History
MD 36 passes through the Georges Creek Valley, which has a long history of coal mining. In recognition of this, the MDSHA has designated MD 36 as part of the Coal Heritage Scenic Byway. Coal mining was a major industry in western Maryland in the 19th century, with railroads being the major route connecting the coal mines to markets outside the Georges Creek Valley. Deep mining, which was the primary mining method used in western Maryland, declined in use after World War II, replaced primarily by surface mining. Although Maryland coal production is now only a small fraction of total U.S. coal production, coal from the Georges Creek Valley is used to power the AES Warrior Run power plant in Cumberland.
MD 36 was assigned a route number before 1927, earlier than most of the other Maryland state highways. The original alignment of MD 36 in southern Allegany County closely paralleled the Georges Creek Railroad. Later realignments have shifted MD 36 away from the railroad in several locations, but three crossings remain: one north of Lonaconing, one south of Lonaconing near the MD 935 intersection, and a third crossing near Westernport.
Over the years, multiple new alignments of MD 36 have been built for various reasons, such as to smooth out curves in the road. Several of the old alignments have been assigned route numbers of their own. The southernmost of these is MD 937, which consists of the old alignment through Westernport. Prior to the construction of the bridge connecting MD 36 to WV 46, MD 937 was the alignment of MD 36 through Westernport, ending at MD 135. In Barton, MD 935 carries the old alignment of MD 36. The longest of the old alignment sections is MD 936, which runs from Midland to Frostburg, and was bypassed in the 1970s with a new alignment of MD 36 following part of MD 55 and connecting to Interstate 68. Prior to this change, MD 55 ended in Midland; it has since been truncated to its current terminus at Vale Summit.
North of Frostburg, several old alignments are designated as MD 831, though these segments of road are not signed. Among these segments of road are Kriegbaum Road (designated as MD 831C), and Old Mount Savage Road (designated as MD 831A). Kriegbaum Road splits from MD 36 west of Corriganville and runs through Corriganville, returning to MD 36 east of the town. Old Mount Savage Road intersects MD 36 west of the Cumberland Narrows, and runs southward to intersect U.S. Route 40 Alternate near its current intersection with MD 36.
Read more about this topic: Maryland Route 36
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