Maryland Route 75 - History

History

A portion of MD 75 was originally the Liberty and Pipe Creek Turnpike from Libertytown to Union Bridge via Johnsville. When the Maryland State Roads Commission laid out its initial system of state roads to be improved in 1909, the highway between Fountain Mills and New London via New Market was included as one of the original state roads. By the end of 1911, the state road was completed from New Market to about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Monrovia. The remainder of the Fountain Mills – New London road was under construction in 1911 and completed as a 14-foot (4.3 m) macadam road in 1912. The Uniontown Road from New Windsor to near the modern MD 75–MD 84 junction was paved in macadam as a state aid road in 1911. The highway was extended south as a state-aid road from Fountain Mills toward Hyattstown in two sections; the first 1.5-mile (2.4 km) section was completed as a macadam road by 1915. The second section, which would extend the highway to Green Valley, went under contract in 1916 but the contracted company failed after partially completing the road. The macadam road south to Green Valley was completed in 1920.

The highway from the Uniontown Road north of New Windsor to Union Bridge went under construction shortly after 1921 and was completed as a concrete road by 1923; this included paving of Main Street in Union Bridge. A macadam road from Libertytown to Johnsville was also completed around 1923. The concrete road in Union Bridge was extended south across Sams Creek into Frederick County, completing the highway in Carroll County, in 1926 and 1927. The following year, 1 mile (1.6 km) of concrete was built north from New London. In 1929 and 1930, the concrete road being constructed north from New London was extended north a short distance and another concrete segment was started south from Libertytown. Another concrete road was started north from Johnstown toward Union Bridge. The three remaining gaps in modern MD 75—Hyattstown to Green Valley, midway between New London and Libertytown, and midway between Johnsville and Union Bridge—were under contract by 1930 and completed as concrete roads by 1933.

MD 75's first significant relocation occurred around 1963 when the highway was relocated for several stretches between Union Bridge and New Windsor. The highway's old segments became sections of MD 800; in addition, MD 84 was extended south along part of old MD 75 to meet new MD 75 just north of New Windsor. The second major relocation occurred around New Market. The present alignment of I-70 through New Market had been constructed as a non-freeway four-lane divided highway for US 40 between 1953 and 1955. MD 75 was relocated to the east of New Market when I-70 was upgraded to a freeway through the town, which included the modern I-70–MD 75 interchange, in 1973 and 1974. This relocation resulted in the old alignment north of Main Street in New Market becoming a section of MD 874 and the present alignment south of the Interstate with its two right-angle turns. Finally, MD 75's eastern terminus was moved in New Windsor as a result of the relocation of MD 31 through the town in 2007. MD 31 originally entered town from the southwest along High Street, then turned east at Main Street. MD 31 was rerouted to follow High Street north to Green Valley Road at MD 75's present terminus, follow Green Valley Road south to Main Street at MD 75's old terminus, then turn east onto Main Street. The stretch of Main Street between its two intersections with MD 31 was designated MD 831J.