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12/25/07 |
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One Year Later - Labor Day 2006 - Page Two Monday, 4 September 2006 After the obligatory free breakfast at the Hampton Inn I set out in the morning to go do some more interstate highway exploring. My route took me northbound on Interstate 695 across the Francis Scott Key Bridge over to Interstate 95, then through the Ft. McHenry Tunnel to loop back onto Interstate 695 west with a brief stop at the Ft. McHenry National Monument, then it was a exploratory trek westbound on Interstate 70 to the junction of Interstate 270 at Frederick. I was planning on making a circuitous trip on Interstate 270 and back onto Interstate 95 but I had to get back to the hotel to check in for my return flight the next day to Tampa via Southwest Airlines' Flight 256. After performing the obligatory online check in and being a part of the A boarding group as my reward for checking in early I decided to set out once more, this time to Washington by way of Amtrak rather than by car. After all, learning from the experience of last year's trip I would not venture by car into Washington unless it was absolutely needed. I had dinner at a great restaurant in Washington and then it was back onto the train to the BWI Airport to return to the hotel so that I can prepare for the return flight home. Like I did on the previous page I will show you the play by play in the pictures that follow. Pictures from Monday, 4 September 2006 We are northbound on Interstate 695 and we come upon overheads for Exit 3, MD 2 to Brooklyn and Glen Burnie and advance signage for Exit 2, MD 10 south to Severna Park. Advance signage for Exit 1, MD 173/Hawkins Point Road and the beginning of the Interstate 695 loop. Additionally, this is the last exit before the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the toll plaza that follows. Crossing the Curtis Creek drawbridge on Interstate 695 north. Like the Woodrow Wilson Bridge on Interstates 95/495 in Washington, this is one of the few drawbridges on the interstate system. Advance signage for Exit 44, Broening Highway, coming up in 3 miles after the Francis Scott Key Bridge. You can also reach the Dundalk and Seagirt terminals of the Port of Baltimore at this exit. Ascending towards the through truss arch span of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Just inside the through truss span. At the mid point of the Francis Scott Key Bridge where it briefly changes from through truss to a suspension like span as we cross the Patapsco River. Here the bridge is about 190 feet high, almost the same as the current Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Also notice that you are crossing into Baltimore County from Anne Arundel County as evidenced by the small green sign to the right. Through the second half of the through truss span and we are now making our descent. Making our descent as we have left the through truss span. Notice the sign on the right where vehicles over 5 tons GVW are prohibited from using the left lane. Unlike all the other signs of this type throughout Maryland, this particular sign has an almost Florida DOT look and feel to it (my opinion). The toll plaza for the Francis Scott Key Bridge just ahead. The toll is the same as for the tunnels, $2.00, and is payable by cash or EZ-Pass. However, this is the route where vehicles carrying hazardous materials must take as hazardous materials are prohibited in the tunnels. Crossing another bridge just after the toll plaza. I took this photo to show you a comparison of the right shoulder on the bridge where on the Francis Scott Key Bridge it has no shoulder period. We made our way back to Interstate 95 south coming into Baltimore and advance signage for Exit 57, O'Donnell Street and Boston Street. Traffic headed to the Inner Harbor as well as Camden Yards (the home of the Baltimore Orioles) are advised to use Exit 55 (Key Highway) or Exit 53 (Interstate 395). Signage warning of the upcoming toll ahead as well as the no hazardous materials restriction on the Ft. McHenry Tunnel; those with hazardous materials who did not heed the signage before Interstate 695 must exit at Exit 56, Keith Avenue, or else face a visit from the Maryland Transportation Authority Police in the form of an intercept and a traffic stop. After all the tunnels are constantly patrolled 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and if you want to know why these prohibitions are in place, I would highly suggest seeing the movie Daylight (1996). Signage for Exit 56, Keith Avenue as well as the upcoming toll plaza. As Exit 56 is the last exit before the toll plaza and the Ft. McHenry Tunnel vehicles carrying hazardous materials are being reminded to exit the highway now as the sign on the right indicates. O'er say can you see? By Exit 55's early light. The exit for Key Highway and the Ft. McHenry National Monument is just beyond the tunnel. Whose broad stripes and broad signs? Better keep to the right. Traffic headed to the Ft. McHenry National Monument by way of Key Highway (Exit 55) should use the right most lane in the right hand tunnel. We are inside the Ft. McHenry Tunnel headed southbound on Interstate 95. The Patapsco River is just directly above us here. Notice the double white stripes in the center of the roadway to keep motorists from changing lanes while in the tunnel. And we are out of the tunnel and under Interstate 95 at Key Highway. Notice the Georgia style overpass piers that carry Interstate 95 above. We stopped at the Ft. McHenry National Monument for a while and got this picture of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the distance. A great picture of the fort and the replica of the flag that flew in 1814 (hey, Florida wasn't even a state back then) that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the famous poem which became our national anthem a little over 100 years later in 1931. (After all, St. Petersburg made its first aerials in 1926!) I didn't get a chance to explore the monument itself as it requires a $5.00 admission fee which includes having to sit through an introductory film and then having access to the fort; the boundary is marked by the wooden fence and signage reminding you of the admission fee requirement. Looking westward towards the hill in the distance and the western portal of the Ft. McHenry Tunnel. Construction of the Ft. McHenry Tunnel was a major undertaking and according to the Roads To The Future website before construction took place there was a decision to be made whether the crossing that would close an Interstate 95 gap would be a bridge or a tunnel. A bridge would be fine and less expensive than a tunnel but Ft. McHenry preservationists objected to a bridge crossing as a bridge would detract the appearance of Ft. McHenry as seen from the southeast just like Francis Scott Key had seen in 1814. When the tunnel was built, it had to be constructed in a way that it would avoid the fort completely. Scott Kozel has a great article on his website about the construction of the Ft. McHenry Tunnel from its inception through its construction and to its completion in 1985. After our brief visit to Ft. McHenry we make our way back onto Interstate 95 and this signage for Exit 50, Caton Avenue and advance signage for Exit 49, Interstate 695 coming up in 2 miles. Now we are northbound on Interstate 695 on the west side of the Baltimore loop an we come upon advance signage for Exit 16, Interstate 70 west to Frederick. As you know from the previous few pages Interstate 70's national eastern terminus ends up unceremoniously in a park and ride lot right at the boundary between Baltimore County and Baltimore City. We are now westbound on Interstate 70 and advance signage for Exit 87, US 29 to Columbia and Washington. By the way, US 29 leads to Pensacola on the western tip of the Florida panhandle. Exit 76, MD 97 to Westminster and Olney on Interstate 70 westbound. Exit 73, MD 94 to Woodbine and Lisbon. Mileage signage for MD 27 coming up in 4 miles while Frederick is 18 miles away. Exit 68, MD 27 to Damascus and Mt. Airy. Exit 62, MD 75 to Libertytown and Hyattstown. Signage for the New Market Historic District and Monrovia which can be reached from MD 144 which is coming up ahead. Exit 59, MD 144 coming up in 1/2 mile. Signage for Interstate 68, also known as the National Freeway, is 58 miles away. Notice the Alternate Route West signage mounted on the top; this is to let motorists know that Interstate 68 is continuous interstate highway to Interstate 79 in West Virginia. Continuing on Interstate 70 westbound past Interstate 68 will take you across the state line into Pennsylvania but you will meet the infamous gap in Interstate 70 in the small town of Breezewood, where the connection between the free highway and the toll highway (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) is made by making a small detour onto US 30 which is littered with lots of restaurants and small motels. These establishments I believe feared loss of business when the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Interstate 70 was opened plus federal monies could not be used for interstates that are on toll roads. After all, federal money for interstate construction comes with strings attached. Link shown above for the infamous Interstate 70 gap in Breezewood, PA takes you to a web page on why the interstates have toll facilities at the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) site. Scroll down the page to see the article on the Interstate 70 Breezewood gap. We are on the outskirts of Frederick and overhead signage for Exit 56, MD 144/Patrick Street and advance signage for Exit 55, South Street. Advance signage for Exit 53A, Interstate 270 south to Washington and Exit 53B, US 15 and US 40 to Gettysburg coming up in 1/2 mile. Traffic headed west on Interstate 70 are advised to keep left. Signage for Exit 53A, Interstate 270 to Washington and advance signage for Exit 52, US 340 and US 15 to Charles Town and Leesburg (not the Florida town, that is). Advance signage for Alternate US 40 to Braddock Heights and Middletown just around the corner. There is no direct westbound return to Interstate 70 at this exit. If you are headed on eastbound Interstate 70, take a left. If you are headed on westbound Interstate 70, turn around. Taken on Alternate US 40 at the entrance to eastbound Interstate 70. We are now headed back eastbound on Interstate 70, but I had to get back to the hotel as quick as possible so that I can check in for my return flight home. As we are coming into Baltimore, we come on an overhead for Exit 82, US 40 east to Ellicott City. Signage advising motorists headed to Camden Yards to follow Interstate 695 south and US 40 east. As US 40 east can sometimes become crowded like any other US highway such as US 19 in Pinellas County, a more logical traffic signal free alternative would be to take Interstate 695 south to Interstate 95 which is not too far away, then Interstate 95 north to Interstate 395 which takes you right to Camden Yards. On the bottom of the sign urges motorists to consider using park and ride to Camden Yards on game days (yes, the light rail takes you right to Camden Yards which is a great alternative to fighting downtown Baltimore traffic and crowded parking on game days). Typical street corner in downtown Washington, D.C. A closeup of the text version of the uneven pavement sign. District of Columbia style, that is. In Florida, expect to see an army of the symbol version of the uneven pavement sign anywhere you see a repaving project especially on our interstate highways! A newer version of the right lane ends warning sign with the small dashes for the lane that ends. The earlier version of this sign does not feature the small dashes. Epilogue to a Year Later in Baltimore There is a lot to see and do in the greater Baltimore/Washington area; however, having two or three days of time doesn't give you time to explore in more detail. When you are on a time constrained schedule you can see only so much. In 2005 I made the first trip to the Baltimore/Washington area, primarily for business but for leisure as well. A year later in 2006 the rationale behind the registration of copyright proved its point when I noticed a MySpace user infringing on my intellectual property rights on the web. Since my visit to the Baltimore/Washington area in 2005 over the Labor Day weekend, I have visited the area a few times so that I can explore more of the area than what I can cover in the span of a two or three day visit. But I also got to admit, the people in the Baltimore/Washington area are friendlier compared to what I have to deal with back home in St. Petersburg. I'll have another road trip to a much different location to showcase in the future, so stay tuned... |
This site was last updated 11/19/06