Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Interstate 97
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
==History== ===Predecessor highways=== The first modern highway along the path of what is now I-97 followed the corridor from New Cut Road to south of the intersection of MD 178 and Veterans Highway at Dorrs Corner. This highway was intended as a second route from Glen Burnie to Annapolis to complement the highway along the east side of the Severn River; this western route later became known as General's Highway, a name still applied to its MD 178 portion.<ref name="1919 src report"/><ref name="1934 src report"/> Construction of this highway was underway by 1919.<ref name="1919 src report"/> The new highway was completed as a gravel road from New Cut Road to north of Benfield and as a concrete road through Benfield and across Severn Run to near Dorrs Corner by 1921.<ref name="1921 map"/> In 1922, this highway was designated part of Robert Crain Highway, a new highway to connect the Baltimore area with Southern Maryland.<ref name="1926 src report"/> The Glen BurnieāDorrs Corner portion of the new highway was reconstructed and completed as a concrete road from Glen Burnie south through Millersville by 1923.<ref name="1923 map"/> Robert Crain Highway became part of MD 3 in 1927 and then US 301 in 1939 when the US Route was extended from Virginia to Baltimore.<ref name="1927 map"/><ref name="1939 map"/> MD 3 was reconstructed in 1933 and 1934.<ref name="1934 src report"/> The reconstruction eliminated several dangerous curves, particularly near the Severn River, and expanded the highway from a width of {{convert|15|to|20|ft|m}}.<ref name="1934 src report"/> Veterans Highway follows much of that early 1930s course.<ref name="USGS Odenton 1946"/> [[File:2019-07-25 11 21 28 View south along Interstate 97 (Glen Burnie Bypass) from the overpass for Wellham Avenue in Ferndale, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|View south along I-97 from Wellham Avenue in Ferndale]] The next portion of I-97 predecessor highway was built as the four-lane Glen Burnie Bypass from Robert Crain Highway and New Cut Road north to the Baltimore Beltway. Construction on the four-lane freeway began in August 1954 with construction of several bridges over or for the highway; these bridges were completed in 1955 and 1956.<ref name="logbook 1p8"/> The dual roadways and interchange ramps from the southern end of the bypass to MD 648 were constructed starting in March 1955; the concrete-surfaced highway was completed in February 1957. The northernmost portion of the bypass, including the adjacent portion of the Baltimore Beltway, was constructed between December 1955 and September 1957.<ref name="logbook 1p9"/> US 301 was moved onto the bypass and the adjacent portion of the Beltway when the projects were completed in 1957.<ref name="1957 map"/> The small portion of I-97 north of the Beltway was added to the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel project as a direct connection between the Glen Burnie Bypass and the Harbor Tunnel Thruway's southern approach from MD 2 in 1955.<ref name="1956 src report"/> This segment was completed and opened with the tunnel and its approach highways in November 1957.<ref name="1958 src report"/> The Glen Burnie Bypass was constructed with five interchanges: a partial cloverleaf interchange at MD 3 Bus. and New Cut Road; a tighter four-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange at MD 174; a diamond interchange at MD 176; the current four-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange at MD 648; and a half-cloverleaf interchange at I-695 allowing full access between the Glen Burnie Bypass and beltway but no access between the beltway and the Harbor Tunnel Thruway.<ref name="USGS Relay 1960"/> US 301 was expanded to a divided highway from the southern end of the Glen Burnie Bypass to Benfield in 1956 and 1957. The highway's second set of lanes, including a new bridge across the Severn River, was constructed and the existing roadway was reconstructed from Benfield to Millersville between 1957 and 1960.<ref name="logbook 1p9"/> The second set of lanes was built on the west side of what became a very wide median, which allowed businesses to site themselves in the median between the northbound and southbound lanes.<ref name="USGS Odenton 1965"/> During construction of the BenfieldāMillersville stretch, US 301 was relocated to its present course from [[Bowie, Maryland|Bowie]] to the [[Eastern Shore of Maryland|Eastern Shore]] and replaced with MD 3.<ref name="1959 map"/> A pair of ramps between the Glen Burnie Bypass and MD 177's freeway southern bypass of Glen Burnie (now MD 100) were constructed between 1963 and 1965.<ref name="logbook 1p9"/> The first section of highway south of Dorrs Corner was built between 1969 and 1972 as a two-lane segment of MD 32 from east of Odenton to MD 178 in Crownsville.<ref name="logbook 1p9"/><ref name="1972 map"/> The highway used what are now the ramps of I-97's partial interchange with MD 178 and had a five-ramp interchange with MD 3 in Millersville that lacked access from northbound MD 3 to eastbound MD 32 and from westbound MD 32 to southbound MD 3.<ref name="USGS Odenton 1980"/> ===Interstate designation and construction=== [[File:2019-05-21 11 48 12 View north along Interstate 97 (Glen Burnie Bypass) at Exit 14 (Maryland State Route 100, Ellicott City, Gibson Island) on the edge of Severn and Glen Burnie in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|I-97 northbound at the MD 100 interchange in Glen Burnie]] Despite the existence or upcoming construction of two divided highway corridors between Baltimore and Annapolis, a freeway connecting I-695 and US 50 was proposed as early as 1956 in the form of the Arundel Expressway, which would relieve congestion on MD 2.<ref name="Baltimore Sun Route 10"/> The portion of the Arundel Expressway that is today MD 10 was constructed from I-695 to MD 648 in Pasadena between 1970 and 1978.<ref name="Milestones"/> MD 10 was proposed to continue south of Pasadena as a toll road to US 50, but the section of the freeway south of MD 100 was removed from state plans by 1975.<ref name="Baltimore Sun Photo"/><ref name="1975 map"/> MD 10 was completed to its present end in Pasadena in 1991.<ref name="Baltimore Sun Route 10"/> The state of Maryland unsuccessfully petitioned the [[Federal Highway Administration]] for an Interstate designation for a BaltimoreāAnnapolis freeway after passage of the [[Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968]]. However, the state was successful in obtaining Interstate mileage for the BaltimoreāAnnapolis corridor through the 1968 HowardāCramer amendment, which provided for minor adjustments to the Interstate System if no additional costs were incurred.<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part I"/> Much of the mileage of what became I-97 was reallocated from canceled Interstate Highways in Baltimore and the [[Washington, D.C.]] area.<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part V"/> With Interstate funding assured, MDSHA commissioned the BaltimoreāAnnapolis Transportation Corridor Study in 1973 to figure out, among other things, the best route for the BaltimoreāAnnapolis Interstate.<ref name="Baltimore Sun Dorsey"/> The study discovered a western route following the MD 3 and MD 178 corridors would be less disruptive and require fewer acquisitions of homes and businesses compared to an extension of the Arundel Expressway south along the MD 2 corridor.<ref name="BATCS"/> In June 1979, MDSHA announced plans for I-97.<ref name="Milestones"/> The original route numbering plan, which was approved by the [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] (AASHTO) at its November 1975 meeting, was for I-97 to include its current route plus US 50 from Parole west to I-95 (Capital Beltway). That proposal included two auxiliary Interstate highways. I-197 would follow US 50/US 301 east from I-97 to just west of the Severn River.<ref name="AASHTO November 1975"/> I-297 would follow MD 3 between a pair of intersections with I-97 in Millersville and Bowie.<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part V"/><ref name="AASHTO November 1975"/> AASHTO rescinded its approval of the 1975 plan at its June 1981 meeting, then approved what was essentially the original 1975 plan at its June 1982 meeting.<ref name="AASHTO June 1981"/><ref name="AASHTO June 1982"/> The eastāwest segment of I-97 and I-197 was replaced by I-68.<ref name="AASHTO June 1982"/> I-297 was withdrawn by request of the state of Maryland in 1983.<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part V"/> The 1982 concept of I-68 became unsigned I-595 and I-68 was applied to the [[National Freeway]] in [[Western Maryland]] in 1991 after AASHTO approved the new designations at its June 1989 meeting.<ref name="FHWA Interstate System Part V"/><ref name="AASHTO June 1989"/> The first portion of I-97 proper to be constructed was the section south of Millersville, which was placed under construction in three sections in March 1985.<ref name="logbook 3p13"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun Cade Dedication"/> The first section of the highway, from US 50/US 301 to Millersville Road west of the MD 178 interchange, opened in December 1987.<ref name="Milestones"/> Construction of I-97 from Millersville Road to the intersection of MD 3 and MD 178 at Dorrs Corner started in July 1987.<ref name="logbook 3p13"/> The Interstate through Millersville opened in April 1989.<ref name="Milestones"/> The interchange at I-97's southern terminus was originally constructed as a partial interchange, with I-97 tying into what are now the [[collectorādistributor lanes]] of US 50 and US 301.<ref name="1989 map"/><ref name="USGS South River 1993"/> The ramps from eastbound US 50/US 301 to I-97 and from I-97 to the westbound US Routes were added during the reconstruction of US 50/US 301 in 1992 and 1993.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/><ref name="1993 map"/> ===Reconstruction of existing highway=== Reconstruction of the MD 3 divided highway and the Glen Burnie Bypass was a complex operation that involved many temporary openings, lane shifts, construction of new roadways, and reconstruction of existing roadways over several phases over several years.<ref name="Milestones"/> The first improvement was the reconstruction of the I-695 interchange between 1987 and 1991.<ref name="logbook 3p13"/><ref name="1991 map"/> The modern ramps from I-97 to westbound I-695 and from eastbound I-695 to I-97 were built, eastbound I-695's ramp over these two ramps was constructed, and the loop ramp from I-97 to westbound I-695 was removed.<ref name="1991 map"/> I-97 from its interchange with MD 648 to the new beltway ramps was reconstructed to [[Interstate Highway standards]] and expanded to six lanes between May 1993 and August 1995.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun 16 to 17 Widening Start"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun 16 to 17 Widening Finish"/> Part of the functionality of the loop ramp to westbound I-695 was restored in October 1995 when another ramp from the Harbor Tunnel Thruway approach to westbound I-695 was added to allow access from I-97 to MD 648.<ref name="Baltimore Sun MD 648"/> [[File:2016-08-12 14 48 04 View north along Interstate 97 (Robert Crain Highway) just north of Exit 10 in Severna Park, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|I-97 northbound in Severna Park]] Reconstruction of the MD 3 divided highway from Millersville to MD 3 Bus. began in 1987 over two sections. The first section, from north of MD 3 Bus. to north of Benfield Boulevard, began in 1987.<ref name="logbook 3p13"/> The work included the construction of the flyover ramp from northbound I-97 to Veterans Highway just south of MD 3 Bus.<ref name="1989 map"/><ref name="1991 map"/> The section from north of Benfield Boulevard to MD 178 at Dorrs Corner was reconstructed starting in 1989.<ref name="logbook 3p13"/> The second section included construction of the Benfield Boulevard interchange.<ref name="1989 map"/><ref name="1991 map"/> The southbound MD 3 roadway was rebuilt in place as the southbound lanes of I-97. New northbound lanes were built immediately to the east of the southbound lanes.<ref name="1989 map"/><ref name="1991 map"/> In February 1991, the new northbound lanes opened and access from I-97 to Veterans Highway was removed at Dorrs Corner.<ref name="Baltimore Sun 7 to 12 Reconstruction"/> The old northbound lanes were reconstructed and repurposed as a two-lane road, Veterans Highway, later that year.<ref name="1991 map"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun 7 to 12 Reconstruction"/> Anne Arundel County agreed to accept Veterans Highway for maintenance after the I-97ārelated construction concluded in a road transfer agreement on July 21, 1988.<ref name="Memo 1991-11-15"/> MD 3 was truncated at Millersville after I-97 opened in October 1991; signage for MD 3 on I-695 was removed by 1993.<ref name="1991 map"/><ref name="Memo 1991-11-15"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun MD 3 Signage"/> Before reconstruction of the Glen Burnie Bypass from MD 3 Bus. to MD 648 began in November 1993, the Stewart Avenue bridge across the Interstate just south of the MD 100 interchange was replaced and ramps from northbound I-97 to eastbound MD 100 and from westbound MD 100 to southbound I-97 were added between 1990 and 1992.<ref name="Baltimore Sun 12 to 16 Widening Start"/> The freeway was reconstructed to Interstate standards in three sections.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/> The middle section from MD 174 to MD 176 was reconstructed concurrently with the segment of MD 100 west from I-97 to MD 295 starting in 1993.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/> That segment of MD 100, including the MD 100āI-97 interchange, opened in November 1996, and the reconstruction of the middle section of I-97 was finished in July 1997.<ref name="Baltimore Sun MD 100"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun 13 to 15 Widening Finish"/> The sections of I-97 from MD 3 Bus. to MD 174 and from MD 176 to MD 648 and were reconstructed starting in January 1994.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/> The MD 176āMD 648 roadway sectional was completed in March 1996. <ref name="Baltimore Sun 15 to 16 Finish"/> The northern half of the MD 176 interchange was reconstructed as part of the latter project. The new loop ramp from northbound I-97 to westbound MD 176 and the new ramp from MD 176 to northbound I-97 were completed in 1995.<ref name="1995 map"/> The ramp from southbound I-97 to MD 176 was removed during the widening project.<ref name="Baltimore Sun 13 to 15 Widening Finish"/> The pair of ramps between southbound I-97 and MD 162 to replace the removed ramp were constructed between 1996 and 1998.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun 13 to 15 Widening Finish"/><ref name="1999 map"/> The final piece of construction on I-97 was the reconstruction of its interchange with MD 174, which began in 2002 and concluded in 2005.<ref name="logbook 3p15"/><ref name="Baltimore Sun MD 174"/><ref name="Maryland HLR 2005"/>
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)