Maryland Route 20
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 20 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Maryland
. The state highway runs 13.74 miles (22.1 km) from Beach Road and Lawton Avenue in Rock Hall
east to MD 291
in Chestertown
. MD 20, which connects Chestertown with several villages in western Kent County
, was designated one of the original state roads to be improved by the Maryland State Roads Commission
in 1909. The first section of the highway was completed near Fairlee
in 1915. The highway east to Chestertown and southwest to Rock Hall was completed in the late 1910s. MD 20 was relocated south of Fairlee in the mid 1920s, at Fairlee in the mid 1950s, and in Rock Hall in the mid 1960s. The eastern terminus was rolled back from downtown Chestertown to MD 291 in the late 1980s. Another section of MD 20 was constructed in southeastern Baltimore County
between Fort Howard
and Baltimore in the early 1920s. The two MD 20s were connected by a ferry across the Chesapeake Bay
in the mid-1920s. The western MD 20 was bypassed by MD 151
from Edgemere
to Baltimore in the early 1940s and removed from the state highway system in the late 1990s.
(Main Street) and heads through a commercial strip as a three-lane road with center turn lane. The state highway reduces to two lanes and its name changes to Rock Hall Road upon leaving the town limits, after which the highway intersects the old alignment of MD 20, MD 674 (Sharp Street) and MD 288
(Crosby Road). MD 20 curves to the northeast, passing through a mix of farmland and forest with scattered residences.
Shortly after crossing Shipyard Creek, MD 20 intersects MD 21
(Tolchester Beach Road). The state highway meets the southern terminus of MD 298
(Fairlee Road), then curves to the east outside of the village of Fairlee. At Old Fairlee Road, the highway's name changes to Chestertown Road and the highway passes through farmland. MD 20 intersects the northern end of MD 446
(Broad Neck Road) before crossing the East Fork of Langford Creek. The state highway intersects the southern end of MD 514
(Flatland Road) before curving to the southeast, crossing Radcliffe Creek, and entering the town limits of Chestertown. Shortly thereafter, MD 20 reaches its eastern terminus at an intersection with the western terminus of MD 291 (Morgnec Road), which leads to MD 213
. The roadway continues southeast as High Street toward downtown Chestertown.
The first major realignment of MD 20 occurred between Fairlee and Shipyard Creek. A straight alignment was constructed between MD 21 and Shipyard Creek, bypassing Sandy Bottom Road and Ricauds Branch Road, by 1927. Also in 1927, MD 20 became one of the original state-numbered highways. The state highway was widened from Chestertown to Rock Hall in 1948 and from Rock Hall to the western terminus in 1954. A new alignment of MD 20 was constructed to the east of Fairlee around 1955. The state highway originally followed Sharp Street and Main Street west to the intersection of Main Street and Rock Hall Avenue in Rock Hall. MD 20 was moved to an eastward extension of Rock Hall Avenue, bypassing the center of Rock Hall, in 1967. MD 20's eastern terminus in downtown Chestertown was retracted to College Avenue in 1985 and to its present terminus at MD 291 in 1989.
MD 20 was also assigned to North Point Road in southeastern Baltimore County as one of the original state-numbered highways in 1927. The state highway was constructed from Edgemere to the community of North Point in Dundalk by 1921. MD 20 was extended north to US 40 in Baltimore and south toward Fort Howard in 1923. The state highway's southern terminus was at the intersection of North Point Road with an interurban
that connected Baltimore with Bay Shore Amusement Park, a summer resort that operated between 1906 and 1947 within what is now North Point State Park
. Between 1923 and 1927, a ferry operated between the amusement park and Rock Hall that briefly indirectly connected the two MD 20s. The portion of MD 20 from Edgemere to Baltimore was bypassed by MD 151 between 1940 and 1944; MD 151 was extended north from Edgemere as a four-lane divided highway as a defense access project to better connect Baltimore with the Bethlehem Steel
complex at Sparrows Point. The remaining disjoint sections of MD 20 between Fort Howard and Baltimore were removed from the state highway system by 1999.
.
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=4|Rock Hall
|0.00
|Beach Road south / Lawton Avenue north
|Western terminus
|-
|1.38
|, Eastern Neck Island
|
|-
|1.88
|
|
|-
|2.03
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Fairlee
|6.60
|
|
|-
|7.93
|
|
|-
|
|11.60
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Chestertown
|13.55
|
|
|-
|13.74
|
|Eastern terminus
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The state highway runs 13.74 miles (22.1 km) from Beach Road and Lawton Avenue in Rock Hall
Rock Hall, Maryland
Rock Hall is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,396 at the 2000 census.The town is a center for the fishing, crabbing, and oystering industries in Kent County as well as a home to marinas that cater to the pleasure craft that sail the Chesapeake Bay...
east to MD 291
Maryland Route 291
Maryland Route 291 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 20 in Chestertown east to the Delaware state line east of Millington, where the highway continues east as Delaware Route 6...
in Chestertown
Chestertown, Maryland
Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,746 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kent County. The ZIP code is 21620 and the area codes are 410 and 443...
. MD 20, which connects Chestertown with several villages in western Kent County
Kent County, Maryland
Kent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, on its Eastern Shore. It was named for the county of Kent in England. Its county seat is Chestertown. In 2010, the county population was 20,197...
, was designated one of the original state roads to be improved by the Maryland State Roads Commission
Maryland State Highway Administration
The Maryland State Highway Administration is the state agency responsible for maintaining Maryland numbered highways outside of Baltimore City...
in 1909. The first section of the highway was completed near Fairlee
Fairlee, Maryland
Fairlee, Maryland is an unincorporated community in Kent County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
in 1915. The highway east to Chestertown and southwest to Rock Hall was completed in the late 1910s. MD 20 was relocated south of Fairlee in the mid 1920s, at Fairlee in the mid 1950s, and in Rock Hall in the mid 1960s. The eastern terminus was rolled back from downtown Chestertown to MD 291 in the late 1980s. Another section of MD 20 was constructed in southeastern Baltimore County
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
between Fort Howard
Fort Howard, Maryland
Fort Howard is an unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is the location of Fort Howard, a former military establishment and the site of a British landing during the War of 1812....
and Baltimore in the early 1920s. The two MD 20s were connected by a ferry across the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
in the mid-1920s. The western MD 20 was bypassed by MD 151
Maryland Route 151
Maryland Route 151 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as North Point Boulevard, the state highway runs from 7th Street in Sparrows Point north to U.S. Route 1 in Baltimore...
from Edgemere
Edgemere, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,248 people, 3,530 households, and 2,513 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 855.6 people per square mile . There were 3,764 housing units at an average density of 348.2/sq mi...
to Baltimore in the early 1940s and removed from the state highway system in the late 1990s.
Route description
MD 20 begins at an intersection with Beach Road and Lawton Avenue in the town of Rock Hall just east of where Swan Creek empties into the Chesapeake Bay. The state highway heads east as Rock Hall Avenue, a two-lane road that passes by a few residential neighborhoods and a few marinas. In the downtown area of Rock Hall, MD 20 intersects MD 445Maryland Route 445
Maryland Route 445 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from Eastern Neck Island in the southwest corner of Kent County north to MD 21 in Tolchester Beach. MD 445 connects Rock Hall with the Tolchester Beach area as well as Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge...
(Main Street) and heads through a commercial strip as a three-lane road with center turn lane. The state highway reduces to two lanes and its name changes to Rock Hall Road upon leaving the town limits, after which the highway intersects the old alignment of MD 20, MD 674 (Sharp Street) and MD 288
Maryland Route 288
Maryland Route 288 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Crosby Road, the state highway runs from MD 20 in Rock Hall east to Long Cove Public Landing on the Piney Neck peninsula in western Kent County. MD 288 was constructed in the mid 1920s.-Route description:MD 288 begins...
(Crosby Road). MD 20 curves to the northeast, passing through a mix of farmland and forest with scattered residences.
Shortly after crossing Shipyard Creek, MD 20 intersects MD 21
Maryland Route 21
Maryland Route 21 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Tolchester Beach Road, the state highway runs from MD 445 in Tolchester Beach east to MD 20 near Fairlee in western Kent County...
(Tolchester Beach Road). The state highway meets the southern terminus of MD 298
Maryland Route 298
Maryland Route 298 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 20 in Fairlee east to MD 291 near Chesterville. MD 298 is a C-shaped highway that connects Fairlee, MD 213, and Millington with several villages in central Kent County, including Worton, Lynch,...
(Fairlee Road), then curves to the east outside of the village of Fairlee. At Old Fairlee Road, the highway's name changes to Chestertown Road and the highway passes through farmland. MD 20 intersects the northern end of MD 446
Maryland Route 446
Maryland Route 446 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Broad Neck Road, the state highway runs from Broad Neck in southwestern Kent County north to MD 20 near Chestertown. The northern half of MD 446 was constructed around 1930...
(Broad Neck Road) before crossing the East Fork of Langford Creek. The state highway intersects the southern end of MD 514
Maryland Route 514
Maryland Route 514 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 20 in Chestertown north to MD 298 in Melitota...
(Flatland Road) before curving to the southeast, crossing Radcliffe Creek, and entering the town limits of Chestertown. Shortly thereafter, MD 20 reaches its eastern terminus at an intersection with the western terminus of MD 291 (Morgnec Road), which leads to MD 213
Maryland Route 213
Maryland Route 213 is a state highway located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the United States. The route runs from Maryland Route 662 in Wye Mills, Queen Anne's County north to the Pennsylvania border in Cecil County, where it continues into that state as Pennsylvania Route 841...
. The roadway continues southeast as High Street toward downtown Chestertown.
History
The Chestertown–Rock Hall highway was one of the roads designated for improvement by the Maryland State Roads Commission in 1909. The highway between Fairlee and near Broad Neck Road was paved in 1915. The gap between Broad Neck Road and Chestertown, including High Street within the town, was constructed in 1917 and 1918. The segment from Fairlee to Shipyard Creek was built in 1918. The remainder of the highway from Shipyard Creek through Rock Hall to Gratitude was completed between 1919 and 1921.The first major realignment of MD 20 occurred between Fairlee and Shipyard Creek. A straight alignment was constructed between MD 21 and Shipyard Creek, bypassing Sandy Bottom Road and Ricauds Branch Road, by 1927. Also in 1927, MD 20 became one of the original state-numbered highways. The state highway was widened from Chestertown to Rock Hall in 1948 and from Rock Hall to the western terminus in 1954. A new alignment of MD 20 was constructed to the east of Fairlee around 1955. The state highway originally followed Sharp Street and Main Street west to the intersection of Main Street and Rock Hall Avenue in Rock Hall. MD 20 was moved to an eastward extension of Rock Hall Avenue, bypassing the center of Rock Hall, in 1967. MD 20's eastern terminus in downtown Chestertown was retracted to College Avenue in 1985 and to its present terminus at MD 291 in 1989.
MD 20 was also assigned to North Point Road in southeastern Baltimore County as one of the original state-numbered highways in 1927. The state highway was constructed from Edgemere to the community of North Point in Dundalk by 1921. MD 20 was extended north to US 40 in Baltimore and south toward Fort Howard in 1923. The state highway's southern terminus was at the intersection of North Point Road with an interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
that connected Baltimore with Bay Shore Amusement Park, a summer resort that operated between 1906 and 1947 within what is now North Point State Park
North Point State Park
North Point State Park is a Chesapeake Bay waterfront park located in Edgemere, MD. The park is situated on the grounds that once were the home of Bay Shore Amusement Park, which was one of the premiere amusement parks in Maryland from 1906 - 1947...
. Between 1923 and 1927, a ferry operated between the amusement park and Rock Hall that briefly indirectly connected the two MD 20s. The portion of MD 20 from Edgemere to Baltimore was bypassed by MD 151 between 1940 and 1944; MD 151 was extended north from Edgemere as a four-lane divided highway as a defense access project to better connect Baltimore with the Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
complex at Sparrows Point. The remaining disjoint sections of MD 20 between Fort Howard and Baltimore were removed from the state highway system by 1999.
Junction list
The entire route is in Kent CountyKent County, Maryland
Kent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, on its Eastern Shore. It was named for the county of Kent in England. Its county seat is Chestertown. In 2010, the county population was 20,197...
.
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=4|Rock Hall
Rock Hall, Maryland
Rock Hall is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,396 at the 2000 census.The town is a center for the fishing, crabbing, and oystering industries in Kent County as well as a home to marinas that cater to the pleasure craft that sail the Chesapeake Bay...
|0.00
|Beach Road south / Lawton Avenue north
|Western terminus
|-
|1.38
|, Eastern Neck Island
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, a part of the Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex, is a island located at the confluence of the Chester River and the Chesapeake Bay...
|
|-
|1.88
|
|
|-
|2.03
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Fairlee
Fairlee, Maryland
Fairlee, Maryland is an unincorporated community in Kent County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
|6.60
|
|
|-
|7.93
|
|
|-
|
|11.60
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Chestertown
Chestertown, Maryland
Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,746 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kent County. The ZIP code is 21620 and the area codes are 410 and 443...
|13.55
|
|
|-
|13.74
|
|Eastern terminus