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Interstate 595 (Maryland)
Encyclopedia
Interstate 595 is an unsigned
number for a section of the John Hanson Highway (U.S. Route 50
and U.S. Route 301
) from Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
east of Washington, D.C.
to Maryland Route 70
at Annapolis, Maryland
.
US 50/I-595 has an HOV
lane in each direction from west of the Beltway to east of US 301, a distance of 8 miles (12.9 km). Unlike other HOV lanes in the Washington metropolitan area, which are only restricted during rush hours, the HOV lanes on I-595 are restricted at all times.
I-595 is the longest unsigned stretch of Interstate Highway on the entire Interstate system, at 19.97 miles (32.14 km) long. It was left unsigned because motorists were already familiar with US 50.
upgrades silently into I-595 within the Capital Beltway interchange. East of the interchange, I-595 is 10 lanes wide; beyond the MD 704
interchange, it narrows to eight lanes, with the innermost two being HOV lanes.
The frequency of the interchanges decreases as the development backs away from the highway, and US 50 passes over or under several routes before interchanging with Maryland Route 197
near Bowie
, using a partial cloverleaf interchange. The highway approaches a residential development as it soon after interchanges with the next major route: US 301
and Maryland Route 3
. Within this interchange, US 301 joins the freeway, creating a three-route concurrency, and the highway exits development again, traveling through mostly woodland.
Up to and slightly beyond the US 301
/Maryland Route 3
interchange, I-595's road surface is concrete; the roadway beyond there is asphalt. Within the US 301 interchange, the HOV lanes that began at the Capital Beltway come to an end.
It interchanges with Maryland Route 424
in the country after turning northwest once more, approaching Annapolis. Before this, however, US 50 interchanges with the southern end of Interstate 97
. Interstate 97 utilizes a directional-T interchange, but then, the two carriageways straddle US 50 as collector and distributor roads, before passing over the highway with another partial interchange and traveling south into Annapolis as a direct freeway spur, now signed as Maryland Route 665
.
After the C/D roads leave, the route passes through the Annapolis urban area, and interchanges with Maryland Route 450
. MD 450 is an older alignment of US 50, which parallels the John Hanson Highway between Annapolis and Washington. Shortly after this, it interchanges with Medical Parkway and Solomons Island Road. Solomons Island Road adds one more route to the multiplex: Maryland Route 2
. The four route concurrency of I-595, US 50, US 301, and MD 2 continue until the next interchange only about a mile later: Maryland Route 70
. Here, the John Hanson Highway designation ends, as does Interstate 595. US 50, US 301, and MD 2 continue along the freeway routing, no longer a part of the Interstate system. However, the physical roadbed was fully upgraded to Interstate standards to the western edge of the Severn River Bridge.
, and Annapolis, was constructed in 1957, and ran from New York Avenue
just outside Washington, D.C.
, to Maryland Route 2
, the Ritchie Highway, north of Annapolis
, connecting to the western approach to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
. The highway was four lanes throughout, and connected to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway
, I-495 and US 301
with full-cloverleaf interchanges.
Due to the increasing use of the highway and the dangerous conditions at the interchanges with the Capital Beltway and US 301, the highway was reconstructed to Interstate standards during 1990 to 1995 between the Capital Beltway and Maryland Route 70
in Annapolis, using funding released from the cancellation of Interstate Highway segments within Baltimore. Originally, it was intended to designate the reconstructed highway as Interstate 68, but with the completion of the National Freeway in far western Maryland in 1991, the Maryland State Highway Administration
chose instead to designate that route as Interstate 68
, leaving the John Hanson Highway to be designated as I-595. In the 1980s, the John Hanson highway was planned to be designated as a part of Interstate 97
between the Capital Beltway and the current I-97 interchange and as Interstate 197 between I-97 and MD 70.
, which was left stranded from the rest of the Interstate Highway System by the cancellation of Interstate 70
within the city limits of Baltimore
. That connector was never built, and Interstate 170 has been redesignated as part of U.S. Route 40
.
to ask why I-595 was not signed. They responded with: "We did not feel that either the posting in the field or the noting on a map would serve any useful purpose for the traveling public".
Unsigned highway
An unsigned highway is a highway that has been assigned a route number, but does not bear conventional road markings that would normally be used to identify the route with that number...
number for a section of the John Hanson Highway (U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 in Maryland
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. In the U.S. state of Maryland, US 50 exists in two sections. The longer of these serves as a major route connecting...
and U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland is a major highway that 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...
) from Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
east of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to Maryland Route 70
Maryland Route 70
Maryland Route 70 is a state highway in Annapolis, Maryland.-Route description:Maryland Route 70 begins at an intersection with Maryland Route 450 in downtown Annapolis, following the dual Bladen Street at its southern beginning. After a few blocks, Rowe Boulevard merges into Bladen Street, and...
at Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
.
US 50/I-595 has an HOV
High-occupancy vehicle lane
In transportation engineering and transportation planning, a high-occupancy vehicle lane is a lane reserved for vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers...
lane in each direction from west of the Beltway to east of US 301, a distance of 8 miles (12.9 km). Unlike other HOV lanes in the Washington metropolitan area, which are only restricted during rush hours, the HOV lanes on I-595 are restricted at all times.
I-595 is the longest unsigned stretch of Interstate Highway on the entire Interstate system, at 19.97 miles (32.14 km) long. It was left unsigned because motorists were already familiar with US 50.
Route description
The existing US 50 freeway east from the Baltimore-Washington ParkwayBaltimore-Washington Parkway
The Baltimore–Washington Parkway is a highway in the U.S. state of Maryland, running southwest from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. The road begins at an interchange with U.S. Route 50 and Maryland Route 201 near Cheverly in Prince George's County at the D.C...
upgrades silently into I-595 within the Capital Beltway interchange. East of the interchange, I-595 is 10 lanes wide; beyond the MD 704
Maryland Route 704
Maryland Route 704 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Martin Luther King Jr. Highway, the state highway runs from Eastern Avenue at the District of Columbia boundary in Seat Pleasant east to MD 450 in Lanham....
interchange, it narrows to eight lanes, with the innermost two being HOV lanes.
The frequency of the interchanges decreases as the development backs away from the highway, and US 50 passes over or under several routes before interchanging with Maryland Route 197
Maryland Route 197
Maryland Route 197 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Laurel–Bowie Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 301 in Bowie north to MD 198 in Laurel. In addition to being the main connection between Bowie and Laurel, MD 197 provides access...
near Bowie
Bowie, Maryland
Bowie is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 54,727 at the 2010 census. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous city and third largest city by area in the state of...
, using a partial cloverleaf interchange. The highway approaches a residential development as it soon after interchanges with the next major route: US 301
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland is a major highway that 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...
and Maryland Route 3
Maryland Route 3
Maryland Route 3, also part of Robert Crain Highway, is the designation given to the former alignment of U.S. Route 301 from Bowie, Maryland, USA, to Baltimore. It is named for Robert Crain of Baltimore.-Route description:...
. Within this interchange, US 301 joins the freeway, creating a three-route concurrency, and the highway exits development again, traveling through mostly woodland.
Up to and slightly beyond the US 301
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland is a major highway that 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...
/Maryland Route 3
Maryland Route 3
Maryland Route 3, also part of Robert Crain Highway, is the designation given to the former alignment of U.S. Route 301 from Bowie, Maryland, USA, to Baltimore. It is named for Robert Crain of Baltimore.-Route description:...
interchange, I-595's road surface is concrete; the roadway beyond there is asphalt. Within the US 301 interchange, the HOV lanes that began at the Capital Beltway come to an end.
It interchanges with Maryland Route 424
Maryland Route 424
Maryland Route 424 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Davidsonville Road, the state highway runs from MD 214 in Davidsonville north to MD 3 in Crofton.-Route description:...
in the country after turning northwest once more, approaching Annapolis. Before this, however, US 50 interchanges with the southern end of Interstate 97
Interstate 97
Interstate 97 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. It runs from Annapolis at the overlapped section of US 50, US 301, and the unsigned I-595 to Baltimore at the city's beltway...
. Interstate 97 utilizes a directional-T interchange, but then, the two carriageways straddle US 50 as collector and distributor roads, before passing over the highway with another partial interchange and traveling south into Annapolis as a direct freeway spur, now signed as Maryland Route 665
Maryland Route 665
Maryland Route 665 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Aris T. Allen Boulevard, the state highway runs from unsigned Interstate 595 , U.S...
.
After the C/D roads leave, the route passes through the Annapolis urban area, and interchanges with Maryland Route 450
Maryland Route 450
Maryland Route 450 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 Alternate in Bladensburg east to US 50, US 301, and MD 2 near Annapolis. MD 450 is the original alignment of US 50 in Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties...
. MD 450 is an older alignment of US 50, which parallels the John Hanson Highway between Annapolis and Washington. Shortly after this, it interchanges with Medical Parkway and Solomons Island Road. Solomons Island Road adds one more route to the multiplex: Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2 is the longest state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Solomons Island in Calvert County north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 40 Truck in Baltimore...
. The four route concurrency of I-595, US 50, US 301, and MD 2 continue until the next interchange only about a mile later: Maryland Route 70
Maryland Route 70
Maryland Route 70 is a state highway in Annapolis, Maryland.-Route description:Maryland Route 70 begins at an intersection with Maryland Route 450 in downtown Annapolis, following the dual Bladen Street at its southern beginning. After a few blocks, Rowe Boulevard merges into Bladen Street, and...
. Here, the John Hanson Highway designation ends, as does Interstate 595. US 50, US 301, and MD 2 continue along the freeway routing, no longer a part of the Interstate system. However, the physical roadbed was fully upgraded to Interstate standards to the western edge of the Severn River Bridge.
History
The John Hanson Highway, US 50's route between Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and Annapolis, was constructed in 1957, and ran from New York Avenue
New York Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
New York Avenue is one of the diagonal avenues radiating from the White House in Washington, D.C. It is a major east-west route in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants and connects downtown with points east and north of the city via Cheverly, Maryland, the John Hanson Highway and the...
just outside Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2 is the longest state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Solomons Island in Calvert County north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 40 Truck in Baltimore...
, the Ritchie Highway, north of Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, connecting to the western approach to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the more urban Western Shore. The original span opened in 1952 and, at the time, with a length of , it was the world's longest...
. The highway was four lanes throughout, and connected to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Baltimore-Washington Parkway
The Baltimore–Washington Parkway is a highway in the U.S. state of Maryland, running southwest from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. The road begins at an interchange with U.S. Route 50 and Maryland Route 201 near Cheverly in Prince George's County at the D.C...
, I-495 and US 301
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland is a major highway that 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...
with full-cloverleaf interchanges.
Due to the increasing use of the highway and the dangerous conditions at the interchanges with the Capital Beltway and US 301, the highway was reconstructed to Interstate standards during 1990 to 1995 between the Capital Beltway and Maryland Route 70
Maryland Route 70
Maryland Route 70 is a state highway in Annapolis, Maryland.-Route description:Maryland Route 70 begins at an intersection with Maryland Route 450 in downtown Annapolis, following the dual Bladen Street at its southern beginning. After a few blocks, Rowe Boulevard merges into Bladen Street, and...
in Annapolis, using funding released from the cancellation of Interstate Highway segments within Baltimore. Originally, it was intended to designate the reconstructed highway as Interstate 68, but with the completion of the National Freeway in far western Maryland in 1991, the Maryland State Highway Administration
Maryland State Highway Administration
The Maryland State Highway Administration is the state agency responsible for maintaining Maryland numbered highways outside of Baltimore City...
chose instead to designate that route as Interstate 68
Interstate 68
Interstate 68 is a Interstate highway in the U.S. states of West Virginia and Maryland, connecting in Morgantown to in Hancock. is also Corridor E of the Appalachian Development Highway System. From 1965 until the freeway's construction was completed in 1991, it was designated as...
, leaving the John Hanson Highway to be designated as I-595. In the 1980s, the John Hanson highway was planned to be designated as a part of Interstate 97
Interstate 97
Interstate 97 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. It runs from Annapolis at the overlapped section of US 50, US 301, and the unsigned I-595 to Baltimore at the city's beltway...
between the Capital Beltway and the current I-97 interchange and as Interstate 197 between I-97 and MD 70.
Former proposed I-595
In the early 1980s, the same route number was proposed for a connector in Baltimore from Interstate 95 to what was then called Interstate 170Interstate 170 (Maryland)
Interstate 170 is the former designation for a freeway in Baltimore, Maryland that is now designated as part of US 40...
, which was left stranded from the rest of the Interstate Highway System by the cancellation of Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
within the city limits of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. That connector was never built, and Interstate 170 has been redesignated as part of U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 in Maryland
U.S. Route 40 in the U.S. state of Maryland runs from western Maryland to Cecil County in the state's northeastern corner. With a total length of over , it is the longest numbered highway in Maryland. Almost half of the road overlaps with Interstate 68 or Interstate 70, while the old alignment...
.
Reasons for lack of signage
In January 2001, highway historian Scott Kozel contacted the Maryland State Highway AdministrationMaryland State Highway Administration
The Maryland State Highway Administration is the state agency responsible for maintaining Maryland numbered highways outside of Baltimore City...
to ask why I-595 was not signed. They responded with: "We did not feel that either the posting in the field or the noting on a map would serve any useful purpose for the traveling public".
Exit list
Because I-595 is an unsigned route that is completely concurrent with US 50, the latter's exit numbers are used.| County | Location | Mile | Exit Exit number An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore.... |
Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George's Prince George's County, Maryland Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation.... |
Landover Landover, Maryland Landover is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, within the census-designated place of Greater Landover. The Prince Georges County Sports and Learning Complex is in Landover... |
||||
| 0.0 | 7 | , Richmond, VA Richmond, Virginia Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area... |
|||
| 0.29 | 8 | ||||
| Bowie Bowie, Maryland Bowie is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 54,727 at the 2010 census. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous city and third largest city by area in the state of... |
6.68 | 11 | – Bowie State University Bowie State University Bowie State University , is a public university located on 355½ acres in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, north of the suburban city of Bowie. Bowie State is part of the University System of Maryland... |
||
| 8.08 | 13 | Begin US 301 concurrency | |||
| Anne Arundel Anne Arundel County, Maryland Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state... |
11.5 | 16 | |||
| Annapolis Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is... |
16.28 | 21 | I-97 terminates at I-595 | ||
| 18.0 | 22 | ||||
| 18.45 | 23 | No eastbound off-ramp, MD 2 joins I-595 | |||
| 19.72 | 24 | US 50, US 301, and MD 2 continue east of MD 70 |