Had I-95 been completed through Washington, DC along the current I-395 routing and northeastward, it would have come in here to merge with the current route. As it is, the ramp from I-495 EB (clockwise) to I-95 (picture 1) is two lanes, with a third merge lane from the truck weigh station to the south (which is only there because there were ramps to nowhere), but it could easily hold at least one and maybe two more lanes, as planned I-95 would have given it. By the second photo, the extra space has migrated over to the right, where the "real" I-95 merges in from I-495 WB (counter-clockwise). The ramps from 495 probably would each have been one lane in the build-all scenario, but we'll never know that.


Not only are the signs original, but so are the supports - the flared box section spanning the highway is the only thing like it I've ever seen, while the bent-arm spans are reminiscent of those in Connecticut. The smiley drum on the ICC sign needs a name to go along with Frédéric Laflèche in Québec. I will call him... Donald Drum. All rights reserved.


Closeups of the Exit 29 signs on those stylish gantries.


Construction of MD 200 and its future interchange with I-95.


Apparently, Baltimore moved in the last half-century by at least a mile (or, since they patched both digits, maybe at least four miles?). This is the first mention of New York City on I-95 at least as far back as the I-295 merge north of Richmond, so unless there's one there, it's the farthest south of all, and only there for the DC-NYC commuters.


One of these signs is not like the other, and it's the one with a real MD SR shield (i.e. has the state name inside). I use a lot of parentheses, don't I? Of note is how far north the MD Welcome Center is - I don't see why it's that much worse to have one on each entrance of I-495, because after you've been in Maryland for half an hour you're less likely to need to be introduced to it. Or, after a half hour, you'll want to run into a tree at high speed, especially if it's rush hour.


And Papa Bear's Sign was Too Large, but Baby Bear's Sign was Just Right. No optical tricks used here. Or anywhere else on the site, for that matter. You can breathe easier now.


There is another sign before this one telling you how much shorter the Harbor Tunnel Freeway (I-895) is. This is the beginning of the route, though there is a SPUR I-895 leading to I-97 and MD 2 (it's only signed to I-895 and I-97 though, depending on direction, no SPUR signage). Gee, that's a lot of parentheses.


Older signs mingling with the newer, as well as another (button copy!) ampersand appearing on a Maryland BGS. On the first sign, you can see the outline of where MD 166 was on top and I-195 did not exist.


How dare MDSHA sully this stub exit ramp with Clearview! It's not even northbound signage! This stub ramp was intended to take I-95 NB traffic to I-70 WB through Leakin Park. The Leakin Park alignment was never built due to environmental concerns, forcing 70 to end at a Park and Ride lot just east of I-695 (well, it could have just ended nowhere, but Maryland wanted to put some use to it). I-170 was decommissioned at that time, just about a mile short of where it was supposed to meet I-70.


The ramp from I-70 EB would have joined the C-D road from Exit 50 (US 1) before merging into I-95. There are more stubs on the north side of the Inner Harbor where I-83 was supposed to continue to meet I-95.


The only button copy inside the Baltimore Beltway on I-95, and the graceful over-water I-395 interchange. What was the ONLY if not an EXIT?


This time, the signs are new, but a couple of the shields are old, and saving space on the pull-through BGS leads to awkward arrows. To find out why this interchange has left exits, visit the southbound page, linked below.


This will be (or maybe is) the new NB ramp to MD 155 EB, replacing the current diamond ramp. 155 is a great cutoff from I-95 to US 40 just before crossing the Susquehanna River, given the I-95 weekend traffic that can back up for miles before any tollbooth. If only US 40 were free, it would be swamped too. US 1 is the southernmost free crossing (or at least the southernmost one practical to through traffic) of the river, but it's only useful for traffic going to Central or North Jersey, and is much slower through PA than US 40 to I-295 to US 1.

Over to the SB side
Into the Chesapeake and Maryland Houses (service areas)
Back south to I-95/495
Back to I-95 main page

Into DE on I-95
Exit 46 to I-895
Exit 49 or 64 to I-695
Exit 49B to I-70
Exit 49B to I-83
Onto MD 295
Exit 53 to I-395
I-95 between the Beltways and the JFK Memorial Highway (I-95 north of Baltimore) on Steve Anderson's dcroads.net
Back to Maryland Roads
Back to Roads