Interstate 68

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Interstate 68 Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Length:	116 mi[1] (187 km)
West end:	I-79 in Morgantown, WV
East end:	I-70/US 522/US 40 in Hancock, MD
< Corridor D E Corridor F > < MD 67 MD MD 68 > < WV 67 WV WV 68 >

Interstate 68 (abbreviated I-68) is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It runs from Morgantown, West Virginia, at Interstate 79 to Hancock, Maryland, at Interstate 70. During its construction, the route was designated U.S. Highway 48. Upon its completion as a 4-lane highway around 1989, US 48 was de-commissioned for the second time and was re-designated I-68. Interstate 68 is also known as Corridor E of the Appalachian Development Highway System. It is also known as the National Freeway in Maryland, named after the old National Road (US 40), which parallels I-68 east of exit 14 (Keysers Ridge). I-68 was fully completed in 1991.

The road is promoted by the Maryland State Highway Administration as an alternate to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, with signage on I-70 that informs motorists that I-68 is an alternate route to "Ohio and Points West".

[edit] Route description

[edit] West Virginia

The interstate crosses Preston and Monongalia Counties, in a highly rural route. Just west of the West Virginia/Maryland border, FCI Hazelton can be seen to the north. Between Bruceton Mills and Cheat Lake, the most dramatic mountain on the interstate is crossed, known as Cooper's Rock. This mountain can become impassible in a heavy snow. At the base of the mountain on the west side is the Lakeview Resort.

[edit] Maryland

The section through downtown Cumberland, Maryland features a long bridge, known as the "crosstown bridge" that completely spans the city. Immediately west of the bridge, the interstate goes through an area known as "Moose Turn" where it makes an abrupt "S" turn to avoid the Potomac River, which flows immediately to the south of the road at that point. For the next several miles, the interstate proceeds over Haystack Mountain, one of the few remaining syncline fold mountains in the Appalachian Chain (suggesting it was once one of the highest). The interstate climbs past Frostburg, Maryland, crosses into Garrett County, enroute to the West Virginia line.

[edit] History

View heading east, 18 miles (29 km) from Cumberland, MD.

A 340-foot (104 m) deep cut in the top of Sideling Hill was made to allow the highway to pass through six miles (10 km) west of Hancock. This exposed a syncline, a trough-shaped fold in the rock of Sideling Hill. An exhibit center was built at the site, and it opened in 1991.

The Interstate 68 designation was originally intended to be applied to US 50 (the John Hanson Highway) from Interstate 95/Capital Beltway to Annapolis, Maryland. This section now carries the unsigned I-595 designation.

[edit] Future

The Mon-Fayette Expressway is a major highway project extending from I-376 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania via Uniontown, Pennsylvania and destined to end at I-68 in West Virginia near the Cheat Lake Interchange (Exit 10). Ground was broken in West Virginia in the 1990s during the tenure of Governor Cecil Underwood. When completed, the WV portion of the highway will be designated as WV 43. The official name of this highway in Pennsylvania is the James J. Manderino Highway.^[1]

Interstate 268 has been proposed as a designation for the West Run Expressway, a planned northeast bypass of Morgantown, West Virginia, connecting to I-79 in Pennsylvania.

Ohio and West Virginia have jointly projected the completion of the interstate to Moundsville, West Virginia and on to connect to I-70 in Ohio. This would allow traffic to completely bypass I-70 in Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The two states began this project by building an interstate quality bridge across the Ohio River at Moundsville.

[edit] Exit list

[edit] West Virginia

This section contains a table that is missing mileposts for one or more junctions. Please help by adding the missing mileposts.

County	Location	Mile	#	Destinations	Notes
Monongalia		0		I-79 - Fairmont, Washington PA
			1	US 119 (University Avenue) - Downtown Morgantown	Access to Grafton, West Virginia University and Tygart Lake State Park.
	Brookhaven		4	WV 7 (Earl Core Road) - Sabraton	Access to Morgantown and Masontown.
			7	WV 705 Airport, Pierpont Road	CR 857 provides access to West Virginia University's Mountaineer Field and US 119 and WV 705. CR 857 not shown on guide signs.
	Cheat Lake		10	CR 857 (Fairchance Road) - Cheat Lake
Preston	Coopers Rock State Forest		15	CR 73/12 (Old Route 73) - Coopers Rock
	Bruceton Mills		23	WV 26 - Bruceton Mills, Albright	Access to Kingwood.
	Hazelton		29	CR 5 (Hazelton Road) - Hazelton	Access to USP Hazelton prison.
	Maryland state line.

[edit] Maryland

County	Municipality	Mile[2]	#	Destinations	Notes
continues from West Virginia
Garrett	Friendsville	3.8	4	Maryland Route 42 / Friendsville Road - Friendsville (to U.S. 219)	trucks for Luke: use
		13.8	14	U.S. 40 west / National Pike / U.S. 219 south / Garrett Highway - Oakland, Addison PA	south is former route of ; and join
	Grantsville	19.2	19	Maryland Route 495 / Yoder Street-Bittinger Road - Bittinger
		22.2	22	US 219 north / Chestnut Hill Road - Salisbury PA	diverges from
		24.0	24	Lower New Germany Road / Avilton Road - Piney Grove
		29.8	29	Maryland Route 546 north / Finzel Rd.-Beall School Road - Finzel	runs north of
Allegany	Frostburg	33.3	33	Maryland Route 736 / Midlothian Road-Braddock Rd. - Midlothian
		35.0	34	Maryland Route 36 / New George's Creek Rd. - Frostburg, Westernport (to MD 55)
		39.2	39	U.S. 40 Alt west / National Highway / Maryland Route 53 / Winchester Rd. - Frostburg, Cresaptown (to U.S. 220)	: Westbound entrance/exit only; : eastbound entrance only
		39.9	40	Maryland Route 658 / Campground Rd.-Vocke Rd. - to MD 49 and MD 53	No immediate westbound re-entry, traffic must use WEST.
			41	Seton Drive - to MD 49	Westbound exit only
	Cumberland	42.3	42	U.S. 220 south / Greene Street-McMullen Highway, Fletcher Drive - Keyser WV	Fletcher Drive: eastbound exit and westbound entrance; US 220 has full access; US 220 joins
	Cumberland/Ridgeley WV	43.6	43A	Johnson St., Beall St. - to WV 28 Alt	Kelly Rd: eastbound entrance only; Johnson St: eastbound access only; Beall St: westbound access only
	Cumberland	43.9	43B-C	Maryland Route 51 / Industrial Blvd.-Liberty St.-Howard St.-Centre St.-Queen City Dr. - Oldtown	Howard St: westbound exit only; Centre St: westbound exit only; Liberty St: full westbound access; Queen City Dr: eastbound exit only; Industrial Blvd: eastbound exit only
		44.2	43D	Maryland Avenue
		44.9	44	U.S. 40 Alt west / Baltimore Avenue / Maryland Route 639 east / Willowbrook Road - Allegany College of Maryland
		45.8	45	Maryland Route 952 north / Hillcrest Drive / Columbus Ave.	: westbound access only; Columbus Ave: eastbound access only
				Maryland Route 807A / Naves Cross Rd. - to MD 144	eastbound entrance and exit only
		46.5	46	US 220 north / MD 144 / Baltimore Pike - Cumberland Valley PA
		47.2	47	Maryland Route 144 / Baltimore Pike-Dehaven Road	: westbound entrance only, full eastbound access available; Delhaven Rd: westbound entrance only
		51.3	50	Maryland Route 948D / Pleasant Valley Road - Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort (to MD 144)
		52.5	52	Maryland Route 144 / Old National Pike-Sunset Orchard Rd.	westbound exit and eastbound exit
		55.6	56	Maryland Route 144 / Old National Pike-Flintstone Drive - Flintstone	: eastbound access only; Flintstone Dr: westbound access only
		62.9	62	U.S. 40 Scenic / Fifteen Mile Creek Rd. / Maryland Route 144 / Old National Pike - Green Ridge State Forest
		64.2	64	MV Smith Road
		68.7	68	Orleans Road - Piney Grove (to U.S. 40 Scenic)
		71.6	72	U.S. 40 Scenic / Old National Pike-High Germany Road
Washington		73.6	74	U.S. 40 Scenic / Old National Pike-High Germany Road-Mountain Road	westbound and eastbound exit only
	crosses Sideling Hill
		77.2	77	U.S. 40 Scenic west / National Pike / Maryland Route 144 east / Western Pike-Woodmont Rd.
	Hancock	81.1	82A	U.S. 522 south - Hancock, Winchester
		81.1	82B	Interstate 70 east / U.S. 40 east - Hagerstown	mainline route through interchange
		81.1	82C	Interstate 70 west / U.S. 522 north - Breezewood PA
ends at

[edit] See also

• Interstate Highways in West Virginia
• Sideling Hill

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Roads to the Future - National Freeway (I-68)
• Economic Development History of Interstate 68 in Maryland

edit Main Interstate Highways (multiples of 5 in pink)
4	5	8	10	12	15	16	17	19	20	22	24	25	26	27	29	30
35	37	39	40	43	44	45	49	55	57	59	64	65	66	68	69
70	71	72	73	74	75	76 (W)		76 (E)		77	78	79	80	81	82
83	84 (W)		84 (E)		85	86 (W)		86 (E)		87	88 (W)		88 (E)		89	90
91	93	94	95	96	97	99	(238)		H-1		H-2		H-3
Unsigned			A-1		A-2		A-3		A-4		PRI-1		PRI-2		PRI-3
Lists		Primary			Main - Intrastate - Suffixed - Future - Gaps
		Auxiliary			Main - Future - Unsigned
		Other			Standards - Business - Bypassed

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