U.S. Route 40 Scenic
| |
---|---|
Major junctions | |
West end | Fifteen Mile Creek Road in Green Ridge State Forest |
I-68 / US 40 in multiple locations | |
East end | MD 144 near Hancock |
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | Maryland |
Counties | Allegany, Washington |
Highway system | |
U.S. Route 40 Scenic (US 40 Scenic) is a
The scenic route includes an officially referenced and fully state-maintained section that runs 9.50 miles (15.29 km) from Fifteen Mile Creek Road in
Route description
US 40 Scenic begins as Fifteen Mile Creek Road on the edge of Green Ridge State Forest 0.05 miles (0.080 km) south of the eastbound ramps for Exit 62 of I-68 and US 40 (National Freeway). Fifteen Mile Creek Road continues south as an unimproved road through Green Ridge State Forest. US 40 Scenic passes over I-68 and passes by the westbound Exit 62 ramps before intersecting the eastern end of MD 144 (Old National Pike), which heads west as the local complement to the National Freeway. The scenic route continues as National Pike, crosses
The referenced portion of US 40 Scenic continues east to its official terminus at
US 40 Scenic continues south as National Pike from the junction of its two directions as a county-maintained, three-lane road, two lanes eastbound and one lane westbound, ascending Sideling Hill. During the climb, the scenic route intersects McFarland Road, the original alignment of US 40 that heads west to the official eastern terminus of US 40 Scenic. As US 40 Scenic approaches the top of Sideling Hill, the eastbound climbing lane ends. The scenic route makes a hairpin turn to the north and begins to descend the mountain, again a three-lane road but with two lanes westbound. US 40 Scenic curves to the east and then to the southeast, paralleling and gradually approaching I-68.[2] The westbound climbing lane ends just west of the scenic route's eastern terminus at MD 144 (Western Pike) just south of I-68 Exit 77.[1][2]
History
US 40 Scenic is the old alignment of US 40 over Town Hill and Sideling Hill, two of the many north–south ridges of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians between Cumberland and Hancock that needed to be crossed first by the Baltimore and Cumberland Turnpike, then US 40, and most recently I-68. The portion of US 40 Scenic from its western terminus over Town Hill to Sideling Hill Creek follows the original alignment of the turnpike and US 40 except for deviations at both ends due to construction of the new alignments of US 40 and I-68. The Baltimore and Cumberland Turnpike and later US 40 rose abruptly from Sideling Hill Creek to climb the west flank of Sideling Hill, following what is today McFarland Road east, turning south at Hixon Road, and continuing south along the same line, now abandoned, to join the present line at the top of the mountain. On the east flank, the old road began along the current alignment, then turned east a short distance south of the present curve to the east for a steeper descent that followed Western Pike before joining the present alignment a short distance west of MD 144.[5]
The original state road between Cumberland and Hancock was paved from Fifteen Mile Creek to Green Ridge in 1913, Green Ridge to Sideling Hill Creek in 1915, and from Sideling Hill Creek to the modern MD 144 junction in 1914.[6] Early improvements to the state road included a new bridge over Fifteen Mile Creek in 1917, a new bridge over Sideling Hill Creek in 1925, and the modification of a nasty curve just east of the new Sideling Creek Bridge at the same time.[7][8] The road became part of US 40 in 1927.[9] The highway was widened and curves banked and modified in 1929 and 1930 as part of improvements over 47 miles (76 km) of US 40 between Cumberland and Hagerstown.[10] Passing lanes 800 to 1,000 feet (240 to 300 m) in length were added on Sideling Hill around 1942.[11]
Despite the improvements, Sideling Hill remained a formidable obstacle to traffic between Cumberland and Hancock until a construction project began in 1949 to build a new highway over the mountain.[12] US 40 was relocated for 6.94 miles (11.17 km) from just west of Sideling Hill Creek east over the mountain to just west of the modern MD 144 intersection. The relocation involved a box culvert over Little Bear Creek and a high level bridge over Sideling Hill Creek. The new roadway was held to a maximum gradient of 6 percent and had a third climbing lane for 90 percent of the length of the relocation.[13] By the time the project was completed in 1952, over 1,300,000 cubic yards (990,000 m3) of earth had been excavated.[12][14]
US 40 Scenic was assigned to old US 40 from Fifteen Mile Creek Road over Town Hill to the Mann Road intersection when US 40 was moved to its and I-68's present alignment over Town Hill in 1965.[15] US 40 was expanded to a divided highway and moved to a new alignment from High Germany Road to the sweeping curve that is now Exit 74 in 1983.[16][17] The section of old US 40 from the 1949–1952 Sideling Hill relocation immediately around Sideling Hill Creek was dismantled. The upgraded US 40 became a part of I-68 that passes through a cut in Sideling Hill around 1987.[18] The old alignment over Sideling Hill was transferred to county maintenance and designated US 40 Scenic around 1989.[19] However, US 40 Scenic temporarily followed the old McFarland Road alignment of US 40 on the west side of Sideling Hill until the completion of Exit 74 in 1991.[20]
Junction list
The entire officially referenced portion of US 40 Scenic is in a sparsely populated area of eastern Allegany County.
mi [1] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
0.00 | 0.00 | Fifteen Mile Creek Road south – Green Ridge State Forest | Western terminus | ||
0.18 | 0.29 | I-68 / US 40 (National Freeway) – Cumberland, Hancock | I-68 Exit 62 | ||
0.27 | 0.43 | MD 144 west (Old National Pike) – Flintstone | Old alignment of US 40 | ||
5.77 | 9.29 | Orleans Road south to MD 948Z | |||
5.86 | 9.43 | Orleans Road north | To PA 26 | ||
7.23 | 11.64 | Mann Road north | US 40 Scenic turns south at this intersection | ||
7.32 | 11.78 | Turkey Farm Road west | US 40 Scenic turns east at this intersection | ||
8.78 | 14.13 | High Germany Road north to I-68 / US 40 | The official and signed portions of US 40 Scenic split at this intersection. | ||
9.50 | 15.29 | Bridge over Sideling Hill Creek | Washington County line; official eastern terminus | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
See also
- Maryland Roads portal
References
- ^ a b c d e f Highway Information Services Division (December 31, 2013). Highway Location Reference. Maryland State Highway Administration. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
- Allegany County (PDF).
- Washington County (PDF).
- ^ a b c d e Google (November 3, 2010). "U.S. Route 40 Scenic: Eastbound as Signed" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-11-03.
- ^ a b c Google (November 3, 2010). "U.S. Route 40 Scenic: Westbound as Signed" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-11-03.
- ^ a b Google (November 3, 2010). "U.S. Route 40 Scenic: Official Reference" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-11-03.
- ^ Paw Paw, MD quadrangle (Map) (1900 ed.). 1:48,000. 15 Minute Series (Topographic). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ 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. 108, 114. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ 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. 18. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ 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. pp. 55, 60. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ Maryland Geological Survey (1927). Map of Maryland: Showing State Road System and State Aid Roads (PDF) (Map). Baltimore: Maryland Geological Survey.
- ^ 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. pp. 81, 87. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ 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. 101. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ a b McCain, Russell H.; Bennett, Edgar T.; Kelly, Bramwell (November 12, 1954). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1953–1954 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 209. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ 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. p. 170. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ 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. 190. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ Maryland State Roads Commission (1965). Maryland: Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission.
- ^ Staff (2011). "NBI Structure Number: 100000210147014". National Bridge Inventory. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
- ^ Maryland State Highway Administration (1983). Maryland: Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map) (1983–1984 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Highway Administration.
- ^ Maryland State Highway Administration (1987). Maryland: Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Highway Administration.
- ^ Maryland State Highway Administration (1989). Maryland: Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Highway Administration.
- ^ Maryland State Highway Administration (1991). Maryland: Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Highway Administration.