MARYLAND ROUTE 4


'Maryland Route 4' is a long highway that runs northwest to southeast in Maryland.

Contents
Counties traversed
Cities and towns
Route description
Pennsylvania Avenue
Southern Maryland Blvd.
MD 2-4
St. Andrews Church Road
Points of interest
Junction list
History
Notes
See also
External links

Counties traversed



★ Prince George's County

★ Anne Arundel County

★ Calvert County

★ St. Mary's County

Cities and towns


MD 4 directly serves the following cities and towns:

★ Suitland

★ Meadows

★ Upper Marlboro

★ Bristol

★ Lyons Creek

★ Dunkirk

★ Chaneyville

★ Stoakley

★ Prince Frederick

★ Lusby

★ California

★ Town Creek

★ Leonardtown

Route description


Pennsylvania Avenue

The highway begins in Suitland, Maryland at the state line with Washington, DC (from former District of Columbia Route 4). MD 4 once exited the District along Marlboro Pike, but was diverted to its current route, known as 'Pennsylvania Ave.' when the latter was extended into Maryland as a four-lane divided highway.
The highway runs straight out of D.C. to the southeast, interchanging with the Capital Beltway north of Suitland Parkway and south of District Heights. The route turns south after crossing the Beltway and intersects the eastern terminus of Suitland Parkway after a short distance. It continues in a southward direction for a short distance before intersecting Marlboro Pike, a former alignment of MD 4; it then turns east and upgrades into a four-lane limited-access freeway.
Running almost due east, MD 4 runs through undeveloped forest and parkland, intersecting various local roads as it continues away from Washington. It interchanges with the southern terminus of Ritchie-Marlboro Rd. near Federal Springs Park. As it enters Upper Marlboro it interchanges with Old Crain Highway (a former alignment of US 301), Water St (a short connector into the downtown area), and US 301 itself within the space of 1.5 miles.
Southern Maryland Blvd.

After crossing the Patuxent River and entering Anne Arundel County, the route becomes known as 'Southern Maryland Boulevard'. It quickly intersects the western terminus of MD 408, originally part of MD 4 before the construction of the current route in 1964-1966, just beyond the river and turns south again after intersecting the western terminus of MD 258 in Bristol. Beyond the MD 258 wye, MD 4 downgrades into a four-lane at-grade divided highway.
Turning south again the highway interchanges with the northern terminus of MD 260 near Twin Shields Golf Club. It continues south, running along the eastern boundary of Dunkirk District Park in Dunkirk.
MD 2-4

Maryland 2-4 sign used on some places along MD 2/MD 4

Route 4 meets with Maryland Route 2 in Calvert County, near the town of Sunderland. MD 4 intersects both MD 262 and MD 2 in the same general area. The two overlap as "Route 2/4" for 26.9 miles. After joining MD 2, both highways are now known as 'Solomons Island Road'.
Both highways continue running nearly due south, intersecting the western end of MD 575 north of Huntingtown and the western end of MD 263 south of same. In the town of Prince Frederick both routes bypass the downtown area while MD 765 follows the original alignment; the two routes also intersect the eastern terminus of MD 231 and the western terminus of MD 402 within the town. South of Prince Frederick the highway gains a second name, the 'Louis L. Goldstein Highway'.
Continuing south, the highway reaches the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, passing close to Flag Ponds Nature Park before passing close to Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant and Calvert Cliffs State Park near Lusby. Continuing south the two highways finally split from one another next to the Naval Surface Weapons Center near Solomons, with MD 2 continuing south to terminate at the island, while MD 4 turns southwest to cross the Patuxent River over the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge.
St. Andrews Church Road

Now in St. Mary's County, MD 4 changes names again, becoming known as 'Patuxent Beach Road' for a short distance as it continues southwest to California, where it intersects MD 235. South of MD 235 the highway changes names for the final time, to 'St. Andrews Church Road', and turns west as a rural highway to eventually terminate at MD 5 south of Leonardtown.

Points of interest



★ Cedar Hill Cemetery

★ Suitland Community Park

★ Suitland Parkway

★ Andrews Air Force Base

★ Federal Springs Park

★ Patuxent River Park

★ Dunkirk District Park

★ Flag Ponds Nature Park

★ Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant

★ Calvert Cliffs State Park

★ Patuxent Naval Air Test Center

★ St. Mary's River State Park

★ Breton Bay

Junction list


CountyLocationMileDestinationsNotes
St. Mary'sLeonardtown0.0
Maryland Route 5 / Leonardtown Rd. - St. Mary's City, Mechanicsville		southern terminus of
California6.1
Maryland Route 235 / 3 Notch Rd. - Hollywood, Lexington Park (to Patuxent Naval Air Test Center)
crosses the Patuxent River (Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge)
CalvertJohnstown10.1
Maryland Route 2 south / Solomons Island Rd. - Solomons
joins
concurrency begins
Maryland Route 765 north / HG Trueman Rd.		former alignment of
Appeal12.5
Maryland Route 760 south / Rousby Hall Rd. - Drum Point
Bertha13.6
Maryland Route 497 east / Cove Point Rd. - Cove Point, Cove Point Park
Lusby
Maryland Route 765 / HG Trueman Rd. - Calvert Cliffs State Park		former alignment of
Maryland Route 765 north / Calvert Cliffs Parkway east - Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant
runs north of
Maryland Route 765 south / Flag Pond Parkway north - Flag Ponds Nature Park
runs south of
Maryland Route 765 north / St. Leonard Rd. - Long Beach
runs north of
23.9
Maryland Route 264 south / Broomes Island Rd. /
Maryland Route 765 south / St. Leonard Rd. - Broomes Island
runs south of
25.5
Maryland Route 506 south / Sixes Rd. - Battle Creek Cyprus Swamp Sanctuary (to
MD 508)
26.2
Maryland Route 765 north / Main St. - Prince Frederick		southern terminus of former alignment of
Prince Frederick
Maryland Route 231 west / Hallowing Point Rd. - Benedict, Hallowing Point State Park
Maryland Route 765 south / Main St.		northern terminus of former alignment of
28.5
Maryland Route 402 east / Dares Beach Rd. - Dares Beach
31.3
Maryland Route 263 east / Plum Point Rd. - Plum Point (to
MD 261)
Huntingtown33.5
Maryland Route 524 north / Old Town Rd.		southern terminus of former alignment of
34.2
Maryland Route 524 south / Old Town Rd.		northern terminus of former alignment of
Maryland Route 575 east / Ponds Wood Rd. - to
MD 261
37.0
Maryland Route 2 north / Solomons Island Rd. - Sunderland, Annapolis
diverges from
concurrency ends
37.6
Maryland Route 262 / Lower Marlboro Rd. - Lower Marlboro
forms third side of
/
intersection
W Mt. Harmony Rd. - to
MD 2
Lyons Creek45.6
Maryland Route 260 south / Chesapeake Beach Rd. - Twin Shields Golf Club, Owings (to
MD 2)
Anne ArundelBristol47.3
Maryland Route 258 east / W Bay Front Rd. - Deale
upgrades into four-lane limited-access freeway
Plummer Rd.direct turnoff from eastbound carriageway
Service Rd.-Southern Maryland Blvd.right-out from eastbound carriageway to Service Rd., right-out from westbound carriageway to Southern Maryland Blvd.
50.1
Maryland Route 408 east / Marlboro Rd. - Mount Zion (Lothian) (to
MD 2)		former route of
before 1964-1966
Prince George's51.1
Maryland Route 726 / Old Marlboro Pike		westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Upper Marlboro52.0
US 301 / Robert Crain Highway - Waldorf, Bowie		former route of
Maryland Route 717 / Water St. - to
MD 725
52.6Old Crain Highway - to
MD 202		former route of
Ritchie-Marlboro Rd. - Federal Springs Parkleft exit and entrance from eastbound carriageway
56.9
Maryland Route 223 south / Woodyard Rd. - Mellwood, Piscatawny
Dower House Rd.-Marlboro Pike
downgrades into four-lane at-grade expressway
Suitland59.0
Maryland Route 337 west / Suitland Pkwy.-Allentown Rd.-Presidential Pkwy. - Andrews Air Force Base, Suitland Parkway
runs west of
and diverges onto Allentown Rd.
Westphalia Rd.-Old Marlboro Pike
60.0
I-95/I-495 / Capital Beltway - Baltimore, Richmond VA
Forestville Rd. - to Suitland Parkway, Marlboro PikeMarlboro Pike does not cross
62.5
Maryland Route 458 / Silver Hill Rd. - District Heights, Hillcrest Heights
Brooks Dr. - to Marlboro PikeMarlboro Pike is former alignment of
and
Alton St.-Shadyside Ave.
64.6Southern Ave. - Fort Dupont Park, Cedar Hill CemeterySouthern Ave. forms D.C. line
ends at Washington D.C. line; Pennsylvania Ave. continues into D.C.

History


MD 4 is one of the original state highways, originally being designated as Marlboro Pike through Upper Marlboro. It then continued east, following the alignment of MD 408, to its original eastern terminus in Mount Zion (Lothian). Between 1962 and 1972, MD 4 was diverted onto Southern Maryland Blvd and concurrent with MD 2 (replacing MD 2's companion route, MD 416) for nearly the entire length of Calvert County. Before the construction of the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge, MD 2-4 ended simultaneously at the southern tip of the county; after the bridge was built MD 4 was diverted across it to terminate at MD 5 south of Leonardtown.

Notes



★ MD 4 is part of the National Highway System between the District line and Maryland Route 235.

★ While officially designated as a north-south roadway, significant portions are aligned in an east-west direction. This is reflected in some signing, particularly along the Capital Beltway where signs indicate "East/South" and "West/North".

★ The gradients on the 4-lane divided portion of MD 4 in Calvert County are quite steep in places; very little grading appears to have been done to the roadbed before paving.

See also



★ List of Maryland state highways

External links



★ MD 4 @ MDRoads.com

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