U.S. Route 40 Alternate (Hagerstown–Frederick, Maryland)
| |
---|---|
Major junctions | |
West end | Potomac Street in Hagerstown |
East end | US 40 in Frederick |
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | Maryland |
Counties | Washington, Frederick |
Highway system | |
U.S. Route 40 Alternate (US 40 Alternate) is an alternate route of US 40 in the U.S. state of Maryland. The highway runs 22.97 miles (36.97 km) from Potomac Street in Hagerstown east to US 40 in Frederick. US 40 Alternate parallels US 40 and much of Interstate 70 (I-70) to the south through eastern Washington County and western Frederick County. The alternate route connects Hagerstown and Frederick with Funkstown, Boonsboro, Middletown, and Braddock Heights. US 40 Alternate crosses two major north–south components of the Blue Ridge Mountains that separate the Great Appalachian Valley and the Piedmont: South Mountain between Boonsboro and Middletown and Catoctin Mountain, which is locally known as Braddock Mountain, at Braddock Heights.
US 40 Alternate is the old alignment of US 40. The highway's path was blazed in the mid-18th century to connect the
Route description
US 40 Alternate is a part of the National Highway System as a principal arterial from Edgewood Drive in Funkstown to its underpass of I-70 south of Funkstown and from Old Hagerstown Road near Middletown to US 40 in Frederick.[1][2][3]
Hagerstown to South Mountain
US 40 Alternate begins as Baltimore Street at its intersection with one-way southbound Potomac Street within the Hagerstown Historic District on the southern edge of downtown Hagerstown. Baltimore Street, which continues west as a city street toward the Hagerstown City Park, runs east–west two blocks south of US 40, which comprises a one-way pair of Washington Street eastbound and Franklin Street westbound. After heading east for two blocks, during which US 40 Alternate intersects one-way northbound Locust Street, the municipally-maintained alternate route turns southeast onto Frederick Street at a five-way junction that also includes north–south Mulberry Street. US 40 Alternate intersects Memorial Boulevard, which heads east past the former site of Municipal Stadium. The highway meets a CSX rail spur at grade while passing through an industrial area that extends to the southern city limits of Hagerstown at Kenly Avenue.[1][4]
US 40 Alternate continues southeast as a state-maintained highway that passes the historic home Garden Hill and crosses Antietam Creek into Funkstown, where the highway's name changes to Westside Avenue. Within the Funkstown Historic District, the alternate route turns east onto Baltimore Street, then southeast onto Frederick Street. At the southern town limits of Funkstown, US 40 Alternate becomes Boonsboro Pike, which passes through farmland as it parallels Antietam Creek. The highway passes under I-70 (Eisenhower Memorial Highway) with no access and intersects Poffenberger Road, which leads west to the historic home Valentia. The highway veers away from Antietam Creek just past the historic Cool Hollow House. It then passes through the hamlet of Benevola and traverses Landis Spring Branch and Beaver Creek on its way to Boonsboro.[1][4]
US 40 Alternate enters the town of Boonsboro and its name changes to Main Street at its intersection with Maryland Route 68 (MD 68) (Lappans Road). The highway meets the south end of MD 66 (Maple Avenue) next to the Bowman House and the east end of MD 34 (Potomac Street) in the center of town. US 40 Alternate leaves the town of Boonsboro after its roundabout with MD 67 (Rohrersville Road). The alternate route continues southeast as Boonsboro Pike and starts to ascend South Mountain. At the summit, known as Turner's Gap, US 40 Alternate intersects Washington Monument Road, which leads north to Washington Monument State Park, and passes the Dahlgren Chapel and the Old South Mountain Inn.[1][4]
South Mountain to Frederick
US 40 Alternate's name changes to Old National Pike as it intersects the
East of Middletown, US 40 Alternate passes through a suburban area then begins to ascend Braddock Mountain. The highway gains a climbing lane eastbound to the top of the mountain, which contains the community of Braddock Heights. On the descent of Braddock Mountain, US 40 Alternate expands to a four-lane road, with one lane eastbound, two lanes westbound, and a center turn lane. At the base of the mountain, the alternate route temporarily expands to a four-lane divided highway through its half-diamond interchange with I-70, which has ramps to and from the direction of Frederick. East of I-70, US 40 Alternate reduces to two lanes and passes the Highland Lodge. The alternate route reaches its eastern terminus at a partial intersection with US 40 (Patrick Street) at the western edge of Frederick and the Frederick Golden Mile, a heavily commercialized area east to US 15 (Frederick Freeway). There is no direct access from eastbound US 40 Alternate to westbound US 40 or from eastbound US 40 to the westbound alternate route; those movements are made by using Old Camp Road.[1][4]
History
Early paths and turnpikes
The portion of US 40 Alternate between Frederick and Boonsboro roughly follows the Monocacy Road, a pack-horse trail blazed by settlers from Pennsylvania around 1730. The trail connected
The Baltimore and Fredericktown Turnpike Company was chartered in 1805 to build a road along the 62-mile (100 km) path from Baltimore to Boonsboro. This turnpike was the first step in connecting Baltimore with Cumberland, the eastern terminus of the just-commenced National Road. By 1808, the turnpike had been completed west 20 miles (32 km) from Baltimore and another 17 miles (27 km) was under construction.
State road construction and bypass
In 1909, the nascent
Around 1926, US 40 received its first improvement when concrete shoulders were added to expand the roadway from 14 feet (4.3 m) to 20 feet (6.1 m) in width.[18][19] By 1934, MDSRC recommended widening the highway to 30 feet (9.1 m) from 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Frederick to 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Hagerstown.[20] Ultimately, the commission decided to construct a new highway between the two cities that would shorten the distance by 1.25 miles (2.01 km) and bypass the sharp curves and limited sight distances of the old road.[21] Grading and drainage work on the new highway began in 1936 and was completed in 1938 for the first roadway of what would ultimately become a divided highway.[21][22] The first 20-foot (6.1 m) wide concrete roadway was constructed from downtown Hagerstown southeast to near Beaver Creek Road in 1938.[22][23] Surfacing of the remainder of the relocated National Pike was delayed by World War II; construction resumed in 1946 and the new highway opened in 1948.[24][25][26]
The relocated National Pike was originally designated US 40 Alternate; the old and new roads switched to their present designations in 1952.[26][27] Despite the construction of a new highway, improvements continued on the original road. Trolley tracks of the Hagerstown and Frederick Railway were removed from the highway in Funkstown and the street was resurfaced in 1940.[28] Hill climbing lanes were added for a length of 800 to 1,000 feet (240 to 300 m) on both sides of Braddock Mountain and South Mountain around 1942.[29] The highway between Funkstown and Boonsboro had curves modified and was widened and resurfaced in 1949.[30] US 40 Alternate from US 40 in Frederick west to Braddock Mountain underwent the same type of work in 1951 and 1952.[31]
Junction list
County | Location | mi [1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington | Hagerstown | 0.00 | 0.00 | Potomac Street south / Baltimore Street west | Western terminus; Potomac Street is one-way southbound |
Boonsboro | 9.16 | 14.74 | MD 68 west (Lappans Road) – Williamsport | Eastern terminus of MD 68 | |
9.75 | 15.69 | MD 66 north (Maple Avenue) – Smithsburg | Southern terminus of MD 66 | ||
10.21 | 16.43 | MD 34 west (Potomac Street) – Sharpsburg | Eastern terminus of MD 34 | ||
10.95 | 17.62 | MD 67 south (Rohrersville Road) – Harpers Ferry | Roundabout; northern terminus of MD 67 | ||
Frederick | Middletown | 17.77 | 28.60 | MD 17 (Church Street) – Myersville, Burkittsville | |
Baltimore, Washington | I-70 exit 49; westbound exit from and eastbound entrance to I-70 | ||||
Frederick | 22.97 | 36.97 | US 40 east (Patrick Street) | Eastern terminus; no direct access from eastbound US 40 Alternate to westbound US 40 or from eastbound US 40 to westbound US 40 Alternate | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
See also
- Maryland Roads portal
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Highway Information Services Division (December 31, 2013). Highway Location Reference. Maryland State Highway Administration. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
- Washington County (PDF). pp. 108–114.
- Frederick County (PDF). pp. 118–122.
- ^ National Highway System: Hagerstown, MD (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. October 1, 2012. Retrieved 2015-05-15.
- ^ National Highway System: Frederick, MD (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. October 1, 2012. Retrieved 2015-05-15.
- ^ a b c d e Google (2010-11-05). "U.S. Route 40 Alternate (Hagerstown–Frederick, Maryland)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
- ^ a b MDSRC, pp. 10–11.
- ^ MDSRC, p. 14.
- ^ MDSRC, p. 12.
- ^ MDSRC, p. 29.
- ^ MDSRC, pp. 31–32.
- ^ MDSRC, p. 32.
- ^ MDSRC, p. 33.
- ^ Clark, William Bullock (1899). Report on the Highways of Maryland. Baltimore: Maryland Geological Survey. pp. 232, 251. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ a b Shoemaker, S.M.; Clark, William Bullock; Lloyd, Charles B. (May 1912). Annual Reports of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1908–1911 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 36. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ Maryland Geological Survey (1910). Map of Maryland (PDF) (Map). Baltimore: Maryland Geological Survey.
- ^ Weller, O.E.; Parran, Thomas; Miller, W.B.; Perry, John M.; Ramsay, Andrew; Smith, J. Frank (May 1916). Annual Reports of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1912–1915 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. pp. 110, 114, 120. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ Zouck, Frank H.; Uhl, G. Clinton; Mudd, John F. (January 1920). Annual Reports of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1916–1919 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 19. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ Maryland Geological Survey (1927). Map of Maryland: Showing State Road System and State Aid Roads (PDF) (Map). Baltimore: Maryland Geological Survey.
- ^ Mackall, John N.; Darnall, R. Bennett; Brown, W.W. (January 1927). Annual Reports of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1924–1926 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 55. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ Uhl, G. Clinton; Bruce, Howard; Shaw, John K. (October 1, 1930). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1927–1930 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 82. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ Byron, William D.; Lacy, Robert (December 28, 1934). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1931–1934 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 19. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ a b Tabler, H.E.; Wilkinson, C. Nice; Luthardt, Frank F. (December 4, 1936). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1935–1936 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. pp. 2, 88. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ a b Beall, J. Glenn; Jarboe, Elmer R.; Obrecht, George F., Sr. (March 4, 1939). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1937–1938 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 1. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Maryland State Roads Commission (1939). General Highway Map: State of Maryland (PDF) (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission.
- ^ Reindollar, Robert M.; Webb, P. Watson; McCain, Russell H. (February 1, 1947). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1945–1946 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 108. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ Reindollar, Robert M.; George, Joseph M.; McCain, Russell H. (February 15, 1949). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1947–1948 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. pp. 136–137. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ a b Maryland State Roads Commission (1948). Maryland: Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission.
- ^ Maryland State Roads Commission (1952). Maryland: Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission.
- ^ Whitman, Ezra B.; Webb, P. Watson; Thomas, W. Frank (March 15, 1941). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1939–1940 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. pp. 27–28. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ Whitman, Ezra B.; Webb, P. Watson; Thomas, W. Frank (March 15, 1943). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1941–1942 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 102. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ Reindollar, Robert M.; George, Joseph M.; McCain, Russell H. (December 20, 1950). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1949–1950 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. pp. 170, 177. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ McCain, Russell H.; Hall, Avery W.; Nichols, David M. (December 15, 1952). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1951–1952 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 192. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
Work cited
- A History of Road Building in Maryland. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. December 15, 1958. Retrieved 2011-03-20.
External links