Maryland Route 68

This article describes a Maryland state highway numbered 68. For the Interstate with the same number, see Interstate 68.

Maryland Route 68
Route information
Maintained by MDSHA and Town of Williamsport
Length:	18.50 mi[1] (29.77 km)
Major junctions
West end:	US 40 in Clear Spring
	I-70 in Clear Spring MD 56 near Pinesburg MD 63 in Williamsport US 11 in Williamsport I-81 in Williamsport MD 632 near St. James MD 65 in Lappans
East end:	US 40 Alt. in Boonsboro
Location
Counties:	Washington
Highway system
Maryland highway system Interstate • US • State • Minor • Former • Turnpikes ← I-68 MD 69 →

Maryland Route 68 (MD 68) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs 18.50 miles (29.77 km) from U.S. Route 40 (US 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 the highway has a concurrency with MD 63. A small segment of MD 68 west of Boonsboro was constructed around 1920, using as part of the route two early 19th century stone bridges. The remainder of the highway between Boonsboro and Williamsport was constructed in the second half of the 1920s. MD 68 was extended west from Williamsport to Clear Spring in the mid 1950s. The state highway was relocated along with MD 63 south of Williamsport concurrent with the construction of Interstate 81 (I-81) in the mid 1960s. Since the early 1990s, I-68 has also existed in Washington County; signs on I-70 aim to help motorists avoid confusing I-68 and MD 68.

Route description

MD 68 begins at an intersection with US 40 (Cumberland Street) in the town of Clear Spring. The state highway heads south as Mill Street through a commercial area. MD 68's name changes to Clear Spring Road after leaving the town limits. The state highway meets I-70 (Eisenhower Memorial Highway) at a diamond interchange, then heads southeast through farmland, where the highway crosses Little Conococheague Creek. MD 68 intersects MD 56 (Big Pool Road) shortly before passing through the village of Pinesburg. The state highway crosses CSX's Lurgan Subdivision at-grade and passes between industrial properties, then crosses Conococheague Creek and enters the town of Williamsport. MD 68 is municipally-maintained within the town, where the highway follows Conococheague Street south through an intersection with US 11 (Potomac Street). At this intersection, MD 63 joins MD 68 in a concurrency to continue through the Williamsport Historic District. The two highways leave the town limits at their diamond interchange with I-81 (Maryland Veterans Memorial Highway), through which the roadway temporarily expands to a four-lane divided highway.^[1][2]

Disambiguation sign posted in advance of the MD 68 interchange on westbound I-70 near Clear Spring

MD 68's name changes to Lappans Road south of Williamsport. MD 63 (Spielman Road) splits south from MD 68 at the same intersection as Governor Lane Boulevard, which serves an industrial park. MD 68 crosses over the Winchester and Western Railroad and curves to the east, then resumes heading southeast after intersecting the highway's old alignment, Kendle Road. The state highway heads southeast through farmland, intersecting MD 632 (Downsville Pike) and crossing Norfolk Southern Railway's Hagerstown District and St. James Run in the hamlet of St. James. MD 68 intersects MD 65 in the hamlet of Lappans, where the highway passes St. Mark's Episcopal Church. The state highway passes through the hamlet of Brethedsville and passes Devils Backbone County Park as the highway follows Antietam Creek for a short distance. MD 68 crosses over the creek on a narrow stone bridge, then makes a sharp turn to the south to continue following the forested valley of the creek. The state highway crosses over Beaver Creek on a one-lane stone bridge before leaving the creek valley. MD 68 continues southeast through farmland and the hamlet of Millpoint before reaching its eastern terminus at US 40 Alternate (Main Street) on the northern edge of the town of Boonsboro.^[1][2]

History

The first section of MD 68 was constructed in 1920 from Lappans to Millpoint near Boonsboro.^[3][4] This segment made use of a pair of stone arch bridges over Antietam Creek and Beaver Creek constructed in 1833 and 1824, respectively. These bridges remain open to traffic to this day.^[5][6] MD 68 was extended east from Millpoint to Boonsboro 1925.^[7] Construction of MD 68 from Williamsport to Lappans began in 1926, with a section complete from the Williamsport to the Cumberland Valley Railroad crossing by 1927.^[7][8] The last section of the Williamsport–Lappans Road was completed in 1930, completing the original extent of MD 68.^[9][10] The state highway's western terminus was originally US 11 in Williamsport, within which MD 68 followed Artizan Street south to Sunset Avenue at the southern town limit. Artizan Street continued south as MD 63, while MD 68 followed Sunset Avenue southeast toward Lappans.^[11][12] Clear Spring Road remained a county highway until MD 68 was extended west to Clear Spring in 1956.^[13]

MD 68 was relocated south of Williamsport, replacing Sunset Avenue and what is now Kendle Road, in 1965.^[14] The state highway 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.^[14][15] MD 63 joined MD 68 in a concurrency along Conococheague Street north to US 11.^[14] The new alignment of MD 68 and MD 63 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.^[16] That interchange was completed with ramps to and from Hagerstown between 1981 and 1989.^[17][18]

Since the completion of I-68 in 1991, the Interstate and state-numbered highways with the same number have co-existed separated by 17 miles (27 km) on I-70.^[1][19] Multiple signs on westbound I-70 in advance of the Interstate's interchange with MD 68 advise motorists that I-68 and MD 68 are not the same highway and remind them to remain on I-70 west to access I-68.^[20]

Junction list

The entire route is in Washington County.

Location	Mile[1]	Destinations	Notes
Clear Spring	0.00	US 40 (Cumberland Street) / Mill Street north – Huyett, Indian Springs	Western terminus
	0.47	I-70 (Eisenhower Memorial Highway) – Hagerstown, Hancock	I-70 Exit 18
Pinesburg	2.74	MD 56 west (Big Pool Road) – Big Pool
Williamsport	7.31	US 11 / MD 63 north (Potomac Street) – Hagerstown, Huyett, Martinsburg	West end of concurrency with MD 63
	8.29	I-81 (Maryland Veterans Memorial Highway) – Harrisburg, Roanoke	I-81 Exit 1
	8.52	MD 63 south (Spielman Road) – Downsville	East end of concurrency with MD 63
St. James	10.48	MD 632 (Downsville Pike) – Downsville, Hagerstown
Lappans	13.35	MD 65 (Sharpsburg Pike) – Sharpsburg, Hagerstown
Boonsboro	18.50	US 40 Alt. (Main Street) – Funkstown, Middletown	Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Highway Location Reference: Washington County" (PDF). Maryland State Highway Administration. 2009. http://www.marylandroads.com/Location/2009_WASHINGTON.pdf. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Google, Inc. Google Maps – Maryland Route 68 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=S+Mill+St&daddr=Lappans+Rd+to:Lappans+Rd&hl=en&geocode=FZgcXQId6uda-w%3BFWjGWwIdFGFd-w%3BFRUHWwIdJQBf-w&mra=ls&sll=39.654193,-77.92285&sspn=0.007583,0.01929&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=11. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
3. ^ Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland. 1916-1919. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. January 1920. p. 20. http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportsofs1916mary. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
4. ^ Maryland Geological Survey. Map of Maryland: Showing State Road System and State Aid Roads (Map) (1921 ed.). 
5. ^ "Booth's Mill Bridge" (PDF). Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties. http://mdihp.net/dsp_county.cfm?search=county&criteria1=D&criteria2=WA&criteria3=&id=21453&viewer=true. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
6. ^ "Devil's Backbone Bridge" (PDF). Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties. http://mdihp.net/dsp_county.cfm?search=county&criteria1=D&criteria2=WA&criteria3=&id=21461&viewer=true. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland. 1924-1926. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. January 1927. p. 100. http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportsofs1924mary. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
8. ^ Maryland Geological Survey. Map of Maryland: Showing State Road System and State Aid Roads (Map) (1927 ed.). 
9. ^ Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland. 1927-1930. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. 1930-10-01. p. 232. http://www.archive.org/details/reportofstateroa1927mary. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
10. ^ Maryland Geological Survey. Map of Maryland Showing State Road System: State Aid Roads and Improved County Road Connections (Map) (1930 ed.). 
11. ^ Maryland State Roads Commission. General Highway Map: State of Maryland (Map) (1939 ed.). 
12. ^ United States Geological Survey. Williamsport, MD quadrangle (Map). 1:48,000. 15 Minute Series (Topographic) (1944 ed.). http://historical.mytopo.com/quad.cfm?quadname=Williamsport&state=MD&series=15. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
13. ^ Maryland State Roads Commission. Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map) (1956 ed.). 
14. ^ ^{a b c} Maryland State Roads Commission. Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map) (1965 ed.). 
15. ^ "NBI Structure Number: 100000210085010". National Bridge Inventory. http://nationalbridges.com/nbi_record.php?StateCode=24&struct=100000210085010. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
16. ^ Maryland State Roads Commission. Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map) (1967 ed.). 
17. ^ United States Geological Survey (1981-07-01). 10 km SW of Hagerstown, Maryland, United States (Map). Topo Map. http://msrmaps.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=13&Z=18&X=161&Y=2740&W=1&qs=. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
18. ^ United States Geological Survey (1989-05-28). 10 km SW of Hagerstown, Maryland, United States (Map). Aerial Map. http://msrmaps.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=12&Z=18&X=322&Y=5481&W=1&qs=. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
19. ^ Maryland State Highway Administration. Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map) (1991 ed.). 
20. ^ Field, Andy; Nitzman, Alex; Ivy, Brent. "Interstate 70 West - Washington County". AARoads. http://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=i0070wcmd. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 

External links

• MD 68 @ MDRoads.com