Maryland Route 170

Maryland Route 170
State	MD
Type	MD
Route	170
Length mi	11.02
Maint	MD SHA
Direction a	South
Terminus a	Jessup
Direction b	North
Terminus b	Glen Burnie
Counties	Anne Arundel County

Maryland Route 170 is a state highway in Anne Arundel County connecting Jessup and Glen Burnie and providing primary surface access to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). The highway links suburban communities, industrial areas near the Patapsco River, and transportation hubs including rail lines owned by CSX Transportation and served by MARC Train services. MD 170 functions as an arterial route intersecting corridors such as I-95, I-695, and US 1 while paralleling parts of Baltimore–Washington Parkway and connecting to Maryland State Highway Administration facilities.

Route description

MD 170 begins near US 1 in the Jessup area and proceeds northward as a multi-lane arterial traversing industrial zones adjacent to Patuxent River tributaries and rail yards used by CSX Transportation. The route intersects major arteries including I-95 and provides ramps to BWI Business District employment centers, passing close to National Electronics Museum and aviation facilities affiliated with Maryland Aviation Administration. Approaching BWI Airport, MD 170 crosses passenger rail rights-of-way used by Amtrak and MARC Train and connects to the airport terminal via frontage roads and access ramps near BWI Rail Station. North of the airport the highway continues through suburban neighborhoods such as Linthicum Heights and Severn before terminating in Glen Burnie, where it meets routes toward Anne Arundel County municipal centers and the Chesapeake Bay waterfront. The corridor serves commuter, freight, and commercial traffic and interfaces with SHA maintenance yards and traffic management systems.

History

The alignment that became MD 170 evolved from early 20th-century roads connecting Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and port facilities near the Patapsco River. During the World War II era the corridor gained strategic importance with expansion of Friendship International Airport (later BWI) and adjacent military facilities; federal investments accelerated road improvements to support aviation logistics and connections to Fort Meade. Postwar suburbanization tied to developments by entities such as Marriott International-area projects and regional planners prompted successive widening and relocation projects under the aegis of Maryland State Highway Administration and coordination with Anne Arundel County agencies. Major upgrades in the late 20th century included interchange projects linking MD 170 with I-695 and reconstruction near BWI Rail Station to accommodate Amtrak and MARC Train passenger flows. Collaborative initiatives with Federal Aviation Administration and Maryland Department of Transportation influenced access patterns during terminal expansions and the renaming of the airport in honor of Thurgood Marshall.

Major intersections

The route intersects a sequence of principal corridors and facilities: - Southern terminus at US 1 near Jessup. - Interchange with I-95 providing regional north–south connectivity toward Baltimore and Washington, D.C.. - Connections to the Baltimore–Washington Parkway and ramps serving BWI Business District. - Access to BWI Rail Station and crossing points used by Amtrak and MARC Train. - Junctions with major state routes and commuter arterials leading into Glen Burnie and linking to Maryland Route 3 and Maryland Route 10 corridors.

Auxiliary routes

Auxiliary spurs and service roads associated with the corridor include airport access ramps and short connector segments maintained by Maryland State Highway Administration and local authorities. These include frontage roads serving BWI Airport terminals, connectors to industrial parks near BWI, and designated truck routes that interface with freight facilities operated by CSX Transportation and logistics firms such as FedEx and UPS.

Transportation and usage

MD 170 handles mixed traffic patterns: commuter flows to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. employment centers, airport traffic to BWI Airport, and freight movements tied to regional intermodal facilities. Peak-hour congestion reflects commuter demand from suburbs including Glen Burnie and Linthicum Heights and modal transfers at BWI Rail Station used by MARC Train lines. Safety and capacity management involve coordination among Maryland State Highway Administration, Maryland Department of Transportation, and airport authorities, with incident response protocols linked to Anne Arundel County Police Department and Maryland Transportation Authority Police when events affect the corridor.

Future developments and improvements

Planned improvements consider airport access modernization tied to projects by Maryland Department of Transportation, terminal capacity enhancements at BWI Airport, and multimodal integration with MARC Train and potential commuter rail expansions discussed by regional planning bodies such as the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Proposed concepts include interchange reconfigurations to improve links with I-695, managed lane proposals in coordination with SHA strategies, and targeted safety upgrades near residential nodes in Anne Arundel County. Stakeholders including Federal Aviation Administration, Maryland Port Administration, and county planners continue studies on capacity, resilience against coastal impacts on the Chesapeake Bay, and freight corridor optimization.

Category:Roads in Anne Arundel County, Maryland