Maryland Route 560 (MD 560) is a
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. Known for most of its length as Gorman Road, the state highway runs from
U.S. Route 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 Atlanti ...
(US 50) in
Gorman north to
MD 135 in
Mountain Lake Park
Mountain Lake Park is a San Francisco park in the Richmond District neighborhood, located north of the intersection of Lake and Funston. It was designed by engineer William Hammond Hall in the late 19th century, circa 1875. Hall also designed G ...
. MD 560 serves as the main street of
Loch Lynn Heights. The state highway also provides a connection through southeastern
Garrett County
Garrett County () is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,806, making it the third-least populous county in Maryland. Its county seat is Oakland. The county was named for John Work ...
between US 50 on the east side of
Backbone Mountain
Backbone Mountain is a ridge of the Allegheny Mountains of the central Appalachian Mountain Range. It is situated in the U.S. states of West Virginia and Maryland and forms a portion of the Eastern Continental Divide. In the state of Maryland, ...
and the
Oakland
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
area. MD 560 was constructed from both ends beginning in the early 1930s. The northern segment was extended over Backbone Mountain in the late 1930s, but it was not until 1949 that the gap in MD 560 was filled.
Route description
MD 560 begins at an intersection with US 50 (George Washington Highway) just west of the
North Branch Potomac River
The North Branch Potomac River flows from Fairfax Stone in West Virginia to its confluence with the South Branch Potomac River near Green Spring, West Virginia, where it turns into the Potomac River proper.
Course
From the Fairfax Stone, the ...
and
CSX
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
's
Thomas Subdivision
The Thomas Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Maryland and West Virginia. The line runs from Rawlings, Maryland, to Bayard, West Virginia, for a total of . At its east end the line continues west from ...
railroad line in Gorman. After passing through the village and crossing Nydegger Run, the state highway heads north as two-lane undivided Gorman Road through farmland. MD 560 crosses Glade Run and meets White Church Steyer Road next to the hamlet of
Kearney before turning northwest and crossing Backbone Mountain at Kelso Gap. After descending the mountain, the state highway turns west toward Loch Lynn Heights. The name of MD 560 changes to Lothian Street upon entering the town limits. At Argyle Street, MD 560 veers west onto Third Street then turns north onto Paull Street. MD 560 leaves Loch Lynn Heights by crossing CSX's
Mountain Subdivision
The Mountain Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Maryland and West Virginia. The line runs from Cumberland, Maryland, west to Grafton, West Virginia,CSX Transportation, Huntington, WV"Moun ...
railroad line at-grade and enters Mountain Lake Park, where the state highway immediately reaches its northern terminus at MD 135 (Maryland Highway).
History
MD 560 was constructed beginning in 1930 from both the Loch Lynn Heights and Gorman ends.
By 1933, the state highway was paved from US 50 north to Le Moyne King Road, and from
MD 41 (now MD 135) south to Bethlehem Road just north of Backbone Mountain.
The northern section was extended over Backbone Mountain to White Church Steyer Road at Kearney by 1939.
MD 560 was a two-part route until the gap between Le Moyne King Road and Kearney was filled in 1949.
Junction list
See also
*
References
External links
{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
MDRoads: MD 560
560
Maryland Route 560
Maryland Route 560 (MD 560) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Gorman Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 50 (US 50) in Gorman north to MD 135 in Mountain Lake Park. MD 560 serves as ...