Ritchie Highway

Maryland Route 2 (MD 2) is the longest state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Solomons Island in Calvert County north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 (US 1)/ US 40 Truck ( North Avenue) in Baltimore. The route runs concurrent with MD 4 through much of Calvert County along a four-lane divided highway known as Solomons Island Road, passing through rural areas as well as the communities of Lusby, Port Republic, Prince Frederick, and Huntingtown. In Sunderland, MD 2 splits from MD 4 and continues north as two-lane undivided Solomons Island Road into Anne Arundel County, still passing through rural areas. Upon reaching Annapolis, the route runs concurrent with US 50/US 301 to the north the city. Between Annapolis and Baltimore, MD 2 runs along the Governor Ritchie Highway (also known as the Ritchie Highway), a multilane divided highway that heads through suburban areas, passing through Arnold, Severna Park, Pasadena, Glen Burnie, and Brooklyn Park. In Baltimore, the route heads north on city streets and passes through the downtown area of the city.

What became part of MD 2 was originally planned as two different state roads in 1909. The portion between Solomons and Annapolis was built as a gravel road called Solomons Island Road between 1910 and 1915. The portion of road between Annapolis and Glen Burnie was built as part of the Baltimore–Annapolis Boulevard, a road authorized in 1910 to connect Baltimore and Annapolis and was completed in 1924 with the construction of a bridge over the Severn River leading to Annapolis. A state road between Glen Burnie and Baltimore was completed in 1911. MD 2 was designated in 1927 between Solomons and Baltimore, using Solomons Island Road, streets through Annapolis, the Baltimore–Annapolis Boulevard, and the state road between Glen Burnie and Baltimore. MD 2 was marked up to US 1 in Baltimore in 1939. In the 1930s, MD 2 was realigned onto the four-lane Governor Ritchie Highway between Annapolis and Baltimore; the former routing along Baltimore–Annapolis Boulevard became MD 648. Ritchie Highway became a divided highway in 1950. Between the 1930s and the 1950s, several upgrades and realignments occurred to the portion of MD 2 between Solomons and Annapolis. MD 2 was realigned to bypass Annapolis on the US 50 freeway in 1955, with MD 450 replacing the route through Annapolis. The route between Solomons and Sunderland became concurrent with MD 416 in 1960, which was renumbered to MD 4 in 1965. Between the 1960s and the 1980s, MD 2/MD 4 between Solomons and Sunderland was widened into a divided highway, with the bypassed former alignments becoming multiple sections of MD 765. The Ritchie Highway portion of the route was originally the main route between Annapolis and Baltimore until Interstate 97 (I-97) was completed in the 1990s.

Route description

MD 2 serves as a north–south route located a short distance to the west of the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert and Anne Arundel counties and in the city of Baltimore in Maryland. In Calvert County, the route runs through mostly rural areas, passing through the communities of Solomons Island, Lusby, Port Republic, Prince Frederick, Huntingtown, Sunderland, and Owings. Between Solomons Island and Sunderland, the route runs concurrent with MD 4. In Anne Arundel County, MD 2 runs through rural areas of the southern part of the county before reaching the Annapolis area, where it shares a concurrency with US 50/US 301 on the John Hanson Highway. From Annapolis, the route heads through suburban areas in the northern part of Anne Arundel County as the Ritchie Highway, passing through Arnold, Severna Park, Pasadena, Glen Burnie, and Brooklyn Park. It continues north into Baltimore, where it heads toward its terminus north of the downtown area. At , it is the longest state highway in Maryland.

Calvert County

MD 2 heads north on Solomons Island Road, a two-lane undivided road in Solomons Island, Calvert County from an intersection with Lore Road and an off-ramp from northbound MD 4 known as MD 2G. A short distance later, a portion of MD 765 called MD 765R continues north along Solomons Island Road, while MD 2 merges onto MD 4 at an interchange to form a concurrency with that route on a four-lane divided highway a short distance north of where MD 4 crosses the Patuxent River over the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge. Upon merging with MD 4, the road continues north as Solomons Island Road, passing commercial areas to the east and a U.S. Navy Recreation Center to the west. It continues north-northeast into wooded areas, with MD 765 running a short distance to the east of the road. This portion of the road, also known as the Louis L. Goldstein Highway in honor of Louis L. Goldstein, a former Comptroller of Maryland, intersects with MD 760 (Rousby Hall Road). MD 2/MD 4 heads north to an intersection with MD 497 (Cove Point Road) and turns north-northwest, passing near Calvert Cliffs State Park.

MD 765 eventually crosses the route in Lusby and runs to the west of it as Pardoe Road, where it is officially called MD 765Q. MD 765 ends at the road a short distance to the north and emerges to the east of the road again as Nursery Road a short distance later. Solomons Island Road intersects MD 2N (Calvert Cliffs Parkway), which provides access to the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant and another segment of MD 765 which runs to the west of the route on Saw Mill Road. MD 2/MD 4 turns to the west, intersecting MD 765 before turning north-northwest again with MD 765 running to the east of the route as St. Leonard Road through the community of St. Leonard. At the intersection with Ball Road/Calvert Beach Road in St. Leonard, the road passes east of a park and ride lot serving MTA Maryland commuter buses. MD 2/MD 4 continues through woodland with some residences and businesses, before turning west at a junction with the western terminus of MD 509 (Governor Run Road) into a mix of farmland and woodland, intersecting MD 264 (Broomes Island Road) and MD 765 again in Port Republic.

Past this intersection, the road continues west through a mix of farms, woods with some residences and businesses. MD 2/MD 4 turns north as it intersects MD 506 (Sixes Road) and a different segment of MD 765 known as MD 765A branches off to the east of MD 2/MD 4 onto Main Street as the road approaches Prince Frederick. The road passes woodland before heading northwest into commercial areas of Prince Frederick. Here, MD 2/MD 4 widens to six lanes before it crosses MD 231. Beyond this intersection, the road passes more businesses, turning north and intersecting MD 765 (Main Street) again. A short distance past MD 765, Solomons Island Road intersects MD 402 (Dares Beach Road). MD 2/MD 4 narrows back to four lanes as it passes more businesses as well as the Calvert Health Medical Center east of the road before heading into areas of farms, woods, and residences. It intersects the western terminus of MD 263 (Plum Point Road), then continues to Huntingtown, where MD 524 loops west of the route into Huntingtown as Old Town Road. A park and ride lot is located southwest of the intersection with the southern terminus of MD 524. Along this stretch, the roadway passes west of Huntingtown High School. Past Huntingtown, the road continues through more rural areas of woodland and farmland with residential areas before MD 2 splits from MD 4 in Sunderland.

At the split, MD 4 heads northwest on four-lane divided Southern Maryland Boulevard while MD 2 heads northeast on two-lane undivided Solomons Island Road. Shortly after splitting from MD 4, the route intersects the eastern terminus of MD 262 (Lower Marlboro Road) before passing east of a park and ride lot serving MTA Maryland commuter buses and heading into woodland with areas of residences and businesses. Another section of MD 765 called Wayside Drive loops to the west of MD 2 for a distance before MD 765 loops again to the east on Mt. Harmony Lane. MD 765 returns to MD 2 past this intersection and MD 778 then loops to the east of the route on Old Solomons Island Road. The route continues north to an intersection with MD 260 (Chesapeake Beach Road) near Owings.

In Calvert County, the daily traffic counts on MD 2 range from a high of 47,681 vehicles at the intersection with MD 402 along the MD 4 concurrency in Prince Frederick to a low of 6,051 vehicles at the southern terminus in Solomons Island in 2007.

Anne Arundel County

Just past the MD 260 intersection, MD 2 crosses into Anne Arundel County where it continues through a mix of farmland and woodland. It intersects Friendship Road/Sansbury Road at a roundabout, which connects to MD 261, before intersecting MD 778 again. The route junctions with MD 423 (Fairhaven Road). The road proceeds through rural areas with some residences, coming to an intersection with MD 256 (Deale Road). A short distance later, MD 2 crosses MD 258 (Bay Front Road) and passes east of a park and ride lot as it continues north, with former alignments of the road designated as suffixed segments of MD 778. The road reaches Lothian, where it intersects MD 408 (Mount Zion-Marlboro Road) and MD 422 (Bayard Road) at a roundabout.

At the roundabout, MD 2 makes a turn to the northeast, passing through agricultural areas with some homes. The road intersects MD 255 (Owensville Road) before it curves northwest and passes through the community of Harwood, where it turns northeast and heads east of Southern High School. The route continues through rural land and passes through the community of Birdsville. The road heads northeast, with residential development increasing as the road approaches its intersection with MD 214 (Central Avenue). Here, MD 2 widens into a four-lane divided highway and heads through commercial areas, intersecting MD 253 (Mayo Road) adjacent to Lee Airport. Past this intersection, the road traverses residential areas before it crosses over the South River. The former alignments of MD 2 around the bridge are designated as MD 553. Upon crossing the river, MD 2 continues past residential neighborhoods and widens to six lanes. It comes to an interchange with MD 665 (Aris T. Allen Boulevard). Past the MD 665 interchange, the route heads into commercial areas on the outskirts of Annapolis, with MD 393 (Old Solomons Island Road) branching off from the route and paralleling it to the east. MD 2 crosses MD 450 (West Street) before the route merges onto US 50/US 301 and unsigned I-595 (John Hanson Highway).

At the point MD 2 merges onto the John Hanson Highway, the road is eight lanes wide. The road heads through wooded areas, narrowing to six lanes, before coming to an interchange with MD 70 (Rowe Boulevard). At this interchange, the unsigned I-595 designation ends, while US 50/US 301/MD 2 continue northeast on the John Hanson Highway. The route passes under MD 436 (Ridgely Avenue) and runs near residential neighborhoods before crossing over the Severn River on the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge. After crossing the Severn River, the road comes to an interchange with the Governor Ritchie Highway. Here, MD 2 leaves US 50/US 301 by heading north on the Governor Ritchie Highway while MD 450 continues south into Annapolis on that road.

MD 2 heads north on the Ritchie Highway, a four-lane divided highway, passing through wooded residential areas of Arnold. The route intersects the north end of a segment of MD 648 (Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard), which branches off and runs west of the route a short distance later. It passes the campus of Anne Arundel Community College and intersects College Drive. The road continues through wooded neighborhoods with some businesses, eventually reaching Severna Park. Here, the route heads through commercial areas, intersecting McKinsey Road near the Severna Park Marketplace (formerly the Severna Park Mall). A short distance later, MD 2 intersects MD 648 (Baltimore-Annapolis Road), forming a brief concurrency with that route before MD 648 heads to the east of it again. The road continues past residences before reaching Pasadena