Editing Interstate 695 (Maryland) (section)

==History==

=== 20th century ===

==== Initial construction ====
[[File:2019-07-24 14 09 33 View southwest along Interstate 695 (Baltimore Beltway) from the overpass for Maryland State Route 25 (Falls Road) in Pikesville, Baltimore County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|View southwest along I-695 from MD&nbsp;25 in Pikesville]]
The Baltimore County Planning Commission first conceived the Baltimore Beltway as a county-level roadway project in 1949; by 1953, the state took over the project due to slow progress at the county level. The project was included as part of the [[Interstate Highway System]] by 1956, increasing the speed of construction due to federal funds available.<ref>{{cite web|last=Power|first=Garrett|url=http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1012&context=mlh_pubs|title=The Baltimore City Interstate Highway System|date=Spring 2000|publisher=[[University of Maryland School of Law]]|access-date=June 10, 2009}}</ref>

{{Infobox road small|route=695|location=[[Ferndale, Maryland|Ferndale]]–[[Rossville, Maryland|Rossville]]|state=MD|type=MD|formed=1977|length_mi=19.37|length_ref=<ref name=MarylandHLR/><ref name=baltimorecityHLR/>}}

The first part of the Baltimore Beltway was completed in December 1955 between MD&nbsp;25 (Falls Road) and the Harrisburg Expressway (present-day I-83). In 1956, the next portion of the road between the Harrisburg Expressway and MD&nbsp;45 (York Road) opened. Several more segments of the Baltimore Beltway would be built in the following years, with the section from MD&nbsp;168 (Nursery Road) to the Glen Burnie Bypass (present-day I-97) opening in 1957; the portions from MD&nbsp;45 to MD&nbsp;542 (Loch Raven Boulevard), MD&nbsp;7 (Old Philadelphia Road) to US&nbsp;40 (Pulaski Highway), and from MD&nbsp;168 to US&nbsp;40 (Baltimore National Pike) opening in 1958; the segment from MD&nbsp;2 (Ritchie Highway) to the Glen Burnie Bypass completed in 1960; the portion from US&nbsp;1 (Belair Road) to MD&nbsp;7 finished in 1961; and the portions from MD&nbsp;542 to US&nbsp;1 and from US&nbsp;40 to MD&nbsp;25 completed in 1962.<ref name="bmetro">{{cite web|url=http://www.baltometro.org/reports/MajorTransMilestones.pdf|title=Major transportation milestones in the Baltimore region since 1940|publisher=Baltimore Metropolitan Council|access-date=April 21, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227234104/http://www.baltometro.org/reports/MajorTransMilestones.pdf|archive-date=December 27, 2010}}</ref> At this time, the original length of the Baltimore Beltway, from MD&nbsp;2 in the south clockwise to US&nbsp;40 in the northeast, was fully completed and opened to traffic, providing the first Interstate-grade bypass of Baltimore and the first beltway in the US built under the Interstate Highway System.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdhighwaycentennial.com/history.html |title=Maryland Highway Centennial - History |publisher=[[Maryland State Highway Administration]] |access-date=June 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221135300/http://mdhighwaycentennial.com/history.html |archive-date=February 21, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite map|publisher=[[Maryland State Highway Administration]]|title=Baltimore Beltway Opening Map|year=1962|url=http://www.mdhighwaycentennial.com/images/template/gallery/maps/Baltimore-Beltway-opening-i.jpg|access-date=June 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604195614/http://www.mdhighwaycentennial.com/images/template/gallery/maps/Baltimore-Beltway-opening-i.jpg|archive-date=June 4, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> A segment of the road completed in 1973 ran from MD&nbsp;10 to MD&nbsp;2, heading toward the Outer Harbor Crossing.<ref name="bmetro"/>

==== Windlass and Patapsco freeways ====
From the junction with I-95, the Baltimore Beltway was planned to extend southeast along the Back River Neck peninsula, turning south to cross the Back River near the [[Essex Skypark]] airport, then heading towards the present Outer Harbor Crossing. Part of this alignment was completed as I-695 to the south of US&nbsp;40 in 1972, then as MD&nbsp;702 (Southeast Freeway), extending to MD&nbsp;150 by 1975.<ref name="bmetro"/><ref name="exxon1975">{{cite map|publisher=[[Exxon]]|title= Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia |year=1975 |cartography=[[General Drafting]]}}</ref> However, the section of the Baltimore Beltway between south of MD&nbsp;150 to west of the Back River crossing was not built, requiring it be rerouted on portions of two freeways not originally planned to be part of it.

The first was the Windlass Freeway ([[Maryland Route 149|MD&nbsp;149]]), a route planned to run from I-95 at Moravia Road northeast to [[Chase, Maryland|Chase]], paralleling US&nbsp;40 to the south.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://plato.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/stagser/s1500/s1529/cfm/dsp_unit.cfm?county=ba&qualifier=C&series=2140&unit=2560|title=Right of Way 38932, Windlass Freeway, Patapsco Freeway to Southeast Freeway|date=August 15, 1974|publisher=Baltimore County Circuit Court|access-date=June 11, 2009|archive-date=July 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725182212/http://plato.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/stagser/s1500/s1529/cfm/dsp_unit.cfm?county=ba&qualifier=C&series=2140&unit=2560|url-status=dead}}</ref> The only portion of the Windlass Fwy constructed is the section of I-695 that diverges southwest from the [[directional T interchange]] with MD&nbsp;702 to a point less than {{One2a|{{convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}}}} to the southwest where I-695 makes a sharp turn from west to south. From here, the Windlass Freeway would have continued to its southerly terminus at I-95. This sharp turn is half of what would have been another directional T interchange (which was to have become exit 37), marking the northern terminus of the Patapsco Freeway, the other freeway incorporated into the Baltimore Beltway. 

The Patapsco Freeway was planned to connect the Windlass Freeway to the originally-planned Baltimore Beltway. Completed in 1973, the planned Patapsco Freeway is now part of I-695. The wide median in I-695 south of exit&nbsp;41 (Cove Road) is where the unbuilt beltway would have intersected the Patapsco Freeway after crossing Back River to the east, making this the southern terminus of the Patapsco Freeway. Continuing southeast, I-695 rejoins the original alignment of the beltway.<ref name="bmetro"/>

[[File:2020-08-09 15 39 58 View east along Interstate 695 (Baltimore Beltway) as it passes over Maryland State Route 710 (East Ordnance Road) on the edge of Brooklyn Park and Glen Burnie in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|I-695 eastbound as it passes over MD&nbsp;710 in Brooklyn Park]]
[[Ramp stub]]s for the planned Windlass Freeway are present at the proposed west end at I-95 and Moravia Road,<ref>{{Google maps|access-date=January 15, 2023|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Baltimore,+MD/@39.304948,-76.529689,16z/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x89c803aed6f483b7:0x44896a84223e758!8m2!3d39.2903848!4d-76.6121893!16zL20vMDk0anY?hl=en|title=I-95/Moravia Road interchange}}</ref> and, at the present west end at the Southeast Freeway (MD&nbsp;702), the partially built junction with the proposed Windlass Freeway.<ref>{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Baltimore,+MD/@39.324164,-76.480583,17z/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x89c803aed6f483b7:0x44896a84223e758!8m2!3d39.2903848!4d-76.6121893!16zL20vMDk0anY?hl=en|title=I-695/MD 702 interchange|access-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref><ref name="AAA">[[American Automobile Association]], Baltimore Triptik insert, 1976 (shows the proposed extensions at each end)</ref> The planned junction of the Windlass and Patapsco freeways, now the point where I-695 makes a sharp turn from west to south, just to the north of where it crosses the Back River, was originally built with provisions for extending the Windlass Freeway to I-95,<ref name=AAA/> but this has since been reconfigured as a sharp curve on I-695.<ref>{{Google maps|access-date=January 15, 2023|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Baltimore,+MD/@39.312801,-76.501794,16z/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x89c803aed6f483b7:0x44896a84223e758!8m2!3d39.2903848!4d-76.6121893!16zL20vMDk0anY?hl=en|title=Transition between the Windlass Freeway and Patapsco Freeway}}</ref>

==== 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>

=== 21st century ===
The beltway was dedicated in honor of former Governor [[Theodore McKeldin]] in May 2005. During his term, McKeldin was responsible for constructing the Beltway and other state highways.<ref name=wbaltv>{{cite web|url=http://www.wbaltv.com/news/4548211/detail.html|title=Baltimore Beltway Gets New Formal Name |date=May 31, 2005|publisher=[[WBAL-TV]]|access-date=June 10, 2009}}</ref> Most Marylanders still refer to the highway as the "Baltimore Beltway", "695", or (mainly among Baltimore metro area residents) simply "The Beltway", like its Washington, D.C. counterpart.<ref name=wbaltv/><ref name=dhmh>{{cite web|url=http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/pharmacyboard/contactus/directions.pdf|title=Directions to the Maryland Board of Pharmacy Office|publisher=[[Maryland Department of Health|Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene]]|access-date=June 10, 2009|archive-date=April 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110419164643/http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/pharmacyboard/contactus/directions.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=beachnet>{{cite web|url=http://www.beach-net.com/directions/maryland.html|title=Directions from Baltimore to Delaware and Maryland beaches|publisher=Beach-Net.com|access-date=March 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411150656/http://www.beach-net.com/directions/maryland.html|archive-date=April 11, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In March 2009, construction began on the reconstruction of the bridge that carries MD&nbsp;139 (Charles Street) over I-695.<ref name=wbalam>{{cite web|url=http://wbal.com/apps/news/templates/story.aspx?articleid=23229&zoneid=3|title=Work To Begin On Charles Street Bridge|date=March 15, 2009|publisher=[[WBAL-AM]]|access-date=June 10, 2009|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209061245/http://wbal.com/apps/news/templates/story.aspx?articleid=23229&zoneid=3|archive-date=February 9, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The bridge is decorative, featuring ornamental street lights. As part of the MD&nbsp;139 project, the interchange was reconstructed, and the traffic circle at the MD&nbsp;139/I-695 ramps was removed and replaced with a traffic signal.<ref name="mdsha2">{{cite web|url=http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/WebProjectLifeCycle/ProjectInformation.asp?projectno=BA9775A3|title=IS 0695 Baltimore Beltway Rev- Interchange at Charles Street (MD 139) Phase 1 – Project Information|publisher=[[Maryland State Highway Administration]]|access-date=June 10, 2009}}</ref> This project cost $50&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|50000000|2009}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}) and was completed in 2012.<ref name=wbalam/>

[[File:Exit33 I-695 MD.jpg|thumb|right|Aerial photo of exit&nbsp;33 on August 16, 2010, showing completed flyover ramps, facing southwest.]]
At exit&nbsp;33 (I-95/John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway), both highways had crossed over themselves so that through traffic was on the left side of the road with left-hand entrance/exit ramps connecting the crossover sections. This interchange was replaced in 2014 by a more conventional flyover ramp interchange as part of the I-95 expansion project under construction since 2007, eliminating the left-turn ramps and I-95's double crossovers. The ramp from northbound I-95 to eastbound I-695 was completed in September 2008, the ramp from westbound I-695 to northbound I-95 was completed in October 2008, the ramp from northbound I-95 to westbound I-695 was completed in November 2008 (eliminating the left-hand exit), and the ramp from eastbound I-695 to southbound I-95 was completed in May 2009.<ref name=mdta/><ref name=mdta4>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdot.state.md.us/News/2009/May%202009/MdTA%20New%20Ramp%20EB%20695%20to%20SB%2095.pdf|title=New ramp from eastbound I-695 to southbound I-95 to open|date=May 13, 2009|publisher=[[Maryland Transportation Authority]]|access-date=June 5, 2009}}</ref> The ramps from southbound I-95 to both westbound and eastbound I-695 were completed in June 2009 and the ramp from westbound I-695 to southbound I-695 was completed in July 2009 and the ramp from eastbound I-695 to northbound I-95 opened in August 2009.<ref name=mdta/> In addition to rebuilding these ramps, the project also adds four ramps to service the [[High-occupancy vehicle lane|HOT]] lanes being added to I-95.<ref name=mdta5>{{cite web|url=http://www.i-95expresstolllanes.com/images/interchange_aerials/segment2_future.jpg|title=Image of completed I-95/I-695 interchange|publisher=[[Maryland Transportation Authority]]|access-date=June 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011005352/http://www.i-95expresstolllanes.com/images/interchange_aerials/segment2_future.jpg|archive-date=October 11, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In April 2024, the [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] approved designating the MD&nbsp;695 section of the beltway as I-695.<ref name=aashto2024s>{{AASHTO minutes |year=2024S |access-date=June 1, 2024 }}</ref>

====Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse====
On March 26, 2024, the [[Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore)|Francis Scott Key Bridge]] on I-695 [[Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse|collapsed after a ship collided with the bridge]]. The incident killed six construction workers and forced traffic to be rerouted to [[Interstate 895]].<ref name=cnn20240326>{{Cite web |last=Alonso |first=Melissa |last2=Wolfe |first2=Elizabeth |date=March 26, 2024 |title=Rescuers are searching for at least 7 people in the water after Baltimore bridge collapse, official says |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/26/us/baltimore-key-bridge-collapse-tuesday/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326081517/https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/26/us/baltimore-key-bridge-collapse-tuesday/index.html |archive-date=March 26, 2024 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=CNN}}</ref> Following the collapse, the section of I-695 between MD 157 (exit 43) and MD 173 (exit 1), including exit 44, was closed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Key Bridge News|publisher=Maryland Transportation Authority|url=https://mdta.maryland.gov/keybridgenews|access-date=March 27, 2024|archive-date=March 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240327022644/https://mdta.maryland.gov/keybridgenews|url-status=live}}</ref>