Welcome to the Roadscapes Wednesday segment! Each week here on Geek Alabama, Roadscapes Wednesday will feature roads and infrastructure related topics. Geek Alabama Editor / Publisher Nathan Young is often called the “road geek” for a good reason, Nathan loves roads and loves talking about roads!
Interstate 70 runs more than 2,000 miles across the United States — from Utah all the way to Maryland. But just outside Baltimore, the highway suddenly ends.
In this video, we explore the strange and fascinating story of I-70’s unfinished extension into Baltimore. From the current eastern terminus near the Baltimore Beltway to the infamous “Highway to Nowhere” (formerly I-170), we examine the surviving remnants of a massive highway project that was never completed.
We’ll take a look at:
• The unused lanes at I-70’s eastern terminus
• The abandoned I-170 “Road to Nowhere” in West Baltimore
• Hidden interchange stubs along I-95
• The history of the 10-D and 3-A highway plans
• How community opposition stopped the extension through Gwynns Falls / Leakin Park
Why did planners prepare so extensively for a highway that was never built? Was the I-70 extension actually necessary? And how different would Baltimore look today if it had been completed?
Categories: Roadscapes Stuff
