Maryland Route 63
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 63 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Maryland
. The state highway runs 16.99 miles (27.3 km) from MD 65
in Fairplay
north to the Pennsylvania
state line near Cearfoss
, where the highway continues as Pennsylvania Route 163
(PA 163). MD 63 is an L-shaped route that passes through central Washington County
on the south and west sides of Hagerstown
. The state highway connects with multiple local and long-distance highways that serve Hagerstown, including Interstate 81
(I-81) and U.S. Route 11
(US 11) in Williamsport
and I-70
and US 40
in Huyett
. MD 63 also joins MD 68
in a concurrency
through Williamsport.
The Spielman Road portion of MD 63 was constructed in two segments from Spielman
to Downsville
and from there to Williamsport in the mid 1910s and early 1930s, respectively. The Greencastle Pike portion of MD 63, which follows a former turnpike, was constructed as MD 398 from Williamsport to Cearfoss in the early 1930s. MD 63 was extended to its present termini, assuming MD 398, and was rebuilt from Williamsport to Huyett in the late 1950s. The state highway was reconstructed along with MD 68 south of Williamsport concurrent with I-81 in the mid 1960s.
; makes another sharp turn to the west; crosses a one-lane bridge over St. James Run; and crosses Norfolk Southern Railway
's Hagerstown District at-grade in the hamlet of Spielman. The state highway widens as it starts to curve to the northwest through farmland, crossing Downey Branch and intersecting MD 632
(Downsville Pike) in the village of Downsville. MD 63 passes the historic home Rose Hill
, crosses the Winchester and Western Railroad
at-grade, then makes a turn to the east and intersects MD 68 (Lappans Road). Governor Lane Boulevard continues east through an industrial park while MD 63 turns north to join MD 68 in a concurrency
north into Williamsport.
MD 63 and MD 68 expand to a four-lane divided highway through their interchange with I-81 (Maryland Veterans Memorial Highway). At the northern end of the interchange, the state highways enter the town of Williamsport, where the highways follow municipally-maintained Conococheague Street through the Williamsport Historic District
. In the center of town, the two highways meet US 11 (Potomac Street). MD 68 continues north while MD 63 turns east onto Potomac Street to join US 11 in a short concurrency. MD 63 leaves US 11 by turning north onto Artizan Street. At the north town limit of Williamsport, state maintenance resumes and MD 63's name changes to Greencastle Pike. The old alignment of MD 63, Honeyfield Road, parallels the state highway on the west as the highway enters a mix of farmland, forest, and industrial properties and crosses over Semple Run and CSX
's Lurgan Subdivision
. MD 63 crosses a tributary of Conococheague Creek and expands to a four-lane divided highway through its interchange with I-70 (Eisenhower Memorial Highway).
MD 63 continues north as a two-lane highway past several industrial parks and farms before intersecting US 40 (National Pike) in the village of Huyett, where the highway is paralleled by the old alignment, Huyett Lane, to the east. The state highway starts to curve to the northeast through farmland, crossing Rush Run and intersecting Broadfording Road before approaching the village of Cearfoss. MD 63 intersects MD 494
(Fairview Road) 0.03 mile (0.0482802 km) before meeting MD 58
(Cearfoss Pike) and the county-maintained portion of Cearfoss Pike at the Cearfoss Roundabout. Shortly thereafter, the state highway reaches its northern terminus at the Pennsylvania state line. The highway continues as PA 163, which immediately turns east onto Mason Dixon Road to closely parallel the state line east to I-81 and US 11. Williamsport Pike continues north as a quadrant route toward Greencastle
.
at Spielman west to Downsville in 1916. Spielman Road was paved from Downsville to Williamsport in 1933. MD 63 originally had its northern terminus at MD 68 at the southern town limit of Williamsport, now the corner of Artizan Street and Sunset Avenue. MD 68 followed Sunset Avenue from the direction of Lappans to the MD 63 junction, then turned north along Artizan Street to its northern terminus at US 11. MD 398 was paved from US 11 to the branch of Conococheague Creek just south of present day I-81 in 1930. Greencastle Pike was constructed to Cearfoss by 1933.
MD 63 began to take its modern form in the late 1950s. The MD 63 designation was extended east from Spielman to MD 65 in Fairplay in 1957. MD 63 was also extended north past US 11 and replaced MD 398 between Williamsport and Cearfoss. The state highway was extended north from Cearfoss to the Pennsylvania state line in 1958. Reconstruction and relocation of the highway from the northern limit of Williamsport to a short distance north of US 40 in Huyett began in 1957. The realignments bypassed what are now Honeyfield Road, Celeste Drive, Kemps Mill Road, and Rock Hill Road north of Williamsport and Huyett Lane in Huyett. The Williamsport–Huyett project included a bridge over the Western Maryland Railway
that was completed in 1959. MD 63 was later expanded to a four-lane divided highway concurrent with the construction of its interchange with I-70, which opened in 1967 along with the stretch of I-70 from MD 68 to I-81.
Construction shifted to the south side of Williamsport in the mid 1960s. MD 68, which had been extended west to Clear Spring in 1956, was relocated south of Williamsport, replacing Sunset Avenue and what is now Kendle Road, in 1965. MD 68 was relocated for a grade separation of the Cumberland Valley Railroad
and to tie into an interchange with I-81 and the south end of Conococheague Street. MD 63's route north into Williamsport, Artizan Street, was cut off by the construction of I-81, so the state highway joined MD 68 in a concurrency north to US 11. The new alignment of MD 63 and MD 68 was built as a four-lane divided highway around the interchange with I-81, which originally only contained ramps to and from the direction of West Virginia
when the interchange opened with the completion of I-81 in 1966. That interchange was completed with ramps to and from Hagerstown between 1981 and 1989.
.
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Fairplay
|0.00
|
|Southern terminus
|-
|Downsville
|3.88
|
|
|-
|rowspan=4|Williamsport
|6.70
|
|South end of concurrency with MD 68
|-
|6.93
|
|I-81 Exit 1
|-
|7.91
|
|MD 63 turns east onto Potomac Street; north end of concurrency with MD 68; south end of concurrency with US 11
|-
|8.04
|
|MD 63 turns north onto Artizan Street; north end of concurrency with US 11
|-
|rowspan=2|Huyett
|10.19
|
|I-70 Exit 24
|-
|11.78
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Cearfoss
|15.40
|
|
|-
|15.43
|
|Cearfoss Roundabout
|-
|16.99
|
|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 16.99 miles (27.3 km) from MD 65
Maryland Route 65
Maryland Route 65 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Sharpsburg Pike, the state highway runs from MD 34 in Sharpsburg north to the southern end of Hagerstown, where the highway continues north as Potomac Street toward the downtown area...
in Fairplay
Fairplay, Maryland
Fairplay is an unincorporated community not considered as a census-designated place in Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is sometimes recognized along with neighboring Tilghmanton as Fairplay-Tilghmanton; the two communities share a post office as well as a fire company...
north 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 Cearfoss
Cearfoss, Maryland
Cearfoss is an unincorporated community in northwestern Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is located northwest of Hagerstown and Maugansville near the Pennsylvania border. Many highways intersect in Cearfoss in a roundabout including Maryland Route 63, Maryland Route 58, and Maryland...
, where the highway continues as Pennsylvania Route 163
Pennsylvania Route 163
Pennsylvania Route 163 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Known for most of its length as Mason Dixon Road, the state highway runs from the Maryland state line, where the highway continues south as Maryland Route 63 , east to U.S...
(PA 163). MD 63 is an L-shaped route that passes through central Washington County
Washington County, Maryland
Washington County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering southern Pennsylvania to the north, northern Virginia to the south, and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia to the south and west. As of the 2010 Census, its population is 147,430...
on the south and west sides of Hagerstown
Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in northwestern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Washington County, and, by many definitions, the largest city in a region known as Western Maryland. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2010 census was 39,662, and the population of the...
. The state highway connects with multiple local and long-distance highways that serve Hagerstown, including Interstate 81
Interstate 81 in Maryland
Interstate 81 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Dandridge, Tennessee to Fishers Landing, New York. In Maryland, the Interstate highway runs from the West Virginia state line at the Potomac River in Williamsport north to the Pennsylvania state line near Maugansville...
(I-81) and U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11 in Maryland
U.S. Route 11 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from New Orleans, Louisiana to Rouses Point, New York. In Maryland, the federal highway runs from the West Virginia state line at the Potomac River in Williamsport north to the Pennsylvania state line near Maugansville...
(US 11) in Williamsport
Williamsport, Maryland
Williamsport is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,868 at the 2000 census and 2,278 as of July 2008.-Geography: Williamsport is located at ....
and I-70
Interstate 70 in Maryland
Interstate 70 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Cove Fort, Utah to Baltimore, Maryland. In Maryland, the Interstate Highway runs from the Pennsylvania state line in Hancock east to the Interstate's eastern terminus near its junction with I-695 at a park and ride in...
and US 40
U.S. Route 40 in Maryland
U.S. Route 40 in the U.S. state of Maryland runs from western Maryland to Cecil County in the state's northeastern corner. With a total length of over , it is the longest numbered highway in Maryland. Almost half of the road overlaps with Interstate 68 or Interstate 70, while the old alignment...
in Huyett
Huyett, Maryland
Huyett is an unincorporated community not considered as a census-designated place in western Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is north of Williamsport, Maryland on Maryland Route 63 and on U.S. Route 40 west of Hagerstown, Maryland and east of Clear Spring, Maryland...
. MD 63 also joins MD 68
Maryland Route 68
Maryland Route 68 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 40 in Clear Spring east to US 40 Alternate in Boonsboro. MD 68 crosses central Washington County to the south of Hagerstown, connecting Clear Spring and Boonsboro with Williamsport, where...
in a 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...
through Williamsport.
The Spielman Road portion of MD 63 was constructed in two segments from Spielman
Spielman, Maryland
Spielman is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
to Downsville
Downsville, Maryland
Downsville is an unincorporated community not considered as a census-designated place in southwestern Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is southeast of Williamsport, Maryland on Maryland Route 63 and on Maryland Route 632 southwest of Hagerstown, Maryland...
and from there to Williamsport in the mid 1910s and early 1930s, respectively. The Greencastle Pike portion of MD 63, which follows a former turnpike, was constructed as MD 398 from Williamsport to Cearfoss in the early 1930s. MD 63 was extended to its present termini, assuming MD 398, and was rebuilt from Williamsport to Huyett in the late 1950s. The state highway was reconstructed along with MD 68 south of Williamsport concurrent with I-81 in the mid 1960s.
Route description
MD 63 begins at an intersection with MD 65 (Sharpsburg Pike) in the hamlet of Fairplay. The state highway heads west as Spielman Road, a narrow and curvaceous two-lane highway through farmland and scattered residences. MD 63 crosses a one-lane bridge over Marsh Run just prior to Reichard Road; makes a sharp turn to the south adjacent to Marsh MillsMarsh Mills
Marsh Mills, also known as Haley's Mill or Spielman Mill, is a historic home located at Fairplay, Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is a -story, three-bay-wide limestone house. The structure was built about 1850 as a mill, then converted to a creamery in the 1880s...
; makes another sharp turn to the west; crosses a one-lane bridge over St. James Run; and crosses Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
's Hagerstown District at-grade in the hamlet of Spielman. The state highway widens as it starts to curve to the northwest through farmland, crossing Downey Branch and intersecting MD 632
Maryland Route 632
Maryland Route 632 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Downsville Pike, the state highway runs from MD 63 in Downsville north to Maryland Avenue in Hagerstown. MD 632 was constructed along the path of a former turnpike in the late 1930s...
(Downsville Pike) in the village of Downsville. MD 63 passes the historic home Rose Hill
Rose Hill (Williamsport, Maryland)
Rose Hill, also known as Rose Hill Manor, is a historic home located near Williamsport, Washington County, Maryland, United States. It was built about 1802 and is a six-bay, two-story Flemish bond brick house with a hip roof and a "widow's walk." The interior details reflect the taste of the...
, crosses the Winchester and Western Railroad
Winchester and Western Railroad
The Winchester and Western Railroad is a shortline railroad operating from Gore through Winchester, Virginia and West Virginia to Hagerstown, Maryland. It also operates several lines in southern New Jersey, connecting to Conrail Shared Assets Operations at Millville and Vineland...
at-grade, then makes a turn to the east and intersects MD 68 (Lappans Road). Governor Lane Boulevard continues east through an industrial park while MD 63 turns north to join MD 68 in a 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...
north into Williamsport.
MD 63 and MD 68 expand to a four-lane divided highway through their interchange with I-81 (Maryland Veterans Memorial Highway). At the northern end of the interchange, the state highways enter the town of Williamsport, where the highways follow municipally-maintained Conococheague Street through the Williamsport Historic District
Williamsport Historic District
Williamsport Historic District is a national historic district at Williamsport, Washington County, Maryland, United States. The district consists of the historic core of this town. Almost 20 percent of the buildings in the district date from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They are...
. In the center of town, the two highways meet US 11 (Potomac Street). MD 68 continues north while MD 63 turns east onto Potomac Street to join US 11 in a short concurrency. MD 63 leaves US 11 by turning north onto Artizan Street. At the north town limit of Williamsport, state maintenance resumes and MD 63's name changes to Greencastle Pike. The old alignment of MD 63, Honeyfield Road, parallels the state highway on the west as the highway enters a mix of farmland, forest, and industrial properties and crosses over Semple Run and CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
's Lurgan Subdivision
Lurgan Subdivision
The Lurgan Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia. The line runs from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, south to Hagerstown, Maryland, and west to Cherry Run, West Virginia, along a former Western Maryland...
. MD 63 crosses a tributary of Conococheague Creek and expands to a four-lane divided highway through its interchange with I-70 (Eisenhower Memorial Highway).
MD 63 continues north as a two-lane highway past several industrial parks and farms before intersecting US 40 (National Pike) in the village of Huyett, where the highway is paralleled by the old alignment, Huyett Lane, to the east. The state highway starts to curve to the northeast through farmland, crossing Rush Run and intersecting Broadfording Road before approaching the village of Cearfoss. MD 63 intersects MD 494
Maryland Route 494
Maryland Route 494 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Fairview Road, the state highway runs from the Pennsylvania state line near Fairview, where the highway continues north as Pennsylvania Route 75 , east to MD 63 in Cearfoss. MD 494 was constructed in the 1930s...
(Fairview Road) 0.03 mile (0.0482802 km) before meeting MD 58
Maryland Route 58
Maryland Route 58 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Cearfoss Pike, the state highway runs from MD 63 in Cearfoss east to Key Circle in Hagerstown...
(Cearfoss Pike) and the county-maintained portion of Cearfoss Pike at the Cearfoss Roundabout. Shortly thereafter, the state highway reaches its northern terminus at the Pennsylvania state line. The highway continues as PA 163, which immediately turns east onto Mason Dixon Road to closely parallel the state line east to I-81 and US 11. Williamsport Pike continues north as a quadrant route toward Greencastle
Greencastle, Pennsylvania
Greencastle is a borough in Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,722 at the 2000 census.-History:...
.
History
MD 63 was originally assigned to Spielman Road between Spielman and Williamsport. The portion of the highway from Williamsport north to Cearfoss was originally MD 398, which was the descendant of the 19th century Williamsport and Greencastle Turnpike. MD 63 was paved from the Norfolk and Western RailwayNorfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....
at Spielman west to Downsville in 1916. Spielman Road was paved from Downsville to Williamsport in 1933. MD 63 originally had its northern terminus at MD 68 at the southern town limit of Williamsport, now the corner of Artizan Street and Sunset Avenue. MD 68 followed Sunset Avenue from the direction of Lappans to the MD 63 junction, then turned north along Artizan Street to its northern terminus at US 11. MD 398 was paved from US 11 to the branch of Conococheague Creek just south of present day I-81 in 1930. Greencastle Pike was constructed to Cearfoss by 1933.
MD 63 began to take its modern form in the late 1950s. The MD 63 designation was extended east from Spielman to MD 65 in Fairplay in 1957. MD 63 was also extended north past US 11 and replaced MD 398 between Williamsport and Cearfoss. The state highway was extended north from Cearfoss to the Pennsylvania state line in 1958. Reconstruction and relocation of the highway from the northern limit of Williamsport to a short distance north of US 40 in Huyett began in 1957. The realignments bypassed what are now Honeyfield Road, Celeste Drive, Kemps Mill Road, and Rock Hill Road north of Williamsport and Huyett Lane in Huyett. The Williamsport–Huyett project included a bridge over the Western Maryland Railway
Western Maryland Railway
The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM became part of the Chessie System in 1973 and ceased operating its lines...
that was completed in 1959. MD 63 was later expanded to a four-lane divided highway concurrent with the construction of its interchange with I-70, which opened in 1967 along with the stretch of I-70 from MD 68 to I-81.
Construction shifted to the south side of Williamsport in the mid 1960s. MD 68, which had been extended west to Clear Spring in 1956, was relocated south of Williamsport, replacing Sunset Avenue and what is now Kendle Road, in 1965. MD 68 was relocated for a grade separation of the Cumberland Valley Railroad
Cumberland Valley Railroad
The Cumberland Valley Railroad was an early railroad in Pennsylvania, USA, originally chartered in 1831 to connect with Pennsylvania’s Main Line of Public Works...
and to tie into an interchange with I-81 and the south end of Conococheague Street. MD 63's route north into Williamsport, Artizan Street, was cut off by the construction of I-81, so the state highway joined MD 68 in a concurrency north to US 11. The new alignment of MD 63 and MD 68 was built as a four-lane divided highway around the interchange with I-81, which originally only contained ramps to and from the direction of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
when the interchange opened with the completion of I-81 in 1966. That interchange was completed with ramps to and from Hagerstown between 1981 and 1989.
Junction list
The entire route is in Washington CountyWashington County, Maryland
Washington County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering southern Pennsylvania to the north, northern Virginia to the south, and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia to the south and west. As of the 2010 Census, its population is 147,430...
.
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Fairplay
Fairplay, Maryland
Fairplay is an unincorporated community not considered as a census-designated place in Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is sometimes recognized along with neighboring Tilghmanton as Fairplay-Tilghmanton; the two communities share a post office as well as a fire company...
|0.00
|
|Southern terminus
|-
|Downsville
Downsville, Maryland
Downsville is an unincorporated community not considered as a census-designated place in southwestern Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is southeast of Williamsport, Maryland on Maryland Route 63 and on Maryland Route 632 southwest of Hagerstown, Maryland...
|3.88
|
|
|-
|rowspan=4|Williamsport
Williamsport, Maryland
Williamsport is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,868 at the 2000 census and 2,278 as of July 2008.-Geography: Williamsport is located at ....
|6.70
|
|South end of concurrency with MD 68
|-
|6.93
|
|I-81 Exit 1
|-
|7.91
|
|MD 63 turns east onto Potomac Street; north end of concurrency with MD 68; south end of concurrency with US 11
|-
|8.04
|
|MD 63 turns north onto Artizan Street; north end of concurrency with US 11
|-
|rowspan=2|Huyett
Huyett, Maryland
Huyett is an unincorporated community not considered as a census-designated place in western Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is north of Williamsport, Maryland on Maryland Route 63 and on U.S. Route 40 west of Hagerstown, Maryland and east of Clear Spring, Maryland...
|10.19
|
|I-70 Exit 24
|-
|11.78
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Cearfoss
Cearfoss, Maryland
Cearfoss is an unincorporated community in northwestern Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is located northwest of Hagerstown and Maugansville near the Pennsylvania border. Many highways intersect in Cearfoss in a roundabout including Maryland Route 63, Maryland Route 58, and Maryland...
|15.40
|
|
|-
|15.43
|
|Cearfoss Roundabout
|-
|16.99
|
|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