Editing Interstate 695 (Maryland) (section)

==== Outer Harbor Crossing and further upgrades ====
The Outer Harbor Crossing is the name given to the segment of the Baltimore Beltway maintained by the MDTA.<ref name=mdta2/> It consists of the segment of I-695 between exit&nbsp;40 (MD&nbsp;151) and exit&nbsp;2 (MD&nbsp;10), which included the Francis Scott Key Bridge.<ref name=MarylandHLR/><ref name=baltimorecityHLR/> The route was originally planned as a two-lane freeway on a four-lane [[Right-of-way (transportation)|right-of-way]], with a two-lane outer harbor tunnel across the Patapsco River. When the tunnel was advertised for construction in 1970, the bids were so high that the decision was made to construct a four-lane bridge instead.<ref name=mdta2/> The bridge was to feature two-lane approach roads on both sides.<ref name=mytopo>{{cite map|url=http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=39.2143&mtlon=-76.53162&z=13 |title=Francis Scott Key Bridge under construction|publisher=MyTopo.com|access-date=June 11, 2009}}</ref>

Construction on the Outer Harbor Crossing, including the bridge, started in 1972 and was opened on March 23, 1977, completing the full Baltimore Beltway.<ref name=mdta2/> The bridge was named the Francis Scott Key Bridge in honor of [[Francis Scott Key]], who wrote "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]", the [[national anthem]] of the US.<ref name=mb>{{cite web|url=http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/bridges.html|title=Maryland Bridges|publisher=[[Maryland State Archives]]|access-date=June 11, 2009}}</ref> By the early 1980s, the southern approach to the Francis Scott Key Bridge was dualized, with a second roadway constructed along with a second drawbridge over Curtis Creek.<ref name="statefarm">{{cite map|publisher=[[State Farm Insurance]]|title= State Farm Road Atlas |year=1983|cartography=[[Rand McNally]]}}</ref> The northern approach was left as a two-lane viaduct in the [[Sparrows Point, Maryland|Sparrows Point]] area until a four-lane surface freeway was constructed along this portion, with interchanges reconfigured, following an $89.5-million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|89500000|2000}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}) project completed in January 2000.<ref name=mdta3>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdta.state.md.us/mdta/servlet/dispatchServlet?url=/TollFacilities/FrancisScottKeyBridge.jsp |title=MdTA toll facilities: central region: Francis Scott Key Bridge |publisher=[[Maryland Transportation Authority]] |access-date=June 11, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531092310/http://www.mdta.state.md.us/mdta/servlet/dispatchServlet?url=%2FTollFacilities%2FFrancisScottKeyBridge.jsp |archive-date=May 31, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Outer Harbor Crossing, as well as the entire Baltimore Beltway east of I-95, was first signposted as MD&nbsp;695 because portions of it were a two-lane expressway not up to [[Interstate Highway standards]].<ref name="exxon1975"/> Improvements to the road have allowed the entire Baltimore Beltway to be signed as I-695, even though all of I-695 between the junction of I-95 northeast of Baltimore and I-97 is officially considered MD&nbsp;695 by MDSHA.<ref name=MarylandHLR/><ref name=baltimorecityHLR/>

On June 8, 1999, a tractor-trailer carrying a backhoe that exceeded the maximum height requirement struck a pedestrian footbridge over the Baltimore Beltway just northwest of the I-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 to pedestrians since November 1996 due to complaints about vandalism and crime.<ref name="wpcollapse">{{cite news |last=Sipress|first=Alan and Raja Mishra|access-date=June 10, 2009|title=Md. Bridge Collapse Kills Driver|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 9, 1999|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/daily/june99/collapse0609.htm}}</ref>