Maryland Route 23
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 23 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Maryland
. The state highway runs 20.58 miles (33.1 km) from U.S. Route 1
(US 1) in Hickory north and west to the Pennsylvania
state line near Norrisville
, where the highway continues as Pennsylvania Route 24
(PA 24). MD 23 is an L-shaped highway in northwestern Harford County
that consists of two major sections. Between US 1 and MD 165
in Jarrettsville
, MD 23 is marked east–west along a two-lane controlled access road named East–West Highway. From MD 165 to the state line, the state highway is marked north–south along Norrisville Road, a rural two-lane highway that passes through the villages of Madonna and Shawsville. The two sections of MD 23 are connected by a short concurrency
with MD 165.
MD 23 from Hickory to Jarrettsville was one of the original state highways marked for improvement by the Maryland State Roads Commission in 1909 and one of the original state-numbered highways in 1927. The state road was constructed from Hickory to Jarrettsville and from Norrisville to the state line in the early to mid-1910s. The gaps between Jarrettsville and Shawsville and from Shawsville to Norrisville were filled in the early 1920s. East–West Highway was constructed in the early 1960s to replace the parallel Jarrettsville Road. MD 23's eastern terminus was moved to US 1's new bypass of Hickory in 2000.
; Commerce Road heads north into an industrial park surrounding Forest Hill Airport. After crossing over Bynum Run and the Ma and Pa Trail
, a rail trail
along the abandoned right-of-way of the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad
, MD 23 intersects MD 24 (Rocks Road/Rock Springs Avenue) just south of Forest Hill
. MD 23 continues west through a mix of farmland and forest, passing south of the hamlet of Fairview
and crossing over Phillips Mill Road and Morse Road before East–West Highway reaches its western terminus at MD 165 (Baldwin Mill Road) south of Jarrettsville.
MD 23 turns north and joins MD 165 in a concurrency to the center of Jarrettsville. MD 165 continues north as Federal Hill Road and MD 23 joins its original alignment, which heads east as Jarrettsville Road. MD 23 heads west through farmland as Norrisville Road, where the highway intersects MD 146 (Jarrettsville Pike) and Madonna Road in the village of Madonna. The state highway gradually curves to the north through Shawsville, where MD 23 intersects two highways that head west into Baltimore County
, MD 138 (Troyer Road) and MD 439 (Old York Road). The state highway makes a sharp, curvaceous descent to a crossing of Deer Creek
, next to which is the historic Ivory Mills
complex. MD 23 ascends out of the forested creek valley into Norrisville and meets the north end of MD 136 (Harkins Road). The state highway continues north to just south of the Pennsylvania state line. MD 23 turns west and closely parallels the state line for about 2000 feet (609.6 m) before the highway veers northwest to cross the border. The highway continues north as PA 24 (Barrens Road) toward Stewartstown.
Jarrettsville Road was replaced by East–West Highway, which was under construction by 1961 and completed in 1963. The MD 23 designation was moved to the new highway and Jarrettsville Road was immediately transferred to county maintenance. At its eastern end, East–West Highway was constructed to tie into the Bel Air Bypass that was completed in 1965 and was proposed to continue to east of Hickory. Close to its eastern end, MD 23 curved south to an intersection with Granary Road. MD 23 turned east onto Granary Road for its eastern terminus at US 1 (now US 1 Business). East–West Highway continued south as MD 23A; at Bynum Road, MD 23A became a one-lane ramp that joined the Bel Air Bypass. In 2000, the Hickory Bypass was completed; US 1 was moved to the new bypass and US 1 Business was extended along US 1's old route through Hickory. As part of the same project, MD 23 was extended east to an new terminus at the Hickory Bypass. East–West Highway's curve to the south was replaced with a perpendicular intersection with MD 23A, which was renamed Water Tower Way, extended north to new MD 23, and gained a ramp from northbound US 1 at its southern end. The portion of Granary Road that formed MD 23's terminus was designated MD 23B. Both MD 23A and MD 23B were transferred to Harford County maintenance in 2002. MD 23's roundabout at Commerce Road in Forest Hill was constructed in 2008.
.
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=2|Hickory
|0.00
|
|Eastern terminus
|-
|0.22
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Forest Hill
|1.12
|Commerce Road north
|Roundabout
|-
|2.00
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Jarrettsville
|6.81
|
|South end of concurrency with MD 165
|-
|8.09
|
|North end of concurrency with MD 165; Jarrettsville Road is old alignment of MD 23
|-
|Madonna
|10.44
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Shawsville
|12.66
|
|
|-
|13.88
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Norrisville
|18.58
|
|
|-
|20.58
|
|Northern terminus; Pennsylvania
state line
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 20.58 miles (33.1 km) from U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Maryland
U.S. Route 1 is the easternmost and longest of the major north–south routes of the United States Numbered Highway System, running from Key West, Florida to Fort Kent, Maine. In the U.S...
(US 1) in Hickory north and west to the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
state line near Norrisville
Norrisville, Maryland
Norrisville is an unincorporated community in Harford County, Maryland, just south of the Pennsylvania state line in the extreme northwest section of the county. It is primarily a farming community full of rolling hills and small valleys, and is part of the Deer Creek watershed. The area is served...
, where the highway continues as Pennsylvania Route 24
Pennsylvania Route 24
Pennsylvania Route 24 is an long state highway located within central Pennsylvania in the York County area. Its southern terminus is at the Mason–Dixon Line near Stewartstown, where PA 24 continues into Maryland as Maryland Route 23...
(PA 24). MD 23 is an L-shaped highway in northwestern Harford County
Harford County, Maryland
Harford County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 244,826. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.-History:...
that consists of two major sections. Between US 1 and MD 165
Maryland Route 165
Maryland Route 165 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from Baldwin north to the Pennsylvania state line in Cardiff, where the highway continues as Pennsylvania Route 74 . MD 165 passes through western and northern Harford County, where it connects the...
in Jarrettsville
Jarrettsville, Maryland
Jarrettsville is a census-designated place in Harford County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,756 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, MD 23 is marked east–west along a two-lane controlled access road named East–West Highway. From MD 165 to the state line, the state highway is marked north–south along Norrisville Road, a rural two-lane highway that passes through the villages of Madonna and Shawsville. The two sections of MD 23 are connected by a short concurrency
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...
with MD 165.
MD 23 from Hickory to Jarrettsville was one of the original state highways marked for improvement by the Maryland State Roads Commission in 1909 and one of the original state-numbered highways in 1927. The state road was constructed from Hickory to Jarrettsville and from Norrisville to the state line in the early to mid-1910s. The gaps between Jarrettsville and Shawsville and from Shawsville to Norrisville were filled in the early 1920s. East–West Highway was constructed in the early 1960s to replace the parallel Jarrettsville Road. MD 23's eastern terminus was moved to US 1's new bypass of Hickory in 2000.
Route description
MD 23 begins at an intersection with US 1 (Hickory Bypass) in Hickory. The state highway heads west as East–West Highway, a two-lane controlled access highway that parallels the old alignment of MD 23, Jarrettsville Road. MD 23 passes through a commercial area where the highway intersects US 1 Business (Conowingo Road) and Water Tower Way before the highway passes through a narrow forested corridor. The state highway intersects Commerce Road at a roundaboutRoundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
; Commerce Road heads north into an industrial park surrounding Forest Hill Airport. After crossing over Bynum Run and the Ma and Pa Trail
Ma and Pa Trail
The Ma and Pa Trail is a multi-purpose rail trail that follows the path of the old Ma and Pa Railroad through Harford County, Maryland. It contains three linked trails, one unconnected, with plans to bridge the gap in the middle, bringing the total length to...
, a rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
along the abandoned right-of-way of the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad
Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad
The Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad , familiarly known as the "Ma and Pa", was an American short-line railroad between York and Hanover, Pennsylvania, formerly operating passenger and freight trains on its original line between York and Baltimore, Maryland, from 1901 until the 1950s...
, MD 23 intersects MD 24 (Rocks Road/Rock Springs Avenue) just south of Forest Hill
Forest Hill, Maryland
Forest Hill is an unincorporated community in Harford County, Maryland, United States located north of the county seat of Bel Air. The main part of town is located at the intersection of Maryland Route 24 and Jarrettsville Road...
. MD 23 continues west through a mix of farmland and forest, passing south of the hamlet of Fairview
Fairview, Harford County, Maryland
Fairview is an unincorporated community in Harford County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
and crossing over Phillips Mill Road and Morse Road before East–West Highway reaches its western terminus at MD 165 (Baldwin Mill Road) south of Jarrettsville.
MD 23 turns north and joins MD 165 in a concurrency to the center of Jarrettsville. MD 165 continues north as Federal Hill Road and MD 23 joins its original alignment, which heads east as Jarrettsville Road. MD 23 heads west through farmland as Norrisville Road, where the highway intersects MD 146 (Jarrettsville Pike) and Madonna Road in the village of Madonna. The state highway gradually curves to the north through Shawsville, where MD 23 intersects two highways that head west into 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...
, MD 138 (Troyer Road) and MD 439 (Old York Road). The state highway makes a sharp, curvaceous descent to a crossing of Deer Creek
Deer Creek (Maryland)
Deer Creek is a river in Maryland that flows through the scenic areas of Harford County and empties into the Susquehanna River, roughly halfway between the Interstate 95 bridge and Conowingo Dam...
, next to which is the historic Ivory Mills
Ivory Mills
Ivory Mills is a , historic grist mill complex located at White Hall, Harford County, Maryland, United States. It consists of six standing 19th century frame buildings and structures: mill, miller's house, barn, corncrib, carriage house, and chicken house. The property also includes the ruins of a...
complex. MD 23 ascends out of the forested creek valley into Norrisville and meets the north end of MD 136 (Harkins Road). The state highway continues north to just south of the Pennsylvania state line. MD 23 turns west and closely parallels the state line for about 2000 feet (609.6 m) before the highway veers northwest to cross the border. The highway continues north as PA 24 (Barrens Road) toward Stewartstown.
History
The first section of MD 23 to be paved was the part of the Old York Turnpike from MD 138 to MD 439, which was improved as a 12 feet (3.7 m) wide macadam state-aid road by 1910. The portion of MD 23 from Hickory to Jarrettsville was designated one of the original state roads by the Maryland State Roads Commission in 1909. The state road was constructed with a 14 feet (4.3 m) wide macadam surface from Hickory to Grafton Shop Road in 1910, from Morse Road to Jarrettsville in 1914, and between Grafton Shop Road and Morse Road in 1915. Another section of 12 feet (3.7 m) wide macadam road was constructed under state aid from south of Norrisville to the Pennsylvania state line by 1915. The highway from Jarrettsville to MD 138 was under construction as a concrete road by 1919 and completed in 1921. The final portion of MD 23, also paved in concrete, was completed from MD 439 to south of Norrisville in 1923. MD 23 was one of the state numbered highways assigned in 1927. The state highway was widened to a width of 20 feet (6.1 m) from Hickory to Jarrettsville by 1930.Jarrettsville Road was replaced by East–West Highway, which was under construction by 1961 and completed in 1963. The MD 23 designation was moved to the new highway and Jarrettsville Road was immediately transferred to county maintenance. At its eastern end, East–West Highway was constructed to tie into the Bel Air Bypass that was completed in 1965 and was proposed to continue to east of Hickory. Close to its eastern end, MD 23 curved south to an intersection with Granary Road. MD 23 turned east onto Granary Road for its eastern terminus at US 1 (now US 1 Business). East–West Highway continued south as MD 23A; at Bynum Road, MD 23A became a one-lane ramp that joined the Bel Air Bypass. In 2000, the Hickory Bypass was completed; US 1 was moved to the new bypass and US 1 Business was extended along US 1's old route through Hickory. As part of the same project, MD 23 was extended east to an new terminus at the Hickory Bypass. East–West Highway's curve to the south was replaced with a perpendicular intersection with MD 23A, which was renamed Water Tower Way, extended north to new MD 23, and gained a ramp from northbound US 1 at its southern end. The portion of Granary Road that formed MD 23's terminus was designated MD 23B. Both MD 23A and MD 23B were transferred to Harford County maintenance in 2002. MD 23's roundabout at Commerce Road in Forest Hill was constructed in 2008.
Junction list
MD 23 is signed east–west east of MD 165 and north–south west of MD 165. The mileage below starts from the eastern terminus. The entire route is in Harford CountyHarford County, Maryland
Harford County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 244,826. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.-History:...
.
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=2|Hickory
|0.00
|
|Eastern terminus
|-
|0.22
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Forest Hill
Forest Hill, Maryland
Forest Hill is an unincorporated community in Harford County, Maryland, United States located north of the county seat of Bel Air. The main part of town is located at the intersection of Maryland Route 24 and Jarrettsville Road...
|1.12
|Commerce Road north
|Roundabout
|-
|2.00
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Jarrettsville
Jarrettsville, Maryland
Jarrettsville is a census-designated place in Harford County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,756 at the 2000 census.-History:...
|6.81
|
|South end of concurrency with MD 165
|-
|8.09
|
|North end of concurrency with MD 165; Jarrettsville Road is old alignment of MD 23
|-
|Madonna
|10.44
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Shawsville
|12.66
|
|
|-
|13.88
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Norrisville
Norrisville, Maryland
Norrisville is an unincorporated community in Harford County, Maryland, just south of the Pennsylvania state line in the extreme northwest section of the county. It is primarily a farming community full of rolling hills and small valleys, and is part of the Deer Creek watershed. The area is served...
|18.58
|
|
|-
|20.58
|
|Northern terminus; Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
state line
Auxiliary routes
MD 23 previously had two auxiliary routes.- MD 23A was the designation for the portion of East–West Highway between Granary Road and the ramp to southbound US 1 (Bel Air Bypass). The 0.38 mile (0.6115492 km) state highway was constructed in the mid 1960s as a connection between MD 23 and southbound US 1. In 2000, MD 23A was extended north to the new MD 23 and a ramp from northbound US 1 to MD 23A was added. The highway had a new length of 0.53 mile (0.8529502 km) and was renamed Water Tower Way. MD 23A was removed from the state highway system in 2002.
- MD 23B was the designation for the 0.16 mile (0.2574944 km) section of Granary Road between US 1 Business and MD 23A (Water Tower Way) that was part of MD 23 from the construction of East–West Highway in the early 1960s until 2000. MD 23B was assigned in 2000 and removed from the state system in 2002.