Interstate 68: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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===Designation as I-68===

[[File:2021-08-01 17 10 53 View east along Interstate 68 and U.S. Route 40 and north along U.S. Route 219 (National Freeway) from the overpass for Maryland State Route 495 (Bittinger Road) just southwest of Grantsville in Casselman, Garrett County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|I-68/US 40 eastbound and US 219 northbound at MD 495 near Grantsville, Maryland]]

Though the National Freeway was designated as US  48, as the completion of the freeway neared, the possibility of the freeway being designated as an [[Interstate Highway~~|interstate highway~~]] came up. In the 1980s, the project to improve [[U.S. Route 50 ~~in Maryland~~|US  50]] between [[Washington, ~~D.C.~~DC]], and [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]] to [[Interstate Highway ~~standards|interstate highway~~ standards]] had been assigned the designation of I-68. MDSHA, however, later concluded that adding additional route shields to the US 50 freeway would not be helpful to drivers since about half the freeway already had two route designations (US 50 and [[U.S. Route 301 ~~in Maryland~~|US 301]]) and drivers on the freeway were already familiar with the US 50 designation.<ref name=tunv>{{cite news |work = [[Washington Times]] |first = Ron |last = Shaffer |date = January 12, 1990 |title = Tunnel Visions |page = E1 |url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307243358.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jan+12%2C+1990&author=Shaffer%2C+Ron&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=e.01&desc=Tunnel+Visions |access-date = July 6, 2017 |archive-date = January 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170117021115/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307243358.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jan+12%2C+1990&author=Shaffer%2C+Ron&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=e.01&desc=Tunnel+Visions |url-status = dead }}</ref> This made the designation to be applied to that freeway more flexible, and so, in 1989, the [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] (AASHTO), the organization composed of the various state departments of transportation that decides route numbering in the ~~United States~~U.S., approved MDSHA's request to renumber the US 50 freeway from I-68 to [[Interstate 595 (Maryland)|I-595]].<ref name=aashto19891>{{AASHTO minutes |year= 1989S |link=yes |page= 4 |access-date= January 17, 2009}}</ref> That same year, AASHTO approved changing US  48's designation to I-68.<ref name=aashto19891 /> This change took effect upon the completion of the last section of the National Freeway on August 2, 1991.<ref name=mdrd/>

With the completion of I-68 and the change in its route number, the US  48 designation was removed. In 2002, AASHTO approved the establishment of a [[U.S. Route 48|new US  48]], this time for the [[Corridor H]] highway from [[Weston, West Virginia]], to [[Strasburg, Virginia]].<ref name=aashto2002>{{AASHTO minutes |year= 2002A |page= 8 |access-date= February 4, 2009}}</ref> This marks the third time that the US 48 number has been assigned to a highway, the first use being for [[U.S. Route 48 (1926)|a highway in California]] that existed in the 1920s.<ref name=1926_ush>{{cite map |author1= [[Bureau of Public Roads]] |author2= [[American Association of State Highway Officials]] |date= November 11, 1926 |title= United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials |url= https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_System_of_Highways_Adopted_for_Uniform_Marking_by_the_American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials.jpg |scale= 1:7,000,000 |location= Washington, DC |publisher= [[United States Geological Survey]] |oclc= 32889555 |access-date= November 7, 2013 |via= [[Wikimedia Commons]] |name-list-style= amp}}</ref>

In April~~ ~~ 2021, legislation was introduced into the [[West Virginia House of Delegates]] that would name the section of I-68 in West Virginia the President Donald J. Trump Highway after former-President [[Donald Trump]]. The legislation is sponsored by two dozen [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] legislators led by Delegate [[Gary Howell (West Virginia politician)|Gary Howell]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Slade|first=Duncan|title=State Lawmakers Move To Rename Highway For Former President Trump|publisher=West Virginia Public Broadcasting|date=April 1, 2021|url=https://www.wvpublic.org/government/2021-04-01/state-lawmakers-move-to-rename-highway-for-former-president-Trump|access-date=April 2, 2021}}</ref>

===Incidents===

Numerous accidents and incidents have occurred on I-68. On June~~ ~~ 1, 1991, a gasoline tanker descending into downtown Cumberland from the east attempted to exit the freeway at exit 43D, Maryland Avenue. The tanker went out of control and overturned as the driver tried to go around the sharp turn at the exit. Gasoline began to leak from the damaged tanker, forcing the evacuation of a three-block area of Cumberland. Approximately 30 minutes later, the tanker exploded, setting eight houses on fire. The fire caused an estimated $250,000 in damages (equivalent to ${{~~formatnum:~~Formatprice|{{~~inflation~~Inflation|US-GDP|250000|1991|r=-4}}}} in {{~~inflation-~~Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation-/fn|index=US-GDP~~|name-list-style=amp~~}}) and prompted MDSHA to place signs prohibiting hazardous materials trucks from exiting at the Maryland Avenue exit.<ref name=stl>{{cite news |agency = Associated Press |title = Driver of Overturned Tanker Warns Residents Before Blasts |date = June 2, 1991 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|page=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author-link1 = Ruben Castaneda |first1 = Ruben |last1 = Castaneda |newspaper = [[Washington Post]] |date = June 2, 1991 |title = Gasoline Truck Overturns; Leak Ignites 8 Md. Houses; Three-Block Area Evacuated in Cumberland |page = B5 |url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307444525.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+2%2C+1991&author=Castaneda%2C+Ruben&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=b.05&desc=Gasoline+Truck+Overturns%3B+Leak+Ignites+8+Md.+Houses%3B+Three-Block+Area+Evacuated+in+Cumberland |access-date = July 6, 2017 |archive-date = January 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170117020823/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307444525.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+2%2C+1991&author=Castaneda%2C+Ruben&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=b.05&desc=Gasoline+Truck+Overturns%3B+Leak+Ignites+8+Md.+Houses%3B+Three-Block+Area+Evacuated+in+Cumberland |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] |date = June 3, 1991 |title = Cumberland Fire Damage |page = D3 |url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307400909.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+3%2C+1991&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=d.03&desc=Cumberland+Fire+Damage |access-date = July 6, 2017 |archive-date = January 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170117075223/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307400909.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+3%2C+1991&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=d.03&desc=Cumberland+Fire+Damage |url-status = dead }}</ref>

On May~~ ~~ 23, 2003, poor visibility due to fog was a major contributing factor to an 85-vehicle [[pileup]] on I-68 on [[Savage Mountain]] west of [[Frostburg, Maryland|Frostburg]]. Two people were killed and nearly 100 people were injured. Because of the extent of the wreckage on the road, I-68 remained blocked for 24 hours while the wreckage was cleared.<ref name=cnnfog>{{cite news |publisher = [[CNN]] |url = http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/05/23/maryland.accidents/index.html?iref=newssearch |date = May 23, 2003 |title = 85-Vehicle Pileup Kills Two in Western Maryland |access-date = January 17, 2009 }}</ref> In the aftermath of the pileup, the question of how to deal with fog in the future was discussed. Though the cost of a fog warning system can be considerable, MDSHA installed such a system in 2005 at a cost of $230,000 (equivalent to ${{~~formatnum:~~Formatprice|{{~~inflation~~Inflation|US-GDP|230000|2005|r=-4}}}} in {{~~inflation-~~Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation-/fn|index=US-GDP~~|name-list-style=amp~~}}).<ref name=nytfog>{{cite news |work = [[The New York Times]] |first = Matthew |last = Wald |date = June 18, 2003 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/18/us/war-on-road-fog-lacks-easy-solution.html |title = War on Road Fog Lacks Easy Solution |access-date = October 23, 2009 }}</ref><ref name=hagersfog/> The system alerts drivers when visibility drops below {{convert|1000|ft|m}}.<ref name=hagersfog>{{cite news |work = [[The Herald-Mail]] |location = Hagerstown, MD |date = July 3, 2005 |url = http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=115966&format=html |title = Fog Warning System Installed on I-68 |access-date = January 17, 2009 }}</ref>

===Effect on surrounding region===

[[File:2021-08-01 18 08 20 View east along Interstate 68 (National Freeway) west of Sand Spring Road in Sand Spring, Garrett County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|I-68 eastbound in Garrett County, Maryland, past the West Virginia state line]]

One of the arguments in favor of the construction of I-68 was that the freeway would improve the poor economic conditions in western Maryland. The economy of the surrounding area has improved since the construction of the freeway, especially in [[Garrett County, Maryland|Garrett County]], where the freeway opened up the county to tourism from [[Washington, ~~D.C.~~DC]], and [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]]. Correspondingly, Garrett County saw a sharp increase in population and employment during and after the construction of the road, with full- and part-time employment increasing from 8,868 in 1976 to 15,334 in 1991.<ref name=edh>{{cite web |title = Economic Development History of I-68 in Maryland |publisher = [[Federal Highway Administration]] |first1 = Jason |last1 = Bezis |first2 = Kristin |last2 = Noyes |name-list-style=amp |date = November 5, 2008 |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/Planning/econdev/i68md.htm |access-date = January 17, 2009 }}</ref> ~~However, economic~~Economic difficulties, however, remain in Allegany and Garrett counties.<ref name=washpostecon>{{cite news |newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] |first = Dan |last = Beyers |date = September 8, 1992 |title = Mountain Road of Promise Slow to Lift Fortunes |page=D1 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1992/09/08/mountain-road-of-promise-slow-to-lift-fortunes/6336b9cb-7a13-47d3-8ea4-6a374fa41c10/}}</ref> There were concerns over loss of customers to businesses that have been cut off from the main highway due to the construction of the new alignment in the 1980s, leading to protests when then-Governor [[Harry Hughes]] visited the Sideling Hill road cut when it was opened.<ref name=hh>{{cite book |publisher = The History Press |year = 2006 |title = My Unexpected Journey |first = Harry Roe |last = Hughes |isbn = 978-1-59629-117-1 |page = 105 }}</ref>

===Proposed extension===

In the 1990s, there was discussion about a future westward extension to I-68. Such an extension would connect the western terminus of I-68 in Morgantown to [[West Virginia Route 2|WV 2]] in [[Moundsville, West Virginia|Moundsville]]. A 1989 proposal had suggested a toll road be built along this corridor.<ref name=cgzmnd>{{cite news |work = [[Charleston Gazette]] |first = Rick |last = Steelhammer |date = November 28, 2000 |title = I-68 Extension Hearings to be Next Week |page=2A}}</ref> In 2003, the [[Federal Highway Administration]] (FHWA) approved the extension, paving the way for federal funding and for the road to become part of the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]] on completion.<ref name=wvdotmnd>{{cite press release |publisher = [[West Virginia Department of Transportation]] |first = Carol |last = Melling |date = October 31, 2003 |title = I-68 Extension Now Eligible for Federal Funding |url = http://www.wvdot.com/13_news/13_news_dtl.cfm?s=456 |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090523140013/http://www.wvdot.com/13_news/13_news_dtl.cfm?s=456 |archive-date = May 23, 2009 }}</ref> ~~However, the~~The project, however, ran into problems due to lack of funds, and, in 2008, West Virginia Governor [[Joe Manchin]] suggested dropping the project altogether, making construction of a westward extension of I-68 unlikely in the near future.<ref name=wnrmnd>{{cite news |work = [[Wheeling News-Register]] |first = Art |last = Limann |date = August 12, 2008 |title = Authority Won't Give Up on I-68 to Marshall |url = http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/512794.html |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-date = July 16, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716100038/http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/512794.html |url-status = dead }}</ref>

In 2014, [[Marshall County, West Virginia|Marshall County]] officials brought the extension of I-68 up again as a way for oil companies to have easier access to drill into the area, likely by [[~~Hydraulic fracturing|~~fracking]]. Much like the second leg of ~~the~~ [[Pennsylvania Route 576|PA 576]] (Southern Beltway]]) in the [[Pittsburgh]] area, an extension of I-68 is being spurred in response to the [[Marcellus natural gas trend]]. If the extension were to be built, it would also include a widening of WV 2 to four lanes and would cost an estimated $5 million per mile ({{convert|5|e6$/mi|e6$/km|abbr=unit|disp=output number only}}/km). It is expected that the project would be divided into two legs, first from Morgantown to [[Cameron, West Virginia|Cameron]], and then Cameron to Moundsville.<ref>{{cite news |first = Nate |last = Fluharty |url = http://www.wtrf.com/story/26539668/plans-moving-forward-for-moundsville-to-morgantown-highway |title = Plans Moving Forward for Moundsville-to-Morgantown Highway |location = Wheeling, WV |publisher = [[WTRF-TV]] |date = September 15, 2014 |access-date = September 16, 2014 }}</ref>

Others have proposed extending I-68 to [[Wheeling, West Virginia]], and connecting it with [[Interstate 470 (Ohio–West Virginia)|I-470]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swint |first=Howard |date=October 5, 2019 |title=Howard Swint: I-68 extension lynch pin for W.Va. development |url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/op_ed_commentaries/howard-swint-i-68-extension-lynch-pin-for-w-va-development/article_b2d17136-b2fb-5923-89e2-21d30a1169fb.html |access-date=March 26, 2022 |website=Charleston Gazette-Mail |language=en}}</ref>

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I-68 spans {{convert|~~112~~113.~~6|mi|km}}—{{convert|81.1~~15|mi|km}}, ~~in Maryland and {{convert|31.5|mi|km}} in West Virginia—connecting~~connecting [[Interstate 79 ~~in West Virginia~~|I-79]] in [[Morgantown, West Virginia]], to [[Interstate 70 ~~in Maryland~~|I-70]] in [[Hancock, Maryland]], across the [[Appalachian Mountains]]. The [[control cities]]—the cities officially chosen to be the destinations shown on guide signs—for I-68 are Morgantown, [[Cumberland, Maryland|Cumberland]], and Hancock.<ref name=mdsha_cc>{{cite web |author = Maryland State Highway Administration |publisher = Maryland State Highway Administration |title = Traffic Control Devices Design Manual |url = http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/businesswithsha/bizStdsSpecs/desManualStdPub/publicationsonline/oots/TCDDM/pdfs/a-6.pdf |year = 2006 |access-date = February 4, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140113095424/http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/businesswithsha/bizStdsSpecs/desManualStdPub/publicationsonline/oots/TCDDM/pdfs/a-6.pdf |archive-date = January 13, 2014 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> I-68 is the main route connecting [[Western Maryland]] to the rest of Maryland.<ref>{{cite web |first = Rickie |last = Longfellow |date = June 27, 2017 |title = Back in Time: Sideling Hill Mountain, I-68—Are We Going Over It or Around It? |work = General Highway History |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/back0210.cfm |access-date = June 5, 2023 }}</ref> I-68 is also advertised to drivers on I-70 as an "alternate route to [[Ohio]] and points west" by ~~the~~ [[Maryland State Highway Administration|MDSHA]].<ref name=aar>{{cite sign |author = Maryland State Highway Administration |location = Washington County |publisher = Maryland State Highway Administration |title = Alternate Route to Ohio and Points West |url = http://aaroads.com/mid-atlantic/maryland050/i-070_wb_exit_005_01.jpg |type = Highway sign |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090326053333/http://www.aaroads.com/mid-atlantic/maryland050/i-070_wb_exit_005_01.jpg |archive-date = March 26, 2009 }}</ref>

===West Virginia===

[[File:2021-08-02 11 10 58 View west along Interstate 68 (National Freeway) just west of Sand Spring Road, entering Webb Chapel, Preston County, West Virginia from Sand Spring, Garrett County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|I-68 at the West Virginia–Maryland state line|alt=A sign above the highway reads "Welcome to West Virginia—Wild and Wonderful." An adjacent sign reads "Preston County. Certified Business Location."]]

I-68 begins at exit 148 on [[Interstate 79 in West Virginia|I-79]] near Morgantown and runs eastward, meeting with [[U.S. Route 119 in West Virginia|US 119]] {{Convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}} east of its terminus at I-79. I-68 turns northeastward, curving around Morgantown, with four interchanges in the Morgantown area—I-79, US 119, [[West Virginia Route 7|WV 7]], and CR 857 (Cheat Road). Leaving the Morgantown area, I-68 again runs eastward, intersecting [[Mon-Fayette Expressway|WV 43]], which provides access to [[Cheat Lake]] and [[Uniontown, Pennsylvania]]. Near this interchange, I-68 passes over Cheat Lake and climbs a steep ascent out of [[Cheat Canyon]].<ref name=gm_wv>{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=17527361211364741479,39.577614,-79.974921%3B7412300870819612668,39.663520,-79.476700&saddr=39.578769,-79.972959&daddr=I-68+E+%4039.663520,+-79.476700&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=15&doflg=ptm&sll=39.575924,-79.973001&sspn=0.015018,0.037594&ie=UTF8&ll=39.626846,-79.698944&spn=0.480208,1.203003&z=10 |title=I-68 in West Virginia |access-date=August 1, 2008}}</ref>

Entering Preston County, the route intersect CR ~~{{sfrac|~~73|/12}}, which provides access to [[Coopers Rock State Forest]]. In contrast to the Morgantown area, the portion of Preston County that I-68 crosses is more rural, with the only town along the route being [[Bruceton Mills, West Virginia|Bruceton Mills]]. In Bruceton Mills, I-68 meets [[West Virginia Route 26|WV 26]]. I-68 meets CR 5 (Hazelton Road) at its last exit before entering Garrett County, Maryland.<ref name=gm_wv/>

The region of West Virginia through which the freeway passes is rural and mountainous. There are several sections that have steep grades, especially near the Cheat River Canyon, where there is a [[truck escape ramp]] in case trucks lose their brakes descending the steep grade.<ref name=wvdotmncm/>

The peak traffic density in terms of [[annual average daily traffic]] (AADT) on I-68 in West Virginia is 32,900 vehicles per day at the interchange with I-79 in Morgantown. The traffic gradually decreases further eastward, reaching a low point at 14,600 vehicles per day at the [[Hazelton, West Virginia|Hazelton]] exit.<ref name=wvdot_traffic>{{cite book |author = West Virginia Department of Transportation |publisher = West Virginia Department of Transportation |year = 2007 |url = http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/programplanning/preliminary_engineering/traffic_analysis/trafficvolume/interstatecounts/Documents/I68_Morgantown_Md_07.pdf |type = Report |access-date = January 12, 2016 |title = Interstate System Average Daily Traffic: I-68 Morgantown to Maryland |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305014402/http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/programplanning/preliminary_engineering/traffic_analysis/trafficvolume/interstatecounts/Documents/I68_Morgantown_Md_07.pdf |archive-date = March 5, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

===Maryland===

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The section of I-68 west of [[Dans Mountain]] in Allegany County is located in the [[Allegheny Mountains]], characterized in Garrett County by a series of uphill and downhill stretches along the freeway, each corresponding to a ridge that the freeway crosses. In Allegany County, the freeway crosses the [[Allegheny Front]], where, from Savage Mountain to LaVale, the highway drops in elevation by {{convert|1800|ft|m}} in a distance of {{convert|9|mi|km|spell=in}}.<ref name=nrr73>{{cite book |location = Baltimore |publisher = Johns Hopkins University Press |first1 = Karl |last1 = Raitz |first2 = George |last2 = Thompson |name-list-style=amp |year = 1996 |isbn = 978-0-8018-5155-1 |page = 73 |title = The National Road }}</ref><ref name=gmaps>{{google maps |url = https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=I-68+E&daddr=39.634646,-78.833084&hl=en&geocode=FUhiXQIddB1L-w%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=13&sll=39.644428,-78.838749&sspn=0.089355,0.154324&ie=UTF8&ll=39.639802,-78.884926&spn=0.178723,0.308647&t=p&z=12 |title = Topographic Map of Interstate 68 in Western Allegany County |access-date = February 15, 2009 |link = no}}</ref>

[[File:2021-08-01 18 23 17 View east along Interstate 68 (National Freeway) just east of Exit 4 in Friendsville, Garrett County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|I-68 eastbound in Friendsville, Maryland|alt=A four-lane freeway in a forested area with a sign saying East I-68. Snow Emergency Route.]]

The traffic density on I-68 in Garrett County is rather sparse compared to that of Allegany County. At the Maryland–West Virginia state line, there is an AADT of 11,581 vehicles per day. This density increases to its highest point in Garrett County at exit 22, where US 219 leaves I-68;, at 19,551~~ vehicles per day drive through this section~~. At the Allegany County line, the traffic density decreases slightly to 18,408. In Allegany County, the vehicle count increases to 28,861 in [[LaVale, Maryland|LaVale]] and to the freeway's peak of 46,191 at the first US 220 interchange (exit 42) in Cumberland. East of Cumberland, the vehicle count decreases to 16,551 at Martins Mountain and stays nearly constant to the eastern terminus of I-68 in [[Hancock, Maryland|Hancock]].<ref name=HLR/>

After entering Allegany County, I-68 bypasses [[Frostburg, Maryland|Frostburg]] to the south, with two exits, one to Midlothian Road (unsigned [[Maryland Route 736|MD 736]]) and one to [[Maryland Route 36|MD 36]]. Near the MD 36 exit is [[God's Ark of Safety]] church, which is known for its attempt to build a replica of [[Noah's Ark]]. This replica, which currently consists of a steel frame, can be seen from I-68.<ref name=ppgark>{{cite news|first=Caitlin |last=Cleary |url=http://post-gazette.com/pg/06106/682602-85.stm |title=If the Flood comes Too Soon, this Ark Won't Be Quite Ready |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=April 16, 2006 |access-date=April 16, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918074215/http://post-gazette.com/pg/06106/682602-85.stm |archive-date=September 18, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

East of Frostburg, I-68 crosses a bridge above Spruce Hollow near [[Clarysville, Maryland|Clarysville]], passing over [[Maryland Route 55|MD 55]], which runs along the bottom of the valley. The freeway runs along the hillside above US 40 Alt. in the valley formed by Braddock Run. Entering [[LaVale~~, Maryland|LaVale]]~~, I-68 has exits to US 40 Alt. and [[Maryland Route 658|MD 658]] (signed southbound as [[U.S. Route 220 Truck (Maryland)|US 220 Truck]]). I-68 ascends [[Haystack Mountain (Maryland)|Haystack Mountain]], entering the city of [[Cumberland, Maryland|Cumberland]]. This is the most congested section of the highway in Maryland. The speed limit on the highway drops from {{convert|70|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} in LaVale to {{convert|55|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} until the [[U.S. Route 220 in Maryland|US 220]] exit, and to {{convert|40|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} in downtown Cumberland.<ref name=HLR/> This drop in the speed limit is due to several factors, including heavy congestion, closely spaced interchanges, and a sharp curve in the road, known locally as "Moose Curve", located at the bottom of Haystack Mountain. This section of the highway was originally built in the 1960s as the Cumberland Thruway, a bypass to the original path of US 40 through Cumberland.<ref name=mdrd/>

[[File:2019-05-17 12 38 23 View west along Interstate 68 and U.S. Route 40 and south along U.S. Route 220 (National Freeway) at Exit 44 (U.S. Route 40 Alternate-Baltimore Avenue, Willow Brook Road) in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|I-68/US 40/US 220 concurrency in Cumberland, Maryland]]

Until 2008, signs at exit 43A in downtown Cumberland labeled the exit as providing access to [[West Virginia Route 28 Alternate|WV 28 Alt.]] Because of this, many truckers used this exit to get to [[West Virginia Route 28|WV 28]]. This created problems on WV 28 Alt. in [[Ridgeley, West Virginia]], as trucks became stuck under a low railroad overpass, blocking traffic through Ridgeley. To reduce this problem, ~~the~~ [[Maryland State Highway Administration|MDSHA]] removed references to WV 28 Alt. from guide signs for exit 43A and placed warning signs in Cumberland and on I-68 approaching Cumberland advising truckers to instead use exit 43B to [[Maryland Route 51|MD 51]], which allows them to connect to WV 28 via Virginia Avenue, bypassing the low overpass in Ridgeley.<ref name=wv28a>{{cite news|work=[[Cumberland Times-News]] |first=Sarah |last=Moses |date=December 23, 2008 |title=Signs Alert Truck Drivers to Low Overpass in Ridgeley |url=http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_358085114.html |access-date=January 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226231812/http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_358085114.html |archive-date=December 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

[[File:2016-05-05 13 02 58 View west along Interstate 68 and U.S. Route 40 (National Freeway) in Piney Grove, Allegany County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|View west along I-68 and US  40 (National Freeway) in Piney Grove]]

[[File:2019-07-14 13 12 11 View west along Interstate 68 and U.S. Route 40 (National Freeway) from the Victor Cushwa Memorial Bridge as it passes through the Sideling Hill Road Cut in Forest Park, Washington County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|I-68 passes through the Sideling Hill road cut.|alt=A highway passes through a cut through a mountain. The rock walls of the cut are visible above the highway.]]

At exit 44 in east Cumberland, US 40 Alt. meets the freeway and ends, and, at exit 46, US 220 leaves I-68 and runs northward toward [[Bedford, Pennsylvania]]. I-68 continues across northeastern Allegany County, passing [[Rocky Gap State Park]] near exit 50. In northeastern Allegany County, the former US 40 bypassed by I-68 is designated as [[Maryland Route 144|MD 144]], with several exits from I-68 along the route. I-68 crosses several mountain ridges along this section of the highway, including Martins Mountain, Town Hill, and Green Ridge, and the highway passes through [[Green Ridge State Forest]]. East of Green Ridge State Forest, MD 144 ends at [[U.S. Route 40 Scenic|US 40 Scenic]], another former section of US 40.<ref name=HLR/>

I-68 crosses into [[Washington County, Maryland|Washington County]] at [[Sideling Hill Creek (Potomac River tributary)|Sideling Hill Creek]] and ascends [[Sideling Hill]]. The road cut that was built into Sideling Hill for I-68 can be seen for several miles in each direction and has become a tourist attraction as a result of the geologic structure exposed by the road cut.<ref name=mdgs>{{cite web |url = http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/brochures/sideling.html |publisher = Maryland Geological Society |year = 1994 |first = David |last = Brezinski |title = Geology of the Sideling Hill Road Cut |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-date = July 13, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120713001515/http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/brochures/sideling.html |url-status = dead }}</ref>

On the east side of Sideling Hill, I-68 again interchanges with US 40 Scenic, at its eastern terminus at Woodmont Road. Here, US 40 Scenic ends at a section of MD 144 separate from the section further west. {{convert|4|mi|km|spell=In}} east of this interchange, I-68 ends at [[Interstate 70 in Maryland|I-70]] and [[U.S. Route 522|US 522]] in the town of [[Hancock, Maryland|Hancock]].<ref name=HLR/>

==Exit list==

{{jcttop|exit|state_col=state|length_ref={{~~#tag:ref~~efn|Mileposts and exit numbers reset at the state line.<ref name=HLR>{{Maryland HLR |year= 2013 |county1= Garrett |county2= Allegany |county3= Washington |access-date= January 21, 2010}}</ref><ref name=wvdotmncm>{{cite map|author=West Virginia Department of Transportation Program Planning and Administration Division |title=General Highway Map: Monongalia County |scale=1:63,360 |location=Charleston |publisher=West Virginia Department of Transportation |year=2008 |url=http://gis.wvdot.com/gti/County_Maps/Monongalia_2_of_2.pdf |sheet=2 |format=PDF |access-date=September 11, 2009 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425063523/http://gis.wvdot.com/gti/County_Maps/Monongalia_2_of_2.pdf |archive-date=April 25, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=wvdotprcm>{{cite map |author = West Virginia Department of Transportation Program Planning and Administration Division |title = General Highway Map: Preston County |scale = 1:63,360 |location = Charleston |publisher = West Virginia Department of Transportation Program |year = 2008 |url = https://gis.transportation.wv.gov/GISCountyMaps/PDF-Hillshade/PrestonSheet%201.pdf |sheet = 1 |access-date = September 11, 2009 }}</ref>~~|group=lower-alpha~~}}}}

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~~{{Reflist|group= lower-alpha}}~~

==See also==

* {{Portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}

* {{Portal-inline|Maryland Roads}}

==Notes==

==References==