Maryland Route 3 (MD 3), part of the Robert Crain Highway, is the designation given to the former alignment of
U.S. Route 301 (US 301) from
Bowie, Maryland
Bowie () is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 58,329. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous c ...
, United States, to
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. It is named for
Robert Crain
Robert S. Crain (February 12, 1865 – August 26, 1928) was a lawyer and farmer from Maryland who was active with the Democratic Party. He was the namesake of the Crain Highway.
Early life
Robert S. Crain was born on February 12, 1865, at the ...
of Baltimore. It is unique in Maryland in that it has a business route and a truck route which do not connect to their parent; however, the business route is also a part of the Robert Crain Highway. MD 3's current orientation is vestigial from the construction of Maryland's freeway system.
Route description
MD 3 begins within the modified
cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the ...
of
US 50
U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...
and unsigned
I-595 (John Hanson Highway) and
US 301
U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, Mar ...
(Robert Crain Highway) in
Bowie,
Prince George's County
)
, demonym = Prince Georgian
, ZIP codes = 20607–20774
, area codes = 240, 301
, founded date = April 23
, founded year = 1696
, named for = Prince George of Denmark
, leader_title = Executive
, leader_name = Angela D. Alsobrook ...
. Within the interchange, US 301 heads south on Crain Highway and east along US 50; meanwhile, MD 3 heads north on Crain Highway, a four-lane
divided highway
A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
. A short distance after beginning, the route comes to a
partial cloverleaf interchange
A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange.
The design has been well received, and has since become one of the most popular freeway-to-arterial interchange designs in North America. It has also bee ...
with Belair Drive, containing continuing connections from the US 50/US 301 interchange. Past here, the road runs north through wooded residential areas before the median widens and it bends to the north-northeast, continuing through forested areas with a few businesses. MD 3 continues northeast and the median narrows, with the road widening to eight lanes as it comes to an intersection with
MD 450
Maryland Route 450 (MD 450) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 Alternate (US 1 Alternate) in Bladensburg east to US 50, US 301, and MD 2 near Arnold. MD 450 forms a local complement t ...
. At this point, MD 450 heads northeast for a
concurrency with MD 3 along a six-lane divided highway, running through wooded areas and coming to a bridge over the
Patuxent River
The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington, D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast ...
.
Upon crossing the Patuxent River, the road enters
Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, whi ...
and continues northeast, with MD 450 splitting from MD 3 by turning to the east. MD 3 continues north along Crain Highway into
Crofton, passing between woodland to the west and residential subdivisions to the east. The road heads into a commercial area and comes to an intersection with the northern terminus of
MD 424. At this point, the route turns to the northeast and the median widens to include businesses in the center. MD 3 heads into
Gambrills and runs through more commercial areas. The median narrows as the road passes to the southeast of the Waugh Chapel Towne Center shopping center and runs between businesses to the northwest and residential neighborhoods to the southeast. The median widens again and the route narrows to four lanes at the St. Stephen's Church Road intersection, passing through a mix of fields, woods, and businesses. The road comes to an intersection with the eastern terminus of
MD 175 in
Millersville before it heads northeast through woodland. MD 3 comes to its northern terminus at a modified cloverleaf interchange with
I-97 and the eastern terminus of the
MD 32 freeway. I-97 passes under MD 3 and occupies its median for a very short distance, with MD 3 ending at ramps merging into northbound I-97. The roadway of MD 3, however, continues for a minor distance longer, the southbound carriageway turning and crossing underneath I-97 to join with the northbound on the east side of the Interstate, and continuing north as Veterans Highway, running parallel to I-97 and providing access to
MD 178.
History
In the past, Crain Highway originally held the designation MD 3, then US 301, and it currently carries both of these designations on different sections.
Started in 1922, Crain Highway was a new road built by the Maryland State Road Commission and ran from Baltimore to Southern Maryland. The original route of MD 3, completed in 1927 on a greenfield alignment, was once designated Maryland Route 761. With the opening of the
Harry W. Nice Bridge
The Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas "Mac" Middleton Bridge, also known as the Potomac River Bridge, is a , two-lane continuous truss bridge that spans the Potomac River between Newburg in Charles County, Maryland and Dahlgren i ...
in 1940 it was joined with
U.S. Route 301. After the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (also known locally as the Bay Bridge) is a major twin bridges, dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore of Maryland, Eastern Shore regio ...
was built in 1952, US 301, which at that time ran along the current alignment of MD 3, was rerouted along
US 50
U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...
, across the Bay Bridge, and north to
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
, as a bypass around the
Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The former US 301 north of US 50 was then given back the MD 3 designation. After the construction of
I-97, MD 3 was cut back to the I-97/MD 32 interchange, which led to the oddity of MD 3 Business in
Glen Burnie
Glen Burnie is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Baltimore. The population of Glen Burnie was 67,639 at ...
being completely orphaned from its parent route. Despite this, the route is still designated MD 3 Business.
If MD 3 existed as a continuous route between its original southern end near
Cobb Island
Cobb Island is a small island located at the confluence of the Potomac and Wicomico rivers in southern Charles County, Maryland, United States. It is located approximately south of Washington, and is considered to be within the Washington, D.C ...
(now signed as
MD 254 and
MD 257) and its original northern end at
US 1
U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...
(Wilkens Avenue) in southwestern
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, running via
US 301
U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, Mar ...
,
Interstate 97
Interstate 97 (I-97) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs entirely within Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The Interstate runs from U.S. Route 50 (US 50)/US 301 in Parole near Annapolis north to I-695 and I-895 in Brookly ...
, short segments of the
Baltimore Beltway
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...
and the
Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and Monroe Street in downtown Baltimore, it would be 74.69 miles long. MD 3 was routed via the Beltway and the Parkway to divert it from city streets; originally it followed what is now
MD 648
Maryland Route 648 (MD 648) is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These nine highways are current or former sections of the Baltimore–Annapolis Boulevard between Annapolis and Baltimore via Glen Burnie. There a ...
(Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard) into Baltimore, meeting Monroe Street within today's interchange between the Parkway and
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...
.
The current alignment of the route was upgraded to a divided highway as
US 301
U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, Mar ...
in 1954.
The route is severely congested; attempts to bypass it with new routings have failed. One such routing would have been Interstate 297, a direct freeway link between
Interstate 97
Interstate 97 (I-97) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs entirely within Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The Interstate runs from U.S. Route 50 (US 50)/US 301 in Parole near Annapolis north to I-695 and I-895 in Brookly ...
and
US 50
U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...
/
US 301
U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, Mar ...
/
I-595.
Junction list
Related routes
Maryland Route 3 Business
Maryland Route 3 Business (MD 3 Bus.) is a
business route
A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...
of MD 3 through
Glen Burnie
Glen Burnie is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Baltimore. The population of Glen Burnie was 67,639 at ...
and is the northernmost part of the Robert Crain Highway, connecting
I-97 and
MD 2. MD 3 Bus. begins on two-lane undivided New Cut Road at an arbitrary point just south of Grover Road in
Severn
, name_etymology =
, image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG
, image_size = 288
, image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle
, map = RiverSevernMap.jpg
, map_size = 288
, map_c ...
, heading north-northeast through a mix of fields and residential neighborhoods and passing east of
Archbishop Spalding High School. Past the Grover Road intersection, the route becomes a five-lane road with a
center left-turn lane
A reversible lane (British English: tidal flow) is a lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on certain conditions. Typically, it is meant to improve traffic flow during rush hours, by having overhead traffic lights and li ...
. MD 3 Bus. comes to an interchange with I-97 and becomes a four-lane
divided highway
A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
, with the name changing to Crain Highway at the intersection with the northern terminus of Veterans Highway within the interchange. From here, the route widens to six lanes and continues through a largely commercial and residential area in Glen Burnie, curving to the north. The road passes under the
MD 100 freeway without an interchange before narrowing to four lanes at the Oak Manor Drive intersection immediately after. MD 3 Bus. continues north through suburban areas, with the median transitioning to a center left-turn lane at the Madison Park Drive intersection. The road bends to the north-northeast and reaches a junction with the eastern terminus of
MD 174. Following this, the route continues as a five lane road with a center left-turn lane that is lined with businesses, narrowing to a two-lane road at the 5th Avenue intersection. The road continues through residential and commercial areas, gaining a center turn lane again. At the Post 40 Road intersection, the
Baltimore and Annapolis Trail
The Baltimore & Annapolis Trail is a rail trail in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The trail starts at Boulter's Way in Arnold and ends near Baltimore Light Rail's Cromwell Station in Glen Burnie. Starting near Annapolis at Jonas Green Park, th ...
crosses the route diagonally, forcing trail users to utilize two crosswalks. Immediately after, MD 3 Bus. intersects
MD 648
Maryland Route 648 (MD 648) is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These nine highways are current or former sections of the Baltimore–Annapolis Boulevard between Annapolis and Baltimore via Glen Burnie. There a ...
in the downtown area of Glen Burnie. The route continues north-northeast through developed areas as a two-lane road, with MD 2 now running parallel to the route just one block to the east. Now with shoulders, MD 3 Bus. enters a heavy residential and commercial area for the remainder of its route. The route intersects the northern terminus of
MD 270 before it makes a slight curve to the north. MD 3 Bus. continues north for a short distance before it reaches its northern terminus at an intersection with MD 2.
MD 3 Bus. is the only business route in the Maryland state highway system that no longer connects with its parent route. This is due to the construction of a bypass freeway, which took over the MD 3 designation as it was built; MD 3 Bus. was designated for the present business route as it was constructed. However, the freeway was later designated as I-97, and MD 3's mainline was truncated to the point at which the freeway and MD 3 deviated onto different routes, south of MD 3 Bus. Despite this, several locations on I-97 have "TO MD 3" signs posted.
Junction list
Maryland Route 3 Truck
Maryland Route 3 Truck is an unsigned designation given to
Pratt Street
Pratt Street is a major street in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It forms a one-way pair of streets with Lombard Street that run west–east through downtown Baltimore. For most of their route, Pratt Street is one-way in an eastbound direc ...
eastbound and
Lombard Street westbound in
downtown Baltimore
Downtown Baltimore is the central business district of the city of Baltimore traditionally bounded by Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to the west, Franklin Street to the north, President Street to the east and the Inner Harbor area to the s ...
, running from
MD 295 (Greene Street) east to President Street.
Maryland State Highway Administration
The Maryland State Highway Administration (abbreviated MDOT SHA or simply SHA) is the state transportation business unit responsible for maintaining Maryland's numbered highways outside Baltimore City. Formed originally under authority of the Ge ...
(2004), , 2004
The route exists despite not connecting to the current alignment of MD 3. As mentioned before, this is due to the construction of the freeways south of Baltimore taking the MD 3 designation, including MD 295. Before being given the current MD 295 designation, Paca Street and Greene Street were part of MD 3, which was the connection of MD 3 Truck to MD 3's mainline.
Auxiliary routes
*MD 3AA is an unnamed connector road that begins at Veterans Highway and travels to MD 3AB (Old Section MD 3) in Millersville, Anne Arundel County. The road has no connection to MD 3.
*MD 3AB is Old Section MD 3, a section of road with two dead ends, connecting to MD 3AA in the middle in Millersville, Anne Arundel County.
*MD 3C is the section of Benfield Boulevard crossing through its interchange with I-97, between a cul-de-sac west of Najoles Road and ending as the road narrows east of Veterans Highway near Millersville, Anne Arundel County. The road has no connection to MD 3.
*MD 3D is the section of Brightview Drive crossing I-97, between Grover Road and Veterans Highway in South Gate, Anne Arundel County. The road has no connection to MD 3.
*MD 3E is the section of Belair Drive which passes through its interchange with MD 3, starting from Kendale Lane and ending at the roundabout at Science Drive and Melford Boulevard in Bowie, Prince George's County.
*MD 3F is the section of Governor Bridge Road which intersects US 301 just south of the US 50 interchange in Bowie, Prince George's County. It continues east to Ourismans Way. The road has no connection to MD 3.
*MD 3G is a section of Old Crain Drive, starting at Science Drive and continuing north to Oxford Court in Bowie, Prince George's County. The road has no connection to MD 3, but runs just east of it for a short stretch.
See also
*
References
External links
{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
MDRoads: MD 3Maryland Roads - MD 3
003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to:
*003, fictional British 00 Agent
*003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986)
*1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen
* OO3 gauge model railway
*''O03 (O2)'' and other related ...
Maryland Route 003
Maryland Route 003
U.S. Route 301