Maryland Route 545

Maryland Route 545
Route information
Maintained by MDSHA
Length:	5.92 mi[1] (9.53 km)
Major junctions
South end:	MD 213 in Elkton
	MD 279 in Elkton
North end:	Kirk Road / Warburton Road in Pleasant Hill
Location
Counties:	Cecil
Highway system
Maryland highway system Interstate • US • State • Minor • Former • Turnpikes ← MD 544 MD 546 →

Maryland Route 545 (MD 545) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Blue Ball Road, the state highway runs 5.92 miles (9.53 km) from MD 213 in Elkton north to Kirk Road and Warburton Road in Pleasant Hill in central Cecil County. MD 545 was constructed to Little Elk Creek near Childs in the early 1930s and extended to Pleasant Hill in the late 1940s.

Route description

MD 545 begins at MD 213 (Bridge Street) on the west side of Elkton. The state highway heads west as Elkton Boulevard, a two-lane road through an industrial area. At Blue Ball Road, MD 545 turns northwest onto Blue Ball Road and intersects MD 279 (Elkton Road). The state highway's surroundings transition to a mix of farmland and forest after leaving the town of Elkton and passing Dogwood Road. MD 545 crosses Little Elk Creek immediately before passing under Interstate 95. The state highway passes under CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision as it enters the village of Childs. MD 545 continues through scattered residences in a forested area before reaching its northern terminus at an intersection with Kirk Road and Warburton Road in the hamlet of Pleasant Hill. Blue Ball Road continues northwest as a county highway.^[1][2]

History

MD 545 was paved from Easton Boulevard to Little Elk Creek near Childs in 1933.^[3][4] The bridge over Little Elk Creek was completed in 1932.^[4] MD 545 was extended to Pleasant Hill in 1949.^[5]

Future

The Maryland State Highway Administration plans to construct a new bridge on MD 545 over Little Elk Creek in 2011.^[6] In January 2010, SHA put the 1932 pony truss bridge up for sale to any buyer willing to preserve the bridge on a new location.^[7]

Junction list

The entire route is in Cecil County.

Location	Mile[1]	Destinations	Notes
Elkton	0.00	MD 213 (Bridge Street) – Chesapeake City, Fair Hill	Southern terminus
	0.71	MD 279 (Elkton Road) – Newark, DE
	1.30	Dogwood Road east	Former MD 711
Pleasant Hill	5.92	Blue Ball Road north / Kirk Road east / Warburton Road west	Northern terminus
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 2010-10-14. 
2. ^ Google, Inc. Google Maps – Maryland Route 545 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=N+Bridge+St&daddr=MD-545+N%2FBlue+Ball+Rd&geocode=FYZwXAIdEtJ6-w%3BFR1bXQIdTcd5-w&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=39.650641,-75.829697&sspn=0.121332,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=39.641388,-75.870895&spn=0.121349,0.308647&t=h&z=12. Retrieved 2010-10-14. 
3. ^ Maryland Geological Survey. Map of Maryland Showing State Road System: State Aid Roads and Improved County Road Connections (Map) (1933 ed.). 
4. ^ ^{a b} Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland. 1931-1934. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. 1934-12-28. p. 328. http://www.archive.org/details/reportofstateroa1931mary. Retrieved 2010-10-14. 
5. ^ Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland. 1949-1950. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. 1950-12-20. p. 112. http://www.archive.org/details/reportofstateroa1949mary. Retrieved 2010-10-14. 
6. ^ "Project Information: MD 0545 BLUE BALL ROAD OVER LITTLE ELK CREEK". Maryland State Highway Administration. http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/WebProjectLifeCycle/ProjectInformation.asp?projectno=CE333217. Retrieved 2010-10-14. 
7. ^ "State Highway Administration replaces MD 545 bridge over Little Elk Creek in Cecil County". Maryland State Highway Administration. 2010-01-11. http://www.marylandroads.com/Pages/release.aspx?newsId=560. Retrieved 2010-10-14. 

External links

• MD 545 @ MDRoads.com