Maryland Route 704

Maryland Route 704 is a state highway in Prince George's County connecting the University of Maryland area with suburban and urban corridors toward Washington, D.C.. The route runs as a mix of divided boulevard and arterial roadway, linking major thoroughfares and transit hubs including Interstate 495, U.S. Route 1 corridors, and commuter rail and bus facilities serving Washington Metro and MARC passengers. It functions as a regional connector for communities such as College Park, Riverdale Park, and neighborhoods adjacent to the District of Columbia border.

Route description

Route 704 begins near the campus of the University of Maryland and proceeds eastward as a divided arterial that intersects local streets serving College Park Airport and campus facilities. The highway crosses urbanized corridors that link to Baltimore–Washington Parkway, U.S. Route 1, and ramps for Interstate 95 and I-495, providing access to regional destinations including Baltimore, Alexandria, and Tysons Corner. Along its alignment the road passes commercial nodes, residential subdivisions, and institutional properties with multimodal connections to Metro Green Line stations and MARC services at nearby hubs. The eastern segment approaches the District of Columbia boundary, linking to arterial streets that feed into Anacostia, Naylor Road, and other Washington, D.C. neighborhoods.

History

The corridor traces transportation patterns established in the early 20th century when roads connected the College Park campus to Washington, D.C. and to Baltimore via emerging parkway and highway projects. During the 1940s, wartime and postwar growth prompted state designation and upgrades influenced by agencies including the Maryland State Roads Commission and later the Maryland Department of Transportation. The mid-20th century expansion of the Baltimore–Washington Parkway and the construction of the Capital Beltway reshaped regional traffic flows, prompting successive reconstructions of the route to accommodate increased commuter volumes to Washington, D.C. and access to federal installations such as facilities linked to NIH and NASA Goddard. Suburbanization in Prince George's County during the 1950s–1970s led to commercial development along the corridor and intersection improvements at junctions with U.S. Route 1, MD 450, and local connectors serving Adelphi and Hyattsville. Late 20th and early 21st century projects involved intersection redesigns, pedestrian and bicycle accommodations tied to plans from Prince George's County Department of Public Works and Transportation, and coordination with transit-oriented development near College Park–University of Maryland station.

Major intersections

- Western terminus: junction near University of Maryland campus — connections to campus roads and Baltimore–Washington Parkway access. - Intersection with U.S. Route 1 providing access to Baltimore and Washington, D.C.. - Interchange with I-495 offering regional links to Northern Virginia and Montgomery County. - Junctions serving MD 450 and local arterials to Riverdale Park and Hyattsville. - Eastern terminus: transitions to city-managed streets at the District of Columbia boundary with routes into Anacostia and southern Washington, D.C. neighborhoods.

Auxiliary routes

The corridor includes short state-maintained spur and service ramps that connect the mainline to grade-separated facilities, frontage roads, and transit access points. These auxiliary segments are similar in function to other Maryland spur routes that provide controlled access to interchange ramps serving I-95/I-495 and to arterial crossroads near U.S. Route 1 interchanges. Local service roads facilitate access to shopping centers, park-and-ride lots, and institutional drives associated with the University of Maryland and county offices.

Future developments and improvements

Planned improvements reflect county and state priorities for multimodal access, safety enhancements, and support for transit-oriented development near major rail and Metro nodes. Projects under consideration include intersection upgrades coordinated with Prince George's County Department of Public Works and Transportation, expanded bicycle and pedestrian facilities connected to regional trails such as the Anacostia Tributary Trail System, and signal modernization compatible with Intelligent Transportation Systems deployed across MDOT corridors. Redevelopment proposals near the corridor interface with initiatives from the University System of Maryland and municipal plans in College Park and Riverdale Park to integrate land use, parking management, and transit service improvements to better link to WMATA and MARC networks.

Category:State highways in Maryland Category:Transportation in Prince George's County, Maryland