Interstate 68
Encyclopedia : I : IN : INT : Interstate 68
Interstate 68 (abbreviated I-68) is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It runs from Morgantown, West Virginia at Interstate 79 to Hancock, Maryland at Interstate 70, completely replacing the pre-1989 U.S. Highway 48. Interstate 68 is Corridor E of the Appalachian Development Highway System. It is also known as the National Freeway in Maryland, named after the old National Road (US 40), which parallels I-68 east of exit 14 (Keysers Ridge). I-68 was fully completed in 1991.
Contents
Length
| Miles | km | state | |
| 31 | 50 | West Virginia | |
| 81 | 131 | Maryland | |
| 112 | 181 | Total | |
Major cities
Intersections with other interstates
Exit list
West Virginia
| County | Municipality/Feature | Exit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monongalia | 0* | Interstate 79 | |
| Monongalia | 1 | Grafton Road (US 119) | |
| Monongalia | Morgantown/Sabraton | 4 | Earl Core Road (WV 7) |
| Monongalia | 7 | Airport-Pierpont Road | |
| Monongalia | Cheat Lake | 10 | Fairchance Road (Monongalia CR 857) |
| Preston | Coopers Rock State Forest | 15 | Old Route 73 |
| Preston | Bruceton Mills | 23 | WV 26 |
| Preston | 29 | Hazelton Road (Preston CR 5/12) | |
Maryland
| County | Municipality | Exit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett | Friendsville | 4 | Friendsville Road (MD 42) Trucks for Luke use Exit 34 |
| Garrett | 14 | US 40 West / US 219 South | |
| Garrett | Grantsville | 19 | Yoder Street / Bittinger Road (MD 495) |
| Garrett | 22 | Chestnut Hill Road (US 219 North) | |
| Garrett | 24 | Lower New Germany Road / Avilton Road | |
| Garrett | 29 | Beall School Road / MD 546 | |
| Allegany | Frostburg | 33 | Midlothian Road |
| Allegany | Frostburg | 34 | MD 36 Westernport |
| Allegany | 39 | Alternate US 40 access (westbound only) | |
| Allegany | 40 | Braddock Road (MD 49) / Vocke Road to Winchester Road (MD 53) | |
| Allegany | 41 | Seton Drive (westbound only) | |
| Allegany | Cumberland | 42 | Greene Street / McMullen Highway (US 220 South Keyser) |
| Allegany | Cumberland/Ridgeley WV | 43A | Johnson Street (eastbound) / Beall Street (westbound) WV 28 Alternate |
| Allegany | Cumberland | 43B | Industrial Boulevard (MD 51) |
| Allegany | Cumberland | 43C | Queen City Drive (eastbound) / Liberty Street (westbound) |
| Allegany | Cumberland | 43D | Maryland Avenue |
| Allegany | Cumberland | 44 | Baltimore Avenue (Alternate US 40) / Willowbrook Road |
| Allegany | 45 | Hillcrest Drive | |
| Allegany | 46 | US 220 North / MD 144 | |
| Allegany | 47 | Dehaven Road (westbound only) | |
| Allegany | 50 | Pleasant Valley Road | |
| Allegany | 52 | Old National Pike (MD 144) (eastbound only) | |
| Allegany | 56 | Flintstone Drive / Black Valley Road / Old National Pike (MD 144) | |
| Allegany | 62 | Fifteen Mile Creek Road (MD 144 West / Scenic US 40 East) | |
| Allegany | 64 | MV Smith Road | |
| Allegany | 68 | Orleans Road | |
| Allegany | 72 | High Germany Road / Scenic US 40 | |
| Washington | 74 | Mountain Road / Scenic US 40 (eastbound only) | |
| Washington | 77 | Woodmont Road / Scenic US 40 West / MD 144 East | |
| Washington | Hancock | 82A | US 522 South |
| Washington | Hancock | 82B/C | Interstate 70 / US 522 North |
- Exit number not signed, based on milepost
Shunpiking the Interstate 70 portion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike via Interstate 68 and Interstate 79 north is typically faster than using the Turnpike. From Hancock, Maryland, to Washington, Pennsylvania, using the Turnpike the route is 150 miles, while the Shunpiking route from Hancock, Maryland, to Washington, Pennsylvania, via Morgantown, West Virginia, is 158 miles. Although the distance is longer, the speed limit is higher on parts of the Shunpiking route; West Virginia has a speed limit of 70 mph (110 km/h).
With the completion of the remaining link of US 50 is completed in Parkersburg, West Virginia it will also be possible to "shunpike" via I-79 South to US 50, rejoining the interstate system at either Columbus or Dayton Ohio.
These alternates are actually encouraged by Maryland highway officials, with signage on I-70 that informs motorists that I-68 is an alternate route to "Ohio and the West", despite the fact that the road actually goes nowhere near Ohio, let alone "the West".
Notes
- A 340-foot (104 m) deep cut in the top of Sideling Hill was made to allow the highway to pass through six miles (10 km) west of Hancock. This exposed a syncline, a trough-shaped fold in the rock of Sideling Hill. An exhibit center was built at the site, and it opened in 1991. This cut is one of the most impressive rock exposures in the northeastern United States.
- The Interstate 68 designation was originally applied to US 50 (the John Hanson Highway) from Interstate 95/Capital Beltway to Annapolis, Maryland. This section now carries the secret I-595 designation.
- The section through Cumberland, Maryland, is one of the most substandard sections of Interstate highway, falling well below Interstate standards, however, there was no realistic alternate route so it was included in I-68. Built as U.S. Highway 40 in 1965, the tight character, narrow lanes and very limited sight distance warrant a 40 mph (60 km/h) speed limit and most exits are posted at 15 mph (25 km/h).
- The Mon-Fayette Expressway is a nearly completed major highway project extending from I-376 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania via Uniontown, Pennsylvania and destined to end at I-68 in West Virginia near the Cheat Lake Interchange (Exit 10). Ground was broken in West Virginia many years ago during the tenure of Governor Cecil Underwood. When completed, the WV portion of the highway will be designated as WV 43. The official name of this highway in Pennsylvania is the James J. Manderino Highway. [link]
- Interstate 268 has been proposed as a designation for the West Run Expressway, a planned northeast bypass of Morgantown, West Virginia, connecting to I-79 in Pennsylvania.
- There are proponents petitioning to extend I-68 to Moundsville, West Virginia. With the Ohio River bridge crossing there, such a development would make accurate a road sign in western Maryland along I-70 (westbound) prior to Hancock: "Interstate 68 - To Ohio and all points west." As of now, I-68 does not go to Ohio.
See also
External links
References
- 2005 Rand McNally "The Road Atlas 2005"
| Main Interstate Highways |
| ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 29 |
| 30 | 35 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 49 | 55 | 57 | 59 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 68 |
| 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 (W) | 76 (E) | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | ||
| 82 | 83 | 84 (W) | 84 (E) | 85 | 86 (W) | 86 (E) | 87 | 88 (W) | 88 (E) | ||||||
| 89 | 90 | 91 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 99 | (238) | H-1 | H-2 | H-3 | |||
| Unsigned | A-1 | A-2 | A-3 | A-4 | PRI-1 | PRI-2 | PRI-3 | ||||||||
| Lists | Main - Auxiliary - Suffixed - Business - Proposed - Unsigned Gaps - Intrastate - Interstate standards - Replaced | ||||||||||||||
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