Interstate 895 Maryland

History

Southern Terminus

Northern Terminus

Routing

Interstate 895 constitutes a 14.87-mile route parallel to Interstate 95 through the city of Baltimore. Known as the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway, the Interstate is a toll road with the exception of the stretch between Exit 12 (Lombard Street) and the north end at Interstate 95. I-895 provides a viable alternative to the often congested Fort McHenry Tunnel of Interstate 95 with the exception that the Harbor Tunnel is prohibited to trucks because of a 13 foot 16 inch height restriction at the Patapsco River under crossing.

Tolls at the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel increased from $1.00 to $2.00 between June 2003 and 2004 and again to $3.00 per passenger vehicle on November 1, 2011. A further increase to $4 will take place on July 1, 2013. 1957 tolls were set at 40 cents.

History

The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel opened to traffic on November 29, 1957 at a cost of $130 million. The Tunnel Thruway, including the K-Truss Bridge over the CSX Railroad yard, opened west to U.S. 1 (Washington Boulevard) and east to U.S. 40 (Pulaski Highway) in 1957. A northward extension to the then-Northeast Expressway (JFK Memorial Highway) at the Baltimore city line followed in 1963. 1973 work saw the completion of the Thruway to Interstate 95 at Elkridge.¹

The Harbor Tunnel Thruway was the default route of Interstate 95 until it was completed through the Fort McHenry Tunnel on November 23, 1985. Preceding that opening, Maryland officials requested the previously undesignated route to be added to the Interstate system. Interstate 895 shields began appearing in the early 1980s.¹

Speed limits along the portion of Interstate 895 west of the Baltimore city line were increased to 65 miles per hour by 2010. Work at the north end between late 2007 and 2011 reconfigured the partial "Y" interchange so that movements between Interstates 95 and 895 now merge or depart from the right. This work was undertaken during the Interstate 95 Express Lanes project to add high occupancy toll lanes to I-95 between I-895 and Maryland 43 (White Marsh Boulevard). Ramps between the Harbor Tunnel Thruway and the Express Lanes were built but remain closed until the completion of the HOT lanes over I-695 expected in 2013.

Interstate 895 Spur

A two-pronged spur of Interstate 895 connects the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway with both Interstate 97 (Glen Burnie Bypass) south and Maryland 2 (Ritchie Highway) south in Anne Arundel County. These roadways were built and opened in 1957 to feed traffic to the Harbor Tunnel from the Glen Burnie area and Baltimore Beltway. The Maryland State Highway Administration classifies these spur routes as Interstate 895A and 895B, though neither are signed in the field. Instead signs posted along the freeways simply refer to the routes they connect with.

Highway Guides

• Interstate 895 Maryland

Traffic Cameras

• Statewide

	Southern Terminus - Interstate 95 - Elkridge, Maryland Perspective from Interstate 895 south We begin on southbound Interstate 895 after the Harbor Tunnel and the split to Interstate 97 south (via southbound Spur Interstate 895). The final interchanges along Interstate 895 all serve freeways or major arterial routes: Exit 4, Junction Maryland 295; Exit 3, Junction Interstate 695/Baltimore Beltway; Exit 1, Junction U.S. 1; and Exit 0, Junction Interstate 95 south. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). Southbound Interstate 895 reaches Exit 4, Junction Maryland 295. Maryland 295 is a freeway that travels south to the Baltimore-Washington International Airport, then transitions directly onto the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. The next exit is Exit 3, Junction Interstate 695. The connection to Interstate 95 is about five miles south of here; this sign is the first one that mentions the connection to Interstate 95 south. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). Exit 4 consists of only the connection from Interstate 895 south to Maryland 295 south. There is no connection to northbound Maryland 295. Interstate 895 takes on a decidedly rural tone as it continues south toward its merge with Interstate 95. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). The next exit is Exit 3, Junction Interstate 695 north to Towson. There is no connection to Interstate 695 east to the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). Southbound Interstate 895/Harbor Tunnel Thruway reaches Exit 3, Junction Interstate 695 north to Towson. Interstate 695 (inner loop) travels west to Interstate 95, then turns north to meet Interstate 70 and Interstate 795. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). This is the final reassurance shield on southbound Interstate 895. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). Traffic for Interstate 695 west/north departs here. Interstate 895 continues with two through lanes toward Interstate 95. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). An older-style, state-named Interstate 95 trailblazer shield is posted after the Interstate 695 interchange, followed by a U.S. 1 cutout shield. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). The penultimate exit from southbound Interstate 895 connects to southbound U.S. 1/Washington Boulevard at Exit 1. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). U.S. 1 travels south to Elkridge, and it generally parallels Interstate 95 from there south toward Washington, D.C. Whereas Interstate 95 bypasses Washington, D.C., to the east via the Capital Beltway, U.S. 1 directly serves downtown Washington and provides connections to the U.S. Capitol and the White House. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). Southbound Interstate 895 reaches Exit 1, Junction U.S. 1/Washington Boulevard south to Elkridge. Through traffic will transition directly onto Interstate 95 south. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). As the U.S. 1 southbound traffic separates from Interstate 895, the mainline reduces from two lanes to one lane. The merge point is visible from here. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). The right lane ends here, and Interstate 895 south has only one through lane. The bridge carries the freeway over Interstate 95. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). The zero milepost for Interstate 895 is located at the point where the single lane of traffic merges onto busy southbound Interstate 95. There is no END shield present. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (07/12/05). Perspective from Interstate 95 north Split of Interstate 95/895 on Northbound Interstate 95. This is a simple "Y" interchange, with no access from Southbound Interstate 895 to Northbound Interstate 95, and from SB Interstate 95 to Northbound Interstate 895. There are no interchanges on Northbound between Interstate 95 and the Harbor Tunnel toll plaza. So once you have left Interstate 95, be prepared to pay a $1 toll! Photo taken by Alex Nitzman/Andy Field (10/01). Advance signage Interstate 95 Northbound for Interstate 895. Control city for Interstate 895 Northbound is "Harbor Tunnel." Photo taken by Alex Nitzman/Andy Field (10/01). Next Three Interstate Junctions for Interstate 95 north Interstate 195 1 mile at Arbutus, MD Interstate 695 3 miles at Lansdowne, MD Interstate 395 7 miles at downtown Baltimore, MD Northern Terminus - Interstate 95 - Baltimore, Maryland Perspective from Interstate 95 south Tunnel restrictions and auxiliary signage for the Interstate 95/895 split at Exit 61. As the signage suggests, Interstate 895 is a good alternate route to the Fort McHenry Tunnel. The only drawback is a 50 mph speed limit throughout the entire routing of the Harbor Tunnel Thruway. Photo taken by Andy Field (06/02/03). Interstate 95 expands to five lanes as it approaches Interstate 895. The two highways will intertwine in about four miles. This crossover does not include access between one another however. Photo taken by Andy Field (06/02/03). Interstate 95 descends to the southbound beginning of Interstate 895. For several years the Harbor Tunnel was the only way to cross the Patapsco River. The two lane tunnel predates the Fort McHenry Tunnel by several years. Photo taken by Andy Field (06/02/03). A second view of the approach signage on Interstate 95 south for Interstate 895. A spur Interstate 895 (unsigned) links Interstate 895 just west of the Harbor Tunnel with Interstate 97. This is why Annapolis appears as a control city. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (08/04/00). Interstate 95 southbound at the beginning of Interstate 895. There is no access from Interstate 95 north to Interstate 895 south and Interstate 895 north to Interstate 95 south. Interstate 95 diverges from this point to the Fort McHenry Tunnel carrying three lanes, while Interstate 895 heads south to U.S. 40 and the Harbor Tunnel. Interstate 895 is only four lanes for its entire length. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (08/04/00). The southbound beginning of Interstate 895 as seen three years later. As the Harbor Tunnel Thruway begins, the speed limit quickly reduces to 50 mph. Oftentimes a speed trap will be set up at the overpass in the distance along Interstate 895. Photo taken by Andy Field (06/02/03). Next Three Interstate Junctions for Interstate 95 south Interstate 395 8 miles at downtown Baltimore, MD Interstate 695 12 miles at Lansdowne, MD Interstate 195 15 miles at Arbutus, MD

Sources:

1. Harbor Tunnel Thruway (I-895) @ DCRoads.net.

Page Updated August 23, 2012.