Why Baltimore's "Freeway To Nowhere" Exists

[@jasonfischer8946]

I've driven that a ton of times. It definitely feels like you've made a wrong turn somewhere.

[@FatManWalking18]

fun fact, in Tom Clancy's Without Remorse, the construction/ demolition sites he drives through to escape the baddies was the neighborhood that got flattened for the 170 spur.

[@nickkennedy9034]

The story of Baltimore is "Once there was a thriving black community, then it was killed for no benefit or reason." Every single time you look at anything with the city it is just plagued with random weirdness. The Charles Theater, a famous local theater where infamous filmmaker and really nice guy John Waters pioneered the midnight release by showing his controversial films had fallen into a state of disarray because it was at the heart of the LGBT community in the city. Fortunately it got redeveloped and it still shows John Waters films and is one of the only successful movie theaters in the city. Had people not seen the cultural value in that, it would have died. There is a culture of Baltimore worth saving, keep that in mind when people say that the federal government shouldn't foot the bill to fix the bridge. If people are opposed to saving critical infrastructure, imagine what they would say to rebuilding the trolly line or the collapsing rowhomes.

[@ladymacbethofmtensk896]

The trouble is that government CREATED Baltimore's infrastructure problems in the first place. The way to fix it is to give individuals the freedom to build and make a profit wiffout gubbermint help.

[@richardgray1730]

One of the reasons there could be a thriving black community was land rent. You could build and own a home on land you rented. About the time all these homes were bought up for for the road and the torn down if felt like a war zone. Then It seemed like more homes were sold to landlords and the areas around the road had less of the community feel. To me this collapse is very sad.

[@ladymacbethofmtensk896]

@@richardgray1730 The worst part is that the Democratic party has been behind the entire thing, both before and after the so-called Great Switch, which, the more I examine it, looks less and less like a switch.

[@purpleraventd3]

Maybe just another byproduct of nonstop democratic leadership in Baltimore which hasn't had a non Dem for a mayor since the 60s.

[@canoeguy]

1:33 that is West Baltimore MARC train station on the MARC Penn Line, not a Metro station

[@FatManWalking18]

there is supposed to be a metro red line station there, someday. if they ever build the red line

[@strredwolf]

To further add context: This is the West Baltimore MARC station on the MARC Penn Line and Amtrak NorthEast Corridor. Right now there are plans to move this station a bit east and rebuild it for level boarding and ADA access. This is in part of the plans for the Fredrick Douglas tunnels, which will replace the century-and-change old Baltimore & Pacific tunnel. It is very likely that the Red Line light rail project will also stop here. Ether way, not a "metro" or subway line (although Baltimore could use a lot more subway lines).

[@moth.monster]

@@FatManWalking18 They're working on it, and as long as nobody axes the plans again, probably will actually get done this time. Blame Larry Hogan for it last time.

[@FatManWalking18]

i have a copy of the late 50's master plan for the city's highway system. it shows 83 meeting 95 at federal hill on the south side of the inner harbor- that's why 83's mile markers dont match the actual freeway end. it also shows 70 meeting 95 near Carroll Park with the 170 spur running downtown to Johns Hopkins. the 95/70 ramps stood on 95 until the late 00's when they were demolished. the one 70 on-ramp that ducks under 95 heading north still exists at the Caton Ave interchange and you can see all the abutments from the route still there. i also got to meet the couple that lead the freeway revolt for the section through Leakin Park. their stories were fascinating.

[@FatManWalking18]

the 70-95S on ramp is on the other side of 95 - the abutment is stere but the flyover Desoto/C/D lane ramp was demolished when 95 was repaved maps.app.goo.gl/ooZMVuzGFbvTYpav6

[@jimmyday9536]

A classic case of a community protesting against progress and prosperity.

[@FatManWalking18]

@@jimmyday9536 70's completion to 95 would have destroyed Leakin Park- the largest urban stand of trees in the US- demolished most of the buildings at the Crimea Mansion including the mansion, several historic structures on the Gwynns Falls valley and forced the move of the gigantic Western Cemetery all while continuing to bulldoze neighborhoods of predominantly POC.

[@illhaveawtrplz]

@@jimmyday9536 There are times when that happens, but this was not one of them.

[@laurabianca-pruett]

Yep, there were up to 17 different versions of plans for highways in the city between 1943-the early 80s!

[@SebastianSalamanca-m5k]

Thank you for making this video. This is something not addressed often. EARNED A SUBSCRIBER!!!

[@wayloren4647]

Great video Beavie

[@splat5z9]

There was other planned parts of this system. MLK Blvd was not supposed to be a surface street. it was supposed be an elevated section of 395 that would make an inner loop around the down town that is why it loops around the left side and then it would meet up with 83 on the west side which would continue down where presidents street is now and go through canton and fells point and meet up with 95. Connecting all the interstates together. Now we just have a mess of non connected freeways all around the city center.

[@justinminer1354]

Sweet summer child. They shut down these "parks" and "neighborhoods" because they're burnt out dystopian shooting ranges that not even cops are willing to patrol.

[@ColinTheMC]

Not to mention when you drive on it there’s so many potholes that your suspension will be destroyed.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

When I was growing up I had the privilege of obtaining a few Maryland state highway maps from the early 1970s. These maps showed I-70N going through Leakin Park and along the wild Gwynns Falls which would be destroyed to I-95. I-95 which was not yet built was to run where it is now constructed, and I -170 was actually a loop that started at I-70N at the "metro" MARC Penn commuter rail line, run straight to and along the Franklin-Mulberry corridor where the expressway is today, then turn south south east along the route of the current Martin Luther King Boulevard and I-395 to I-95. Which is strange because the 1971 report you showed called for I-170 & I-395 as spurs connected by the boulevard which is what we have today, minus I-70N.

[@FatManWalking18]

those I70N signs hung over 40 west near Cooks lane in west Baltimore until about 10 years ago when they finally got replaced.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

​@@FatManWalking18 Until 10 years ago! That's crazy!! 😮

[@FatManWalking18]

@@EdwardM-t8p well made signs last a long time and they were technically correct

[@laurabianca-pruett]

There were up to 17 different versions of plans for Baltimore highways between 1943-the early 80s! The critical thing that the author of this video didn’t mention is that the Franklin-Mulberry corridor was in every single one. That’s why the neighborhood deteriorated - so many people left knowing that their neighborhood was endangered.

[@pannoni18]

@@FatManWalking18 There are still some '70s button copy signs on the Hilton Parkway.

[@JStorm13]

You can also see the stub ramp on I95 for an interstate that was never built. Their plans were to build along the inner harbor.

[@MarloSoBalJr]

At the Caton Avenue ramps or the "skip I-95 rush hour traffic" arterial

[@cjs83172]

On each side. West of the Inner Harbor was where I-170 was to connect, and east of the Fort McHenry Tunnel was where I-83 was originally supposed to connect to I-95, before that was truncated. In addition, there were also plans to extend Moravia Rd. all the way to I-695 in Essex, because there are ramps still visible at the I-95/Moravia Rd. interchange where that was intended to be built, which is also why there's no exit 37 on I-695, because that was supposed to connect around near the big curve on I-695 between MD-702 and MD-150/Eastern Blvd., but that, too, was canned.

[@rs11200]

I was in DC a few months ago and i decided to drive up to baltimore to check out a bunch of the half built freeways there as well as checked out the key bridge not existing anymore. I stopped on one of the overpasses going over the franklin mulberry expressway to take some photos and yikes it was a bad neighborhood, kinda sad.

[@apseudonym]

tell me you've never watched the wire without telling me you've never watched the wire

[@SandBoxJohn]

The state of Maryland now plans to use the the median that was original planed to be used for a surface segment of a east west subway line for light rail line that will follow basically the same path of the subway line that was never built.

[@cactusfondler9989]

the Baltimore Red Line

[@SandBoxJohn]

@@cactusfondler9989 Yup!

[@laurabianca-pruett]

Thanks for this video. Something really interesting about Baltimore is that between 1943-the early 80s there were up to 17 different versions of plans! The most well-known are the 10-D and 3-A plans, both of which you alluded to in the video. The first plan was created by Robert Moses in 1943 and he included the Franklin-Mulberry corridor and it stayed in every single plan after. That’s why the neighborhood was so deteriorated - there were 30 years of threats of a highway going there, so many people left. Unfortunately because it was included in so many plans it pre-dated NEPA and other regulations, which is why they went ahead and built it knowing full well that they were taking a risk of the rest of the highway not being built.

[@mocowan6642]

Is there a copy of the Yellow Book online?

[@jeremiahallyn4603]

I would love to look at that book myself. If you can find it online, please let us know!

[@timmmahhhh]

Google "General Location of National System of Interstate Highways" and you'll find the entire thing under WikiSource.

[@josephdegarmo]

It's strange enough that the western terminus of I-70 ends on I-15 in a remote small town in Utah, but it's even more strange to see the eastern terminus of I-70 get abruptly cut off like that instead of continuing onto I-695 towards I-95 and finally ending on I-95.

[@carkpop]

ooooooo Baltimore video from Beaver??? Let's gooooo *edit*; oh wow, I had never really learned the history behind that section of 40, even though I've driven on it quite a few times. Always thought it was really weird. Hopefully that new plan goes through though. Would love to see something nice pop up there instead... After, yknow, a new bridge is constructed lol.

[@jeremiahallyn4603]

Thank you again for your work on this video. I always learn something new when I watch your channel. I'd love to see the Yellow Book, that is so cool 🙌😃

[@DJJonPattrsn22]

The city promised to demolish this useless highway segment about 12 years ago. It was even claimed that the removal work had been initiated. BUT this scar is still there, and in use. Can't find any update or reason...😊

[@MarloSoBalJr]

The Red Line LRT is supposed to be the savior from all of this, but that's a discussion within itself. The highway WILL BE GONE, but not until the LRT is built as a replacement

[@ksmith610]

Well, at the end of the video you described a situation identical to ours here in Rochester, NY, with its socially destructive “Inner Loop” which displaced thousands of POC in the early 1960s. It is little by little being eradicated and neighborhoods are being re-established. A success story out of a disaster.

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

Columbus, Ohio is in the midst of reconnecting (central core) with the adjacent neighborhoods. The first project garnered much attention and served as a template for other recoonections. It's called "The Cap" it is a block wide bridge with restaurants on it. It reconnects downtown and the Short North neighborhood to the north. Another bridge was constructed on the east side of downtown reconnecting the Brazzaville-Lincoln neighborhood. A third is being g constructed to the south to reconnect the Brewery District & German Village neighborhoods. They are doing this in vonjunctiong of "untangling" the interstates 70 & 71 through the downtown. The process started almost two decades ago and completed in the next 2-4 years.

[@johnathin0061892]

The Inner Loop was not a disaster. Many people used it and it was a very useful piece of infrastructure. They never actually asked the people of Rochester if they wanted to remove it or not.

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

@johnathin0061892 Hmm, it seems to be a thread? Detroit is considering removing a downtown interstate to rebuild/build a new neighborhood. Columbus had hearings on the projects. Land was carved away and the African trick school sold its property to build a new one elsewhere. I don't recall if any other buildings were removed? Church in front (actually side) of school sold some of its property.

[@jhawkkw87]

The Rochester Inner Loop is the first thing I thought of when watching this video. Very controversial stretch of freeway.

[@illhaveawtrplz]

Remarkable. About two weeks ago I accidentally wound up on this I-70 spur. My wife and I couldn’t stop talking about how weird it was. Then, last week, I was reading about NEC improvements and a potential Maglev project (per CityNerd’s recent video). So, I decided to pull up a map and speculate a possible ROW when I spotted this little section of I-40 that looked like it would be perfect as a rail connection to Baltimore’s Penn Station. Today, I find this video that explains it all in one fell swoop. Thanks for researching this, I’m amazed that both of these things were connected! It’s tragic what happened to that neighborhood, Baltimore needs to do better.

[@CharlesGorby]

"obviously the city has other infrastructural issues to worry about" lmao that killed me. Fantastic video on a city especially scarred by messed up freeway projects. Glad to see bmore getting some love including their new projects to revamp this highway

[@7cuhh]

it's always baltimore 🤦‍♀

[@MarloSoBalJr]

Say no more. We strive to fail successfully. 😅

[@baddriversofnorthcentralma1594]

From my understanding I-70 was supposed to turn and head south through Leakin Park and intersect I-95 near Caton Avenue as a proper end. They actually had constructed the ramps on I-95 which you can still see today and are effectively ghost ramps to nowhere. The Franklin-Mulberry Expressway was supposed to be I-170 and would intersect I-83 in downtown. I-83 would then have continued farther south to I-95 near the tunnels. Due to high opposition from the neighborhoods that were going to be directly affected, the project quickly became too expensive and the City and State shut the plans down. Personally, I would love to see I-70 extended into downtown to give an alternate route to I-95 and I-83. However, I think it would be cool to see them do something like the Big Dig in Boston and burry the expressway. I'd also love to see MTA and the City actually look more into expanding our metro system. The city has the density to make a good system work. They just need to design and build it.

[@jimmyday9536]

Unlike Boston, Baltimore really has nothing to offer visitors and tourists.

[@baddriversofnorthcentralma1594]

@jimmyday9536 Let's see we have the Maryland Zoo, The National Aquarium, Fort McHenry, The Star Spangled Banner House, the Inner Harbor, Fleet Week, World Trade Center, Poe's House and Grave, The Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, birthplace of Babe Ruth, Maryland Science Center, Museum of Industry, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum, Irish Railroad Workers Museum, Reginald F. Lewis Museum, the Shot Tower, Fire Museum of Maryland, Pier 5, PowerPlant Live, the Hippodrome Theater, the Baltimore Symphony, the Lyric.....the list goes on. Then when you add what's just outside the metro, you also have Annapolis, Antietam, the Chesapeake Bay. There are plenty tourist attractions in this area.

[@pannoni18]

​@@baddriversofnorthcentralma1594 Not to mention M&T Bank Stadium, the Enott Pratt Free Library, Basilica of the Assumption cathedral, Charles Center, Patterson Park and its pagoda, the Senator and Charles theaters, Peabody Institute, Sherwood Gardens, Port Discovery, Royal Farms Arena, Lexington Market, the original Washington Monument, the Carroll Mansion and golf course in Carroll Park, the events at the Baltimore Convention Center, water taxi and harbor cruises, as well as numerous historic and charming neighborhoods with various character, .

[@cjs83172]

While the east-west "Highway to Nowhere" is infamous, the north-south situation, with THREE broken freeways, I-83 on the north side, the I-395 stub, and I-97 to the south, is just as bad, because they could have formed a good way to go north-south through Baltimore, but that's just as big of a mess, if not a bigger mess. I-83 actually was originally intended to connect with I-95 east of the Fort McHenry Tunnel, but that, too was canned at around the same time the decision was made not to connect the broken parts of the Highway to Nowhere, and it was truncated to end just north of where the I-395 spur ramps end, which is also about where the northern terminus of the B-W Pkwy. is, and where the stadiums are. And there's no real way to connect from downtown Baltimore to I-97, which begins at a spur with I-895, and that can only be accessed from the westbound direction. so getting through Baltimore was a mess, even before the Key Bridge was toppled earlier this year.

[@jamessmith1577]

The reason that those freeways are broken is because they were constructed at a time when there was a movement in this country to stop building expressways through American cities and instead save neighborhoods. The toppling of the Key Bridge earlier this year has created daily horrible traffic jams on roads going north into Baltimore.

[@arranadams2776]

As a Maryland native, this type of poor planning and construction has handicapped Baltimore’s potential for decades

[@kesschristopher]

One aspect of this story not mentioned is that the same highway was to run through Fells Point on the other side of town, but protests kept the highway and any associated demolition out of Fells Point. Now-former Senator Barbara Mikulski got her start in politics working to lead opposition to the highway there. Also, IIRC, there was once planned to be a causeway across the Inner Harbor. And the Fort McHenry Tunnel (I-95) was originally planned to be a suspension bridge instead of the tunnel that it is now.

[@1973Kenny]

Great research, thanks!

[@MarkL0360]

Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) attempted to ramrod an expressway (I-290) across the east side of Cleveland, with much of it wiping out Shaker Lakes, a park in Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights. Residents opposed it, vehemently, and the freeway was scrapped. Today, only part of it built is the boulevard known as Opportunity Corridor. Unfortunately, opposition to building Interstate 90 across the west side failed, and as a result, a third scar cuts across it (Norfolk Southern/RTA Rail is one. The Shoreway is the other).

[@BlimpCityFeeder]

Appreciate the history & 411. Seems like an ideal setting for filming car chases with occasional closures, but wasn’t meant to be.

[@rstreet5537]

Thank you for acknowledging where these highways were built I grew up down the road in PG County and I found out about 295 cutting through black neighborhoods in DC Apparently it used to be a clear view from SE across the river until 295 was built

[@rocketmanVA703]

I grew up there and used I-170. It did (and, as 40) does speed up getting into the western end of downtown from the west. That being said, it shouldn't have been built without the entire plan to either connect to I-70 or I-95 being approved.

[@peanutnozone]

And had it, so many more neighborhoods would have been destroyed. It should have never even been built but the voice of the people in those neighborhoods was ignored

[@carthellkelly1599]

The only approval needed then was just a bunch of politicians saying, "yes." Opposition to the build by the public was a fairly new phenomenon then.

[@ocularzombie6679]

I live literally 10 minutes away. US-29 also shares this distinction, it just ends at some little residential area on the north end.

[@kesschristopher]

That’s heading towards Old Ellicott City, so that was probably a non-starter. But they ended up nearly destroying Old Ellicott City anyway with all the residential development without flood mitigation, which we ended up seeing in the 2016 and 2018 floods in the area.

[@UIJuS10]

The end of US 29 is actually its extension from it's planned terminus in Virginia. Today it uses the west leg of what was supposed to be Baltimore's outer beltway. You can actually check out on Historic Aerials how when US 29 was extended into Maryland, it zigzagged kinda illogically along existing roads until Columbia Pike was upgraded.

[@pannoni18]

@@UIJuS10 There are several Old Columbia Roads in its Maryland portion, the longest running about a quarter mile between MD 198 in Burtonsville and around where the new White Oak town center development is being constructed. There's a narrow, one lane bridge just of south of MD 32, which itself was also upgraded and originally ran along the various Guilford roads. MD 32 now is nearly traffic light free between I-70 and where it ends at I-97 and now feels like an outer outer outer beltway between both DC and Baltimore.

[@colormedubious4747]

That is NOT a Metro station! It is the West Baltimore MARC (commuter rail) station. Although both are operated by MTA, they are two completely different systems. Baltimore's only high-capacity Metrorail line is a good distance east of there and runs from Owings Mills south to downtown, then bends east to Johns Hopkins.

[@pannoni18]

Then just when things have settled down (if you're heading eastbound), shortly after you pass that big cathedral, you descend down a short hill and you leave the street grid AGAIN, this time over the Orleans Street Viaduct (which I-70 would have incorporated in its original plan) as you transition from downtown over to the Johns Hopkins Hospital area, and you'll also notice some depressed development in between, including the abandoned Old Town Mall. US 40 really can be a drive of adventure through Baltimore, and it may become even more so if/when the Red Line is completed.

[@iLightTricks]

Great video! I always enjoy these topics. (also I wasn’t hating last video, sorry if it seemed that I was)

[@katieandkevinsears7724]

The first rule of proper urban freeway planning. Don't try running it through a major park.

[@colormedubious4747]

Hell, Robert Moses rammed them through his own parks!

[@noobiumbaconate]

what about a tunnel?

[@colormedubious4747]

@@noobiumbaconate Three times as expensive as a bridge, which is three times as expensive as at-grade.

[@noobiumbaconate]

​@@colormedubious4747sad!

[@rjmcallister1888]

Politics, again. Earlier plans were to have I-70 continue into downtown , have an interchange at I-83, and continue to it's terminus at I-95. The 'freeway to nowhere' was a plan to force the city and county to finish I-70, much as I-395 was one to force finishing I-83, which ends at a street intersection. NIMBYs won out big here, and Baltimore traffic is a royal pain because of it. The freeway is to be closed and filled in soon.

[@cjs83172]

Then there's the situation regarding I-97, which could have been the connector from downtown Baltimore and Annapolis, but that also wound up getting screwed up, to where the northern terminus of I-97 is a Y-style merge with I-895 west of the Harbor Tunnel. If you were to line up I-83, I-395, and I-97, you can almost see a throughline from near Towson to Annapolis. There are also ghost ramps at Moravia Rd., where it was planned to continue past I-95 to I-695 in Essex at the bend between MD-702 and MD-150/Eastern Blvd., but that was also canned, which is why there's no exit 37 on I-695.

[@EMicheleAdams]

The east side was intended to continue through the historic Fells Point neighborhood. The second version promised to be entirely underground there. I think the realignment into I95 and the harbor is much better, as well as for where the demand is.

[@jammes122]

The I-170 spur would also have run right through the Inner Harbor area and would’ve effectively cut off the waterfront from the rest of the city.

[@jimmyday9536]

The way things are now, that might not be a bad thing.

[@cornkopp2985]

It's still very much up in the air, and probably not super likely given the budgetary mismanagement from the MD state government, buuuuuuut there is a chance that when the baltimore red line project (an east-west light rail line decades in the planning) gets built they could build tunnels for trains in this giant trough and bury the highway to nowhere, then redevelop the land on top of the stub. It would be quite poetic for the ending of a racist highway to end up as a light rail tunnel serving the local residents

[@johnsteinat5213]

As a marylander. Im obligated to watch

[@StuffthatsGone]

This is 100% the worst decision in interstate construction ever. It’s amazing they build it and then they walked away from it.

[@jimmyday9536]

They didn't walk away from it; they were forced to stop by the very communities who would have benefitted from it. Every few blocks was an entrance and exit, and it would have brought in much-needed investors, developers, businesses, and homeowners. Oh well.

[@StuffthatsGone]

And drive away the black neighborhoods it disrupted

[@grantorino2325]

I apologize in advance if this is a stupid question, but how expensive and unfeasible would it be to _bury_ a connecting freeway _under_ the park? Boston's _Central Artery/Tunnel_ actually created _more_ park space, not less. Is such a thing doable in Baltimore?

[@colormedubious4747]

No way. The Big Dig ran 190% over budget. Baltimore is already teetering on the edge of financial collapse.

[@MikeV8652]

The reason many highways to nowhere are built is to provide contracts for the politicians' buddies.

[@williamhild1793]

And then the buddies contribute to the politician's re-election campaigns. And the cycle continues. It's like a cartel is running everything in America.

[@ladymacbethofmtensk896]

Dah wah tuh git riddub crupt gummint fishals iz tuh VOAUT TRUMP!

[@LightningLarryLuciano]

As someone who grew up in Baltimore, I can safely say I-70 is the forgotten freeway of that city, which is pretty ironic considering its size. They should’ve found a way to bring it into the city and finish the job

[@jspihlman]

There are some ideas in the works for what to replace this with. One of them is a giant green space/park sort of area. They also want to revitalize plans for the red line which would go out into Howard County to I believe as far as Columbia, MD. (I don't have the plans pulled up). The red line was canned by our last Governor, Hogan, and has been reinvigorated by our new Governor, Moore. I think the red line is still in the planning stages and for a while they were holding public comment on like 8 different proposals which were a mix of BRT, LRT, and an underground subway.

[@uncommon_niagara1581]

The Rainbow bridge in Niagara Falls has a stub highway on BOTH the Canadian and US side. HWY 420 (Can) and the Robert Moses PKWY (US) were meant to connect to the bridge, but both stop short and you must travel on local streets to get to the bridge.

[@JaredMusil]

That interchange on the Canadian side even has a tunnel over a canal. Very overbuilt infrastructure for whats there today. The US side path seems less disruptive than the Canadian side though. Any Insights into the original plan?

[@uncommon_niagara1581]

On the Canadian side, it was completed as originally intended. The portion between Stanley Ave. and the bridge was built to highway standards of the time (late 30s - early 40s). The western portion has been modernized, so it provides a nice look into the evolution of highway design. The interchange you mention was a traffic circle up to the 1970s. I believe it was planned in the 1970s to continue to the west in order to create a parallel relief route for the QEW and connect to Hamilton. It would have replaced Hwy 20 - hence its designation as Hwy 420. On the US side: It was intended to both connect to the bridge to the west and the eastern end was to head south and form a Beltway around Buffalo. The 1970s saw the oil crisis, budget cuts and civic opposition to more highway construction.

[@uncommon_niagara1581]

Correction: I wrote Robert Moses PKWY, when I meant the LaSalle Expressway, which is north of, and runs parallel to, the RMP.

[@jeremiahtaylor1817]

I-70 should have a proper end, there’s extra space and bridges leading to the park and ride and it’s a waste.

[@ladymacbethofmtensk896]

Welcome to the wonderful world of central state planning!

[@illhaveawtrplz]

Destroying a park and displacing thousands of residents just to “complete” a redundant section of highway like it’s a video game achievement is some next level insanity. That’s weird as hell, man.

[@ladymacbethofmtensk896]

@@illhaveawtrplz And yet, government planners do it quite effortlessly. That is why I abhor progressives.

[@illhaveawtrplz]

@@ladymacbethofmtensk896 I think you’re placing blame in the wrong place and/or generalizing a bit too much. To the topic at hand, progressives didn’t design and build the interstate system and defunct interstates such as these, corporate interests and the department of defense did under a Republican administration.

[@ladymacbethofmtensk896]

@@illhaveawtrplz Part of it was built under Ike, yes, but, come the Sixties, the administration was very much progressive, and that is not considering the many city governments that had already been progressive for decades beforehand, when racial purity was part of the progressive agenda. Progressive leaders within cities like Baltimore were the ones demolishing black neighbourhoods for the so-called Greater Good.

[@matthewseedorf9795]

If you can do Chicago’s destruction of Bronzeville that would be awesome as well!

[@mikkibaker6907]

t's the Baltimore West MARC stop -- the commuter train to DC. The Metro is the subway system.

[@danmarsh5949]

An interesting video might be freeways that were built entirely by local entities, without state/federal involvement. Examples include the Davison Freeway in Detroit (today's M-8) and the CR-215 freeway around Las Vegas.

[@DJJonPattrsn22]

***FACT CHECK*** This was NEVER intended/planned to be part of I-70 (although that is logical & makes sense). This was actually intended to be a short spur of I-70, designated I-170. I-70 was intended to turn south and to terminate at a junction with I-95 North of Caton Ave. I-170 was to continue east where I-70 turned south towards I-95.

[@JL-sm6cg]

I believe a lot of that was what he already said.

[@luddite4change449]

I go into Baltimore a decent number of times a year. I have to wonder if the city would be better off economically if it had not fought a more extensive "through" freeway plan in the 60/70s.

[@JOEMAMA_06]

Help me I thought you were talking about the Key Bridge 💀😭

[@nooneofconsequence3847]

It was weird going back there and seeing the road just end where the Key Bridge used to be

[@JOEMAMA_06]

@@nooneofconsequence3847 ikr, only thing I'm waiting for is the satellite to update

[@stevens1041]

Absolutely these should be dismantled.

[@taloisi]

That never built train line is back in discussion , and will use part of this highway. I live just west of the end of this expressway, very close to the park. I'mm glad they never built the 70 extension. But those of us who use the expressway often, like having it there. It's not a highway to nowhere, but a highway to our homes in west Baltimore!

[@matthewmiller7207]

@8:14, Dammit Dali! -_-

[@rixxroxxk1620]

Leakin Park…recreational alright. If finding bodies is hobby for anyone. Yes, it’s that bad. You can’t blame a highway for dissecting and disenfranchising anyone. People have a way of doing that on their own.

[@BlimpCityFeeder]

Syracuse property values affected by I-83 is a myth or fabrication?

[@quarstrongforce]

Two mins of no red light🏎️

[@williamhild1793]

Sounds like Baltimore had their own Robert Moses.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

Indeed. His name was Fred Barnes. Unlike New York City though, Baltimore never recovered. 😢

[@Irishfan]

This one is a tragedy, but not all of the Interstates passing through large cities and metropolitan areas destroyed only black and poor neighborhoods. Some of those not only went through more affluent and white neighborhoods. Some of those neighborhoods look like they were poor and had a demographic leaning because after the highway was built, the neighborhood became that way. As for most of the East Coast cities that were ancient eyesore before the Civil War, it would really be said they were racially targeted! Puting in freeways for rotten ghettos, like Boston, Baltimore, and New York, can only be considered an improvement.

[@jamessmith1577]

I have no idea why they call this the "highway to nowhere". The highway connects US 40 with downtown Baltimore. It is not pretty, and it was costly, but it does serve an important purpose, taking traffic to/from downtown Baltimore to/from the western suburbs and the Baltimore Beltway.

[@googoo-gjoob]

the sad part is that this project fell through. being able to take 70 to MLK blvd wouldve been wonderful. to salute Leakin Park is to show youve never been there. this is rarely used for anything but disposition of murder victim corpses. when driving through this park you will never see more than a handful of cars. i am in my 7th decade of living just west of Bmore and i can tell you, not completing this highway cost city coffers dearly.

[@rixxroxxk1620]

FINALLY! A comment that makes sense. These people that bitched and moaned about it didn’t even live there.

[@donkeyboy585]

Apparently the city planners were drag race fans 😂

[@Kev4Kev]

What makes a this Franklin street a highway ? There are many streets like this in many cities where a street has a Underpass and service roads just look in DC 30 miles to its south there are a few as well and I doubt you would consider them a highway with 16th Street, Connecticut Ave, North & South Capitol Streets, K Street

[@wheelswingsfins438]

We turned this into a drag strip in the 90'S. I could be the same, while bringing $ into the city

[@atikovi1]

What's with the beaver wearing a suit?

[@NW255]

i really hope it becomes a park

[@bob4wall]

Sometimes a city needs a strong leader. In 1802, Napoleon didn’t like the winding narrow streets of old Paris, so he commenced destroying things that got in the way of the the wide boulevards that he envisioned. He had the power to get the whole job done, and even more renewal came under his successors. Baltimore and Maryland are the opposite. A highway to nowhere instead of Interstates through the city that would possibly bring economic revival to interchange areas if zoned right. Heck, they can’t even number their highways in accord with the rules. I-70 should continue along what is now the ridiculous I-97 and cross Chesapeake Bay. I-270 should rejoin I-70 using the Route 50 corridor, as an alternate should be numbered.

[@FatManWalking18]

us-50, the John Hanson Hwy, is designated I595. i know where the signs are stored.

[@benbrown2119]

@bob4wall That's all right. I-99 in PA is west of I-81 - that's a numbering scheme buster. At least I-97 is east of I-95.

[@FatManWalking18]

@@benbrown2119 talk about number busters: I-69 runs both N-S and E-W, I-74 is almost all south of I-70 , I-73 is east of I-75, and when I-87 gets completed through the eastern shore of DE/MD/VA then into NC it will be east of I-95 as well.

[@Kingofghanazimzim]

Have you ever thought about playing cities skyline?

[@russrandall4834]

Graft and incompetent officials? Just a guess.

[@thinkeightsix]

Just south of there is Edgar Allen Poe's house and nearby his grave site. I always find it weird that people will complain constantly about highways being built despite the fact that cities are constantly changing. The entire city of Baltimore once stood where offices stand now in downtown and nobody complains that all those builds were once torn down to progress the city as well.

[@MarloSoBalJr]

Except that Baltimore built this highway without thinking if the project would be successful or not. IMHO, either bear the criticism and build out I-70 as intended OR don't build it at all. Somehow, Baltimore will find a way to screw up

[@AlfredoMartinezLobaton]

In my opinion 895 shouldn’t be a harbor tunnel it should of being 70 with 695 join together with 70. 895 harbor tunnel thruway would be instead replaced by interstate 70 would take its place then 895 wouldn’t exist well 695 for key bridge would exist.

[@Jerseyguy8527]

Another freeways are racist video 🙄

[@BMR410]

Another idiot who ignores facts being presented an eye rolls without making a legitimate counter argument.

[@denelson83]

You mean I-695, right?

[@Itsatrap365]

No

[@yourgooglemeister6745]

I'm so sick of this "well we're hurting poor black and brown people" WTF do you propose then? equity? There are always going to be poor people and yes they get the short end of the stick sometimes that's life, get on with it. or try and improve yours

[@8mydaydream409]

Improve yourself by being silent!

[@yourgooglemeister6745]

@@8mydaydream409 good for you! you get your virtue signaling point for the day! now go to your nearest ghetto, bario or trailer park, walk around. Then come back and report to us how they take care of their neighborhood

[@jimmyday9536]

That's right! If I do not like your opinion, you shall be silent!

[@FlySlateRyder_YT]

Hi

[@Liamshavingfun]

I feel they could have just made it a tunnel through the city.

[@4517onlyglory]

That's how depressed a democrat ran city for you

[@BrianSimm]

The freeway was needed. Dilapidated and condemned townhouses were not.

[@ladymacbethofmtensk896]

Given that the freeway was a government project and Baltimore a consistently Democrat city since the Thirties, none of this is particularly surprising to me.

[@FlySlateRyder_YT]

First

[@parkependleton6453]

Baltimore is the city to nowhere!

[@thethirdeve5089]

It's disappointing to see the economic loss Baltimore suffered because the project was never finished. Completing the highway, even through the park, could have brought jobs, boosted the economy, and improved infrastructure. The decision to stop short was a costly mistake for the city.

[@joebojangles3185]

Lmao a lack of a freeway which would destroy west Baltimore communities is not the reason those areas have poverty

[@davestewart2067]

Frank Turner was hell bent on cutting through Rosemont. There should have been an alternative- to the south after skirting the south edges of the parks. Through industrial zoned property instead of Rosemont. The whole story is laid out in Earl Swifts “Big Roads”.

[@tbird2013]

H

[@Mike-ky9jz]

You should work on your lips.

[@BeaverGeography]

You should work on my lips😍😍

[@Itsatrap365]

…

[@freethebirds3578]

What do you expect from a Blue city? I lived in and around Baltimore for 12 years of my adult life, and I never drove that road, because I would never go to that part of town! I would not consider going back to that city, even though I still love the Orioles.

[@Travelnerd-u5d]

People who decide how tax money can be spent are clowns. Right at this moment they are taking up neighborhood parks to shelter illegal immigrants

[@johnathin0061892]

Tells you who those in power think are important, and who they think are not important.

[@jish8681]

the jittleyangs aren't gonna like this one

[@diegomontoya796]

The snake goes hisss. Please say this.

[@MarloSoBalJr]

Pretty much my entire life has been centered around this highway, and each time, you just wonder why they bothered?...🫵🏾 IMHO, if they took the initiative to rip apart a black community to begin with, how was ripping through a damn park the red flag?... Even more so, the fact they never finished this crap is even more of a 🖕🏾 to the displaced cos it was all for nothing. Here's to hoping the Red Line finally gets built and puta final end to this travesty 🙌🏾