Maryland Route 285

Maryland Route 285
Route information
Maintained by MDSHA
Length:	2.43 mi[1] (3.91 km)
Major junctions
West end:	MD 213 in Chesapeake City
	MD 284 in Chesapeake City MD 537 in Chesapeake City
East end:	Chesapeake City Road at the Delaware state line
Location
Counties:	Cecil
Highway system
Maryland highway system Interstate • US • State • Minor • Former • Turnpikes ← MD 284 MD 286 →

Maryland Route 285 (MD 285) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs 2.43 miles (3.91 km) from MD 213 east to the Delaware state line within Chesapeake City. MD 285 roughly parallels the north side of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in southern Cecil County. The state highway was paved along Biddle Street from Lock Street, then part of U.S. Route 213 (now MD 213), east to the state line around 1930. When US 213 was moved to the Chesapeake City Bridge in the late 1940s, MD 285 was extended along Lock Street to reconnect with US 213.

Route description

MD 285 begins at an intersection with MD 213 (Augustine Herman Highway) just north of the Chesapeake City Bridge. The state highway, which heads east as two-lane Lock Street, curves to the south at the intersection with county-maintained Hemphill Street. At the intersection with MD 284 (Hemphill Street), MD 285 curves to the southwest, following Lock Street into the town of Chesapeake City to its intersection with Biddle Street. MD 285 turns east onto Biddle Street while a stub of Lock Street continues south to the edge of the canal as unsigned MD 537B. The state highway passes through a residential section of the north side of the town, meeting the other end of MD 284. MD 285 runs through an S-curve before leaving the town limits. The state highway passes through a mix of farmland and scattered residences as it parallels the north side of the canal. At Knights Corner Road, MD 285 curves to the northeast to its eastern terminus at the Delaware state line. The roadway continues east as Chesapeake City Road.^[1][2]

History

MD 285 was constructed in three sections. The portion of Lock Street between county-maintained Hemphill Street and the northern junction with MD 284 was part of the original Cecilton–Elkton highway passing through Chesapeake City that was designated for improvement by the Maryland State Roads Commission in 1909.^[3][4] This segment of state road was paved in 1914.^[5] Following the expansion and straightening of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in the 1920s, the portion of Lock Street from the northern junction with MD 284 to Biddle Street was constructed as the approach to a vertical lift bridge constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, connecting Lock Street on the north side with George Street on the south side of the town in 1926. This new alignment became part of US 213 when the federal highway was marked through southern Cecil County around 1927.^[6][7][8]

Biddle Street was paved from US 213 to the Delaware state line and designated MD 285 around 1930.^[9][10] The vertical lift bridge used by US 213 to cross the canal was destroyed by the tanker Franz Klasen on July 28, 1942.^[11] A ferry was established to carry traffic across the canal until the completion of a new bridge.^[12] The Chesapeake City Bridge was completed in 1948 along with new approach roads; US 213 was moved to the new bridge and approach roads and MD 285 was extended north on Lock Street to its present western terminus at US 213.^[13][14]

Junction list

The entire route is in Chesapeake City in Cecil County.

Mile[1]	Destinations	Notes
0.00	MD 213 (Augustine Herman Highway) – Elkton, Cecilton	Western terminus
0.29	MD 284 south (Hemphill Street)
0.57	Biddle Street west / Lock Street south	MD 285 turns east onto Biddle Street; Lock Street is unsigned MD 537B
0.76	MD 284 north (Hemphill Street)
2.43	Chesapeake City Road east	Eastern terminus; Delaware state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Highway Location Reference: Cecil County" (PDF). Maryland State Highway Administration. 2009. http://www.marylandroads.com/Location/2009_CECIL.pdf. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
2. ^ Google, Inc. Google Maps – Maryland Route 285 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=MD-285+W%2FHemphill+St&daddr=Lock+St+to:MD-285+W%2FBiddle+St%2FChesapeake+City+Rd&hl=en&geocode=FaBIWwIdKD57-w%3BFVQwWwId7Th7-w%3BFdtYWwIdMrF7-w&mra=ls&sll=39.535475,-75.795205&sspn=0.015192,0.038581&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=15. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
3. ^ United States Geological Survey. Elkton, MD quadrangle (Map). 1:48,000. 15 Minute Series (Topographic) (1898 ed.). http://historical.mytopo.com/quad.cfm?quadname=Elkton&state=MD&series=15. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
4. ^ Maryland Geological Survey. Map of Maryland (Map) (1910 ed.). 
5. ^ Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland. 1912-1915. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. May 1915. p. 110. http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportsofs1912mary. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
6. ^ Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland. 1924-1926. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. January 1927. p. 30. http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportsofs1924mary. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
7. ^ Maryland Geological Survey. Map of Maryland: Showing State Road System and State Aid Roads (Map) (1927 ed.). 
8. ^ United States Geological Survey. Elkton, MD quadrangle (Map). 1:48,000. 15 Minute Series (Topographic) (1942 ed.). http://historical.mytopo.com/quad.cfm?quadname=Elkton&state=MD&series=15. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
9. ^ Maryland Geological Survey. Map of Maryland Showing State Road System: State Aid Roads and Improved County Road Connections (Map) (1930 ed.). 
10. ^ Maryland State Roads Commission. General Highway Map: State of Maryland (Map) (1939 ed.). 
11. ^ "About Chesapeake City MD". Town of Chesapeake City, MD. http://www.chesapeakecity.com/about.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
12. ^ Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland. 1941-1942. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. 1943-03-15. p. 81. http://www.archive.org/details/reportofstateroa1941mary. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
13. ^ "NBI Structure Number: 300000CECE01010". National Bridge Inventory. http://nationalbridges.com/nbi_record.php?StateCode=24&struct=300000CECE01010. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
14. ^ Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland. 1947-1948. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. 1949-02-15. p. 106. http://www.archive.org/details/reportofstateroa1947mary. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 

External links

• MD 285 @ MDRoads.com