Maryland Route 346

Maryland Route 346
State	MD
Type	MD
Route	346
Length mi	21.01
Established	1950s
Direction a	West
Terminus a	Princess Anne
Direction b	East
Terminus b	Salisbury
Counties	Somerset County; Wicomico County

Maryland Route 346 is a state highway on Maryland's Eastern Shore that connects Princess Anne and Salisbury via a corridor once served by U.S. highways. The route runs through portions of Somerset County and Wicomico County, passing through downtown commercial districts, residential neighborhoods, and near institutions such as University of Maryland Eastern Shore and transportation links to U.S. Route 50. The highway functions as a regional connector for local traffic, freight serving agricultural areas, and commuters to regional hubs like Ocean City.

Route description

Maryland Route 346 begins at an intersection in Princess Anne near the Somerset County Courthouse, proceeding east as a two-lane highway through the historic district close to landmarks like Washington Academy and the Teackle Mansion. The highway parallels former alignments of U.S. Route 50 and crosses rural landscapes characterized by farms associated with Delmarva Peninsula agriculture and proxy access to Chesapeake Bay. Continuing eastward, the route traverses small communities including Mardela Springs and passes near transportation nodes that serve Delaware Route 404-bound freight moving toward Wilmington and Baltimore. Approaching Salisbury, the highway expands to accommodate increased traffic, intersects with arterial streets providing access to Salisbury–Ocean City–Wicomico Regional Airport, and terminates near historic commercial corridors and institutions such as Wicomico County Courthouse and the downtown district. The corridor interfaces with regional rail right-of-ways formerly used by companies like Delmarva Central Railroad and historical operators including Pennsylvania Railroad subsidiaries.

History

The corridor now designated as Maryland Route 346 originated as a primary turnpike and later as part of early state and federal highway systems that connected eastern Maryland to seaside resorts like Ocean City and urban centers such as Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. In the early 20th century, segments were incorporated into auto trails that linked to Lincoln Highway-era routes and later absorbed into numbered systems under legislative acts of the Maryland General Assembly. During the expansion of the federal highway network in the 1920s and 1930s, portions of the current alignment served as alignments for U.S. Route 50 until subsequent bypass projects redirected major through-traffic onto newly constructed limited-access segments. Postwar transportation planning driven by agencies like the Maryland State Roads Commission and later the Maryland State Highway Administration led to the present designation. Infrastructure improvements in mid-20th century decades included pavement upgrades influenced by funding mechanisms tied to statewide initiatives and federal programs such as those administered under early iterations of the Federal-Aid Highway Act. Over time, the route's role shifted from a primary long-distance corridor to a regional connector supporting local commerce and access to institutions like University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Junction list

The route's major junctions include connections with county and state roads providing access to nearby towns and regional highways. West end: intersection in Princess Anne near county facilities and local streets serving the historic district. Mid-route intersections provide links to MD 354 toward Quantico and routes connecting to Pocomoke City and agricultural markets. Approaching Salisbury, notable junctions include connectors to U.S. Route 13 and ramps and surface intersections serving commercial corridors, industrial parks supplying distribution chains tied to businesses in Salisbury–Ocean City–Wicomico Regional Airport catchment area. East terminus: connection into downtown Salisbury near civic institutions and access to MD 350 and municipal street grid.

Auxiliary routes

Several short auxiliary or spur segments and former alignments exist, consisting of local collectors and business routes that retain historical alignments through downtown areas. These spurs provide direct access to civic nodes such as the Wicomico County Courthouse, downtown commercial strips, and campus entrances for Salisbury University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Many of the auxiliary paths were created during bypass construction when through-traffic was diverted to newer alignments, leaving business corridors designated by county maintenance or unsigned state inventory numbers maintained by the Maryland State Highway Administration.

Transportation significance and traffic

Maryland Route 346 functions as an important regional arterial serving commuter flows between Princess Anne and Salisbury, freight movements from agricultural producers on the Delmarva Peninsula to distribution centers, and local access to tourism corridors bound for Ocean City and shore destinations. Traffic patterns are influenced by seasonal tourism peaks tied to beach destinations, college-term schedules at Salisbury University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and freight scheduling for markets in Baltimore and Wilmington. Traffic counts monitored by the Maryland State Highway Administration show higher volumes near Salisbury and reduced volumes in rural Somerset County segments. The corridor forms part of resilience planning for regional evacuations coordinating with agencies including Maryland Emergency Management Agency and county emergency managers.

Future improvements and planning

Planning efforts for the corridor emphasize safety upgrades, intersection improvements, and coordination with broader regional projects connecting to U.S. Route 50 and U.S. Route 13. Proposed measures under study by the Wicomico County Department of Public Works and the Maryland Department of Transportation include pavement rehabilitation, pedestrian and bicycle facilities near university campuses and downtown districts, and potential operational improvements to reduce congestion during seasonal peaks. Long-range regional transportation plans developed with input from the Delmarva Regional Planning Commission and metropolitan planning organizations consult stakeholders such as local municipalities, institutional partners like Salisbury University, and freight carriers to balance mobility, safety, and economic development priorities.

Category:Maryland state highways Category:Transportation in Somerset County, Maryland Category:Transportation in Wicomico County, Maryland