Interstate 68: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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Various West Virginia officials have proposed extending the highway westward to the [[Ohio River]] valley, ending in either [[Moundsville, West Virginia|Moundsville]], or [[Wheeling, West Virginia|Wheeling]], West Virginia. An extension to Moundsville was approved by federal officials at one point but shelved due to funding problems.

==Route description==▼

{{Lengths table|length_ref=<ref name="fhwa" />}}▼

|-▼

|WV▼

|{{Convert|32.06|mi|km|disp=table}}▼

|-▼

|MD▼

|{{Convert|81.09|mi|km|disp=table}}▼

|-▼

|Total▼

|{{Convert|113.15|mi|km|disp=table}}▼

|}▼

I-68 spans {{convert|113.15|mi|km}}, connecting [[Interstate 79|I-79]] in [[Morgantown, West Virginia]], to [[Interstate 70|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 |archive-date = June 5, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230605160748/https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/back0210.cfm |url-status = live }}</ref> I-68 is also advertised to drivers on I-70 as an "alternate route to [[Ohio]] and points west" by [[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 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]].<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===▼

[[File:2021-08-01 18 10 35 View east along Interstate 68 (National Freeway) just west of Sand Spring Road, just after entering Sand Spring, Garrett County, Maryland from Webb Chapel, Preston County, West Virginia.jpg|thumb|right|Entering Maryland from West Virginia on I-68 eastbound in Garrett County|alt=A sign adjacent to a four-lane highway reads "Maryland welcomes you. We’re Open For Business. Larry Hogan, Governor"]]▼

After entering Garrett County, I-68 continues its run through rural areas, crossing the northern part of the county. The terrain through this area consists of ridges that extend from southwest to northeast, with I-68 crossing the ridges through its east–west run. The first exit in Maryland is at [[Maryland Route 42|MD 42]] in [[Friendsville, Maryland|Friendsville]]. I-68 ascends [[Keysers Ridge, Maryland|Keysers Ridge]], where it meets [[U.S. Route 40 in Maryland|US 40]] and [[U.S. Route 219 in Maryland|US 219]], both of which join the highway at Keysers Ridge.<ref name=HLR/> The roadway that used to be the surface alignment of US 40 parallels I-68 to Cumberland and is now designated as [[U.S. Route 40 Alternate (Keysers Ridge–Cumberland, Maryland)|US 40 Alt.]] I-68 crosses [[Negro Mountain]], which was the highest point along the historic [[National Road]] that the freeway parallels east of Keysers Ridge. This is the source of the name of the freeway in Maryland: the National Freeway.<ref name=mdrd/> {{Convert|3|mi|km|spell=In}} east of [[Grantsville, Maryland|Grantsville]], US 219 leaves the National Freeway to run northward toward [[Meyersdale, Pennsylvania]], while I-68 continues eastward, crossing the [[Eastern Continental Divide]] and [[Savage Mountain]] before entering Allegany County.<ref name=HLR/>▼

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. 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, 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, [[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/>▼

==History==

[[File:Interstate 68 time-lapse.webm|thumb|left|Time-lapse video of an eastbound trip on I-68 in 2017]]

===Predecessors===

Prior to the construction of the freeway from Morgantown to Hancock, several different routes carried traffic across the region. [[West Virginia Route 73]] (WV 73) extended from [[Bridgeport, West Virginia|Bridgeport]] to [[Bruceton Mills, West Virginia|Bruceton Mills]], serving regions now served by I-79 (Bridgeport to Morgantown) and I-68 (Morgantown to Bruceton Mills). After the I-68 freeway, then known as US 48, was completed in West Virginia, the WV 73 designation was removed. Portions of the road still exist as County Route 73 (CR 73), CR 73/73, and CR 857. Between I-68's exit 10 at [[Cheat Lake, West Virginia|Cheat Lake]] and exit 15 at [[Coopers Rock State Forest|Coopers Rock]], I-68 was largely built directly over old WV 73's roadbed.

Line 99 ⟶ 145:

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 |archive-date=June 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609043919/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 |url-status=live }}</ref>

▲==Route description==

▲{{Lengths table|length_ref=<ref name="fhwa" />}}

▲|-

▲|WV

▲|{{Convert|32.06|mi|km|disp=table}}

▲|-

▲|MD

▲|{{Convert|81.09|mi|km|disp=table}}

▲|-

▲|Total

▲|{{Convert|113.15|mi|km|disp=table}}

▲|}

▲I-68 spans {{convert|113.15|mi|km}}, connecting [[Interstate 79|I-79]] in [[Morgantown, West Virginia]], to [[Interstate 70|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 |archive-date = June 5, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230605160748/https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/back0210.cfm |url-status = live }}</ref> I-68 is also advertised to drivers on I-70 as an "alternate route to [[Ohio]] and points west" by [[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 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]].<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===

▲[[File:2021-08-01 18 10 35 View east along Interstate 68 (National Freeway) just west of Sand Spring Road, just after entering Sand Spring, Garrett County, Maryland from Webb Chapel, Preston County, West Virginia.jpg|thumb|right|Entering Maryland from West Virginia on I-68 eastbound in Garrett County|alt=A sign adjacent to a four-lane highway reads "Maryland welcomes you. We’re Open For Business. Larry Hogan, Governor"]]

▲After entering Garrett County, I-68 continues its run through rural areas, crossing the northern part of the county. The terrain through this area consists of ridges that extend from southwest to northeast, with I-68 crossing the ridges through its east–west run. The first exit in Maryland is at [[Maryland Route 42|MD 42]] in [[Friendsville, Maryland|Friendsville]]. I-68 ascends [[Keysers Ridge, Maryland|Keysers Ridge]], where it meets [[U.S. Route 40 in Maryland|US 40]] and [[U.S. Route 219 in Maryland|US 219]], both of which join the highway at Keysers Ridge.<ref name=HLR/> The roadway that used to be the surface alignment of US 40 parallels I-68 to Cumberland and is now designated as [[U.S. Route 40 Alternate (Keysers Ridge–Cumberland, Maryland)|US 40 Alt.]] I-68 crosses [[Negro Mountain]], which was the highest point along the historic [[National Road]] that the freeway parallels east of Keysers Ridge. This is the source of the name of the freeway in Maryland: the National Freeway.<ref name=mdrd/> {{Convert|3|mi|km|spell=In}} east of [[Grantsville, Maryland|Grantsville]], US 219 leaves the National Freeway to run northward toward [[Meyersdale, Pennsylvania]], while I-68 continues eastward, crossing the [[Eastern Continental Divide]] and [[Savage Mountain]] before entering Allegany County.<ref name=HLR/>

▲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. 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, 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, [[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==