Maryland Route 5 - History

History

MD 5 was designated by 1927 to run from north of Point Lookout State Park to the Washington, D.C. border in Suitland. By 1940, the route was extended south into Point Lookout State Park and it was routed to the District of Columbia border on Naylor Road while MD 637 followed Branch Avenue to the D.C. border. District of Columbia Route 5 continued into Washington, D.C. on Naylor Road, Good Hope Road, and 11th Street to District of Columbia Route 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue). MD 5 was directed to follow Branch Avenue to the D.C. border and DC 5 was modified to follow Branch Avenue from the Maryland border to DC 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue), which it followed west to the White House, by 1946. By 1960, DC 5 no longer existed while MD 5 was widened into a divided highway from the proposed Capital Beltway to just south of the Suitland Parkway. Further widening of the route to a divided highway occurred by 1975 between US 301 and the Capital Beltway, along the US 301 concurrency, and along Leonardtown Road between MD 235 and US 301 with the exception of the portion through Hughesville. MD 5 was routed to bypass Leonardtown by 1996, with the former route becoming MD 5 Business. Another rerouting of MD 5 in Waldorf by 1999 moved the route from Leonardtown Road and US 301 to Mattawoman Beantown Road, where it replaced Maryland Route 205. With this modification, Leonardtown Road between Mattawoman Beantown Road and US 301 became MD 5 Business. Also by 1999, three interchanges were constructed in Prince George's County at MD 223, Coventry Lane, and MD 337. In 2001, an interchange was constructed with Manchester Drive and Linda Lane in Camp Springs.

In February 2007, a $56 million limited-access bypass around Hughesville was completed, redirecting MD 5 to the east of the community. The bypass was built due to the heavy amount of congestion at the old intersection of MD 5 and MD 231 in Hughesville's central business district. Groundbreaking for construction of the bypass took place on November 5, 2004, with $10 million in federal funds given to the project. The old portion of MD 5 that went through Hughesville received the official MD 625 designation in 2006, even though it is signed as MD 5 Business. The bypass was formally opened on August 8, 2007.