Interstate 97
Encyclopedia
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
. Originally seen as a spur route, to be designated Interstate 297, it was planned to be built along the Maryland Route 3
corridor, but the proposed route was canceled because of local opposition. Completed in 1993, I-97 is currently the shortest two-digit interstate highway in the country, the only two-digit interstate highway on the U.S. mainland located entirely within one county, and the only two-digit interstate highway on the U.S. mainland that does not connect to any other two-digit interstate highways.
/US 301
/unsigned I-595
with a pair of collector distributor roadways feeding directly into I-97 at a directional-T interchange. To the south, the same C/D roads become Maryland Route 665
as a direct freeway spur into Annapolis
. Directly afterward, I-97 passes over Maryland Route 450
with no interchange. The road continues northwest, weaving through a heavily wooded area with very few interactions with other roads. Its first interchange is with Maryland Route 178
, though it is only accessible from the southbound carriageway, and traffic only enters into the northbound. There are no northbound off-ramps until exit 7, where the route interchanges with the ends of both Maryland Route 3
and Maryland Route 32
. Within this interchange, Interstate 97 turns to the northeast and follows the former Maryland Route 3
, shifting from a rural Interstate with few exits to a more urban one.
Along the former MD 3 corridor that Interstate 97 now follows, development begins to grow closer to the highway, and the route's road surface changes from asphalt to concrete for the remainder of the route. In Glen Burnie the route interchanges with Maryland Route 3 Business, a former alignment of MD 3 that now no longer connects directly to its parent route. Beyond this, it interchanges with Maryland Route 100
, another important freeway in Anne Arundel County. It passes over the Baltimore Light Rail
as it crosses and interchanges with Maryland Route 648
a little while later, near Cromwell Station
.
Interstate 97 ends outside of Baltimore at an interchange with the Baltimore Beltway
, one of a series of interconnected interchanges which includes Maryland Route 2
and a spur of Interstate 895
. The main carriageways become the I-895 spur, while the ramps to the westbound Beltway become the latter route's main travel lanes.
.
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
located entirely within Anne Arundel County, Maryland
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It runs from 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...
at the overlapped section
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
of US 50
U.S. Route 50
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. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
, US 301
U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 301 is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It currently runs 1,099 miles from Glasgow, Delaware at U.S. Route 40 to Sarasota, Florida. It passes through the states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida...
, and the unsigned I-595
Interstate 595 (Maryland)
Interstate 595 is an unsigned number for a section of the John Hanson Highway from Interstate 495 east of Washington, D.C. to Maryland Route 70 at Annapolis, Maryland....
to Baltimore at the city's beltway
Interstate 695 (Maryland)
Interstate 695 is a -long full beltway Interstate Highway extending around Baltimore, Maryland, USA. I-695 is officially designated the McKeldin Beltway, but is colloquially referred to as either the Baltimore Beltway or 695...
. Originally seen as a spur route, to be designated Interstate 297, it was planned to be built along the 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:...
corridor, but the proposed route was canceled because of local opposition. Completed in 1993, I-97 is currently the shortest two-digit interstate highway in the country, the only two-digit interstate highway on the U.S. mainland located entirely within one county, and the only two-digit interstate highway on the U.S. mainland that does not connect to any other two-digit interstate highways.
Route description
Interstate 97 begins at US 50U.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...
/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...
/unsigned I-595
Interstate 595 (Maryland)
Interstate 595 is an unsigned number for a section of the John Hanson Highway from Interstate 495 east of Washington, D.C. to Maryland Route 70 at Annapolis, Maryland....
with a pair of collector distributor roadways feeding directly into I-97 at a directional-T interchange. To the south, the same C/D roads become 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...
as a direct freeway spur into 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...
. Directly afterward, I-97 passes over 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...
with no interchange. The road continues northwest, weaving through a heavily wooded area with very few interactions with other roads. Its first interchange is with Maryland Route 178
Maryland Route 178
Maryland Route 178, known locally as Generals Highway, is a north–south highway in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It parallels Interstate 97 and once was the main eastbound route to Annapolis, Maryland. It begins at its intersection with Maryland Route 450 in Parole, near the Westfield...
, though it is only accessible from the southbound carriageway, and traffic only enters into the northbound. There are no northbound off-ramps until exit 7, where the route interchanges with the ends of both 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:...
and Maryland Route 32
Maryland Route 32
Maryland Route 32 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from Interstate 97 and MD 3 in Millersville west and north to Washington Road in Westminster. The east–west portion of MD 32 is the Patuxent Freeway, a four- to six-lane...
. Within this interchange, Interstate 97 turns to the northeast and follows the former 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:...
, shifting from a rural Interstate with few exits to a more urban one.
Along the former MD 3 corridor that Interstate 97 now follows, development begins to grow closer to the highway, and the route's road surface changes from asphalt to concrete for the remainder of the route. In Glen Burnie the route interchanges with Maryland Route 3 Business, a former alignment of MD 3 that now no longer connects directly to its parent route. Beyond this, it interchanges with Maryland Route 100
Maryland Route 100
Maryland Route 100 is a major east–west highway connecting U.S. Route 29 in Ellicott City and MD 177 in Pasadena. MD 100 also connects to Interstate 95 , US 1, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway , and I-97...
, another important freeway in Anne Arundel County. It passes over the Baltimore Light Rail
Baltimore Light Rail
The Maryland Transit Administration Light Rail is a light rail system serving Baltimore, Maryland, United States, and the surrounding suburbs.In downtown Baltimore it uses city streets...
as it crosses and interchanges with Maryland Route 648
Maryland Route 648
Maryland Route 648 is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These highways are sections of Baltimore–Annapolis Boulevard, the old alignment of MD 2 between Annapolis and Glen Burnie. These segments were bypassed when MD 2 was moved to Governor Ritchie Highway, a...
a little while later, near Cromwell Station
Cromwell Station/Glen Burnie (Baltimore Light Rail station)
Cromwell Station/Glen Burnie is one of two southern terminal stops on the Baltimore Light Rail. It is also one of two stations within Glen Burnie, Maryland. Trains depart Cromwell/Glen Burnie bound for Timonium or Hunt Valley...
.
Interstate 97 ends outside of Baltimore at an interchange with the Baltimore Beltway
Interstate 695 (Maryland)
Interstate 695 is a -long full beltway Interstate Highway extending around Baltimore, Maryland, USA. I-695 is officially designated the McKeldin Beltway, but is colloquially referred to as either the Baltimore Beltway or 695...
, one of a series of interconnected interchanges which includes 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...
and a spur of Interstate 895
Interstate 895 (Maryland)
Interstate 895 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as the Harbor Tunnel Thruway, the highway runs between one junction with I-95 in Elkridge and another interchange with I-95 on the east side of Baltimore. I-895 is a toll road that crosses the Patapsco River estuary...
. The main carriageways become the I-895 spur, while the ramps to the westbound Beltway become the latter route's main travel lanes.
History
- The originally proposed north–south route was to follow the current Maryland Route 10Maryland Route 10Maryland Route 10, also known as the Arundel Expressway, is a state highway and freeway in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States.-Route description:...
corridor. - The second proposed route included a section of US 50U.S. Route 50U.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. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
/unsigned I-595 between Interstate 95Interstate 95 in MarylandInterstate 95 in Maryland is a major highway that runs diagonally from northeast to southwest, from Maryland's border with Delaware, to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, briefly entering the District of Columbia before reaching Virginia...
and the current I-97 designation. - Two spur routes of I-97 were planned but never built. I-197 would have been 4 miles (6.4 km) long and I-297 would have been 7.7 miles (12.4 km) long.
Exit list
The entire route is in Anne Arundel CountyAnne 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...
.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
0.00 | 0 | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
| 0.12 | 1 | - Richmond 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... , Washington 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.... , 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... , 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... |
Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
| 5.64 | 5 | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
| 6.71 | 7 | |||
| 9.67 | 10 | Veterans Highway, Benfield Boulevard (MD 3C 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:... ) - Severna Park Severna Park, Maryland Severna Park is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 28,507 at the 2000 census.-History:Robinson House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.-Geography:... |
Signed as exits 10A (east) and 10B (west) southbound | |
| Glen Burnie Glen Burnie, Maryland Glen Burnie is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States, and is a suburb of Baltimore. The population was 67,639 at the 2010 census... |
12.10 | 12 | ||
| 13.29 | 13 | |||
| 13.84 | 14 | Signed as exits 14A (east) and 14B (west) | ||
| 14.80 | 15 | Signed as exits 15A (east) and 15B (west) northbound | ||
| Ferndale Ferndale, Maryland Ferndale is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 16,056.-Geography:Ferndale is located at .... |
15.58 | 16 | ||
| Linthicum Linthicum, Maryland Linthicum is a census-designated place and an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 7,539 at the 2000 census. It is the approximate location of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport... |
17.46 | 17 | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; signed as exits 17A (west) and 17B (east) | |
| Brooklyn Park Brooklyn Park, Maryland Brooklyn Park is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 10,938 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Brooklyn Park, MD is located at .... |
17.62 | – Baltimore Harbor Tunnel | Northbound exit and southbound entrance |