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Maryland Route 3 north
This sign in the median of Crain Highway in Bowie, Maryland reflects its transition from U.S. Route 301, which joins U.S. Route 50 and unsigned Interstate 595 above for an eastward trip toward Annapolis and the Bay Bridge, into Maryland Route 3. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Ahead, an exit ramp leads to Belair Drive and the 1810 Melford estate, a former plantation house around which the Maryland Science and Tech Center has developed in modern years. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The ramp to Belair Drive is at right. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
A pavement marking for a bike lane sits behind the ramp from US 50 west/US 301 south to MD 3 north. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
MD 3 subsequently passes over Belair Drive, the main road through the "B" section of north Bowie. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Then, it receives an onramp from Belair Drive to the right. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The first northbound MD 3 reassurance shield is at right. The speed limit is 50 miles per hour. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Interests to Sylvan Drive and Forest Drive on either side of Whitemarsh Park can make the second left up ahead to U-turn onto MD 3 south. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Columbian Way is intersected ahead to the right. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Sylvan Drive is then intersected at left. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Bowie's Main Street can subsequently be reached from the next left. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
This intersection is where Maryland Route 450 (Annapolis Road), a historic alignment of US 50, briefly joins MD 3. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The western three-legged exchange with MD 450 is seen here. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
At the forthcoming MD 450 split, northbound MD 3 has a control city of Crofton, while Annapolis serves this role for eastbound MD 450. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Crain Highway now proceeds over the scenic Patuxent River, the effective dividing line between the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas and an important inlet into the Chesapeake Bay. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The bridge over the Patuxent takes the highway from Prince George's into Anne Arundel County. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The shield at right points toward MD 450's impending split. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
East of MD 3, MD 450 is known as Defense Highway and it carries this name to Annapolis city limits, where it passes by the Maryland State House and U.S. Naval Academy, ultimately ending up at US 50 east of the Severn River. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
A formal Anne Arundel welcome sign is then located at right. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
At right, Crossgate Drive is the southernmost entrance into Crofton. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Maryland routes 424 and 32 are intersected a respective 2 and 6 miles away. Baltimore is 23 miles to the north via I-97, I-695 and MD 295. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The next intersection is at Clubhouse Gate Drive. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
A traffic signal sits ahead. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
This signal intersects Cronson Boulevard (left) and Crawford Boulevard (right). Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Crawford Boulevard is the connector between MD 3 and Crofton Parkway, the ring road around Crofton and its Swann Park and Crofton Country Club. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
A little further along, there is a traffic signal at Conway Road (left) and Davidsonville Road (right). Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Davidsonville Road is MD 424, whose northern terminus is at this signal; it forms the northeast boundary of Crofton. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
MD 424 ends some miles to the south at MD 214 in Davidsonville, where it continues as Birdsville Road. Conway Road meanwhile heads west to the planned community of Two Rivers. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The speed limit through here is 50 MPH. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
These overhead flashers warn of the area being heavily congested. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Carver Road is intersected at the following signal. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Carver Road goes off to the right into Riedel Estates. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
MD 3 now makes its transition into Gambrills as it approaches Evergreen Road. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Intersected opposite Evergreen Road is Johns Hopkins Road, which goes through Crofton Mews and past the Walden Golf Club. Furthermore, Main Chapel Way can be accessed from the left just ahead. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
There are two left turn lanes for the lower end of Main Chapel, one of multiple intersections along MD 3 reconstructed in the early 2020s. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
There is then a signal at a median crossover from which southbound traffic can make a U-turn if they wish to get to Riedel Road to the north. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The upper end of Main Chapel is then intersected. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
U-turns for return access to Evergreen Road to the south are permissible at the crossover that also leads to Main Chapel. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The next signal is at one of the entrances to the Waugh Chapel Town Center. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
In its current configuration, there are three left turn lanes from MD 3 north to Waugh Chapel Road alone at the next intersection. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Intersected opposite Waugh Chapel is Riedel Road. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
U-turns to MD 3 south and Waugh Chapel are permissible ahead. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The signal afterward is at St. Stephens Church Road. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
St. Stephens Church Road leads back south to Johns Hopkins Road. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The speed limit is now down to 45 MPH. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
A signal with an overhead warning sign is ahead. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The left leg of this signal is the eastern end of Maryland Route 175 (incidentally also named Annapolis Road at MD 3, just like MD 450). Photo taken 03-31-2025.
To the right, Millersville Road picks up where MD 175 leaves off. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
MD 175 goes west from here through Odenton, Jessup, and the eastern villages of Columbia in Howard County. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The right lane is now set aside for traffic getting onto I-97 south toward Annapolis. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Driver services including a truck stop are straight ahead and a couple of miles to the north. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
MD 3 is marked alongside I-97 north toward Baltimore, due to the presence of MD 3 Business in Glen Burnie; it also used to continue along present I-97 toward the city. In half a mile sits a cloverleaf ramp to Maryland Route 32 with control cities of Odenton and Fort Meade. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The ramp to I-97 south goes off to the right. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
A cloverleaf ramp from MD 32 east then enters the picture. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The highway passes under MD 32 prior to the ramp to MD 32 west. Meanwhile, signage appears for Veterans Highway to MD 178 (Generals Highway) south, accessible in half a mile. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The westbound MD 32 ramp gore. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
Final signage for I-97 and Veterans Highway is now posted overhead. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The northbound lanes use this bridge to pass over I-97. Photo taken 03-31-2025.
The carriageway finally splits into different ramps leading to I-97 north and Veterans Highway. Now a two-way trafficway, Veterans Highway is the former northbound carriageway of MD 3 between MD 32 and New Cut Road (MD 3 Business), just north of the south end of the Glen Burnie Bypass. Photo taken 03-31-2025.