As always Jim, you deliver a sensational driving experience in your videos, I honestly can't say anything negative about the videos you produce because they are so entertaining. Your music selection, the exit labeling, I could go on, but your viewership reflects your craftsmanship. Thank you for what you do..
Thanks for showing the video on the Eastern end of I-695 (I reside in that general vicinity), The Francis Scott Key Bridge (Especially that), Fort McHenry Tunnel, and last, but not least, the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel! (All in the general vicinity) You even gave me tidbits of trivia on the Harbor Tunnel that I never knew about and should have (Me, being from Baltimore) especially about a bridge being considered there around 1947, but was rejected by the Army Corps of Engineers and then decided on the tunnel, approved it in 1954 and construction commencing about 1955, being completed in 1957.
Hey Road Geeks: Did you notice that the original interchange shown on a postcard is actually a "Diverging Diamond" interchange built with overpasses to allow it to work at freeway speeds? and we thought Diverging Diamonds were new! (Exit 64, I-695 at the Harbour Tunnel Throughway)
I always called it a directional interchange. Left turns go from the left side of the highway, right turns from the right. It's very logical and much faster and safer than a cloverleaf. But they fell out of fashion for some reason 🤔
Thanks for posting the earlier highway (planning) maps. Very fascinating. In the 1958 map, they had US 301 in a far more westerly alignment . I think that road ended up as MD Route 3. Most of it at least. No I-95 in this map, though the Thruway did end up having the interchanges at the Beltway and US 1. The 1969 map had I-83 crossing directly through Canton and Fells Point and appearing to merge with I-95 around Dundalk, north/east of the Fort McHenry Tunnel. Later (I'm sure) plans had I-83 connecting with I-95 in the vicinity of Caton Avenue and only in recent years did MDOT remove the merge ramp stubs that had been built in anticipation of 83's extension (I think, at different times, via a bridge or a tunnel) to that area. Was that a planned seaplane airport just north of Westport/west of Port Covington? I'm trying to imagine seaplanes flying over Oriole Park/Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. I think there have been rumblings at some point about extending the I-95 express lanes up near Baltimore to the ones on the Capital Beltway to give an express trip all the way to Virginia, ala the Jersey Turnpike. Anyone who's sat in DC rush-hour traffic may support that idea. I could one day see an Express/Local configuration all the way from Virginia to Delaware (95/495/295 interchange) one day. Someone asked why take 895 instead of 95? I can think of several reasons: 1) If you're going towards I-97 or US 50 headed towards Annapolis or the Eastern Shore; 2) If you're travelling on an O's or Ravens gameday and you want to miss that traffic; 3) taking 895 to 97 gives you more options for getting to the BWI area; 4) if you're headed further south and want or need to skip some Capital Beltway traffic by taking 895 to 97 to US 50; 5) you can also skip some of the BW Parkway traffic in Baltimore and pick up that road in the vicinity of Lansdowne.
Nice video Jim! Loved the music (as always, you throw a nice curveball in selections now and then). All the times I've been in Baltimore, I should've taken that once! Thanks!
My mistake, it's called "Chelsea Loft" do a you tube search with those words and you'll find it. (My apologies for the mix-up I have not played with it in a few years). I got it in a pack of loops for Apple's Garage Band a few years back but don't recall exactly where.
LOL, this is from last year but yes I take vacations and do my filming and photography in different parts of the country. Thanks for watching, it really makes it worthwhile.
When I was a little kid and we used to drive through this tunnel, I found it hard to believe that the tunnel was under the water itself. I thought the tunnel rested on the river bed and was watertight.
Jim, keep an eye out for the Maryland State Police Helicopters. They provide rescue services at no charge to Marylanders involved in life-threatening accidents. As far as I know, no other state does this. Just a lil' trivia for you.
The orignal arrangement was if you got on the Throughway, you didn't get off until you had passed the tollgates. It was initially set up like that both ways. It was never meant to be a local freeway.
The I-95/895 split has been reversed in recent years.. 95 used to exit to the right, and then swing to the left over top of 895. Also, the signage for 895 has been changed. It used to read 895 South - Annapolis/Bay Bridge. Although I said I like the Harbor Tunnel better than Ft McHenry tunnel, the one advantage the McHenry has is the outstanding view of downtown Baltimore on the south end of the tunnel. The Harbor Tunnel just exits into a rather industrialized area with no close views.
I prefer the Fort McHenry Tunnel, no other underwater tunnels like that have are built on a long curve, plus it is the widest of its kind in the world, top notch engineering!
Eh, Freewayjim: This is awesome (do people still say that?) Anyway, love, love the music, the history lesson and especially the highlighting of road signs. You put a lot of time and effort into these videos. Thanks so much for uploading and...regardless of hip or not, I say:..."Totally Awesome!!"
At first glance, I was bewildered by the $300 toll at 2:50, but then I went back, paused and realized it was only 3.00. "Over Height Detectors Ahead", "Remove Sunglasses".. You guys think of everything, although I saw no "Turn On Headlights" sign.
It depends on the size of the file you are trying to upload, this was about 670MB so it took maybe 30-35 minutes. Also, the speed of your internet service can have a lot to do with it.
Always nice to see videos of my home town! Having lived in Baltimore all my life, I've always preferred the old Harbor Tunnel over the Ft McHenry tunnel. To me, the old one has more character, and you actually FELT like you were in a tunnel. McHenry was fun when it first opened, but after the newness wore off, it became rather boring. Great video, Jim, as usual! P.S. Is that 4-stack at I-695 not completed? I drove through there a while back and it appeared that all ramps were open.
I studied the interchange and, although it shares traits with the diverging diamond, it wasn't. Ramps to the left Exited left and entered from the left. But it was a unique idea for the early '60s...
Seems strange, just watched a video you did in the Bay area, NOW I am watching one from Maryland, please dont tell me you drive from state to state to do these videos for us, if you do, you are one fantastic person to do this spending all that gas and everything to make these videos...Thanks.
True - which is why I chose the Fort McHenry when I drove it myself for the first time. (The Harbor Tunnel was the *routine* choice - the Fort McHenry was not!
