Maryland Route 528

Maryland Route 528
Maryland Route 528 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDSHA
Length:	9.04 mi[1] (14.55 km)
Existed:	1933 – present
Tourist routes:	Blue Crab Scenic Byway
Major junctions
South end:	MD 378 in Ocean City
	US 50 in Ocean City MD 90 in Ocean City
North end:	DE 1 in Ocean City
Location
Counties:	Worcester
Highway system
Maryland highway system Interstate US State Scenic Byways ← MD 526 MD 529 → ← MD 377 MD 378 MD 379 →

Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Coastal Highway, the state highway runs 9.04 miles (14.55 km) from the southern terminus of its companion route, unsigned Maryland Route 378, in downtown Ocean City north to the Delaware state line at the northern edge of the resort town, where the highway continues as Delaware Route 1 (DE 1). MD 528 and MD 378 are the primary north–south streets of Ocean City, where they provide access to countless hotels, condos, restaurants, shops, and other businesses catering to tourists. These highways experience heavy seasonal traffic and provide access to hurricane evacuation routes, which include U.S. Route 50 (US 50), MD 90, and DE 54. Both Baltimore Avenue and Philadelphia Avenue date back to the founding of Ocean City in the late 19th century. MD 378 was assigned to Baltimore Avenue in 1927 and MD 528 was assigned to Philadelphia Avenue in 1933. MD 528 was extended north of 15th Street to the Delaware state line in 1939. Both highways were rebuilt and widened in the 1950s. MD 528 was expanded to a six-lane divided highway north of the one-way pair in the late 1980s.

Route description

MD 528 and MD 378 both have their southern termini at the intersection of Baltimore Avenue and South 1st Street at the southern end of Ocean City north of the Ocean City Inlet. Baltimore Avenue continues south and then turns east toward a large municipal parking lot serving attractions on the Ocean City Boardwalk, including Trimper's Rides and the Ocean City Life-Saving Station. From the southern terminus, MD 528 heads west on South 1st Street and then north as Philadelphia Avenue, while MD 378 heads north as Baltimore Avenue. The two state highways form a one-way pair, with MD 378 carrying three lanes of northbound traffic and MD 528 carrying three lanes of southbound traffic. Both streets intersect South Division Street, which was the site of the railroad terminus in Ocean City and is currently the site of Sunset Park, and Worcester Street, which was the site of the first automobile bridge to the resort in 1916.^[1][2][3]

MD 528 looking north toward the intersection with 127th Street

MD 528 and MD 378 head north through the downtown area of Ocean City, where they meet the eastern terminus of US 50 at North Division Street. North Division Street between MD 528 and MD 378 is one-way eastbound, so traffic coming from the south uses North 1st Street, which is one-way westbound and designated MD 378A, to access US 50 west. MD 528 and MD 378 continue north to 9th Street, which is one-way westbound and designated MD 378B. MD 528 becomes two-way at 9th Street. MD 378 continues north as a two-lane street northbound to 15th Street, where the state highway turns west to reach its northern terminus at MD 528. Baltimore Avenue continues north of 15th Street as a two-way municipal street to its northern end at 33rd Street.^[1][3]

MD 528 continues north from 9th Street as a divided highway with two lanes northbound and three lanes southbound. The state highway gains a third lane northbound at MD 378 (15th Street). At 17th Street, MD 528 assumes its form for the remainder of its course to the Delaware state line: three lanes in each direction plus a continuous combined right turn and bus lane in both directions. After passing the Jolly Roger Amusement Park, MD 528 meets 33rd Street, which is one-way westbound coming from the northern end of Baltimore Avenue. North of 33rd Street, MD 528 becomes Coastal Highway, the only through highway on the barrier island that is lined with numerous hotels and businesses. The state highway passes the Ocean City Convention Center at 40th Street and intersects the eastern terminus of MD 90 (Ocean City Expressway) at 62nd Street. MD 528 continues north past hotels, condos, and businesses in the northern part of Ocean City, passing the Gold Coast Mall at 112th Street. Farther north, the route reaches the Delaware state line at 146th Street, two blocks east of the Fenwick Island Light. Coastal Highway continues into Fenwick Island as DE 1, which meets the eastern terminus of DE 54 one block north of the state line.^[1][4]

MD 528 is a part of the main National Highway System from US 50 to the Delaware state line.^[1][5]

History

MD 528 southbound past MD 90

Baltimore Avenue and Philadelphia Avenue date back to the founding of Ocean City in 1875. Both avenues originally extended from South Division Street to North Division Street.^[6] The streets were later extended north as far as 15th Street.^[7] Baltimore Avenue served as the main thoroughfare of Ocean City until Philadelphia Avenue and Coastal Highway assumed predominance in the 1950s.^[8] MD 378 was assigned to Baltimore Avenue, which was paved from US 213 (Worcester Street) to 15th Street by 1927.^[2][9] MD 528 was assigned to Philadelphia Avenue when that street was rebuilt between US 213 and 15th Street in 1933.^[10] MD 528 was extended north to the Delaware state line when Coastal Highway was completed in 1939.^[11][12]

In the 1940s, traffic in Ocean City increased so much there was a movement to make Baltimore and Philadelphia Avenues one-way in the downtown area, a change that was implemented by 1948.^[13][14] Traffic volume in Ocean City increased even more following the completion of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in 1952, leading to expansion of the city's north–south arterials. MD 378 was widened along its entire length in 1951 and 1952.^[15] MD 528 was widened to four lanes along its entire length in 1953 and 1954.^[16] Both state highways were extended to their present southern termini at that time.^[15] The first portion of MD 528 to be expanded to a divided highway was around the intersection with MD 90; the highway between 60th and 63rd Streets was reconstructed by 1978.^[17] Two sections of six-lane divided highway were completed around 1989: from 25th Street to 65th Street, and from 85th Street to 122nd Street.^[18] By 1991, MD 528 was divided highway from 25th Street to the Delaware state line.^[19] The segment of Philadelphia Avenue from 9th Street to 25th Street was changed from a five- to six-lane highway with a center turn lane to a divided highway in 2001.^[20] A pedestrian safety project aimed to reduce jaywalking will install a dune-style fence in the median of MD 528, with the first phase to take place between 41st Street/Convention Center Drive and MD 90. Construction on the first phase is expected to begin in January 2017 and be finished by Memorial Day of that year.^[21]

Junction list

The entire route is in Ocean City, Worcester County.

mi [1]	km	Destinations	Notes
0.00	0.00	MD 378 north (Baltimore Avenue) / Baltimore Avenue south – Inlet Parking Lot	Southern terminus of one-way pair formed by MD 528 (southbound) on Philadelphia Avenue and unsigned MD 378 (northbound) on Baltimore Avenue
0.43	0.69	US 50 (North Division Street) – Salisbury	US 50 is one-way eastbound east of MD 528
0.53	0.85	1st Street	1st Street east of MD 528 is unsigned MD 378A; one-way westbound
1.08	1.74	9th Street	MD 528 becomes two-way at this intersection; 9th Street east of MD 528 is unsigned MD 378B; one-way westbound
1.47	2.37	15th Street	Northern terminus of MD 378; portion of MD 378 on 15th Street is one-way westbound
2.65	4.26	33rd Street	33rd Street is one-way westbound east of MD 528
4.33	6.97	MD 90 west (Ocean City Expressway) / 62nd Street east – Salisbury, Bay Bridge
9.04	14.55	DE 1 north (Coastal Highway) to DE 54 west (Lighthouse Road) / 146th Street	Northern terminus of MD 528; Delaware state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Related routes

Maryland Route 378
Location:	Ocean City
Length:	1.49 mi[1] (2.40 km)

Maryland Route 378 is a 1.49-mile (2.40 km) unsigned highway in Ocean City that follows portions of Baltimore Avenue and 15th Street from the southern terminus of MD 528 at the southern end of Ocean City north to MD 528 north of the downtown area of Ocean City.^[1][3] Because MD 378 essentially functions as the northbound direction of MD 528 in downtown Ocean City, the state highway is covered in more detail in the main sections of this article. MD 378 has two auxiliary routes:

• MD 378A is the designation for 1st Street, a 0.07-mile (0.11 km) connector between MD 378 and MD 528 just north of US 50 in Ocean City. The state highway is one-way westbound, helping provide access to US 50 from traffic at the southern end of the barrier island.^[1][22]
• MD 378B is the designation for 9th Street, a 0.07-mile (0.11 km) connector between MD 378 and MD 528 on the northern edge of downtown Ocean City. MD 378B, which is one-way westbound, serves as the main conduit for MD 378 traffic headed for the central and northern parts of Ocean City along MD 528, connecting with MD 528 at the point the highway becomes two-way. For that reason, MD 378B is part of the National Highway System.^[1][23]

MD 378 from US 50 to MD 378B and all of MD 378B are part of the main National Highway System.^[1][5]

Junction list
The entire route is in Ocean City, Worcester County.

mi [1]	km	Destinations	Notes
0.00	0.00	MD 528 (South 1st Street) / Baltimore Avenue south	Southern terminus of one-way pair formed by MD 528 (southbound) on Philadelphia Avenue and unsigned MD 378 (northbound) on Baltimore Avenue
0.39	0.63	US 50 (North Division Street)	US 50 is one-way eastbound west of MD 378, eastern terminus of US 50
0.47	0.76	1st Street to US 50	1st Street west of MD 378 is unsigned MD 378A; one-way westbound
1.02	1.64	9th Street to MD 528	9th Street west of MD 378 is unsigned MD 378B; one-way westbound
1.49	2.40	MD 528 (Philadelphia Avenue) / 15th Street west	Northern terminus of MD 378
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

• Maryland Roads portal

References

1. Highway Information Services Division (December 31, 2013). Highway Location Reference. Maryland State Highway Administration. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
   • Worcester County (PDF)
2. Reno, Sheri (2007). "Railway Brings Travelers". Ocean City Live-Saving Station Museum. Ocean City Museum Society. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
3. Google (2010-04-05). "Maryland Route 378" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
4. Google (2010-04-05). "Maryland Route 528" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
5. National Highway System: Maryland (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. October 1, 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
6. Katz, Gordon. "Saint Mary Star-of-the-Sea Catholic Church". Ocean City Live-Saving Station Museum. Ocean City Museum Society. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
7. Hurley, Suzanne B. "Maryland's Only Sea Side Resort". Ocean City Live-Saving Station Museum. Ocean City Museum Society. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
8. Hurley, Suzanne B. (2007). "Stormy Weather". Ocean City Live-Saving Station Museum. Ocean City Museum Society. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
9. Maryland Geological Survey (1927). Map of Maryland: Showing State Road System and State Aid Roads (Map). Baltimore: Maryland Geological Survey.
10. Byron, William D.; Lacy, Robert (December 28, 1934). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1931–1934 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 362. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
11. Whitman, Ezra B.; Webb, P. Watson; Thomas, W. Frank (March 15, 1941). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1939–1940 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 85. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
12. Maryland State Roads Commission (1939). General Highway Map: State of Maryland (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission.
13. "Ocean City Considers One-Way Streets". The Sunday Morning Star. Wilmington, DE: Star Publishing Company. 1940-08-25. p. 9.
14. "Ocean City Preparing". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore: Tribune Company. 1948-03-22. p. 11.
15. McCain, Russell H.; Hall, Avery W.; Nichols, David M. (December 15, 1952). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1951–1952 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. pp. 114–115. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
16. McCain, Russell H.; Bennett, Edgar T.; Kelly, Bramwell (November 12, 1954). Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland (1953–1954 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 133. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
17. Maryland State Highway Administration (1978). Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Highway Administration.
18. Maryland State Highway Administration (1989). Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Highway Administration.
19. Maryland State Highway Administration (1991). Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Highway Administration.
20. Highway Information Services Division (December 31, 2001). Highway Location Reference. Maryland State Highway Administration. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
    • Worcester County (PDF)
21. Gaines, Tashawna (March 22, 2016). "Safety Project to Block Jaywalkers Nears Groundbreaking in Ocean City". Salisbury, MD: WBOC-TV. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
22. Google (2010-04-05). "Maryland Route 378A" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
23. Google (2010-04-05). "Maryland Route 378B" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-04-05.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

• MDRoads: MD 528
• MDRoads: MD 378