Interstate 895 (Maryland)

## Interstate 895

* Shield
* Map with Spurs

**Interstate 895** (**I-895**) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state of Maryland. Known as the **Harbor Tunnel Thruway**, the highway runs 11.44 miles (18.41 km) between one junction with I-95 in Elkridge and another interchange with I-95 on the east side of Baltimore. I-895 is a toll road that crosses the Patapsco River estuary via the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, connecting U.S. Route 1 (US 1), I-695, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (B–W Parkway) in the southwestern suburbs of Baltimore with US 40 on the east side of Baltimore. In conjunction with a pair of spurs, unsigned I-895A and I-895B, I-895 provides access to the tunnel from I-97 and Maryland Route 2 (MD 2) in Glen Burnie. The highway is designed for through traffic by having partial interchanges that require vehicles from almost all starting points (with the two northernmost exits being exceptions) to pass through the tunnel and the tunnel toll plaza, where a $1.40-$6.00 toll is charged to passenger vehicles, before exiting the facility.

The idea of a crossing of the Patapsco River south of Downtown Baltimore had been studied since the 1930s. In the early 1950s, the Maryland State Roads Commission (SRC) chose to construct a four-lane tunnel between the Canton and Fairfield neighborhoods of Baltimore and approach highways to connect the tunnel with major highways to Washington, D.C.; Annapolis; Richmond, Virginia; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The tunnel and approach highways were constructed beginning in 1955 and opened in November 1957, opening a bottleneck for Baltimore through traffic, which formerly had to navigate the city streets. The Harbor Tunnel Thruway was connected with the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway in the early 1960s and the portion of I-95 south to Washington DC in the early 1970s. With these connections, I-895 was burdened with most of the through traffic passing through Baltimore. The congestion was not resolved until I-95 through Baltimore was completed when the eight-lane Fort McHenry Tunnel opened in November 1985. The transfer of most traffic to the new tunnel allowed the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel to be partially shut down for extensive maintenance in the late 1980s.

## Route description

I-895 is maintained by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) and, like all Interstate Highways, is a part of the National Highway System for its entire length.

### Western approach

I-895 begins at exit 46 of I-95 in Elkridge with single-lane flyover ramps from northbound I-95 to I-895 and from I-895 to southbound I-95. The highway, which has a speed limit of 65 mph (105 km/h), expands to four lanes on a viaduct over local roads and CSX Transportation's Capital Subdivision railroad line and MARC Train's Camden Line. I-895 crosses the Patapsco River (the Howard–Baltimore county line) and US 1 (Washington Boulevard), then receives the exit 1 flyover ramps from northbound US 1 and to southbound US 1 before passing under I-195 with no access. I-895 continues east parallel to the Patapsco River. The highway passes along the southern edge of Halethorpe, where it crosses Amtrak's Northeast Corridor railroad line and MARC Train's Penn Line along with Herbert Run.

I-895 meets I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) at exit 3, which includes a loop ramp from eastbound I-695 and a ramp to westbound I-695. The highway crosses Hammonds Ferry Road in Baltimore Highlands before exit 4 with MD 295 (B–W Parkway), which includes a loop ramp to southbound MD 295 and a ramp from northbound MD 295. The speed limit drops to 55 mph (89 km/h), then the highway crosses MD 648 (Annapolis Road) and curves northeast across marshland, the main line of the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)'s Baltimore Light RailLink, and the Patapsco River into Anne Arundel County. East of the river, I-895 receives flyover ramps from the thruway's southern approach, unsigned I-895B, at exit 6 in Brooklyn Park.

The highway enters the city of Baltimore and curves to the east over Patapsco Avenue before exit 7 with MD 2 (Potee Street), which includes a loop ramp to southbound MD 2 and a ramp from the intersection of MD 2 and MD 173 (Patapsco Avenue). I-895 parallels CSX Transportation's Curtis Bay Branch as the highway passes along the northern edge of the Brooklyn neighborhood. The highway crosses the Curtis Bay Branch on a steel K-truss bridge ahead of exits 8A and 8B. Exit 8A includes a loop ramp to and a flyover ramp from Shell Road, which heads toward the Curtis Bay neighborhood. Exit 8B includes ramps from eastbound Frankfurst Avenue and to westbound Frankfurst Avenue; that street leads to Hanover Street and Downtown Baltimore. I-895 passes through the 14-booth toll plaza for the tunnel; immediately to the east of the toll plaza is exit 9, a half diamond interchange with Childs Street for traffic to and from the toll plaza. The speed limit decreases to 50 mph (80 km/h) as the highway curves to the northeast through the Fairfield unit of the Port of Baltimore and descends into the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel.