Maryland Route 279

Maryland Route 279, often called Elkton Road, is a state highway in Maryland. It stretches about 5 miles from U.S. Route 40 and MD 7 west of Elkton to the Delaware border north of the town. This road serves as a bypass around the northern side of Elkton and is the main way to travel from Maryland to Newark, Delaware.

The highway crosses Interstate 95 northeast of Elkton, making it easy to connect to bigger roads. It was first built in the early 1910s, but it was rebuilt and moved to a new path north of Elkton in the early 1960s. Later in the late 1960s, the road was extended to U.S. Route 40, and the older route into Elkton became MD 268.

Route description

Maryland Route 279, also called Elkton Road, starts where it meets U.S. Route 40 west of Elkton. From there, it runs northeast as a two-lane road. It passes through Elkton, crossing creeks and meeting several other roads along the way. The highway goes by schools and turns into a wider road before leaving the town. It continues toward the Delaware state line, where it becomes Delaware Route 279 and heads toward Newark. The whole route is an important part of the nation's main roads.

History

Maryland Route 279, or MD 279, has changed a lot over the years. Originally, it included parts of North Street in Elkton and other roads that are now different state highways. Construction on the road began in the early 1900s, with major work finishing by 1915. The road was part of an important travel route called the Capitol Trail, linking cities from Atlanta to Philadelphia through Washington, D.C..

In the late 1950s, the whole road was rebuilt. New bridges and better surfaces were added. By the 1980s, parts of MD 279 were widened to handle more traffic, and intersections were improved to make driving safer and smoother.

Junction list

The whole route of Maryland Route 279 is located in Cecil County.

Location	mi	km	Destinations
​	0.00	0.00	US 40 (Pulaski Highway) / MD 7 west (Old Philadelphia Road) – Philadelphia, Baltimore
Elkton	0.60	0.97	MD 545 (Blue Ball Road) – Childs, Pleasant Hill, Elkton
	1.18	1.90	MD 213 (Bridge Street) – Cherry Hill, Elkton
	1.70	2.74	MD 268 south (North Street)
​	1.80	2.90	MD 316 north (Appleton Road) – Elk Mills
​	3.81	6.13	I-95 (John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway) – Baltimore, New York
​	4.91	7.90	MD 277 west (Fletchwood Road) – Elk Mills
​	4.95	7.97	DE 279 north (Elkton Road) – Newark
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi