Reisterstown To Emmitsburg
On the western edge of Reisterstown, MD 140 has an intersection with the northern end of I-795 (Northwest Expressway) and MD 795, an unnamed and unsigned connector between this intersection and the intersection of MD 30 and MD 128 on the northern edge of Reisterstown. The state highway splits into a pair of flyover ramps that connect with ramps to and from I-795 west of the MD 795 intersection. The eastbound ramp is two-way west to Mitchell Drive, which provides access to the Reisterstown Sportsplex. The ramps merge and MD 140 continues northwest as a four-lane divided highway with a narrow median. West of Woodfield Court and Brian Daniel Court, which westbound MD 140 accesses via a ramp to Gores Mill Road, the median changes to a center turn lane. The highway descends into the valley of the North Branch of the Patapsco River and crosses the river and the Baltimore–Carroll county line at the northern end of the river's impoundment, Liberty Reservoir. MD 140 continues northwest as Baltimore Boulevard. The first of several segments of the highway's old alignment, Old Westminster Pike, splits to the southwest as the highway approaches Finksburg, where the highway intersects MD 879, which heads north as Cedarhurst Road and south as Old Gamber Road, and MD 91, which heads north as Emory Road and south as Gamber Road. Access from eastbound MD 140 to northbound MD 91 is via a jughandle in the southwest quadrant of the intersection.
Northwest of Finksburg, MD 140 expands to a divided highway. Old Westminster Pike first closely parallels the westbound side of MD 140 and then splits west from the eastbound direction and parallels the state highway at a distance. MD 140 expands to six lanes and passes through a commercial area as it enters the city of Westminster. The highway intersects Malcolm Drive, which heads south as MD 97, and continues northwest concurrent with that state highway. The two highways pass the TownMall of Westminster just east of their partial cloverleaf interchange with MD 27 (Manchester Road), just west of which they cross over the Maryland Midland Railway. MD 140 and MD 97 become College View Boulevard at Sullivan Road; the highways diverge at a partial cloverleaf interchange where MD 97 heads north as Littlestown Pike and Pennsylvania Avenue heads south into the Westminster Historic District. MD 140 continues west as four-lane College View Boulevard, which becomes undivided three-lane (one lane westbound, two lanes eastbound) Taneytown Pike at its intersection with the northern end of MD 31 (New Windsor Road), which provides access to McDaniel College. There is no access from eastbound MD 31 to westbound MD 140; that movement is provided by WMC Drive to the west.
MD 140 heads northwest as a partially controlled access two-lane road. At Meadow Brook Farm and Roop's Mill on the western edge of the city of Westminster, the highway crosses Meadow Branch of Big Pipe Creek and has an intersection with Hughes Shop Road and the eastern end of MD 832 (Old Taneytown Road). MD 140 parallels MD 832 to the north as the main highway bypasses Frizzelburg and crosses Richardson Road, Bear Branch, and the mainstem of Big Pipe Creek. The two state highways reunite at a roundabout on the eastern edge of the city of Taneytown. Antrim Boulevard forms the southwest leg of the roundabout and MD 140 continues northwest along Baltimore Street into the Taneytown Historic District. The state highway passes to the north of the historic home Antrim and has a grade crossing of the north–south line of the Maryland Midland Railway before intersecting MD 194, which heads north as York Street and south as Frederick Street. MD 140 becomes Taneytown Pike again on leaving Taneytown and crosses Piney Creek.
MD 140 crosses the Monocacy River to enter Frederick County. The highway crosses Cattail Branch and Middle Creek and enters the town of Emmitsburg just east of the highway's extended interchange with US 15 (Catoctin Mountain Highway). East of the U.S. Highway, MD 140 has a four-way intersection with Harney Road and Emmit Gardens Drive, which is unsigned MD 904H (Emmit Gardens Drive) and leads to a right-in/right-out interchange with northbound US 15. MD 140 becomes Main Street and crosses over the U.S. Highway, then has a four-way intersection with Silo Hill Road and unsigned MD 904F, another section of Emmit Gardens Drive that leads to the right-in/right-out ramps with southbound US 15. MD 140 crosses Flat Run and enters the Emmitsburg Historic District. In the center of town, the highway intersects unsigned US 15 Business (Seton Avenue). MD 140 leaves the town and gains the name Waynesboro Pike for the short distance northwest to the Pennsylvania state line. Waynesboro Pike continues northwest as PA 16 across South Mountain toward Waynesboro.
Read more about this topic: Maryland Route 140, Route Description