Interstate 370 (Maryland)

Interstate 370 (Maryland)
State	MD
Route	370
Maint	Maryland State Highway Administration
Length mi	2.54
Established	1988
Direction a	West
Terminus a	at Gaithersburg
Junction	near Gaithersburg
Direction b	East
Terminus b	at MD 200 (Intercounty Connector) near Gaithersburg
Counties	Montgomery

Interstate 370 (Maryland) is a short auxiliary Interstate Highway in Montgomery County, Maryland that connects I‑270 and the Washington Metro‑served Shady Grove station area with the Intercounty Connector and regional arterial routes. The route serves a suburban node centered on Gaithersburg, Maryland and provides freeway access to transit facilities, business parks, and cultural sites near Rockville, Maryland. Built to improve links among major corridors serving Washington, D.C., the highway is part of the auxiliary network associated with Interstate 70 and Interstate 270, reflecting postwar highway planning in Maryland.

Route description

Interstate 370 begins at a trumpet interchange with I‑270 near the western edge of Gaithersburg, Maryland, immediately adjacent to the Great Seneca Creek corridor and the Shady Grove Metro Station complex. The freeway proceeds eastward as a short, four‑lane limited‑access highway that provides access to the Shady Grove transit hub, adjoining Park and ride facilities, and the Shady Grove Medical Center area. Interchanges connect I‑370 with MD‑355 and local collectors leading to Rockville, Maryland and Derwood, Maryland. The roadway transitions at its eastern terminus into the Intercounty Connector (MD‑200), which continues east toward Silver Spring, Maryland and Colesville, Maryland. Throughout its length, I‑370 runs through a suburban landscape characterized by office parks including properties near the Federal Highway Administration regional offices and institutions such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology and other federal research facilities located in the general corridor.

History

Early planning for a connector between I‑270 and the Washington, D.C. northeast suburbs emerged during the postwar expansion that included projects like Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) and the expansion of I‑270 itself. The corridor that became I‑370 was proposed in coordination with regional transit expansions such as the Metrorail Red Line extension to support the Shady Grove terminus and related development around Gaithersburg, Maryland. Construction of the highway was completed in the late 1980s amid concurrent work on suburban infrastructure projects including improvements to MD 355 (Frederick Road) and interchanges on I‑270. The designation as an Interstate followed standards aligned with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials guidelines and the Federal Highway Administration's route numbering conventions. Subsequent decades saw operational coordination with projects including the development of the Intercounty Connector (MD 200) and environmental mitigation efforts tied to the Great Seneca Creek watershed and regional conservation programs associated with Montgomery County, Maryland planning initiatives.

Exit list

The exit list for the highway reflects a short sequence of interchanges serving transit, arterial, and interstate connections: - Western terminus: trumpet interchange with I‑270 providing movements to Rockville, Maryland and Frederick, Maryland. - Exit for MD‑355 and access to Shady Grove station, park and ride lots, and adjacent office parks. - Local access ramps to collectors serving Gaithersburg, Maryland business districts and institutional campuses including facilities linked to National Institutes of Health commuter routes. - Eastern terminus: transition to Intercounty Connector eastbound toward Silver Spring, Maryland and Colesville, Maryland; westbound movements connect back to I‑270 and regional arterials.

Auxiliary and related routes

I‑370 is an auxiliary spur of Interstate 70 assigned within the Interstate Highway System numbering scheme that also ties into I‑270 and the broader Maryland highway network. Related routes in the region include MD 200 (Intercounty Connector), MD 355 (Frederick Road), I‑495 (Capital Beltway), and feeder arterials serving Gaithersburg, Maryland and Rockville, Maryland. Transit connections are integral, linking the freeway with the Metrorail Red Line terminus at Shady Grove. Freight and commuter patterns on I‑370 interact with corridors such as US‑15 and state routes providing access to research campuses including National Institute of Standards and Technology and federal laboratories that shape peak flows.

Traffic and usage

Traffic on the short Interstate is dominated by commuter patterns tied to Washington metropolitan area employment centers, with peak directional flows toward Washington, D.C. in the morning and reverse in the evening. The presence of the Shady Grove transit station, large park‑and‑ride facilities, and adjacent office parks generates mixed modal trips including bus services by Montgomery County Ride On and commuter express routes to Washington, D.C. Regional transportation studies have documented seasonal and daily variations in demand influenced by telecommuting trends at institutions such as Food and Drug Administration contractors and federal research centers. Safety, congestion, and maintenance programs are managed by the Maryland State Highway Administration in coordination with Montgomery County planners and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Future developments and proposals

Proposals affecting I‑370 have largely focused on operational improvements, multimodal integration with Metrorail and bus rapid transit initiatives, and coordination with long‑range plans for the Intercounty Connector corridor. Potential projects discussed in regional plans include interchange reconfiguration with MD 355 (Frederick Road), enhanced pedestrian and bicycle connections to the Shady Grove station, and intelligent transportation system deployments consistent with Federal Highway Administration technology programs. Environmental stewardship proposals involve watershed restoration projects in the Great Seneca Creek area and mitigation measures tied to regional growth management overseen by Montgomery County, Maryland planning agencies.

Category:Interstate Highways in Maryland Category:Transportation in Montgomery County, Maryland