Maryland Route 312

Maryland Route 312
Maryland Route 312 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDSHA
Length:	11.41 mi[1] (18.36 km)
Major junctions
South end:	MD 404 near Ridgely
	MD 480 in Ridgely MD 304 in Bridgetown
North end:	MD 313 in Baltimore Corner
Location
Counties:	Caroline
Highway system
Maryland highway system Interstate • US • State • Minor • Former • Turnpikes ← MD 311 MD 313 →

Maryland Route 312 (MD 312) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs 11.41 miles (18.36 km) from MD 404 near Ridgely north to MD 313 in Baltimore Corner. MD 312 traverses northwestern Caroline County, connecting Ridgely with Bridgetown. The highway's first section was paved around Ridgely in the 1910s. The highway was completed from MD 404 to Ridgely in the mid 1920s and from north of Ridgely to Baltimore Corner in the late 1920s.

Route description

MD 312 begins at an intersection with MD 404 (Shore Highway) between Hillsboro and Denton. The roadway continues south as county-maintained Log Cabin Road.^[2] MD 312 heads north as two-lane Downes Station Road, passing through farmland until it curves to the east and meets MD 480 (Ridgely Road) on a tangent, joining that highway in a concurrency. After MD 776 (Sunset Boulevard), the old alignment of MD 312, splits to the north, MD 312 and MD 480 enter the town of Ridgely and the highway's name changes to Sixth Street. MD 312 leaves MD 480 by turning north onto Central Avenue, a two-lane street with very wide shoulders used for angle or perpendicular parking.^[1][2] The state highway crosses an abandoned rail line after meeting the other end of MD 776 (Railroad Avenue).^[2]

MD 312 leaves the town of Ridgely shortly after passing Ridgely Elementary School. The state highway continues north through farmland as Oakland Road, passing by Ridgely Airpark and through the hamlet of Oakland.^[1][2] MD 312 intersects MD 304 (Bridgetown Road) in Bridgetown and passes through a forested area before reaching its northern terminus at MD 313 (Goldsboro Road) at Baltimore Corner.^[2]

History

The first section of MD 312 was paved through Ridgely and north about 1 mile (1.6 km) toward Oakland by 1921.^[3] That highway was extended to Oakland by 1923.^[4] The state highway was constructed between MD 404 at Long's School House Corner and Ridgely in 1924 and 1925.^[5][6] The remainder of the highway through Bridgetown to MD 313 at Baltimore Corner was constructed between 1926 and 1929.^[5][7][8] MD 312 originally followed Sunset Boulevard and Railroad Avenue through Ridgely, rejoining the present route at Railroad Avenue's intersection with Central Avenue, which headed south as MD 480.^[9] In 1953, Sixth Street was completed between Sunset Boulevard and Central Avenue. MD 312 and MD 480, which was later extended west to Hillsboro, were assigned to the new road and MD 312 replaced MD 480 on Central Avenue.^[10][11]

Junction list

The entire route is in Caroline County.

Location	Mile [1]	Destinations	Notes
Ridgely	0.00	Log Cabin Road south	Southern terminus
		MD 404 (Shore Highway) – Denton, Bay Bridge
	1.42	MD 480 west (Ridgely Road) – Hillsboro	South end of concurrency with MD 480
	1.82	MD 776 north (Sunset Boulevard)
	2.30	MD 480 east (Sixth Street) / Central Avenue south – Greensboro	MD 312 turns north onto Central Avenue; north end of concurrency with MD 480
	2.71	MD 776 south (Railroad Avenue) / Railroad Avenue east
Bridgetown	9.09	MD 304 west (Bridgetown Road) / Bridgetown Road – Centreville
Baltimore Corner	11.41	MD 313 (Goldsboro Road) – Goldsboro, Sudlersville	Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Highway Location Reference: Caroline County" (PDF). Maryland State Highway Administration. 2009. http://www.marylandroads.com/Location/2009_CAROLINE.pdf. Retrieved 2010-09-03. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Google, Inc. Google Maps – Maryland Route 312 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Downes+Station+Rd%2FMD-312+N&daddr=MD-312+N%2FOakland+Rd&hl=en&geocode=FYDMUQIdlPF5-w%3BFXb8UwIdvrJ6-w&mra=ls&sll=38.986875,-75.86975&sspn=0.243911,0.617294&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=11. Retrieved 2010-05-17. 
3. ^ Maryland Geological Survey. Map of Maryland: Showing State Road System and State Aid Roads (Map) (1921 ed.). 
4. ^ Maryland Geological Survey. Map of Maryland: Showing State Road System and State Aid Roads (Map) (1923 ed.). 
5. ^ ^{a b} Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland. 1924-1926. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. January 1927. pp. 35, 71. http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportsofs1924mary. Retrieved 2010-09-03. 
6. ^ Maryland Geological Survey. Map of Maryland: Showing State Road System and State Aid Roads (Map) (1927 ed.). 
7. ^ Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland. 1927-1930. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. 1930-10-01. p. 201. http://www.archive.org/details/reportofstateroa1927mary. Retrieved 2010-09-03. 
8. ^ Maryland Geological Survey. Map of Maryland Showing State Road System: State Aid Roads and Improved County Road Connections (Map) (1930 ed.). 
9. ^ Maryland State Roads Commission. General Highway Map: State of Maryland (Map) (1939 ed.). 
10. ^ Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland. 1953-1954. Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. 1954-11-12. p. 152. http://www.archive.org/details/reportofstateroa1953mary. Retrieved 2010-09-03. 
11. ^ Maryland State Roads Commission. Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map) (1953 ed.). 

External links

• MD 312 @ MDRoads.com