Maryland Route 22
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 22 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Maryland
. The state highway runs 12.91 miles (20.8 km) from U.S. Route 1 Business
(US 1 Business) and MD 924
in Bel Air east to an entrance to Aberdeen Proving Ground
in Aberdeen
. MD 22 is the main connection between the county seat
of Bel Air and Aberdeen, which is the largest city in Harford County
. The state highway also provides the primary route between Interstate 95
(I-95) and Aberdeen Proving Ground; that section of MD 22 is a part of the National Highway System
.
MD 22 was one of the original state roads marked for improvement in 1909 and one of the original state-numbered highways in 1927. The highway was constructed between Bel Air and Aberdeen in the early 1910s. Another section of highway between Aberdeen and Havre de Grace
, the Post Road, was also built in the early 1910s. The Post Road became part of US 40 in 1927 but was designated as an extension of MD 22 after US 40 was relocated in the early 1930s. MD 22 was reconstructed from Bel Air to Aberdeen in the 1950s. MD 22's present course east of I-95 was built in the late 1960s; the old section of MD 22 through Aberdeen became MD 132
.
in the town of Bel Air as a one-way pair, Fulford Avenue eastbound and Churchville Road westbound, at Main Street. Main Street carries northbound MD 924 and US 1 Business; the business route enters downtown Bel Air from the west on Fulford Avenue. Churchville Road continues west as unsigned MD 922E, which intersects Bond Street, which carries southbound MD 924 and US 1 Business; the business route leaves downtown Bel Air to the west on Churchville Road. The two directions of MD 22 unite at Shamrock Road as Churchville Road, a four-lane divided highway that passes Bel Air Park and The John Carroll School
as it leaves the town of Bel Air. The state highway crosses over Bynum Run as it passes through the suburban area of Fountain Green, where the highway intersects MD 543
(Fountain Green Road).
East of MD 543, MD 22 reduces to two lanes and passes through farmland with scattered residential subdivisions where the highway passes the historic homes Dibb House
and Tudor Hall
, the latter notable for being the boyhood home of John Wilkes Booth
. The state highway passes through the hamlet of Schucks Corner and encounters Thomas Run Road, which leads to Thomas Run Park
, Harford Technical High School
, Thomas Run Church
, Medical Hall Historic District
and the historic Hays-Heighe House
on the campus of Harford Community College
. In the village of Churchville
, MD 22 intersects MD 136
(Calvary Road/Priestbridge Road) adjacent to the community's namesake, Churchville Presbyterian Church
. After meeting the west end of MD 155
(Level Road) immediately to the east, the state highway curves to the south. After MD 156
(Aldino Road) splits to the east, MD 22 returns to an eastward heading to pass through the hamlet of Carsins. The state highway expands to a four-lane highway immediately before intersecting Long Drive, which serves as the entrance to Ripken Stadium
, home of the Aberdeen IronBirds
. Just east of the stadium complex, the state highway meets I-95 (John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway) at a partial cloverleaf interchange.
MD 22 continues east as Aberdeen Thruway, a four-lane divided highway bypass of downtown Aberdeen that connects I-95 with Aberdeen Proving Ground. Immediately east of I-95, the state highway enters the city limits of Aberdeen and passes through a commercial area where the highway intersects Beards Hill Road. Beards Hill Road heads south as unsigned MD 132A, which leads to MD 132 (Bel Air Avenue), the old alignment of MD 22 that leads to downtown Aberdeen. MD 22 continues east through a two-block residential area where it intersects MD 462
(Paradise Road). The state highway continues east to grade-separated crossings of CSX
's Philadelphia Subdivision and the Amtrak Northeast Corridor, which are separated by about 600 feet (182.9 m) northeast of downtown Aberdeen. Squeezed in between the two railroad lines is MD 22's partial cloverleaf interchange with US 40 (Philadelphia Boulevard); several movements between the two highways are provided via Rogers Avenue, which intersects MD 22 between the bridges across the Philadelphia Subdivision and US 40. East of the railroads, the state highway intersects Post Road, which heads north as another section of MD 132 (officially MD 132B), before reaching its eastern terminus at Bel Air Avenue just west of an entrance to Aberdeen Proving Ground.
MD 22 was widened to 17 feet (5.2 m) with the addition of 3 foot (0.9144 m) wide concrete shoulders around 1926, just before the highway became one of the original state-numbered highways in 1927. The Post Road became part of US 40 the same year. Both MD 22 and US 40 from Aberdeen to Havre de Grace were widened to 20 feet (6.1 m) by 1930. US 40 was relocated from the Post Road to its present alignment from Aberdeen to Havre de Grace between 1930 and 1933. MD 22 was extended north along the Post Road to MD 132B's present northern terminus by 1939. Work to further modernize MD 22 began in 1951 when Churchville Road from Bel Air to MD 156 near Churchville was straightened, widened, and resurfaced. The Bel Air–Churchville work was completed in 1953; the following year, the MD 22–MD 155 intersection was reconstructed. MD 22 from MD 156 to US 40 in Aberdeen was widened and resurfaced between 1954 and 1956.
The Aberdeen Thruway was constructed to improve the east–west connection between I-95, US 40, and Aberdeen Proving Ground and to provide grade separated crossings of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (now CSX), Pennsylvania Railroad
(now Amtrak), and US 40. The grade separations had been contemplated as early as 1942. Construction on the relocation of MD 22 began in 1967 and was completed in 1969. The old alignment of MD 22 from I-95 east and north through Aberdeen to US 40 near Havre de Grace was designated MD 132. Beards Hill Road was reconstructed as a divided highway between MD 132 and MD 22 and the ramps from northbound I-95 to MD 132 and from eastbound MD 22 to MD 132 were constructed by 1972. The western end of MD 22 was changed to a one-way pair when Fulford Avenue was added to the state highway system as eastbound MD 22 in Bel Air in 1979. The state highway was expanded to a divided highway from the east end of the one-way pair to MD 543 between 1994 and 1999. MD 22 was expanded to a four-lane divided highway from the I-95 overpass west to Long Drive in 2004 concurrent with the transformation of the original diamond interchange
with I-95 to a partial cloverleaf with collector-distributor lanes.
.
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Bel Air
|0.00
|
|Western terminus
|-
|Fountain Green
|2.05
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Churchville
|5.50
|
|
|-
|5.62
|
|
|-
|6.32
|
|
|-
|rowspan=6|Aberdeen
|9.82
|
|I-95 Exit 85
|-
|10.30
|Beards Hill Road to
|Beards Hill Road south is officially MD 132A
|-
|11.01
|
|
|-
|11.84
|
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|12.23
|
|Officially MD 132B
|-
|12.91
|Entrance to Aberdeen Proving Ground
/ Bel Air Avenue west
|Eastern terminus
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The state highway runs 12.91 miles (20.8 km) from U.S. Route 1 Business
U.S. Route 1 Business (Bel Air, Maryland)
U.S. Route 1 Business is a business route of U.S. Route 1 in the U.S. state of Maryland. The highway runs from US 1 and Maryland Route 147 in Benson north to US 1 near Hickory. US 1 Business is the old alignment of US 1 through Bel Air, the county seat of Harford County. US 1 was originally...
(US 1 Business) and MD 924
Maryland Route 924
Maryland Route 924 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 24 near Edgewood to U.S. Route 1 and MD 24 in Bel Air. MD 924 is the old alignment of MD 24 through the Bel Air area in central Harford County. The state highway was originally constructed in...
in Bel Air east to an entrance to Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground is a United States Army facility located near Aberdeen, Maryland, . Part of the facility is a census-designated place , which had a population of 3,116 at the 2000 census.- History :...
in Aberdeen
Aberdeen, Maryland
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,842 people, 5,475 households, and 3,712 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,166.2 people per square mile . There were 5,894 housing units at an average density of 922.4 per square mile...
. MD 22 is the main connection between the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Bel Air and Aberdeen, which is the largest city in Harford County
Harford County, Maryland
Harford County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 244,826. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.-History:...
. The state highway also provides the primary route between Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Maryland
Interstate 95 in Maryland is a major highway that runs diagonally from northeast to southwest, from Maryland's border with Delaware, to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, briefly entering the District of Columbia before reaching Virginia...
(I-95) and Aberdeen Proving Ground; that section of MD 22 is a part of the National Highway System
National Highway System (United States)
The National Highway System is a network of strategic highways within the United States, including the Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities.Individual states...
.
MD 22 was one of the original state roads marked for improvement in 1909 and one of the original state-numbered highways in 1927. The highway was constructed between Bel Air and Aberdeen in the early 1910s. Another section of highway between Aberdeen and Havre de Grace
Havre de Grace, Maryland
Havre de Grace is a city in Harford County, Maryland, United States. Located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of the Chesapeake Bay, Havre de Grace is named after the port city of Le Havre, France, which was first named Le Havre de Grâce, meaning in French "Harbor of Grace." As...
, the Post Road, was also built in the early 1910s. The Post Road became part of US 40 in 1927 but was designated as an extension of MD 22 after US 40 was relocated in the early 1930s. MD 22 was reconstructed from Bel Air to Aberdeen in the 1950s. MD 22's present course east of I-95 was built in the late 1960s; the old section of MD 22 through Aberdeen became MD 132
Maryland Route 132
Maryland Route 132 is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These four highways are sections of old alignment of and connecting roads with MD 22 in Aberdeen. MD 132 is an east–west highway within Aberdeen that connects neighborhoods east and west of U.S. Route 40 ...
.
Route description
MD 22 begins in the Bel Air Courthouse Historic DistrictBel Air Courthouse Historic District
Bel Air Courthouse Historic District is a national historic district at Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland, United States. It consists of a small cohesive group of buildings, mostly two or three stories of brick or frame construction that were erected or renovated in the 19th to early 20th century...
in the town of Bel Air as a one-way pair, Fulford Avenue eastbound and Churchville Road westbound, at Main Street. Main Street carries northbound MD 924 and US 1 Business; the business route enters downtown Bel Air from the west on Fulford Avenue. Churchville Road continues west as unsigned MD 922E, which intersects Bond Street, which carries southbound MD 924 and US 1 Business; the business route leaves downtown Bel Air to the west on Churchville Road. The two directions of MD 22 unite at Shamrock Road as Churchville Road, a four-lane divided highway that passes Bel Air Park and The John Carroll School
The John Carroll School
The John Carroll School, established in 1964, is a private, independent, college-preparatory, co-educational Catholic school for grades 9–12, located on in Bel Air, Maryland...
as it leaves the town of Bel Air. The state highway crosses over Bynum Run as it passes through the suburban area of Fountain Green, where the highway intersects MD 543
Maryland Route 543
Maryland Route 543 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 40 in Riverside north to MD 165 in Pylesville. MD 543 is a north–south highway through central Harford County that connects the communities of Creswell, Fountain Green, Hickory and...
(Fountain Green Road).
East of MD 543, MD 22 reduces to two lanes and passes through farmland with scattered residential subdivisions where the highway passes the historic homes Dibb House
Dibb House
The Dibb House is a historic home located at Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland, United States. It is a -story frame house with a gable roof and a central projecting bay with cross gable. In Victorian style, it features a myriad of porches, oriels, and bay and dormer windows...
and Tudor Hall
Tudor Hall (Bel Air, Maryland)
Tudor Hall is a historic home located at Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland, United States. It is a -story Gothic Revival cottage built of painted brick. The house was built as a country retreat by Junius Brutus Booth from Plates 44 and 45, Design XVII, of The Architect, by William H. Ranlett, 1847...
, the latter notable for being the boyhood home of John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor...
. The state highway passes through the hamlet of Schucks Corner and encounters Thomas Run Road, which leads to Thomas Run Park
Thomas Run Park
Harford Sports Complex, formerly Thomas Run Park, is a multi-purpose sports park in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland, utilized by Harford Community College. It consists of one lit all-grass regulation baseball field, one turf infield/grass outfield regulation baseball field, two lit 'skin'...
, Harford Technical High School
Harford Technical High School
Harford Technical High School is a four-year vocational/technical public high school in Bel Air in Harford County, Maryland, United States. The school is located near the center of the county across the street from Harford Community College and next to the John Archer School.The school was opened...
, Thomas Run Church
Thomas Run Church
Thomas Run Church, also known as Watters Meeting House, is a historic Methodist church located at Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland. It is a one-story, rubble stone, three-bay church with a slate-covered gabled roof...
, Medical Hall Historic District
Medical Hall Historic District
Medical Hall Historic District is a historic home and national historic district near Churchville, Harford County, Maryland, United States. The home was constructed of stuccoed stone between 1825 and 1840 and is five bays long, two bays wide, and two and a half stories high...
and the historic Hays-Heighe House
Hays-Heighe House
The Hays-Heighe House is a historic home located on the campus of Harford Community College near Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland, United States. It is a five bay long, two bay deep stone house with a gable roof and massive brick chimneys on each gable, built in 1808. On the east is a five bay...
on the campus of Harford Community College
Harford Community College
Harford Community College is a community college in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland. The college was founded in 1957. The campus occupies , and has 21 buildings totaling over .-Background:...
. In the village of Churchville
Churchville, Maryland
Churchville is an unincorporated town in Harford County, Maryland, located between the county seat, Bel Air, and Aberdeen, where the Aberdeen Proving Ground is located.-History and Lower Cross Roads:...
, MD 22 intersects MD 136
Maryland Route 136
Maryland Route 136 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 7 near Abingdon north to MD 23 in Norrisville. MD 136 is an L-shaped route that connects the communities of Creswell, Churchville, Dublin, and Whiteford in eastern Harford County with each other...
(Calvary Road/Priestbridge Road) adjacent to the community's namesake, Churchville Presbyterian Church
Churchville Presbyterian Church
Churchville Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church located at Churchville, Harford County, Maryland. It consists of three harmoniously designed sections: the original one-story, four by three bay, gable-roofed brick building dated to 1820; the three-story, restrained Italianate,...
. After meeting the west end of MD 155
Maryland Route 155
Maryland Route 155 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Level Road, the state highway runs from MD 22 in Churchville east to U.S. Route 40 and MD 7 in Havre de Grace. In conjunction with MD 22, MD 155 serves as the main highway linking Bel Air and...
(Level Road) immediately to the east, the state highway curves to the south. After MD 156
Maryland Route 156
Maryland Route 156 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Aldino Road, the state highway runs from MD 22 in Churchville east to MD 155 near Webster. MD 156 provides access to the Harford County Airport in the unincorporated community of Aldino...
(Aldino Road) splits to the east, MD 22 returns to an eastward heading to pass through the hamlet of Carsins. The state highway expands to a four-lane highway immediately before intersecting Long Drive, which serves as the entrance to Ripken Stadium
Ripken Stadium
Ripken Stadium is the home of the Aberdeen IronBirds, Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles in the New York-Penn League. The stadium is located in Aberdeen, Maryland. The 6,000-seat Ripken Stadium held its first game on June 18, 2002. The team has sold out every home game at Ripken Stadium...
, home of the Aberdeen IronBirds
Aberdeen IronBirds
The Aberdeen IronBirds are a Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The IronBirds play in the New York - Penn League and are based in Aberdeen, Maryland, which is in Harford County....
. Just east of the stadium complex, the state highway meets I-95 (John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway) at a partial cloverleaf interchange.
MD 22 continues east as Aberdeen Thruway, a four-lane divided highway bypass of downtown Aberdeen that connects I-95 with Aberdeen Proving Ground. Immediately east of I-95, the state highway enters the city limits of Aberdeen and passes through a commercial area where the highway intersects Beards Hill Road. Beards Hill Road heads south as unsigned MD 132A, which leads to MD 132 (Bel Air Avenue), the old alignment of MD 22 that leads to downtown Aberdeen. MD 22 continues east through a two-block residential area where it intersects MD 462
Maryland Route 462
Maryland Route 462 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Paradise Road, the route runs from MD 132 in Aberdeen north to MD 155 in Webster. MD 462 was built in the early 1930s.-Route description:...
(Paradise Road). The state highway continues east to grade-separated crossings of CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
's Philadelphia Subdivision and the Amtrak Northeast Corridor, which are separated by about 600 feet (182.9 m) northeast of downtown Aberdeen. Squeezed in between the two railroad lines is MD 22's partial cloverleaf interchange with US 40 (Philadelphia Boulevard); several movements between the two highways are provided via Rogers Avenue, which intersects MD 22 between the bridges across the Philadelphia Subdivision and US 40. East of the railroads, the state highway intersects Post Road, which heads north as another section of MD 132 (officially MD 132B), before reaching its eastern terminus at Bel Air Avenue just west of an entrance to Aberdeen Proving Ground.
History
MD 22 was one of the original state roads marked for improvement by the Maryland State Roads Commission in 1909. The highway was part of the original main road from Baltimore to Aberdeen and Havre de Grace that passed through Bel Air. The Post Road, also known as the Philadelphia Road, did not become the main connection between Baltimore and Aberdeen until the 1920s. The highway from Bel Air to Churchville, part of the Bel Air Road extending west from Havre de Grace, was already improved beyond a rudimentary dirt road by 1910. The highway from Churchville to Paradise Road in Aberdeen was constructed in 1911. The portion of the state road between Bel Air and Churchville was reconstructed in 1913. The Post Road between Aberdeen and Havre de Grace was constructed as a state aid road around 1911. All three segments were constructed as a 14 feet (4.3 m) wide macadam road. The original construction did not include the portions of Bel Air Avenue and the Post Road within the limits of Aberdeen. The portion of Bel Air Avenue from Paradise Road to the Post Road and the Post Road from there to approximately the modern intersection of MD 22 and MD 132B were rebuilt as a 17 feet (5.2 m) wide concrete road in 1917.MD 22 was widened to 17 feet (5.2 m) with the addition of 3 foot (0.9144 m) wide concrete shoulders around 1926, just before the highway became one of the original state-numbered highways in 1927. The Post Road became part of US 40 the same year. Both MD 22 and US 40 from Aberdeen to Havre de Grace were widened to 20 feet (6.1 m) by 1930. US 40 was relocated from the Post Road to its present alignment from Aberdeen to Havre de Grace between 1930 and 1933. MD 22 was extended north along the Post Road to MD 132B's present northern terminus by 1939. Work to further modernize MD 22 began in 1951 when Churchville Road from Bel Air to MD 156 near Churchville was straightened, widened, and resurfaced. The Bel Air–Churchville work was completed in 1953; the following year, the MD 22–MD 155 intersection was reconstructed. MD 22 from MD 156 to US 40 in Aberdeen was widened and resurfaced between 1954 and 1956.
The Aberdeen Thruway was constructed to improve the east–west connection between I-95, US 40, and Aberdeen Proving Ground and to provide grade separated crossings of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (now CSX), Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(now Amtrak), and US 40. The grade separations had been contemplated as early as 1942. Construction on the relocation of MD 22 began in 1967 and was completed in 1969. The old alignment of MD 22 from I-95 east and north through Aberdeen to US 40 near Havre de Grace was designated MD 132. Beards Hill Road was reconstructed as a divided highway between MD 132 and MD 22 and the ramps from northbound I-95 to MD 132 and from eastbound MD 22 to MD 132 were constructed by 1972. The western end of MD 22 was changed to a one-way pair when Fulford Avenue was added to the state highway system as eastbound MD 22 in Bel Air in 1979. The state highway was expanded to a divided highway from the east end of the one-way pair to MD 543 between 1994 and 1999. MD 22 was expanded to a four-lane divided highway from the I-95 overpass west to Long Drive in 2004 concurrent with the transformation of the original diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
with I-95 to a partial cloverleaf with collector-distributor lanes.
Junction list
The entire route is in Harford CountyHarford County, Maryland
Harford County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 244,826. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.-History:...
.
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Bel Air
Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland
The town of Bel Air is the county seat of Harford County, Maryland, United States. According to the 2000 census the population of the town was 10,080. In 2009 the town's estimated population was 10,368...
|0.00
|
|Western terminus
|-
|Fountain Green
|2.05
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Churchville
Churchville, Maryland
Churchville is an unincorporated town in Harford County, Maryland, located between the county seat, Bel Air, and Aberdeen, where the Aberdeen Proving Ground is located.-History and Lower Cross Roads:...
|5.50
|
|
|-
|5.62
|
|
|-
|6.32
|
|
|-
|rowspan=6|Aberdeen
Aberdeen, Maryland
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,842 people, 5,475 households, and 3,712 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,166.2 people per square mile . There were 5,894 housing units at an average density of 922.4 per square mile...
|9.82
|
|I-95 Exit 85
|-
|10.30
|Beards Hill Road to
|Beards Hill Road south is officially MD 132A
|-
|11.01
|
|
|-
|11.84
|
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|12.23
|
|Officially MD 132B
|-
|12.91
|Entrance to Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground is a United States Army facility located near Aberdeen, Maryland, . Part of the facility is a census-designated place , which had a population of 3,116 at the 2000 census.- History :...
/ Bel Air Avenue west
|Eastern terminus