Maryland Route 85
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 85 is a state highway
in the U.S. state of Maryland
. Known as Buckeystown Pike, the state highway runs 10.8 miles (17.4 km) from MD 28
in Tuscarora
north to the Frederick
city limit north of Interstate 70
(I-70), where the highway continues north as East Street. MD 85 connects Tuscarora and Buckeystown
in southern Frederick County
with the county seat
of Frederick. The state highway also links the suburban area between Buckeystown and Frederick with I-70 and I-270
. MD 85 is the old alignment of U.S. Route 15
(US 15), which was originally constructed between Tuscarora and Frederick in the late 1910s and early 1920s. MD 85 was assigned to the highway in 1970 when US 15 was moved to a new highway heading north from its Potomac River
crossing at Point of Rocks
. The state highway was extended north to the city of Frederick as part of a project to overhaul MD 355
's interchange with I-70 in the first decade of the 21st century.
about 1 miles (1.6 km) to the east. The state highway intersects Lily Pons Road, which heads east toward the Lily Pons Water Gardens and the historic Amelung House and Glassworks
, and Adamstown Road, which heads west toward Adamstown
. MD 85 intersects MD 80
(Fingerboard Road) on the southern edge of Buckeystown. The state highway continues through the Buckeystown Historic District
, where the highway intersects Manor Woods Road and the old alignment of MD 80, Michaels Mill Road, and crosses Rocky Fountain Run.
MD 85 enters an industrial area as the highway enters the community of Lime Kiln, the site of the road's oblique at-grade crossing of CSX
's Old Main Line Subdivision. The state highway temporarily expands to a four-lane undivided highway between the railroad crossing and its intersection with English Muffin Way, which was formerly the site of a Thomas'
factory. At the north end of the industrial area, MD 85 crosses Ballenger Creek
and passes the George Markell Farmstead
and the historic home Arcadia. The state highway expands to a four undivided highway as it passes through a commercial area north of Executive Way. MD 85 intersects Crestwood Boulevard, which heads west into the suburb of Ballenger Creek
, before the highway meets I-270 (Eisenhower Memorial Highway) at a partial cloverleaf interchange at a rakish angle.
MD 85 continues north through a commercial area that includes the Francis Scott Key Mall. At the northern end of the commercial area at Evergreen Point, the state highway expands to a divided highway, veers east, and intersects MD 355 (Urbana Pike). MD 85 curves to the north and meets I-70 and US 40
(Baltimore National Pike) at a single-point urban interchange
. The state highway intersects Walser Drive and Monocacy Boulevard before reaching its northern terminus at the end of state maintenance next to Harry T. Greager Memorial Athletic Field at the city limit of Frederick. The roadway continues north as East Street through the Frederick Historic District
, where the street passes the Frederick
train station on the Frederick Branch of MARC
's Brunswick Line
.
and is now MD 355) at Evergreen Point to 1 miles (1.6 km) south of Buckeystown. The old turnpike was resurfaced in macadam by 1921. The remainder of modern Buckeystown Pike was paved as a 15 feet (4.6 m) wide concrete road from south of Buckeystown to around Lily Pons Road in 1918 and 1919 and south of Lily Pons Road to just north of the modern MD 28 junction by 1921. The concrete highway was extended south through the MD 28 junction to MD 28's junction with Nolands Ferry Road by 1923. Buckeystown Pike was designated US 15 in 1927. At that time, US 15 had yet to be constructed as a modern highway from Tuscarora to the bridge across the Potomac River at Point of Rocks. US 15 from Tuscarora to Point of Rocks was completed in 1933.
The first significant improvement to US 15 between Tuscarora and Frederick came in 1951 and 1952 when the U.S. highway was reconstructed and widened from Evergreen Point to Lime Kiln. In 1950, construction began on the Washington National Pike freeway, which would later become I-270. As part of that construction, a cloverleaf interchange
was constructed between US 15 and the new freeway, which had its northern terminus at US 15 until US 40's segment of the Frederick Bypass opened in 1956. US 15 was moved to Washington National Pike north of Buckeystown Pike after the completion of the Frederick Freeway in 1959. The portion of Buckeystown Pike between the freeway and MD 355 was designated MD 806
, which is used for several segments of the old alignment of US 15 north of Frederick. After US 15's present alignment north of Point of Rocks was completed in 1970, MD 85 was assigned to Buckeystown Pike south of I-270. MD 85 was extended north to MD 355 at Evergreen Point in 1971, replacing MD 806. The two loop ramps from MD 85 to I-270 were taken out of service to transform the interchange to its present partial cloverleaf by 1999; the loop ramps remain paved but blocked off.
The reconstruction of I-70 Exit 54 began in 2001 to replace the tight folded diamond interchange between the Interstate and MD 355 constructed in 1956 as part of the Frederick Freeway. The ramps between MD 355 and westbound I-70 were removed and temporarily replaced with ramps to and from Stadium Drive. In 2005, the intersection between MD 85 and MD 355 was transformed into a perpendicular intersection from the previous angled junction. MD 85 was extended north of MD 355 as a four-lane divided highway to a pair of ramps to and from eastbound I-70; the eastbound ramps at MD 355 were removed. Related to the project was an extension of East Street south from downtown Frederick to near I-70 that was temporarily designated MD 475. The overall project was completed in 2009 when a single-point urban interchange was completed between I-70 and MD 85. At the same time, MD 85 was extended north to its present terminus, the temporary ramps between Stadium Drive and westbound I-70 were removed, East Street was completed between MD 85 and downtown Frederick, and the unsigned MD 475 designation was removed from East Street.
The Maryland State Highway Administration
plans to expand MD 85 to a four-lane divided highway from English Muffin Way north to MD 355 as part of a three-phase project. Phase 1 includes the state highway from Crestwood Boulevard to just north of its interchange with I-270. The interchange will be reconstructed in a five-ramp configuration. I-270's bridges over MD 85, originally built in 1950, will be replaced. Phase 2 will extend the four-lane divided highway south from MD 355 to just north of I-270. Phase 3 from English Muffin Way to Crestwood Boulevard includes a new bridge over Ballenger Creek.
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Tuscarora
|0.00
|
|Southern terminus
|-
|Buckeystown
|4.57
|
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Frederick
|9.06
|
|I-270 Exit 31
|-
|10.18
|
|
|-
|10.57
|
|I-70 Exit 54; single-point urban interchange
|-
|10.74
|Walser Drive west / Monocacy Boulevard east
|Walser Drive is unsigned MD 85A
|-
|10.80
|East Street north
|Northern terminus; Frederick
city limit
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 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...
. Known as Buckeystown Pike, the state highway runs 10.8 miles (17.4 km) from MD 28
Maryland Route 28
Maryland Route 28 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 15 in Point of Rocks east to MD 182 in Norwood. The western portion of MD 28 is a rural highway connecting several villages in southern Frederick County and western Montgomery County...
in Tuscarora
Tuscarora, Maryland
Tuscarora is a small village in southern Frederick County, Maryland. Maryland Route 28 runs through the village. The community was named for Tuscarora Creek that runs in the area. There is an old, small post office that is in the area along Route 28. The area was formerly named Licksville after...
north to the Frederick
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
city limit north of Interstate 70
Interstate 70 in Maryland
Interstate 70 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Cove Fort, Utah to Baltimore, Maryland. In Maryland, the Interstate Highway runs from the Pennsylvania state line in Hancock east to the Interstate's eastern terminus near its junction with I-695 at a park and ride in...
(I-70), where the highway continues north as East Street. MD 85 connects Tuscarora and Buckeystown
Buckeystown, Maryland
Buckeystown is an unincorporated community in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. Buckeystown Historic District and Buckingham House and Industrial School Complex were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Carrollton Manor was listed in 1997.Current member of Congress...
in southern Frederick County
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
with 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 Frederick. The state highway also links the suburban area between Buckeystown and Frederick with I-70 and I-270
Interstate 270 (Maryland)
Interstate 270 is a auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Maryland that travels between Interstate 495 just north of Bethesda, Montgomery County and Interstate 70 in the city of Frederick in Frederick County. It consists of the mainline as well as a spur that provides access to and...
. MD 85 is the old alignment of U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 15 in Maryland
U.S. Route 15 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Walterboro, South Carolina to Painted Post, New York. In Maryland, the highway runs from the Virginia state line at the Potomac River in Point of Rocks north to the Pennsylvania state line near Emmitsburg. US 15 is...
(US 15), which was originally constructed between Tuscarora and Frederick in the late 1910s and early 1920s. MD 85 was assigned to the highway in 1970 when US 15 was moved to a new highway heading north from its Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
crossing at Point of Rocks
Point of Rocks, Maryland
Point of Rocks is a community in Frederick County, Maryland. It is named for the striking rock formation on the adjacent Catoctin Mountain, which were formed by the Potomac River cutting through the ridge in a water gap, a typical formation in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians...
. The state highway was extended north to the city of Frederick as part of a project to overhaul MD 355
Maryland Route 355
Maryland Route 355 is a north–south road in western central Maryland in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the Washington, D.C. border in Friendship Heights, Montgomery County, where it continues south as Wisconsin Avenue into Washington. The northern terminus is...
's interchange with I-70 in the first decade of the 21st century.
Route description
MD 85 begins at a three-way intersection with MD 28 in Tuscarora, which is also known as Licksville. The roadway continues south as eastbound MD 28 (Dickerson Road) and westbound MD 28 (Tuscarora Road) heads west from the intersection. MD 85 heads north through farmland as a two-lane road that parallels the Monocacy RiverMonocacy River
The Monocacy River is a free-flowing tributary of the Potomac River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean via the Chesapeake Bay. The river is long, with a drainage area of about...
about 1 miles (1.6 km) to the east. The state highway intersects Lily Pons Road, which heads east toward the Lily Pons Water Gardens and the historic Amelung House and Glassworks
Amelung House and Glassworks
The Amelung House and Glassworks is a historic home located at Urbana, Frederick County, Maryland, United States. It is a two story, late-Georgian brick home on a stone foundation built about 1785. The property once had the New Bremen glassworks built by Johann Friedrich Amelung after he came to...
, and Adamstown Road, which heads west toward Adamstown
Adamstown, Maryland
Adamstown is an unincorporated community located in Frederick County, Maryland, USA. It is named for Adam Kohlenberg , a station agent and first town merchant who owned much of present-day Adamstown.- Events :...
. MD 85 intersects MD 80
Maryland Route 80
Maryland Route 80 is a state highway in the southern part of Frederick County in the U.S. state of Maryland. Towards its eastern terminus at MD 27, the highway briefly enters Montgomery County as well.-Counties traversed:*Frederick County*Montgomery County...
(Fingerboard Road) on the southern edge of Buckeystown. The state highway continues through the Buckeystown Historic District
Buckeystown Historic District
The Buckeystown Historic District includes the majority of the small town of Buckeystown, Maryland, an unincorporated community located in Frederick County, Maryland, USA. It is named for George Buckey, a tanner, and his brother, John Buckey, a blacksmith and tavern owner...
, where the highway intersects Manor Woods Road and the old alignment of MD 80, Michaels Mill Road, and crosses Rocky Fountain Run.
MD 85 enters an industrial area as the highway enters the community of Lime Kiln, the site of the road's oblique at-grade crossing 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 Old Main Line Subdivision. The state highway temporarily expands to a four-lane undivided highway between the railroad crossing and its intersection with English Muffin Way, which was formerly the site of a Thomas'
Thomas'
Thomas is a brand of English muffins and bagels in North America. It is owned by Bimbo Bakeries USA, which also owns Entenmann's, Boboli, Stroehmann, and Arnold bread companies. It advertises as having "nooks and crannies" in the muffins, making it less dense than competitive brands...
factory. At the north end of the industrial area, MD 85 crosses Ballenger Creek
Ballenger Creek
Ballenger Creek is a tributary of the Monocacy River in Frederick County, Maryland. The headwaters of the creek are located on the east slope of Catoctin Mountain, about west of the city of Frederick. The stream runs roughly southeast to the Monocacy National Battlefield and the confluence with...
and passes the George Markell Farmstead
George Markell Farmstead
The George Markell Farmstead is a historic home and farm complex located at Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland, United States. It consists of brick house built about 1865, a brick smokehouse, a bake oven, two stone domestic outbuildings, an ice house, a springhouse, a frame stable, a frame...
and the historic home Arcadia. The state highway expands to a four undivided highway as it passes through a commercial area north of Executive Way. MD 85 intersects Crestwood Boulevard, which heads west into the suburb of Ballenger Creek
Ballenger Creek, Maryland
Ballenger Creek is a census-designated place in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. It is a part of the Frederick, Maryland urban area that is adjacent to Frederick's City limit on the South, with a 2010 Census population of 18,274...
, before the highway meets I-270 (Eisenhower Memorial Highway) at a partial cloverleaf interchange at a rakish angle.
MD 85 continues north through a commercial area that includes the Francis Scott Key Mall. At the northern end of the commercial area at Evergreen Point, the state highway expands to a divided highway, veers east, and intersects MD 355 (Urbana Pike). MD 85 curves to the north and meets I-70 and US 40
U.S. Route 40 in Maryland
U.S. Route 40 in the U.S. state of Maryland runs from western Maryland to Cecil County in the state's northeastern corner. With a total length of over , it is the longest numbered highway in Maryland. Almost half of the road overlaps with Interstate 68 or Interstate 70, while the old alignment...
(Baltimore National Pike) at a single-point urban interchange
Single-point urban interchange
A single-point urban interchange , also called a single-point interchange or single-point diamond interchange , is a type of highway interchange...
. The state highway intersects Walser Drive and Monocacy Boulevard before reaching its northern terminus at the end of state maintenance next to Harry T. Greager Memorial Athletic Field at the city limit of Frederick. The roadway continues north as East Street through the Frederick Historic District
Frederick Historic District
The Frederick Historic District is a national historic district in Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland. The district encompasses the core of the city and contains a variety of residential, commercial, ecclesiastical, and industrial buildings dating from the late 18th century to 1941...
, where the street passes the Frederick
Frederick (MARC station)
Frederick is a passenger rail station on the MARC Brunswick Line between this station and Washington, D.C.. This is one of two stations on the Frederick branch. The station is also a major hub for buses of the TransIT Services of Frederick, Maryland....
train station on the Frederick Branch of MARC
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
's Brunswick Line
Brunswick Line
The Brunswick Line is a MARC commuter rail line consisting of a main line running from Washington D.C. to Martinsburg, West Virginia and a branch line from just south of Point-of-Rocks station to Frederick, Maryland. The service is operated under contract by CSX Transportation, but is administered...
.
History
MD 85 is the old alignment of US 15 from Tuscarora to Frederick. A portion of the highway was originally the Frederick and Buckeystown Turnpike from its junction with the Frederick and Monocacy Turnpike (which became US 240U.S. Route 240
U.S. Route 240 is a defunct designation for a short, but once very important, segment of highway between Frederick, Maryland and Washington, D.C.-Route description:...
and is now MD 355) at Evergreen Point to 1 miles (1.6 km) south of Buckeystown. The old turnpike was resurfaced in macadam by 1921. The remainder of modern Buckeystown Pike was paved as a 15 feet (4.6 m) wide concrete road from south of Buckeystown to around Lily Pons Road in 1918 and 1919 and south of Lily Pons Road to just north of the modern MD 28 junction by 1921. The concrete highway was extended south through the MD 28 junction to MD 28's junction with Nolands Ferry Road by 1923. Buckeystown Pike was designated US 15 in 1927. At that time, US 15 had yet to be constructed as a modern highway from Tuscarora to the bridge across the Potomac River at Point of Rocks. US 15 from Tuscarora to Point of Rocks was completed in 1933.
The first significant improvement to US 15 between Tuscarora and Frederick came in 1951 and 1952 when the U.S. highway was reconstructed and widened from Evergreen Point to Lime Kiln. In 1950, construction began on the Washington National Pike freeway, which would later become I-270. As part of that construction, a cloverleaf interchange
Cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...
was constructed between US 15 and the new freeway, which had its northern terminus at US 15 until US 40's segment of the Frederick Bypass opened in 1956. US 15 was moved to Washington National Pike north of Buckeystown Pike after the completion of the Frederick Freeway in 1959. The portion of Buckeystown Pike between the freeway and MD 355 was designated MD 806
Maryland Route 806
Maryland Route 806 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs a total of in two segments from U.S. Route 15 near Catoctin Furnace north to Roddy Creek Road near Thurmont...
, which is used for several segments of the old alignment of US 15 north of Frederick. After US 15's present alignment north of Point of Rocks was completed in 1970, MD 85 was assigned to Buckeystown Pike south of I-270. MD 85 was extended north to MD 355 at Evergreen Point in 1971, replacing MD 806. The two loop ramps from MD 85 to I-270 were taken out of service to transform the interchange to its present partial cloverleaf by 1999; the loop ramps remain paved but blocked off.
The reconstruction of I-70 Exit 54 began in 2001 to replace the tight folded diamond interchange between the Interstate and MD 355 constructed in 1956 as part of the Frederick Freeway. The ramps between MD 355 and westbound I-70 were removed and temporarily replaced with ramps to and from Stadium Drive. In 2005, the intersection between MD 85 and MD 355 was transformed into a perpendicular intersection from the previous angled junction. MD 85 was extended north of MD 355 as a four-lane divided highway to a pair of ramps to and from eastbound I-70; the eastbound ramps at MD 355 were removed. Related to the project was an extension of East Street south from downtown Frederick to near I-70 that was temporarily designated MD 475. The overall project was completed in 2009 when a single-point urban interchange was completed between I-70 and MD 85. At the same time, MD 85 was extended north to its present terminus, the temporary ramps between Stadium Drive and westbound I-70 were removed, East Street was completed between MD 85 and downtown Frederick, and the unsigned MD 475 designation was removed from East Street.
The Maryland State Highway Administration
Maryland State Highway Administration
The Maryland State Highway Administration is the state agency responsible for maintaining Maryland numbered highways outside of Baltimore City...
plans to expand MD 85 to a four-lane divided highway from English Muffin Way north to MD 355 as part of a three-phase project. Phase 1 includes the state highway from Crestwood Boulevard to just north of its interchange with I-270. The interchange will be reconstructed in a five-ramp configuration. I-270's bridges over MD 85, originally built in 1950, will be replaced. Phase 2 will extend the four-lane divided highway south from MD 355 to just north of I-270. Phase 3 from English Muffin Way to Crestwood Boulevard includes a new bridge over Ballenger Creek.
Junction list
The entire route is in Frederick CountyFrederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Tuscarora
Tuscarora, Maryland
Tuscarora is a small village in southern Frederick County, Maryland. Maryland Route 28 runs through the village. The community was named for Tuscarora Creek that runs in the area. There is an old, small post office that is in the area along Route 28. The area was formerly named Licksville after...
|0.00
|
|Southern terminus
|-
|Buckeystown
Buckeystown, Maryland
Buckeystown is an unincorporated community in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. Buckeystown Historic District and Buckingham House and Industrial School Complex were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Carrollton Manor was listed in 1997.Current member of Congress...
|4.57
|
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Frederick
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
|9.06
|
|I-270 Exit 31
|-
|10.18
|
|
|-
|10.57
|
|I-70 Exit 54; single-point urban interchange
Single-point urban interchange
A single-point urban interchange , also called a single-point interchange or single-point diamond interchange , is a type of highway interchange...
|-
|10.74
|Walser Drive west / Monocacy Boulevard east
|Walser Drive is unsigned MD 85A
|-
|10.80
|East Street north
|Northern terminus; Frederick
Frederick
-Royalty:Austria* Frederick I, Duke of Austria , Duke of Austria from 1195–1198* Frederick II, Duke of Austria , last Duke of Austria from the Babenberg dynasty...
city limit
Auxiliary routes
- MD 85A is the designation for the 0.06 mile (0.0965604 km) section of Walser Drive west from MD 85's intersection with Monocacy Boulevard in Frederick.
- MD 85B is the designation for the 0.21 mile (0.3379614 km) section of Francis Scott Key Drive running from MD 355 to MD 85. The route was designated in 2010.