Clinched Highway Mapping

admin · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 10:31 pm Post subject: MD Scenic US 40

Scenic US 40 is more puzzling than I previously thought.

Version 1:
I thought I had solved its routing in 2002: Follows Old 40 between Exit 62 and Exit 77 of I-68.
http://www.m-plex.com/roads/usends/us040scepin.html

Version 2:
In 2004, I tried to follow the routing westward. IIRC, it began at Exit 77 but went back to I-68 at Exit 74, then exited I-68 at Exit 72 to return to Old 40, then ended at Exit 62. The state highway map from MD SHA seemed to agree. Scenic US 40 seemed to have two pieces with a gap along I-68 between Exits 74 and 72. So in the highway Browser, I crudely connected them:
http://cmap.m-plex.com/int/usban/ne/md.us040scepin.ggm.html

Version 3:
MD SHA's route inventory of US 40SC changed. In 1999-2002, Scenic US 40 is shown on both the Washington and Allegany County maps in the Highway Location Reference (HLR), but there is an entry for it only in the Allegany County file. In 2003-2007, the Washington County map no longer shows Scenic US 40, while the Allegany County map does. Either way, Scenic US 40 stayed on Old 40 instead of following I-68, lasted 9.5 miles in the county, and it must end at the county line rather than at an intersection.
http://www.sha.state.md.us/KeepingCurrent/performTrafficStudies/dataAndStats/hwyLocationRef/oppe/hlr.asp

Version 4:
The 1989 AASHTO log shows Scenic US 40 as joining/leaving I-68 between "E. of Pratt" and "E. of Piney Grove". That must be Exit 62 to Exit 72. But it says 7 miles for the length, so that must be Exit 62 to Exit 68 "S. of Piney Grove." This doesn't agree with the MD SHA HLR, so I guess the 1989 log was simply out-of-date.
http://cms.transportation.org/?siteid=68&pageid=1760

I'm seeking Version 5: today's routing, whatever that is.

froggie · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 10:49 pm Post subject:

Version 2 is verified by signage in the field that I've seen twice over the past few months.
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Froggie
http://www.ajfroggie.com

admin · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 11:46 pm Post subject:

Well that puts a smile on my face. My fuzzy memory from 4 years ago holds up while 3 "official" sources don't. Twisted Evil

admin · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:59 pm Post subject:

A trip to Deep Creek Lake allowed me to revisit this highway. Version 2 is still correct according to WB signs. What few EB shields I could see in my car mirrors gave no further nor differing info.

The only question is whether there's a concurrency with I-68/US 40. There are no US 40 Scenic signs of the reassurance variety along the relevant stretch of I-68 WB, but the scenic route is signed as continuing from the western end of the eastern non-freeway piece where the WB route folds back to the east to curl onto an onramp to I-68 WB. Being that this is Maryland, not all concurrencies are signed on freeways (e.g., I-595/US 50/US 301/MD 2 is signed as US 50/US 301). So I'll leave this route as-is with an implied partially unsigned concurrency I-68/US 40/(Scenic US 40) rather than splitting it into the two signed pieces.