Interstate 170 (Maryland)

Interstate 170 (Maryland)

Interstate 170 (abbreviated I-170) is the former designation for a 1.39-mile (2.24 km) freeway in Baltimore, Maryland that is now designated as part of US 40. The highway was originally envisioned as the eastern terminus of the Maryland portion of Interstate 70, a major transcontinental route, and was later envisioned as a direct link between the Interstate and the western edge of the central business district of Baltimore. However, with the loss of Interstate 70 in Baltimore, the route was deleted as an Interstate. Disapproval of the remaining depressed highway by Baltimore citizens, as well as environmental groups, has earned it the common nicknames of "The Highway to Nowhere" and "The Ditch"; in addition, other names include the "Westside Freeway" and the "Franklin–Mulberry Expressway", both referring to its location in the city.