastern Branch is now called Cal Ripken Way from I-95 to Conway Street.
[edit] Exit list
[edit] Eastern branch
[edit] Western branch
[edit] References
[edit] External links
I-95
