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Interstate 695 (abbreviated I-695) is a 51.59-mile-long full beltway Interstate highway extending around Baltimore, Maryland. I-695 is officially designated the McKeldin Beltway, but is colloquially known as the Baltimore Beltway. Construction began on the Beltway in 1962.
The Baltimore Beltway serves the suburbs of Glen Burnie and Linthicum in Anne Arundel County. It serves Lansdowne, Baltimore Highlands, Halethorpe, Arbutus, Lochearn, Catonsville, Woodlawn, Pikesville, Brooklandville, Towson, Parkville, White Marsh, Essex, Sparrows Point and Dundalk in Baltimore County. It also passes through the southernmost tip of the city of Baltimore for a brief duration.
As opposed to the I-495 Capital Beltway around Washington, D.C., whose exit numbers are generally arranged by mileposts counterclockwise starting at the southern crossing of the Potomac River, the exit numbers for the Baltimore Beltway are arranged consecutively clockwise starting at Interchange #1 at Quarantine Rd, south of the Francis Scott Key Bridge crossing of the Patapsco River, and the only interchange in Baltimore City.
The Beltway was dedicated in honor of former Governor Theodore R. McKeldin in May of 2005. McKeldin was responsible for the construction of the Beltway and other state highways during his term. Most Marylanders still refer to the highway as the "Baltimore Beltway," "695," or (mostly among Baltimore metro area residents) simply "The Beltway," like its Washington counterpart.
On June 8, 1999, a tractor-trailer carrying a backhoe that exceeded the maximum height requirement struck a pedestrian footbridge over the Beltway in the southwestern corner, just northwest of the Interstate 95 junction near Arbutus. The footbridge collapsed onto the inner loop of the Beltway. One driver was killed when his SUV struck the collapsed bridge; six others were injured, three critically. The incident occurred during the afternoon rush hour. The footbridge had been closed since November 1996 because of community complaints about vandalism and crime on the span.
Signage
As I-695 is a full beltway, the directions change four times. In addition, some reassurance signage indicates the inner (clockwise) or outer (counterclockwise) loop. These directional changes are at the following locations:
- I-695 is signed north and east from Maryland Route 295 (the Baltimore-Washington Parkway) near Ferndale.Signage for I-695 on MD 295 north and MD 295 south
- I-695 is signed east and south from Interstate 795 (the Northwest Expressway) near Pikesville.Signage for I-695 on I-795 south
- I-695 is signed south and west from a point between Interstate 95 (JFK Memorial Highway) and Maryland Route 702 (Southeast Boulevard) near Essex.Signage on I-695 north at MD 702
- I-695 is signed west and north from the area of the Key Bridge near Dundalk.Signage on I-695 north after the bridge, I-695 south approaching the bridge, I-695 west after the bridge and I-695 east approaching the bridge
Outer Harbor Crossing: Francis Scott Key Bridge
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a high-arcing cantilever bridge opened in 1977 as the Beltway's final link, carries I-695 over the lower Baltimore Harbor and Patapsco River, and it provides an attractive option to motorists who wish to avoid downtown Baltimore. The toll bridge lies in the southeastern section of I-695, and although it is formally called the Outer Harbor Crossing, this stretch is still known as the Beltway, like the rest of I-695. The Outer Harbor Crossing was first signposted as MD 695 because it was a substandard four-lane expressway, but improvements to the road have allowed the entire Beltway to be signed as I-695. On a clear day, the bridge is visible from downtown Baltimore and other various points in the city (particularly in the southwestern part of it). Unlike the Fort McHenry or Harbor Tunnels, HAZMAT trucks are allowed to cross the Key Bridge.
Exit list
Exits are numbered in a clockwise (inner loop) direction, in accordance with AASHTO guidelines.
| # | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland Route 173 - Hawkins Point Road; Pennington Avenue; Fort Smallwood Road | |
| Curtis Creek Drawbridge | ||
| 2 | Maryland Route 10 south - Severna Park | |
| 3A | Maryland Route 2 north - Ritchie Highway; Brooklyn (Maryland Route 711) | |
| 3B | Maryland Route 2 south - Ritchie Highway; Glen Burnie (Interstate 895B) | |
| 4 | Interstate 97 south - Annapolis; Bay Bridge||
| 5 | Maryland Route 648 - Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard; Ferndale | |
| 6 | Maryland Route 170 - Camp Meade Road; Linthicum; North Linthicum | outer exit and inner entrance; split into 6A (north) and 6B (south) |
| 7 | Maryland Route 295 - Baltimore-Washington Parkway; Baltimore; Washington, DC | split into 7A (north) and 7B (south) |
| 8 | Maryland Route 168 - Nursery Road; Hammonds Ferry Road (Maryland Route 969A) | |
| 8A | Interstate 895 north - Tunnelouter exit and inner entrance | |
| 9 | Hollins Ferry Road - Lansdowne | |
| 10 | outer exit is combined with exit 11B | |
| 11 | Interstate 95 - Baltimore; Washington, DCsplit into 11A (north) and 11B (south) | |
| 12A | U.S. Route 1 - Southwestern Boulevard; Arbutusouter exit and inner entrance | |
| 12C-B | Maryland Route 372 - Wilkens Avenue | split into 12B (east) and 12C (west) on inner loop |
| 13 | Maryland Route 144 - Frederick Road; Catonsville | |
| 14 | Edmondson Avenue | |
| 15 | U.S. Route 40 - Baltimore; Ellicott Citysplit into 15A (east) and 15B (west) | |
| 16 | Interstate 70 - Frederick; Park & Ridesplit into 16A (west) and 16B (east) on outer loop | |
| 17 | Maryland Route 122 - Security Boulevard; Woodlawn | |
| 18 | Maryland Route 26 - Liberty Road; Lochearn; Randallstown | split into 18A (east) and 18B (west) on inner loop |
| 19 | Interstate 795 - Northwest Expressway; Owings Mills; Reisterstown||
| 20 | Maryland Route 140 - Reisterstown Road; Pikesville; Garrison | |
| 21 | Maryland Route 129 - Park Heights Avenue; Stevenson Road | |
| 22 | Greenspring Avenue | |
| 23A | Interstate 83 south - BaltimoreI-83 joins inner and leaves outer | |
| 23B | Maryland Route 25 - Falls Road (Maryland Route 25A) | |
| 24 | Interstate 83 north - Timonium; York, PAI-83 joins outer and leaves inner | |
| 25 | Maryland Route 139 - Charles Street | |
| 26 | Maryland Route 45 - York Road; Towson; Lutherville (Maryland Route 45A) | split into 26A (south) and 26B (north) |
| 27 | Maryland Route 146 - Dulaney Valley Road; Towson | split into 27A (south) and 27B (north) |
| 28 | Providence Road | |
| 29B-A | Cromwell Bridge Road; Maryland Route 542 south - Loch Raven Boulevard | split into 29A (Cromwell Bridge Road) and 29B (MD 542) on inner loop |
| 30 | Maryland Route 41 - Perring Parkway | split into 30A (south) and 30B (north) |
| 31 | Maryland Route 147 - Harford Road; Parkville; Carney | split into 31A (south) and 31B (north) |
| 31C | Maryland Route 43 east - White Marsh Boulevard; White Marsh | inner exit and outer entrance |
| 32 | U.S. Route 1 - Overlea; Bel Airsplit into 32A (south) and 32B (north) | |
| 33 | Interstate 95 - Baltimore; Washington, DC; New York, NYsplit into 33A (south) and 33B (north) | |
| 34 | Maryland Route 7 - Philadelphia Road; Rosedale | |
| 35 | U.S. Route 40 - Pulaski Highway; Baltimore; Aberdeensplit into 35A (west) and 35B (east) | |
| 36 | Maryland Route 702 south - Essex | |
| 38A | Maryland Route 150 west - Baltimore | inner exit and outer entrance |
| 38B | Maryland Route 150 east - Eastern Boulevard; Essex | exit 28 on outer loop |
| 39 | Merritt Boulevard - Dundalk (Maryland Route 157) | inner exit and outer entrance |
| 40 | Maryland Route 151 south - North Point Boulevard | inner exit and outer entrance |
| 40 | Maryland Route 151 north; Maryland Route 150 west - North Point Boulevard; East Boulevard; Baltimore | outer exit and inner entrance |
| 41 | Cove Road to Maryland Route 151 - Dundalk | |
| 42 | Maryland Route 151 - North Point Boulevard; Sparrows Point | inner exit and outer entrance |
| 43 | Maryland Route 157; Maryland Route 158 - Peninsula Expressway; Bethlehem Boulevard; Dundalk; Sparrows Point | |
| 44 | Broening Highway - Dundalk (Maryland Route 695A) | outer exit and inner entrance |
| Francis Scott Key Bridge toll plaza ($2 cars) | ||
| Interstate 695 north - Dundalk Marine Terminal; Seagirt Marine Terminal (Maryland Route 695C) | inner exit and outer entrance; U-turn ramp to access exit 44 | |
| Francis Scott Key Bridge | ||
References
External links
Interstate Highways in Maryland | Three-digit Interstate Highways | Transportation in Baltimore | Orbital roads | Interstate 95
"Interstate 695 (Maryland)"