Maryland Route 343
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 343 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Maryland
. Known for most of its length as Hudson Road, the state highway runs 11.29 miles (18.2 km) from Hudson in northwestern Dorchester County
east to U.S. Route 50
(US 50) in Cambridge
. MD 343 was paved in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The state highway originally passed through downtown Cambridge, ending just west of its present terminus. After the original Choptank River Bridge was completed in the mid 1930s, MD 343 was truncated to Sunburst Highway. In the mid 1950s, the state highway was rerouted along Washington Street to Race Street, where it ended at MD 16. Finally, MD 343 was extended to its present terminus when MD 16 bypassed Cambridge in the late 1960s.
to the north and the Little Choptank River
to the south. MD 343 also passes through the hamlets of Cornersville and Lloyds. Shortly after passing Horns Point Road, which leads to the Cambridge Country Club and the Horn Point Laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
, the state highway passes a few residential subdivisions and enters the city limits of Cambridge, where the highway's name changes to Washington Street.
MD 343 intersects High Street, the old alignment of MD 343, before the route crosses Race Street, which heads south as MD 341
toward MD 16
. The state highway continues east into an industrial area, where the highway crosses the Seaford Line of the Maryland and Delaware Railroad
and meets the southern end of Dorchester Avenue. MD 343 continues east past Crusader Road to the highway's eastern terminus at US 50 (Sunburst Highway). Traffic on eastbound MD 343 must use Crusader Avenue to access westbound US 50.
Following the completion of the Choptank River Bridge and Sunburst Highway in December 1935, MD 343's eastern terminus was changed to the intersection of Sunburst Highway and Maryland Avenue. Dorchester Avenue was redesignated MD 744 by 1950. By 1956, MD 343 was removed from downtown Cambridge and replaced MD 551 from High Street to its new eastern terminus at MD 16 at the corner of Washington and Race Streets. The drawbridge over Cambridge Creek remained under state maintenance and is today designated MD 795. Finally, MD 343 was extended east along Washington Street to its present eastern terminus at US 50 when MD 16 was moved to a new bypass of Cambridge in 1967.
.
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=1|Hudson
|0.00
|Hudson Road west
|Western terminus
|-
|rowspan=5|Cambridge
|9.95
|High Street north
|Old alignment of MD 343
|-
|10.37
| / Race Street north – Church Creek
|
|-
|11.01
|Dorchester Avenue north
|Former MD 744
|-
|11.11
|Crusader Road north to
|
|-
|11.29
|
|Eastern terminus
auxiliary routes, both service roads near MD 343's eastern terminus where US 50 curves to the east heading from Easton to Salisbury. MD 343A is a 0.17 mile (0.2735878 km) spur from MD 343 that preserves Sunburst Highway's north–south alignment just east of Dorchester Avenue. MD 343B is a 0.09 mile (0.1448406 km) spur from MD 343 that continues the main highway's alignment from where it turns north to terminate at US 50.
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...
. Known for most of its length as Hudson Road, the state highway runs 11.29 miles (18.2 km) from Hudson in northwestern Dorchester County
Dorchester County, Maryland
Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by the Choptank River to the north, Talbot County to the northwest, Caroline County to the northeast, Wicomico County to the southeast, Sussex County, Delaware, to the east, and the Chesapeake...
east to U.S. Route 50
U.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 50) in Cambridge
Cambridge, Maryland
Cambridge is a city in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 12,326 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dorchester County and the county's largest municipality...
. MD 343 was paved in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The state highway originally passed through downtown Cambridge, ending just west of its present terminus. After the original Choptank River Bridge was completed in the mid 1930s, MD 343 was truncated to Sunburst Highway. In the mid 1950s, the state highway was rerouted along Washington Street to Race Street, where it ended at MD 16. Finally, MD 343 was extended to its present terminus when MD 16 bypassed Cambridge in the late 1960s.
Route description
MD 343 begins where state maintenance commences on Hudson Road a short distance west of Cook Point Road near the hamlet of Hudson. The state highway heads east through a mix of farmland and forest, collecting roads that serve the peninsulas split by creeks that flow into the Choptank RiverChoptank River
The Choptank River is a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula. Running for , it rises in Kent County, Delaware, runs through Caroline County, Maryland and forms much of the border between Talbot County, Maryland on the north, and Caroline County and Dorchester County on...
to the north and the Little Choptank River
Little Choptank River
The Little Choptank River is a tidal river in Dorchester County in the U.S. state of Maryland. The river rises at the confluence of Lee Creek and Gary Creek west of Cambridge.-External links:*...
to the south. MD 343 also passes through the hamlets of Cornersville and Lloyds. Shortly after passing Horns Point Road, which leads to the Cambridge Country Club and the Horn Point Laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
With 1925 origins as a research station on Solomons Island, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is one the University System of Maryland's two scientific research centers...
, the state highway passes a few residential subdivisions and enters the city limits of Cambridge, where the highway's name changes to Washington Street.
MD 343 intersects High Street, the old alignment of MD 343, before the route crosses Race Street, which heads south as MD 341
Maryland Route 341
Maryland Route 341 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Race Street, the state highway runs from MD 16 north to MD 343 within the city of Cambridge. The part of Race Street that is now MD 341 was constructed in the mid 1910s as one of the original state roads and...
toward MD 16
Maryland Route 16
Maryland Route 16 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from Taylors Island east to the Delaware state line in Hickman, where the highway continues as Delaware Route 16...
. The state highway continues east into an industrial area, where the highway crosses the Seaford Line of the Maryland and Delaware Railroad
Maryland and Delaware Railroad
The Maryland and Delaware Railroad Company is a Class III short-line railroad, formed in 1977 to operate several branch lines of the former Penn Central Railroad in both Maryland and Delaware. These branches were omitted from the system plan for Conrail in 1976 and would have been discontinued...
and meets the southern end of Dorchester Avenue. MD 343 continues east past Crusader Road to the highway's eastern terminus at US 50 (Sunburst Highway). Traffic on eastbound MD 343 must use Crusader Avenue to access westbound US 50.
History
MD 343 was paved from the western city limit of Cambridge to Horns Point Road by 1921. The state highway was paved within Cambridge and extended west to Town Point Road by 1923. The state highway was extended to Lloyds in 1928 and was under construction west to Cornerville by 1930. MD 343 was completed to Hudson by 1933. The state highway followed its present path west of Cambridge. Within the city, MD 343 turned from Washington Street onto High Street into downtown Cambridge, where the state highway followed Poplar Street, Gay Street, Muse Street, and Market Street to the drawbridge across Cambridge Creek, which was completed in 1940, replacing an earlier drawbridge. From the drawbridge, the state highway followed Maryland Avenue east and Dorchester Avenue south to its eastern terminus at MD 16.Following the completion of the Choptank River Bridge and Sunburst Highway in December 1935, MD 343's eastern terminus was changed to the intersection of Sunburst Highway and Maryland Avenue. Dorchester Avenue was redesignated MD 744 by 1950. By 1956, MD 343 was removed from downtown Cambridge and replaced MD 551 from High Street to its new eastern terminus at MD 16 at the corner of Washington and Race Streets. The drawbridge over Cambridge Creek remained under state maintenance and is today designated MD 795. Finally, MD 343 was extended east along Washington Street to its present eastern terminus at US 50 when MD 16 was moved to a new bypass of Cambridge in 1967.
Junction list
The entire route is in Dorchester CountyDorchester County, Maryland
Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by the Choptank River to the north, Talbot County to the northwest, Caroline County to the northeast, Wicomico County to the southeast, Sussex County, Delaware, to the east, and the Chesapeake...
.
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=1|Hudson
|0.00
|Hudson Road west
|Western terminus
|-
|rowspan=5|Cambridge
Cambridge, Maryland
Cambridge is a city in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 12,326 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dorchester County and the county's largest municipality...
|9.95
|High Street north
|Old alignment of MD 343
|-
|10.37
| / Race Street north – Church Creek
Church Creek, Maryland
Church Creek is a town in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 85 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Church Creek is located at...
|
|-
|11.01
|Dorchester Avenue north
|Former MD 744
|-
|11.11
|Crusader Road north to
|
|-
|11.29
|
|Eastern terminus
Auxiliary routes
MD 343 has two unsignedUnsigned highway
An unsigned highway is a highway that has been assigned a route number, but does not bear conventional road markings that would normally be used to identify the route with that number...
auxiliary routes, both service roads near MD 343's eastern terminus where US 50 curves to the east heading from Easton to Salisbury. MD 343A is a 0.17 mile (0.2735878 km) spur from MD 343 that preserves Sunburst Highway's north–south alignment just east of Dorchester Avenue. MD 343B is a 0.09 mile (0.1448406 km) spur from MD 343 that continues the main highway's alignment from where it turns north to terminate at US 50.