U.S. Route 50 in Maryland

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U.S. Route 50
George Washington Highway, John Hanson Highway, Blue Star Memorial Highway, Ocean Gateway
Length: 150.06 mi[1] (241.50 km)
route is two separate segments within Maryland
Formed: 1926
West end: US 50 at WV state line near Redhouse
Major
junctions:		 US 219 in Redhouse

MD 295 near Washington D.C.
I-95/I-495 near New Carrollton
MD 3 / US 301 in Bowie
I-97 in Annapolis
MD 404 near Wye Mills
US 13 in Salisbury
US 113 in Berlin
East end: MD 528 in Ocean City (start of westbound)

MD 378 in Ocean City (end of eastbound)
Highways in Maryland
< MD 49 MD 51 >
State highways - Minor - Former - Turnpikes

U.S. Route 50 in Maryland is a highway that crosses Maryland in two sections. The longer of these two sections serves as a major route connecting Washington, D.C. with Ocean City. The other section runs through Garrett County for less than 10 miles as part of the Northwestern Turnpike, and enters West Virginia at both ends. Some major towns and cities in Maryland served by the route include Bowie, Annapolis, Easton, Cambridge, Salisbury, and Ocean City.

Contents

[edit] Counties Traversed

US 50 passes through the following Maryland counties:

[edit] Cities and towns

See also: List of cities and towns along U.S. Route 50

[edit] Route description

[edit] George Washington Highway

See also: U.S. Route 50 in West Virginia

A portion of US 50 runs through Garrett County along the old Northwestern Turnpike for less than 10 miles in Maryland. Today this section of the highway is named George Washington Highway after George Washington. US 50 intersects only two numbered highways along this stretch: US 219 in Redhouse, and MD 560 east of there. In sharp contrast to the longer of US 50's two Maryland segments, this section is a quiet two-lane rural highway with little traffic.

[edit] John Hanson Highway

See also: Interstate 595 (Maryland)

The John Hanson Highway, named for John Hanson, was the first section of US 50 to be upgraded to a freeway in Maryland. It runs from Washington D.C.'s New York Avenue to Maryland Route 2 outside of Annapolis. Between the Capital Beltway and Annapolis' Rowe Boulevard, the John Hanson Highway is part of the Interstate Highway System as Interstate 595, although this designation is not displayed on signs. Part of the John Hanson Highway in Prince George's County has HOV lanes, as is common with many freeways near Washington, DC. US 301 merges with the highway in Bowie and remains overlapped with US 50 and I-595 through Annapolis (where I-595 ends) and over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge until reaching Queenstown on the Eastern Shore.

[edit] Blue Star Memorial Highway

In Annapolis, US 50 becomes a blue star memorial highway, and past the end of the John Hanson Highway, it takes on the name "Blue Star Memorial Highway". This designation continues east across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the split with US 301 where US 301 picks up the designation and keeps it until passing the Delaware state line. The US 50/301 portion of the Blue Star Memorial Highway was upgraded to a freeway mostly during the late 1980s and early 1990s; prior to this it was only a divided highway with several local roads intersecting it. After being upgraded, many of these intersections became sharp right-in/right-out ramps.

[edit] Ocean Gateway

Sign used alongside US 50 shields along Ocean Gateway.
Sign used alongside US 50 shields along Ocean Gateway.
Nighttime view of the sign at the eastern terminus of US 50 in Ocean City, indicating the distance to the western terminus in Sacramento, California.
Nighttime view of the sign at the eastern terminus of US 50 in Ocean City, indicating the distance to the western terminus in Sacramento, California.

US 50 becomes known as Ocean Gateway in Queenstown after the split with 301 and keeps this name up to its terminus in Ocean City. Continuing east from the US 50/US 301 split south of Queenstown, the highway intersects Maryland Route 213 and Maryland Route 404, two major rural highways on the Delmarva Peninsula. Between these two intersections, US 50 begins following a north/south path, although it continues to be signed as east/west. After reaching Cambridge, it resumes an east/west path after crossing the Choptank River. The route bypasses the town of Vienna and crosses the Nanticoke River north of the town.

Approaching Salisbury, the route diverges onto the Salisbury Bypass, a partial 3/4 beltway around the city; the four-mile segment connecting US 50 to the eastern portion of the bypass was completed in September 2002. Business US 50, the former routing of US 50, goes directly through Salisbury, following US 50's pre-2002 routing.

On the final stretch toward Ocean City, Maryland Route 90 branches off toward the northern part of the city, bypassing the town of Berlin, while US 50 passes through Berlin, interchanging with US 113 near the town. The route continues to Downtown Ocean City. Although the route's ceremonial eastern terminus is at Maryland Route 528, Philadelphia Avenue, eastbound US 50 actually continues past MD 528 and ends at Maryland Route 378, Baltimore Avenue, a short distance from the Ocean City Boardwalk.

[edit] History

While the portion of U.S. 50 in Garret County has remained largely unchanged, the eastern portion has changed significantly since the route was established in 1926. Originally, the eastern portion of U.S. 50 ended at Church Circle in Annapolis, near St. Anne's Church. In 1948, in anticipation of the construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the route was extended to Ocean City. This extension brought the route across the bay via an existing ferry service, and U.S. 50 replaced much of Maryland Route 404 and U.S. Route 213 on the Eastern Shore. The bridge was completed in 1952 and replaced the ferry, which had been in service since the 1930s. The John Hanson Highway was completed soon afterwards and the older alignment was redesignated Maryland Route 450. Further upgrades an realignments of U.S. 50 took place at later times. These included the addition of the second span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the upgrading of the John Hanson Highway from four to six lanes, the extension of the freeway portion to Queenstown and the dualization of the entire route on the Eastern Shore.

[edit] Points of interest

[edit] Junction list

Exits are numbered from west to east, in accordance with AASHTO guidelines.

County Location Mile # Destinations Notes
West Virginia state line
Garrett Redhouse 2.1 US 219 (Garrett Highway) – Oakland Former MD 37
9.1 MD 560 (Gorman Road) - Mountain Lake Park
US 50 exits and reenters Maryland via West Virginia, Virginia, and District of Columbia
Prince George's Cheverly 0.2 MD 295 north (Baltimore-Washington Parkway) – Baltimore eastbound exit, westbound entrance;
B-W Parkway joins westbound and splits eastbound
0.5 MD 201 south (Kenilworth Avenue) to DC 295/I-295 - Kenilworth, Washington, D.C.
0.5 MD 201 north (Kenilworth Avenue) to MD 459 – Greenbelt
1.6 MD 459 west (Columbia Park Road) – Cheverly, Metro Station eastbound exit, westbound entrance
Landover 2.8 MD 202 (Landover Road) – Upper Marlboro, Bladensburg
Landover Hills 4.1 5 MD 410 (East-West Highway) – Glenarden
New Carrollton 4.5 US 50PA (Ardwick-Ardmore Rd.) - New Carrollton Station westbound exit;
road is unsigned spur of US 50
5.0 7 I-95 (Capital Beltway) / I-495 – Baltimore, Richmond Signed as exits 7A (south) and 7B (north)
Western terminus of unsigned I-595
6.1 8 MD 704 (Martin Luther King Jr. Highway) – Glenarden
Bowie 11.7 11 MD 197 (Collington Road) – Bowie
13.1 13 US 301 south / MD 3 north (Robert Crain Highway) – Upper Marlboro, Crofton Signed as exits 13A (US 301 south), 13B (MD 3 north) and 13C (Belair Drive)
West end of US 301 overlap
Anne Arundel 16.5 16 MD 424 (Davidsonville Road) – Davidsonville, Crofton
Annapolis 21.2 21 I-97 north / MD 665 east – Baltimore, Downtown Annapolis
23.0 22 MD 450 (Defense Highway) to MD 178 – Parole, Crownsville
23.5 23 MD 2 south (Solomons Island Road) – Edgewater West end of MD 2 overlap
24.8 24A-B MD 70 south (Rowe Boulevard-Bestgate Road) – Annapolis Signed as exits 24A (MD 70 south) and 24B (Bestgate Road) westbound
Eastern terminus of unsigned I-595
Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge over Severn River
Arnold 26.7 27 MD 2 north / MD 450 south (Governor Ritchie Highway) – Baltimore, Severna Park, Naval Academy Signed as exits 27A (MD 450 south) and 27B (MD 2 north) westbound;
East end of MD 2 overlap
MD 648 north (Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard) direct turnoff from westbound carriageway
27.6 28 Bay Dale Drive - Bay Hills Golf Club
29.2 29 MD 179 / MD 908 / MD 931 (St. Margarets Road, Busch's Frontage Road, Cape St. Claire Road, East College Parkway) Signed as exits 29A (MD 179) and 29B (Cape St. Claire Road) eastbound
Sandy Point 30.6 31 MD 908 east (Whitehall Road) direct turnoff from eastbound carriageway
31.4 32 MD 908 north (Oceanic Drive) - Sandy Point State Park
Chesapeake Bay Bridge over Chesapeake Bay
Queen Anne's Stevensville 37.2 37 MD 8 (Romancoke Road) to MD 18 – Stevensville, Romancoke
37.9 38A MD 835A north (Thompson Creek Road, Duke Street) Thomspon Creek Rd: roundabout on ramp, 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 MD 18 (Castle Marina Road, Cox Neck Road) Castle Marina Rd: westbound entrance and exit;
Cox Neck Rd: eastbound exit and entrance
Chester 39.5 39B MD 552 (Dominion Road, Chester Station Lane) to MD 18 MD 552: eastbound exit and entrance;
Chester Station Ln: westbound entrance and exit
40.1 40A Piney Creek Road right-in/right-out entrance/exit
40.5 40B Dundee Avenue eastbound exit and entrance
Kent Narrows 40.8 41 MD 18 (Main Street, Piney Narrows Road) – Kent Narrows West MD 18: eastbound exit and entrance;
Piney Narrows Rd: westbound entrance and exit
Kent Narrows Bridge over Kent Narrows
41.9 42 MD 18 (Main Street) / MD 835 west (Kent Narrows Road) – Kent Narrows East MD 18: eastbound entrance and exit;
MD 835: westbound entrance and exit
Grasonville 42.8 43A MD 18 (Main Street) / MD 835 (Long Point Road, Jackson Creek Road) – Grasonville MD 18: eastbound entrance and exit;
MD 835: westbound entrance and exit
43.4 43B To MD 18 to MD 835 (Chester River Beach Road) westbound entrance; eastbound entrance and exit
43.8 44A To MD 18 (Station Lane, VFW Avenue) Station Ln: eastbound exit and entrance;
VFW Ave: westbound entrance and exit
44.2 44B MD 835 (Winchester Creek Road, Evans Avenue) to MD 18 MD 835: westbound entrance and exit;
Evans Ave: eastbound exit and entrance
44.5 45A To MD 18 to MD 835 (Homeport Drive, Hess Road) Homeport Dr: westbound entrance and exit; Hess Rd: eastbound exit and entrance
44.9 45B To MD 18 to MD 835 (Nesbit Road)
Queenstown 46.1 46 US 301 north (Blue Star Memorial Highway) – Warwick, Wilmington DE eastbound exit and westbound entrance;
East end of US 301 overlap
East end of expressway section
Queenstown 46.3 MD 18 (Main Street)
47.7 MD 456 north (Del Rhodes Avenue) to US 301
49.1 Carmichael Rd.
50.7 MD 662 south (Wye Mills Road) – Wye Mills Former US 50
Wye Mills 51.6 MD 213 – Centreville, Chesapeake City Former US 213
53.1 MD 404 – Denton, Rehoboth
Talbot 55.4 MD 662 north (Old Wye Mills Road) – Wye Mills Former US 50/US 213
55.8 MD 662 south (Wye Mills Easton Road) Former US 50/US 213
57.7 MD 662 (Wye Mills Easton Road) Former US 50/US 213
Easton 61.8 MD 309 north (Cordova Road) – Cordova
62.7 MD 322 south (Easton Parkway) to MD 33 – St. Michaels
64.2 MD 328 (Matthewstown Road, Goldsborough Road) – Denton
64.5 MD 331 (Dover Road) – Preston former US 213 before construction of Choptank River bridge
65.4 To MD 565 (Dutchmans Lane)
66.9 MD 322 north / MD 565 north (Easton Parkway) to MD 33 – St. Michaels
67,7 MD 565 south (Old Trappe Road)
Trappe 73.02 To MD 565 (Main Street, Barber Road)
Frederick C. Malkus Bridge over Choptank River
Dorchester Cambridge 79.3 Maryland Avenue
80.1 MD 343 west (Washington Street) – Hudson
80.8 MD 16 west (Gypsy Hill Road) – Church Creek West end of MD 16 overlap
81.2 MD 750 east (Old Route 50) frontage road
82.0 MD 750 west (Old Route 50) frontage road
83.5 MD 16 east (Mt. Holly Road) – East New Market East end of MD 16 overlap
93.5 To Marsh Road - Vienna Former US 50/MD 731
Vienna 94.5 MD 331 – Vienna, Rhodesdale Interchange
Nanticoke Memorial Bridge over Nanticoke River
Wicomico 97.1 MD 731 north (Old Bradley Road) frontage road
97.5 MD 731 west (Marsh Road) Former US 50
Mardela Springs 99.9 MD 313 north (Delmar Road) to MD 54 – Sharptown, Delmar
104.8 MD 347 south (N Main Street) – Hebron
105.9 MD 670 west (Lillian Street) – Hebron
Salisbury 107.8 US 50 Bus. east (Salisbury Parkway) – Salsibury Interchange;
Former US 50
West end of expressway section
111.37 US 13 north (Ocean Highway) / US 13 Bus. southname2=Salisbury Boulevard – Salsibury, Dover US 13 Bus. is former US 13
114.46 US 13 south (Salisbury Bypass/Ocean Highway) / US 50 Bus. west (Salisbury Parkway) - Norfolk
East end of expressway section
118.96 MD 992 (Eastside Road) frontage road
124.6 MD 354 (Powellville Road) to MD 12 to MD 346 – Powellville
Worcester 126.93 MD 610 north (Whaleyville Road) – Whaleyville
129.23 MD 90 east (Ocean City Expressway) to US 113 – Ocean Pines, Ocean City Interchange
131.05 MD 346 (Old Ocean City Road) – Whaleyville, Berlin Former US 50
131.79 MD 992 (Caleb Road) to MD 346 frontage road
Berlin 132.8 MD 818 (Main Street) to US 113 Former US 113
133.13 US 113 (Worcester Highway) – Snow Hill, Dover Interchange
133.96 MD 346 west (Old Ocean City Road) Former US 50
134.47 MD 452 north (Friendship Road, Seahawk Road) to MD 575
135.73 MD 589 north (Racetrack Road) to MD 90
136.55 US 50WA - to Holly Grove Rd. south frontage road
138.2 MD 707 east (Old Bridge Road) frontage road
Ocean City 139.02 MD 611 south (Stephen Decatur Highway) - Assateague Island, Chincoteague Island
Harry W. Kelly Memorial Bridge over Isle of Wight Bay (Sinepuxent Bay)
140.42 MD 528 south (Philadelphia Avenue) one-way southbound street
140.49 MD 378 north (Baltimore Avenue) one-way northbound street

[edit] Related routes

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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U.S. Route 50
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