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Maryland Route 51 (MD 51) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Oldtown Road, the state highway runs from an interchange with Interstate 68 (I-68) in Cumberland east to the West Virginia state line at the Potomac River, where the highway continues east as West Virginia Route 9 (WV 9) toward Paw Paw. Around Cumberland, MD 51 is a major highway that provides a bypass of the South End neighborhood of that city and access to industrial areas along the Potomac River. East of North Branch, MD 51 is a rural highway connecting small communities along the river in southeastern Allegany County, including Oldtown. The city streets of Cumberland on which MD 51 was later designated were paved by 1910. The highway was constructed from the city limits of Cumberland to North Branch in the mid-1920s and to Paw Paw in the early 1930s and dedicated as Uhl Highway. Industrial Boulevard, a divided highway in the city of Cumberland, was constructed in the mid-1960s. MD 51 between Evitts Creek and North Branch was relocated in the mid-1980s to better serve nearby industrial properties. ==Route description== MD 51 begins at an intersection with ramps of I-68 Exit 43B. Mechanic Street heads north from the intersection toward the Downtown Cumberland Historic District, providing access to the western end of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (C&O Canal) at Canal Place. A ramp to eastbound I-68 forms the east leg of the intersection, while Howard Street, which receives a ramp from westbound I-68, is the west leg. MD 51 heads south as Industrial Boulevard, a two-lane divided highway. Just south of its terminus, the state highway intersects Winston Street and Queen City Drive and receives a ramp from eastbound I-68. Queen City Drive is used by MD 51 west to access Centre Street, which has a ramp to westbound I-68. South of I-68 and Queen City Drive, MD 51 becomes a six-lane divided highway for a very short distance before Canal Parkway, which is unsigned MD 61, exits eastbound and enters westbound just ahead of a bridge over CSX's Cumberland Terminal Subdivision.〔〔 MD 51 continues south on the west side of the South End neighborhood of Cumberland as a four-lane divided highway. The state highway turns east and gains a wide median with houses and businesses just before intersecting Virginia Avenue. Southbound Virginia Avenue completes the missing movements from the partial interchange with Canal Parkway, while northbound Virginia Avenue heads through the Chapel Hill Historic District. After the median narrows, MD 51 parallels CSX's Cumberland rail yard. MD 51's name changes to Oldtown Road after intersecting the old alignment with the same name that passes through the South End of Cumberland. Shortly after leaving the city limits of Cumberland, MD 51 crosses Evitts Creek and intersects Messick Road, which is unsigned MD 639, then turns south through the unincorporated community of Evitts Creek, continuing to parallel the rail yard. The state highway reduces to a two-lane road after passing Uhl Highway, an old alignment of MD 51 that is unsigned MD 51E. The rail yard ends at Mexico Farms Road, which provides access to Mexico Farms Airport and the Warrior Run Generating Station. Within the hamlet of North Branch, MD 51 intersects as other end of Uhl Highway as well as Pittsburgh Plate Glass Road, which serves the North Branch Industrial Complex, including Federal Correctional Institution, Cumberland.〔〔 MD 51 enters a rural area and parallels the C&O Canal southeast through Spring Gap. The state highway turns away from the Potomac River and passes through a hilly area south of Warrior Mountain before entering the valley of Mill Run. MD 51 again parallels the C&O Canal as the highway approaches the unincorporated community of Oldtown. Within Oldtown, the state highway intersects Opessa Street, which leads to a private, low-water toll bridge across the Potomac River to Green Spring Road in Hampshire County, West Virginia.〔 MD 51 separates from the C&O Canal again as it leaves Oldtown and enters the valley of Sawpit Run, which the road follows to its confluence with Town Creek. The state highway follows the creek to the community of Town Creek, where it makes contact with the C&O Canal again. MD 51 then climbs a bluff and turns north again, passing through a swath of Green Ridge State Forest before turning east and settling into the valley of Pursiane Run. The state highway turns north out of the stream valley as it loops east over the C&O Canal and south over the Potomac River into West Virginia, where the highway continues as WV 9 toward Paw Paw.〔〔 MD 51 is a part of the National Highway System as a principal arterial from I-68 in Cumberland to Uhl Highway and Pittsburgh Plate Glass Road at North Branch.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Maryland Route 51」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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