Baltimore Outer Beltway
The Baltimore Outer Beltway was a proposed freeway that would encircle parts of the Greater Baltimore area. The Baltimore outer beltway was a proposed beltway that was supposed to connect Baltimore to its surrounding towns and neighborhoods! It would run outside of the current Baltimore Beltway. The idea first came about in the 1950's.
HISTORY The Maryland State Roads Commission (SRC) designed plans for an outer beltway to supplement the Baltimore Beltway (I-695) then under construction. What eventually became MD 100 was the southern arc of the proposed outer beltway. In anticipation of significant population growth between Baltimore and Washington, the SRC decided to build the southern arc of the outer beltway first as a link between US 29 (Columbia Pike) in Ellicott City and MD 177 (Mountain Road) in Pasadena. The 1964 Baltimore Metropolitan Area Transportation Study proposed the route as the "Dorsey Freeway" as it was to relieve congestion on MD 176 (Dorsey Road) through Anne Arundel County.
Parts of it have been built as the following roads:
- Maryland Route 100 (22.38 miles)
- US 29 (4 miles)
- Maryland Route 43 (8.65 miles)
Bridges it would have served: -Patapsco River Bridge (proposed in 1960's but currently cancelled) -Back River Bridge (proposed in 1960's but currently cancelled)
Towns it would have served: -Pasadena -Rivera Beach -Glen Burnie -Severn -Ellicott City -Lake Shore -Hanover -South Gate -Randallstown -Owings Mills -Timonium -Perry Hall -White Marsh -Middle River
It has currently been built in the following counties: Anne Arundel County, Howard County, and Baltimore County.
MARYLAND ROUTE 29 The four miles (6 km) of the US 29 freeway between MD 100 and I-70 is part of the Baltimore Outer Beltway. The Outer Beltway was perceived as a 3/4 circular beltway designed to provide a route parallel to the Baltimore Beltway. MD 100 represents the major portion that was built; the aforementioned four miles (6 km) of US 29 is another portion. The Outer Beltway was projected beyond MD 99 to run through Howard and Baltimore Counties and intersect MD 140, Interstate 83, US 1, and Interstate 95 before terminating at US 40 northeast of Baltimore.
FUTURE Who knows?! One day, The Maryland State Highway Administration and The State of Maryland May decide that Baltimore may need to finish the outer beltway! But as of November 2016, They currently have no plans to finish the Baltimore Outer Beltway. It would most likely add more traffic to existing roadways and more congestion on many roads. However, it would lessen traffic to the existing Baltimore Beltway