View source for Interstate 68

{{Short description|Interstate in West Virginia and Maryland}}
{{Redirect|I-68}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox road
| country = USA
| route = 68
| type = I
| map = {{maplink-road|from=Interstate 68.map}}
| map_custom = yes
| map_notes = I-68 highlighted in red
| length_mi = 113.15
| length_ref = <ref name="fhwa">{{Cite web |last=Starks |first=Edward |date=January 27, 2022 |title=Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table01.cfm |access-date=January 3, 2024 |work=FHWA Route Log and Finder List |publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]] |archive-date=September 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920000348/https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table01.cfm |url-status=live }}</ref>
| tourist = [[File:MUTCD D6-4.svg|20px|alt=|link=]] [[Historic National Road]]<br />[[File:MD scenic byway.svg|20px|alt=|link=]] [[Mountain Maryland Scenic Byway]]
| established = 1991
| maint = [[West Virginia Division of Highways|WVDOH]] and [[Maryland State Highway Administration|MDSHA]]
| map_alt = Map of a road that stretches across northern West Virginia and northwestern Maryland.
| direction_a = West
| terminus_a = {{Jct|state=WV|I|79}} in [[Morgantown, West Virginia|Morgantown, WV]]
| junction = <!-- Major junctions only; Only 5-8 most major intersections and cities belong here; please read [[WP:USRD/STDS]] for more info -->{{plainlist|1=
*{{jct|state=WV|US|119}} in Morgantown, WV
*{{jct|state=WV|WV|43}} near Morgantown, WV
*{{Jct|state=MD|US|40|US|219}} near [[Keysers Ridge, Maryland|Keysers Ridge, MD]]
*{{Jct|state=MD|US|219}} near [[Grantsville, Maryland|Grantsville, MD]]
*{{Jct|state=MD|US|220}} near [[Cumberland, Maryland|Cumberland, MD]] }}
| direction_b = East
| terminus_b = {{Jct|state=MD|I|70|US|40|US|522}} in [[Hancock, Maryland|Hancock, MD]]
| states = [[West Virginia]], [[Maryland]]
| counties = '''WV:''' [[Monongalia County, West Virginia|Monongalia]], [[Preston County, West Virginia|Preston]]<br />'''MD:''' [[Garrett County, Maryland|Garrett]], [[Allegany County, Maryland|Allegany]], [[Washington County, Maryland|Washington]]
| system1 = {{infobox road/browselinks/USA|state=WV}}
| system2 = {{infobox road/browselinks/USA|state=MD}}
| browse = {{wv browse|previous_type=WV|previous_route=67|route=WV|next_type=WV|next_route=68}}{{md browse|previous_type=MD|previous_route=67|route=MD|next_type=MD|next_route=68}}
}}
'''Interstate&nbsp;68''' ('''I-68''') is a {{convert|113.15|mi|km|adj=on}} [[Interstate Highway]] in the U.S. states of [[West Virginia]] and [[Maryland]], connecting [[Interstate 79|I-79]] in [[Morgantown, West Virginia]], east to [[Interstate 70|I-70]] in [[Hancock, Maryland]]. I-68 is also '''Corridor&nbsp;E''' of the [[Appalachian Development Highway System]] (ADHS). From 1965 until the freeway's construction was completed in 1991, it was designated as '''U.S. Route&nbsp;48''' ('''US&nbsp;48'''). In Maryland, the highway is known as the '''National Freeway''', an homage to the historic [[National Road]], which I-68 parallels between [[Keysers Ridge, Maryland|Keysers Ridge]] and Hancock. The freeway mainly spans rural areas and crosses numerous mountain ridges along its route. A road cut at [[Sideling Hill]] exposed geological features of the mountain and has become a tourist attraction.

[[U.S. Route 219|US&nbsp;219]] and [[U.S. Route 220|US&nbsp;220]] [[concurrency (road)|overlap]] I-68 in [[Garrett County, Maryland|Garrett County]] and [[Cumberland, Maryland|Cumberland]], respectively, and [[U.S. Route 40|US&nbsp;40]] overlaps with the freeway from Keysers Ridge to the eastern end of the freeway at Hancock.

The construction of I-68 began in 1965 and continued for over 25&nbsp;years, with completion on August 2, 1991. While the road was under construction, it was predicted that economic conditions would improve along the corridor for the five counties connected by I-68: [[Allegany County, Maryland|Allegany]], Garrett, and [[Washington County, Maryland|Washington]] in Maryland and [[Preston County, West Virginia|Preston]] and [[Monongalia County, West Virginia|Monongalia]] in West Virginia. The two largest cities connected by the highway are Morgantown, West Virginia, and Cumberland, Maryland. Although the freeway serves no major metropolitan areas, it provides a major transportation route in western Maryland and northern West Virginia and also provides an alternative to the [[Pennsylvania Turnpike]] for westbound traffic from [[Washington DC]] and [[Baltimore]].

Various West Virginia officials have proposed extending the highway westward to the [[Ohio River]] valley, ending in either [[Moundsville, West Virginia|Moundsville]], or [[Wheeling, West Virginia|Wheeling]], West Virginia. An extension to Moundsville was approved by federal officials at one point but shelved due to funding problems.

==History==
[[File:Interstate 68 time-lapse.webm|thumb|left|Time-lapse video of an eastbound trip on I-68 in 2017]]

===Predecessors===
Prior to the construction of the freeway from Morgantown to Hancock, several different routes carried traffic across the region. [[West Virginia Route&nbsp;73]] (WV&nbsp;73) extended from [[Bridgeport, West Virginia|Bridgeport]] to [[Bruceton Mills, West Virginia|Bruceton Mills]], serving regions now served by I-79 (Bridgeport to Morgantown) and I-68 (Morgantown to Bruceton Mills). After the I-68 freeway, then known as US&nbsp;48, was completed in West Virginia, the WV&nbsp;73 designation was removed. Portions of the road still exist as County Route&nbsp;73 (CR&nbsp;73), CR&nbsp;73/73, and CR&nbsp;857. Between I-68's exit&nbsp;10 at [[Cheat Lake, West Virginia|Cheat Lake]] and exit&nbsp;15 at [[Coopers Rock State Forest|Coopers Rock]], I-68 was largely built directly over old WV&nbsp;73's roadbed.

At Bruceton Mills, WV&nbsp;73 ended at [[West Virginia Route 26|WV&nbsp;26]], which, from there, runs northeast into Pennsylvania, becoming [[Pennsylvania Route&nbsp;281]] at the state line and meeting [[U.S. Route 40|US&nbsp;40]] north of the border. From there, eastbound traffic would follow US&nbsp;40 into Maryland. I-68 now parallels US&nbsp;40 through western Maryland.<ref name=arc_core>{{cite book |author = Wilbur Smith Associates |date = July 1998 |publisher = [[Appalachian Regional Commission]] |chapter = Highway and Traffic Analysis |page = 11 |chapter-url = http://www.arc.gov/images/reports/wsa/wsa-4chap3.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090407200809/http://www.arc.gov/images/reports/wsa/wsa-4chap3.pdf |archive-date = April 7, 2009 |title = ADHS Economic Evaluation |access-date = April 11, 2009 }}</ref>

US&nbsp;40 followed the route of the [[National Road]] through Pennsylvania and Maryland. The National Road was the first federally funded road built in the U.S., authorized by [[United States Congress|Congress]] in 1806. Construction lasted from 1811 to 1837, establishing a road that extended from Cumberland to [[Vandalia, Illinois]]. Upon the establishment of the [[U.S. Numbered Highway System]] in 1926, the route of the National Road became part of US&nbsp;40.<ref name=National_Road>{{cite book |location = Baltimore |publisher = Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn = 978-0-8018-5155-1 |year = 1996 |page = 131 |first1 = Karl |last1 = Raitz |first2 = George |last2 = Thomson |name-list-style=amp |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_XSoga0PSd0C&pg=PA131 |access-date = October 11, 2008 |via= [[Google Books]] |title = The National Road }}</ref>

===Cumberland Thruway===
[[File:Cumberland Thruway Wills Creek.jpg|thumb|left|The Cumberland Thruway bridge, as seen from the Baltimore Street bridge over Wills Creek in Cumberland, Maryland|alt=A highway bridge passes above a creek, with a railroad bridge visible in the background.]]

In the early 1960s, as the [[Interstate Highway System]] was being built throughout the U.S., east–west travel through western Maryland was difficult, as US&nbsp;40, the predecessor to I-68, was a two-lane country road with steep grades and hairpin turns.<ref name=mdrd/> In [[Cumberland, Maryland|Cumberland]], the traffic situation was particularly problematic, as the usage of US&nbsp;40 exceeded the capacity of the city's narrow streets.<ref name=mdrd/> Traffic following US&nbsp;40 through Cumberland entered through the [[Cumberland Narrows]] and followed Henderson Avenue to Baltimore Avenue. After the construction of I-68, this route through Cumberland became [[U.S. Route 40 Alternate (Keysers Ridge–Cumberland, Maryland)|US&nbsp;40 Alternate]] (US&nbsp;40 Alt.).<ref name=HLR/>

Construction began on one of the first sections of what would become I-68, the Cumberland Thruway, on June 10, 1965.<ref name=demolition_bridge>{{cite news |work = [[Cumberland Times-News|Cumberland News]] |date = June 10, 1965 |title = Demolition in Path of Bridge to Begin |page=12}}</ref> This portion of the highway, which consists of a mile-long ({{Convert|1|mi|km|disp=output only}}) elevated bridge, was completed and opened to the public on December 5, 1966.<ref>{{cite news |work = Cumberland News |date = December 5, 1966 |title = Cumberland Thruway Opened to Motorists |page=5}}</ref> The elevated highway connected Lee Street in west Cumberland to Maryland Avenue in east Cumberland, providing a quicker path for motorists traveling through the town on US&nbsp;40 and [[U.S. Route 220|US&nbsp;220]]. The Cumberland Thruway was extended to US&nbsp;220 and then to Vocke Road ([[Maryland Route&nbsp;658]], or MD&nbsp;658) by 1970.<ref name=To_220>{{cite news |work = [[Cumberland Times-News|Cumberland Evening Times]] |date = February 9, 1967 |title = Next Phase of Thruway Bids Asked |page=27}}</ref><ref name=Vocke>{{cite news |work = Cumberland News |date = October 18, 1969 |title = New Freeway Sections Will Open Today |page=25}}</ref> Problems quickly emerged with the highway, especially near an area called "Moose Curve". At Moose Curve, the road curves sharply at the bottom of [[Haystack Mountain (Maryland)|Haystack Mountain]], and traffic accidents are common.<ref>{{cite news |work = Cumberland Evening Times |date = July 28, 1972 |title = Transportation Department Head to Check Thruway |page=9}}</ref>

===Corridor E===
{{For|the current US&nbsp;48|U.S. Route 48}}
{{infobox road small
|country=USA
|type=US
|route=48
|location=[[Morgantown, West Virginia]]–[[Hancock, Maryland]]
|formed=1965
|deleted=1991
}}
[[File:2017-07-30 17 59 35 View east along Interstate 68 just east of Exit 23 (West Virginia State Route 26, Bruceton Mills) in Preston County, West Virginia.jpg|thumb|right|View east along I-68 east of WV&nbsp;26 in Preston County, West Virginia]]
In 1965, the Appalachian Development Act was passed, authorizing the establishment of the [[Appalachian Development Highway System|ADHS]], which was meant to provide access to areas throughout the [[Appalachian Mountains]] that were not previously served by the Interstate Highway System. A set of corridors was defined, comprising {{convert|3090|mi|km}} of highways from [[New York (state)|New York]] to [[Mississippi]]. Corridor&nbsp;E in this system was defined to have endpoints at [[Interstate 79|I-79]] in [[Morgantown, West Virginia]], and [[Interstate 70|I-70]] in [[Hancock, Maryland]]. At the time, there were no freeways along the corridor, though construction on the Cumberland Thruway began that year.<ref name=demolition_bridge/><ref name=md_map_1960>{{cite map |author= Maryland State Roads Commission |scale= c. 1:380,160 |location= Annapolis |publisher = Maryland State Roads Commission |title = Map of Maryland |year = 1960 |url = http://www.mdhighwaycentennial.com/images/template/gallery/maps/1960SIDE1.jpg |access-date = February 4, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090205112246/http://www.mdhighwaycentennial.com/images/template/gallery/maps/1960SIDE1.jpg |archive-date = February 5, 2009 }}</ref> It was this corridor that would eventually become I-68.<ref name=arc>{{cite web |author = Appalachian Regional Commission |publisher = Appalachian Regional Commission |title = Highway Program |url = http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=1006 |year = 2007 |access-date = January 17, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090117183319/http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=1006 |archive-date = January 17, 2009 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

The construction of Corridor&nbsp;E, which was also designated as US&nbsp;48, took over 20&nbsp;years and hundreds of millions of dollars to complete.<ref name=mdrd/> The cost of completing the freeway in West Virginia has been estimated at $113&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|113000000|1976}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}).<ref name="wtov">{{cite news |publisher = [[WTOV-TV]] |location = Steubenville, OH |date = September 9, 2003 |title = I-68 Extension Gets Important Federal Endorsement |url = http://www.wtov9.com/news/news/i-68-extension-gets-important-federal-endorsement/nJK5x/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120322191018/http://www.wtov9.com/news/news/i-68-extension-gets-important-federal-endorsement/nJK5x/ |archive-date = March 22, 2012 |access-date = January 17, 2009 }}</ref> The cost of building I-68 from Cumberland to the West Virginia state line came to $126&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|126000000|1976}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}); the portion between Cumberland and [[Sideling Hill]] cost $182&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|182000000|1991}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}); and the section at Sideling Hill cost $44&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|44000000|1991}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}).<ref name=mdrd>{{cite journal |author = Maryland State Highway Administration |publisher = Maryland State Highway Administration |periodical = Maryland Roads |title = Building the National Freeway |date = August 2, 1991 |url = http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/stagser/s1800/s1883/000000/000017/pdf/msa_s1883_000017.pdf |page = 5 |access-date = December 12, 2014 |archive-date = December 13, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141213023035/http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/stagser/s1800/s1883/000000/000017/pdf/msa_s1883_000017.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref>

Much of the work in building the freeway was completed during the 1970s, with US&nbsp;48 opened from Vocke Road in LaVale to [[Maryland Route 36|MD&nbsp;36]] in [[Frostburg, Maryland|Frostburg]] on October 12, 1973, and to [[Maryland Route 546|MD&nbsp;546]] on November 1, 1974.<ref name=mdrd/><ref name=frb>{{cite news |work = Cumberland News |date = October 13, 1973 |title = New Section of Freeway Now Open |page=8}}</ref> On November 15, 1975, the West Virginia portion and a {{convert|adj=on|14|mi|km}} portion from the West Virginia state line to [[Keysers Ridge, Maryland|Keysers Ridge]] in Maryland opened, followed by the remainder of the freeway in [[Garrett County, Maryland|Garrett County]] on August 13, 1976.<ref name=mdrd/>

In the 1980s, the focus of construction shifted to the east of Cumberland, where a {{convert|19|mi|km|adj=on}} section of the road still had not been completed. The first corridor for the construction to be approved by the [[Maryland State Highway Administration]] (MDSHA) ran south of US&nbsp;40. This corridor would have bypassed towns in eastern Allegany County, such as [[Flintstone, Maryland|Flintstone]], leaving them without access to the freeway, and would have passed directly through [[Green Ridge State Forest]], the largest state forest in Maryland. This proposed corridor provoked strong opposition, largely due to the environmental damage that would be caused by the road construction in Green Ridge State Forest. Environmental groups sued MDSHA in order to halt the planned construction, but the court ruled in favor of the state highway administration. In 1984, however, MDSHA reversed its earlier decision and chose an alignment that closely paralleled US&nbsp;40, passing through Flintstone and to the north of Green Ridge State Forest. Construction on the final section of I-68 began May 25, 1987, and was completed on August 2, 1991.<ref name=mdrd/><ref name=nrr>{{cite book |location = Baltimore |publisher = Johns Hopkins University Press |first1 = Karl |last1 = Raitz |first2 = George |last2 = Thompson |name-list-style=amp |year = 1996 |isbn = 978-0-8018-5155-1 |page = 331 |title = The National Road }}</ref>

===Designation as I-68===
[[File:2021-08-01 17 10 53 View east along Interstate 68 and U.S. Route 40 and north along U.S. Route 219 (National Freeway) from the overpass for Maryland State Route 495 (Bittinger Road) just southwest of Grantsville in Casselman, Garrett County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|I-68/US&nbsp;40 eastbound and US&nbsp;219 northbound at MD&nbsp;495 near Grantsville, Maryland]]
Though the National Freeway was designated as US&nbsp;48, as the completion of the freeway neared, the possibility of the freeway being designated as an [[Interstate Highway]] came up. In the 1980s, the project to improve [[U.S. Route 50|US&nbsp;50]] between [[Washington DC]] and [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]] to [[Interstate Highway standards]] had been assigned the designation of I-68. MDSHA, however, later concluded that adding additional route shields to the US&nbsp;50 freeway would not be helpful to drivers since about half the freeway already had two route designations (US&nbsp;50 and [[U.S. Route 301|US&nbsp;301]]) and drivers on the freeway were already familiar with the US&nbsp;50 designation.<ref name=tunv>{{cite news |work = [[Washington Times]] |first = Ron |last = Shaffer |date = January 12, 1990 |title = Tunnel Visions |page = E1 |url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/307243358 |access-date = July 6, 2017 |archive-date = January 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170117021115/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307243358.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jan+12%2C+1990&author=Shaffer%2C+Ron&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=e.01&desc=Tunnel+Visions |url-status = live }}</ref> This made the designation to be applied to that freeway more flexible, and so, in 1989, the [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] (AASHTO), the organization composed of the various state departments of transportation that decides route numbering in the U.S., approved MDSHA's request to renumber the US&nbsp;50 freeway from I-68 to [[Interstate 595 (Maryland)|I-595]].<ref name=aashto19891>{{AASHTO minutes |year= 1989S |link=yes |page= 4 |access-date= January 17, 2009}}</ref> That same year, AASHTO approved changing US&nbsp;48's designation to I-68.<ref name=aashto19891 /><!--<ref name=aashto19892>{{AASHTO minutes |year=1989S |page= 6 |access-date= January 17, 2009}}</ref>--> This change took effect upon the completion of the last section of the National Freeway on August 2, 1991.<ref name=mdrd/>

With the completion of I-68 and the change in its route number, the US&nbsp;48 designation was removed. In 2002, AASHTO approved the establishment of a [[U.S. Route 48|new US&nbsp;48]], this time for the [[Corridor H]] highway from [[Weston, West Virginia]], to [[Strasburg, Virginia]].<ref name=aashto2002>{{AASHTO minutes |year= 2002A |page= 8 |access-date= February 4, 2009}}</ref> This marks the third time that the US&nbsp;48 number has been assigned to a highway, the first use being for [[U.S. Route 48 (1926)|a highway in California]] that existed in the 1920s.<ref name=1926_ush>{{cite map |author1= [[Bureau of Public Roads]] |author2= [[American Association of State Highway Officials]] |date= November 11, 1926 |title= United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials |url= https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_System_of_Highways_Adopted_for_Uniform_Marking_by_the_American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials.jpg |scale= 1:7,000,000 |location= Washington, DC |publisher= [[United States Geological Survey]] |oclc= 32889555 |access-date= November 7, 2013 |via= [[Wikimedia Commons]] |name-list-style= amp |archive-date= April 13, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170413153913/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_System_of_Highways_Adopted_for_Uniform_Marking_by_the_American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials.jpg |url-status= live }}</ref>

===Incidents===
Numerous crashes and incidents have occurred on I-68. On June 1, 1991, a gasoline tanker descending into downtown Cumberland from the east attempted to exit the freeway at exit&nbsp;43D, Maryland Avenue. The tanker went out of control and overturned as the driver tried to go around the sharp turn at the exit. Gasoline began to leak from the damaged tanker, forcing the evacuation of a three-block area of Cumberland. Approximately 30&nbsp;minutes later, the tanker exploded, setting eight houses on fire. The fire caused an estimated $250,000 in damages (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|250000|1991|r=-4}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}) and prompted MDSHA to place signs prohibiting hazardous materials trucks from exiting at the Maryland Avenue exit.<ref name=stl>{{cite news |agency = Associated Press |title = Driver of Overturned Tanker Warns Residents Before Blasts |date = June 2, 1991 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|page=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author-link1 = Ruben Castaneda |first1 = Ruben |last1 = Castaneda |newspaper = [[Washington Post]] |date = June 2, 1991 |title = Gasoline Truck Overturns; Leak Ignites 8 Md. Houses; Three-Block Area Evacuated in Cumberland |page = B5 |url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/307444525 |access-date = July 6, 2017 |archive-date = January 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170117020823/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307444525.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+2%2C+1991&author=Castaneda%2C+Ruben&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=b.05&desc=Gasoline+Truck+Overturns%3B+Leak+Ignites+8+Md.+Houses%3B+Three-Block+Area+Evacuated+in+Cumberland |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] |date = June 3, 1991 |title = Cumberland Fire Damage |page = D3 |url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/307400909 |access-date = July 6, 2017 |archive-date = January 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170117075223/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/307400909.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+3%2C+1991&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=d.03&desc=Cumberland+Fire+Damage |url-status = live }}</ref>

On May 23, 2003, poor visibility due to fog was a major contributing factor to an 85-vehicle [[pileup]] on I-68 on [[Savage Mountain]] west of [[Frostburg, Maryland|Frostburg]]. Two people were killed and nearly 100&nbsp;people were injured. Because of the extent of the wreckage on the road, I-68 remained blocked for 24&nbsp;hours while the wreckage was cleared.<ref name=cnnfog>{{cite news |publisher = [[CNN]] |url = http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/05/23/maryland.accidents/index.html?iref=newssearch |date = May 23, 2003 |title = 85-Vehicle Pileup Kills Two in Western Maryland |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-date = April 25, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090425164908/http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/05/23/maryland.accidents/index.html?iref=newssearch |url-status = live }}</ref> In the aftermath of the pileup, the question of how to deal with fog in the future was discussed. Though the cost of a fog warning system can be considerable, MDSHA installed such a system in 2005 at a cost of $230,000 (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|230000|2005|r=-4}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}).<ref name=nytfog>{{cite news |work = [[The New York Times]] |first = Matthew |last = Wald |date = June 18, 2003 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/18/us/war-on-road-fog-lacks-easy-solution.html |title = War on Road Fog Lacks Easy Solution |access-date = October 23, 2009 |archive-date = April 3, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150403092441/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/18/us/war-on-road-fog-lacks-easy-solution.html |url-status = live }}</ref><ref name=hagersfog/> The system alerts drivers when visibility drops below {{convert|1000|ft|m}}.<ref name=hagersfog>{{cite news |work = [[The Herald-Mail]] |location = Hagerstown, MD |date = July 3, 2005 |url = http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=115966&format=html |title = Fog Warning System Installed on I-68 |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-date = May 23, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110523235508/http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=115966&format=html |url-status = live }}</ref>

===Effect on surrounding region===
[[File:2021-08-01 18 08 20 View east along Interstate 68 (National Freeway) west of Sand Spring Road in Sand Spring, Garrett County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|I-68 eastbound in Garrett County, Maryland, past the West Virginia state line]]
One of the arguments in favor of the construction of I-68 was that the freeway would improve the poor economic conditions in western Maryland. The economy of the surrounding area has improved since the construction of the freeway, especially in [[Garrett County, Maryland|Garrett County]], where the freeway opened up the county to tourism from [[Washington DC]] and [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]]. Correspondingly, Garrett County saw a sharp increase in population and employment during and after the construction of the road, with full- and part-time employment increasing from 8,868 in 1976 to 15,334 in 1991.<ref name=edh>{{cite web |title = Economic Development History of I-68 in Maryland |publisher = [[Federal Highway Administration]] |first1 = Jason |last1 = Bezis |first2 = Kristin |last2 = Noyes |name-list-style = amp |date = November 5, 2008 |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/Planning/econdev/i68md.htm |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-date = December 13, 2012 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20121213053138/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/Planning/econdev/i68md.htm |url-status = dead }}</ref> Economic difficulties, however, remain in Allegany and Garrett counties.<ref name=washpostecon>{{cite news |newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] |first = Dan |last = Beyers |date = September 8, 1992 |title = Mountain Road of Promise Slow to Lift Fortunes |page = D1 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1992/09/08/mountain-road-of-promise-slow-to-lift-fortunes/6336b9cb-7a13-47d3-8ea4-6a374fa41c10/ |access-date = July 22, 2016 |archive-date = August 22, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160822122437/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1992/09/08/mountain-road-of-promise-slow-to-lift-fortunes/6336b9cb-7a13-47d3-8ea4-6a374fa41c10/ |url-status = live }}</ref> There were concerns over loss of customers to businesses that have been cut off from the main highway due to the construction of the new alignment in the 1980s, leading to protests when then-Governor [[Harry Hughes]] visited the Sideling Hill road cut when it was opened.<ref name=hh>{{cite book |publisher = The History Press |year = 2006 |title = My Unexpected Journey |first = Harry Roe |last = Hughes |isbn = 978-1-59629-117-1 |page = 105 }}</ref>

===Proposed extension===
In the 1990s, there was discussion about a future westward extension to I-68. Such an extension would connect the western terminus of I-68 in Morgantown to [[West Virginia Route 2|WV&nbsp;2]] in [[Moundsville, West Virginia|Moundsville]]. A 1989 proposal had suggested a toll road be built along this corridor.<ref name=cgzmnd>{{cite news |work = [[Charleston Gazette]] |first = Rick |last = Steelhammer |date = November 28, 2000 |title = I-68 Extension Hearings to be Next Week |page=2A}}</ref> In 2003, the [[Federal Highway Administration]] (FHWA) approved the extension, paving the way for federal funding and for the road to become part of the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]] on completion.<ref name=wvdotmnd>{{cite press release |publisher = [[West Virginia Department of Transportation]] |first = Carol |last = Melling |date = October 31, 2003 |title = I-68 Extension Now Eligible for Federal Funding |url = http://www.wvdot.com/13_news/13_news_dtl.cfm?s=456 |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090523140013/http://www.wvdot.com/13_news/13_news_dtl.cfm?s=456 |archive-date = May 23, 2009 }}</ref> The project, however, ran into problems due to lack of funds, and, in 2008, West Virginia Governor [[Joe Manchin]] suggested dropping the project altogether, making construction of a westward extension of I-68 unlikely in the near future.<ref name=wnrmnd>{{cite news |work = [[Wheeling News-Register]] |first = Art |last = Limann |date = August 12, 2008 |title = Authority Won't Give Up on I-68 to Marshall |url = http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/512794.html |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-date = July 16, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716100038/http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/512794.html |url-status = dead }}</ref>

In 2014, [[Marshall County, West Virginia|Marshall County]] officials brought the extension of I-68 up again as a way for oil companies to have easier access to drill into the area, likely by [[fracking]]. Much like the second leg of [[Pennsylvania Route 576|PA&nbsp;576]] (Southern Beltway) in the [[Pittsburgh]] area, an extension of I-68 is being spurred in response to the [[Marcellus natural gas trend]]. If the extension were to be built, it would also include a widening of WV&nbsp;2 to four lanes and would cost an estimated $5&nbsp;million per mile ({{convert|5|e6$/mi|e6$/km|abbr=unit|disp=output number only}}/km). It is expected that the project would be divided into two legs, first from Morgantown to [[Cameron, West Virginia|Cameron]] and then Cameron to Moundsville.<ref>{{cite news |first = Nate |last = Fluharty |url = http://www.wtrf.com/story/26539668/plans-moving-forward-for-moundsville-to-morgantown-highway |title = Plans Moving Forward for Moundsville-to-Morgantown Highway |location = Wheeling, WV |publisher = [[WTRF-TV]] |date = September 15, 2014 |access-date = September 16, 2014 |archive-date = September 16, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140916132409/http://www.wtrf.com/story/26539668/plans-moving-forward-for-moundsville-to-morgantown-highway |url-status = live }}</ref>

Others have proposed extending I-68 to [[Wheeling, West Virginia]], and connecting it with [[Interstate 470 (Ohio–West Virginia)|I-470]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swint |first=Howard |date=October 5, 2019 |title=Howard Swint: I-68 extension lynch pin for W.Va. development |url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/op_ed_commentaries/howard-swint-i-68-extension-lynch-pin-for-w-va-development/article_b2d17136-b2fb-5923-89e2-21d30a1169fb.html |access-date=March 26, 2022 |website=Charleston Gazette-Mail |language=en |archive-date=June 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609043919/https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/op_ed_commentaries/howard-swint-i-68-extension-lynch-pin-for-w-va-development/article_b2d17136-b2fb-5923-89e2-21d30a1169fb.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Route description==
{{Lengths table|length_ref=<ref name="fhwa" />}}
|-
|WV
|{{Convert|32.06|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
|MD
|{{Convert|81.09|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
|Total
|{{Convert|113.15|mi|km|disp=table}}
|}

I-68 spans {{convert|113.15|mi|km}}, connecting [[Interstate 79|I-79]] in [[Morgantown, West Virginia]], to [[Interstate 70|I-70]] in [[Hancock, Maryland]], across the [[Appalachian Mountains]]. The [[control cities]]—the cities officially chosen to be the destinations shown on guide signs—for I-68 are Morgantown, [[Cumberland, Maryland|Cumberland]], and Hancock.<ref name=mdsha_cc>{{cite web |author = Maryland State Highway Administration |publisher = Maryland State Highway Administration |title = Traffic Control Devices Design Manual |url = http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/businesswithsha/bizStdsSpecs/desManualStdPub/publicationsonline/oots/TCDDM/pdfs/a-6.pdf |year = 2006 |access-date = February 4, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140113095424/http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/businesswithsha/bizStdsSpecs/desManualStdPub/publicationsonline/oots/TCDDM/pdfs/a-6.pdf |archive-date = January 13, 2014 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> I-68 is the main route connecting [[Western Maryland]] to the rest of Maryland.<ref>{{cite web |first = Rickie |last = Longfellow |date = June 27, 2017 |title = Back in Time: Sideling Hill Mountain, I-68—Are We Going Over It or Around It? |work = General Highway History |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/back0210.cfm |access-date = June 5, 2023 |archive-date = June 5, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230605160748/https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/back0210.cfm |url-status = live }}</ref> I-68 is also advertised to drivers on I-70 and [[Interstate 270 (Maryland)|I-270]] as an "alternate route to [[Ohio]] and points west" by [[Maryland State Highway Administration|MDSHA]].<ref name=aar>{{cite sign |author = Maryland State Highway Administration |location = Washington County |publisher = Maryland State Highway Administration |title = Alternate Route to Ohio and Points West |url = http://aaroads.com/mid-atlantic/maryland050/i-070_wb_exit_005_01.jpg |type = Highway sign |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090326053333/http://www.aaroads.com/mid-atlantic/maryland050/i-070_wb_exit_005_01.jpg |archive-date = March 26, 2009 }}<!-- The citation is not to AARoads but to the sign erected by a government agency. The link to the photo is a courtesy, just like linking to a Newspapers.com scan of a print newspaper article.--></ref>

===West Virginia===
[[File:2021-08-02 11 10 58 View west along Interstate 68 (National Freeway) just west of Sand Spring Road, entering Webb Chapel, Preston County, West Virginia from Sand Spring, Garrett County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|I-68 at the West Virginia–Maryland state line|alt=A sign above the highway reads "Welcome to West Virginia—Wild and Wonderful." An adjacent sign reads "Preston County. Certified Business Location."]]
I-68 begins at exit&nbsp;148 on [[Interstate 79 in West Virginia|I-79]] near Morgantown and runs eastward, meeting with [[U.S. Route 119 in West Virginia|US&nbsp;119]] {{Convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}} east of its terminus at I-79. I-68 turns northeastward, curving around Morgantown, with four interchanges in the Morgantown area—I-79, US&nbsp;119, [[West Virginia Route 7|WV&nbsp;7]], and CR&nbsp;857 (Cheat Road). Leaving the Morgantown area, I-68 again runs eastward, intersecting [[Mon-Fayette Expressway|WV&nbsp;43]], which provides access to [[Cheat Lake]] and [[Uniontown, Pennsylvania]]. Near this interchange, I-68 passes over Cheat Lake and climbs a steep ascent out of [[Cheat Canyon]].<ref name=gm_wv>{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=17527361211364741479,39.577614,-79.974921%3B7412300870819612668,39.663520,-79.476700&saddr=39.578769,-79.972959&daddr=I-68+E+%4039.663520,+-79.476700&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=15&doflg=ptm&sll=39.575924,-79.973001&sspn=0.015018,0.037594&ie=UTF8&ll=39.626846,-79.698944&spn=0.480208,1.203003&z=10 |title=I-68 in West Virginia |access-date=August 1, 2008}}</ref>

Entering Preston County, the route intersect CR&nbsp;73/12, which provides access to [[Coopers Rock State Forest]]. In contrast to the Morgantown area, the portion of Preston County that I-68 crosses is more rural, with the only town along the route being [[Bruceton Mills, West Virginia|Bruceton Mills]]. In Bruceton Mills, I-68 meets [[West Virginia Route 26|WV&nbsp;26]]. I-68 meets CR&nbsp;5 (Hazelton Road) at its last exit before entering Garrett County, Maryland.<ref name=gm_wv/>

The region of West Virginia through which the freeway passes is rural and mountainous. There are several sections that have steep grades, especially near the Cheat River Canyon, where there is a [[truck escape ramp]].<ref name=wvdotmncm/>

The peak traffic density in terms of [[annual average daily traffic]] (AADT) on I-68 in West Virginia is 32,900&nbsp;vehicles per day at the interchange with I-79 in Morgantown. The traffic gradually decreases further eastward, reaching a low point at 14,600&nbsp;vehicles per day at the [[Hazelton, West Virginia|Hazelton]] exit.<ref name=wvdot_traffic>{{cite book |author = West Virginia Department of Transportation |publisher = West Virginia Department of Transportation |year = 2007 |url = http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/programplanning/preliminary_engineering/traffic_analysis/trafficvolume/interstatecounts/Documents/I68_Morgantown_Md_07.pdf |type = Report |access-date = January 12, 2016 |title = Interstate System Average Daily Traffic: I-68 Morgantown to Maryland |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305014402/http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/programplanning/preliminary_engineering/traffic_analysis/trafficvolume/interstatecounts/Documents/I68_Morgantown_Md_07.pdf |archive-date = March 5, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

===Maryland===
[[File:2021-08-01 18 10 35 View east along Interstate 68 (National Freeway) just west of Sand Spring Road, just after entering Sand Spring, Garrett County, Maryland from Webb Chapel, Preston County, West Virginia.jpg|thumb|right|Entering Maryland from West Virginia on I-68 eastbound in Garrett County|alt=A sign adjacent to a four-lane highway reads "Maryland welcomes you. We’re Open For Business. Larry Hogan, Governor"]]
After entering Garrett County, I-68 continues its run through rural areas, crossing the northern part of the county. The terrain through this area consists of ridges that extend from southwest to northeast, with I-68 crossing the ridges through its east–west run. The first exit in Maryland is at [[Maryland Route 42|MD&nbsp;42]] in [[Friendsville, Maryland|Friendsville]]. I-68 ascends [[Keysers Ridge, Maryland|Keysers Ridge]], where it meets [[U.S. Route 40 in Maryland|US&nbsp;40]] and [[U.S. Route 219 in Maryland|US&nbsp;219]], both of which join the highway at Keysers Ridge.<ref name=HLR/> The roadway that used to be the surface alignment of US&nbsp;40 parallels I-68 to Cumberland and is now designated as [[U.S. Route 40 Alternate (Keysers Ridge–Cumberland, Maryland)|US&nbsp;40 Alt.]] I-68 crosses [[Negro Mountain]], which was the highest point along the historic [[National Road]] that the freeway parallels east of Keysers Ridge. This is the source of the name of the freeway in Maryland: the National Freeway.<ref name=mdrd/> {{Convert|3|mi|km|spell=In}} east of [[Grantsville, Maryland|Grantsville]], US&nbsp;219 leaves the National Freeway to run northward toward [[Meyersdale, Pennsylvania]], while I-68 continues eastward, crossing the [[Eastern Continental Divide]] and [[Savage Mountain]] before entering Allegany County.<ref name=HLR/>

The section of I-68 west of [[Dans Mountain]] in Allegany County is located in the [[Allegheny Mountains]], characterized in Garrett County by a series of uphill and downhill stretches along the freeway, each corresponding to a ridge that the freeway crosses. In Allegany County, the freeway crosses the [[Allegheny Front]], where, from Savage Mountain to LaVale, the highway drops in elevation by {{convert|1800|ft|m}} in a distance of {{convert|9|mi|km|spell=in}}.<ref name=nrr73>{{cite book |location = Baltimore |publisher = Johns Hopkins University Press |first1 = Karl |last1 = Raitz |first2 = George |last2 = Thompson |name-list-style=amp |year = 1996 |isbn = 978-0-8018-5155-1 |page = 73 |title = The National Road }}</ref><ref name=gmaps>{{google maps |url = https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=I-68+E&daddr=39.634646,-78.833084&hl=en&geocode=FUhiXQIddB1L-w%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=13&sll=39.644428,-78.838749&sspn=0.089355,0.154324&ie=UTF8&ll=39.639802,-78.884926&spn=0.178723,0.308647&t=p&z=12 |title = Topographic Map of Interstate 68 in Western Allegany County |access-date = February 15, 2009 |link = no}}</ref>

[[File:2021-08-01 18 23 17 View east along Interstate 68 (National Freeway) just east of Exit 4 in Friendsville, Garrett County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|I-68 eastbound in Friendsville, Maryland|alt=A four-lane freeway in a forested area with a sign saying East I-68. Snow Emergency Route.]]
The traffic density on I-68 in Garrett County is rather sparse compared to that of Allegany County. At the Maryland–West Virginia state line, there is an AADT of 11,581&nbsp;vehicles per day. This density increases to its highest point in Garrett County at exit&nbsp;22, where US&nbsp;219 leaves I-68, at 19,551. At the Allegany County line, the traffic density decreases slightly to 18,408. In Allegany County, the vehicle count increases to 28,861 in [[LaVale, Maryland|LaVale]] and to the freeway's peak of 46,191 at the first US&nbsp;220 interchange (exit&nbsp;42) in Cumberland. East of Cumberland, the vehicle count decreases to 16,551 at Martins Mountain and stays nearly constant to the eastern terminus of I-68 in [[Hancock, Maryland|Hancock]].<ref name=HLR/>

After entering Allegany County, I-68 bypasses [[Frostburg, Maryland|Frostburg]] to the south, with two exits, one to Midlothian Road (unsigned [[Maryland Route 736|MD&nbsp;736]]) and one to [[Maryland Route 36|MD&nbsp;36]]. Near the MD&nbsp;36 exit is [[God's Ark of Safety]] church, which is known for its attempt to build a replica of [[Noah's Ark]]. This replica, which currently consists of a steel frame, can be seen from I-68.<ref name=ppgark>{{cite news|first=Caitlin |last=Cleary |url=http://post-gazette.com/pg/06106/682602-85.stm |title=If the Flood comes Too Soon, this Ark Won't Be Quite Ready |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=April 16, 2006 |access-date=April 16, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918074215/http://post-gazette.com/pg/06106/682602-85.stm |archive-date=September 18, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

East of Frostburg, I-68 crosses a bridge above Spruce Hollow near [[Clarysville, Maryland|Clarysville]], passing over [[Maryland Route 55|MD&nbsp;55]], which runs along the bottom of the valley. The freeway runs along the hillside above US&nbsp;40 Alt. in the valley formed by Braddock Run. Entering LaVale, I-68 has exits to US&nbsp;40 Alt. and [[Maryland Route 658|MD&nbsp;658]] (signed southbound as [[U.S. Route 220 Truck (Maryland)|US&nbsp;220 Truck]]). I-68 ascends [[Haystack Mountain (Maryland)|Haystack Mountain]], entering the city of [[Cumberland, Maryland|Cumberland]]. This is the most congested section of the highway in Maryland. The speed limit on the highway drops from {{convert|70|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} in LaVale to {{convert|55|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} until the [[U.S. Route 220 in Maryland|US&nbsp;220]] exit and to {{convert|40|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} in downtown Cumberland.<ref name=HLR/> This drop in the speed limit is due to several factors, including heavy congestion, closely spaced interchanges, and a sharp curve in the road, known locally as "Moose Curve", located at the bottom of Haystack Mountain. This section of the highway was originally built in the 1960s as the Cumberland Thruway, a bypass to the original path of US&nbsp;40 through Cumberland.<ref name=mdrd/>

[[File:2019-05-17 12 38 23 View west along Interstate 68 and U.S. Route 40 and south along U.S. Route 220 (National Freeway) at Exit 44 (U.S. Route 40 Alternate-Baltimore Avenue, Willow Brook Road) in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|I-68/US&nbsp;40/US&nbsp;220 concurrency in Cumberland, Maryland]]
Until 2008, signs at exit&nbsp;43A in downtown Cumberland labeled the exit as providing access to [[West Virginia Route 28 Alternate|WV&nbsp;28 Alt.]] Because of this, many truckers used this exit to get to [[West Virginia Route 28|WV&nbsp;28]]. This created problems on WV&nbsp;28 Alt. in [[Ridgeley, West Virginia]], as trucks became stuck under a low railroad overpass, blocking traffic through Ridgeley. To reduce this problem, [[Maryland State Highway Administration|MDSHA]] removed references to WV&nbsp;28 Alt. from guide signs for exit&nbsp;43A and placed warning signs in Cumberland and on I-68 approaching Cumberland advising truckers to instead use exit&nbsp;43B to [[Maryland Route 51|MD&nbsp;51]], which allows them to connect to WV&nbsp;28 via Virginia Avenue, bypassing the low overpass in Ridgeley.<ref name=wv28a>{{cite news|work=[[Cumberland Times-News]] |first=Sarah |last=Moses |date=December 23, 2008 |title=Signs Alert Truck Drivers to Low Overpass in Ridgeley |url=http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_358085114.html |access-date=January 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226231812/http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_358085114.html |archive-date=December 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
[[File:2016-05-05 13 02 58 View west along Interstate 68 and U.S. Route 40 (National Freeway) in Piney Grove, Allegany County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|View west along I-68 and US&nbsp;40 (National Freeway) in Piney Grove]]
[[File:2019-07-14 13 12 11 View west along Interstate 68 and U.S. Route 40 (National Freeway) from the Victor Cushwa Memorial Bridge as it passes through the Sideling Hill Road Cut in Forest Park, Washington County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|I-68 passes through the Sideling Hill road cut.|alt=A highway passes through a cut through a mountain. The rock walls of the cut are visible above the highway.]]
At exit&nbsp;44 in east Cumberland, US&nbsp;40 Alt. meets the freeway and ends, and, at exit&nbsp;46, US&nbsp;220 leaves I-68 and runs northward toward [[Bedford, Pennsylvania]]. I-68 continues across northeastern Allegany County, passing [[Rocky Gap State Park]] near exit&nbsp;50. In northeastern Allegany County, the former US&nbsp;40 bypassed by I-68 is designated as [[Maryland Route 144|MD&nbsp;144]], with several exits from I-68 along the route. I-68 crosses several mountain ridges along this section of the highway, including Martins Mountain, Town Hill, and Green Ridge, and the highway passes through [[Green Ridge State Forest]]. East of Green Ridge State Forest, MD&nbsp;144 ends at [[U.S. Route 40 Scenic|US&nbsp;40 Scenic]], another former section of US&nbsp;40.<ref name=HLR/>

I-68 crosses into [[Washington County, Maryland|Washington County]] at [[Sideling Hill Creek (Potomac River tributary)|Sideling Hill Creek]] and ascends [[Sideling Hill]]. The road cut that was built into Sideling Hill for I-68 can be seen for several miles in each direction and has become a tourist attraction as a result of the geologic structure exposed by the road cut.<ref name=mdgs>{{cite web |url = http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/brochures/sideling.html |publisher = Maryland Geological Society |year = 1994 |first = David |last = Brezinski |title = Geology of the Sideling Hill Road Cut |access-date = January 17, 2009 |archive-date = July 13, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120713001515/http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/brochures/sideling.html |url-status = dead }}</ref>

On the east side of Sideling Hill, I-68 again interchanges with US&nbsp;40 Scenic, at its eastern terminus at Woodmont Road. Here, US&nbsp;40 Scenic ends at a section of MD&nbsp;144 separate from the section further west. {{convert|4|mi|km|spell=In}} east of this interchange, I-68 ends at [[Interstate 70 in Maryland|I-70]] and [[U.S. Route 522|US&nbsp;522]] in the town of [[Hancock, Maryland|Hancock]].<ref name=HLR/>
{{clear}}

==Exit list==
{{jcttop|exit|state_col=state|length_ref={{efn|Mileposts and exit numbers reset at the state line.<ref name=HLR>{{Maryland HLR |year= 2013 |county1= Garrett |county2= Allegany |county3= Washington |access-date= January 21, 2010}}</ref><ref name=wvdotmncm>{{cite map|author=West Virginia Department of Transportation Program Planning and Administration Division |title=General Highway Map: Monongalia County |scale=1:63,360 |location=Charleston |publisher=West Virginia Department of Transportation |year=2008 |url=http://gis.wvdot.com/gti/County_Maps/Monongalia_2_of_2.pdf |sheet=2 |format=PDF |access-date=September 11, 2009 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425063523/http://gis.wvdot.com/gti/County_Maps/Monongalia_2_of_2.pdf |archive-date=April 25, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=wvdotprcm>{{cite map |author = West Virginia Department of Transportation Program Planning and Administration Division |title = General Highway Map: Preston County |scale = 1:63,360 |location = Charleston |publisher = West Virginia Department of Transportation Program |year = 2008 |url = https://gis.transportation.wv.gov/GISCountyMaps/PDF-Hillshade/PrestonSheet%201.pdf |sheet = 1 |access-date = September 11, 2009 |archive-date = April 27, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190427020952/https://gis.transportation.wv.gov/GISCountyMaps/PDF-Hillshade/PrestonSheet%201.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref>}}}}
{{WVint|exit
|sspan=8
|county=Monongalia
|cspan=5
|location=Morgantown
|lspan=4
|mile=0.0
|exit=—
|road={{jct|state=WV|I|79|city1=Fairmont|location2=[[Washington, Pennsylvania|Washington]]}}
|notes=Western terminus; exit&nbsp;148 on I-79
}}
{{WVint|exit
|mile=1.1
|exit=1
|road={{jct|state=WV|US|119|name1=University Avenue|location1=[[Morgantown, West Virginia|Downtown]]}}
}}
{{WVint|exit
|mile=4.0
|exit=4
|road={{jct|state=WV|WV|7|city1=Sabraton}}
}}
{{WVint|exit
|mile=6.9
|exit=7
|road={{jct|state=WV|to2=to|CR|857|WV|705|county1=Monongalia|road|Pierpont Road|location1=[[Morgantown Municipal Airport]]}}
}}
{{WVint|exit
|location=Cheat Lake
|mile=10.0
|exit=10
|road={{jct|state=WV|WV|43|dir1=north|city1=Cheat Lake|location2=[[Uniontown, Pennsylvania|Uniontown PA]]}}
}}
{{WVint|exit
|county=Preston
|cspan=3
|location=Pisgah
|mile=14.5
|exit=15
|road={{jct|state=WV|CR|73|denom1=12|county1=Preston|name1=Coopers Rock Road|location1=[[Coopers Rock State Forest]]}}
}}
{{WVint|exit
|location=Bruceton Mills
|mile=22.6
|exit=23
|road={{jct|state=WV|WV|26|city1=Bruceton Mills}}
}}
{{WVint|exit
|location=Hazelton
|mile=28.5
|exit=29
|road={{jct|state=WV|CR|5|county1=Preston|name1=Hazelton Road}}
}}
{{jctplace|exit
|river=&nbsp;
|river_wide=yes
|mile=31.5
|mile2=0.00
|line=yes
|place=[[West Virginia]]–[[Maryland]] state line
}}
{{MDint|exit
|sspan=31
|county=Garrett
|cspan=6
|location=Friendsville
|mile=3.83
|exit=4
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|42|city1=Friendsville}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Keysers Ridge
|mile=13.82
|exit=14
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=MD|US|40|dir1=west|US|219|dir2=south|location1=[[Uniontown, Pennsylvania|Uniontown]]|city2=Oakland}}
|notes=Cloverleaf interchange; western terminus of US 40/US 219 concurrency; signed as exits 14A (US&nbsp;219) and 14B (US&nbsp;40)
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Grantsville
|lspan=2
|mile=19.20
|exit=19
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|495|city1=Grantsville|city2=Swanton}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=22.26
|exit=22
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=MD|US|219|dir1=north|US-Bus|219|dab2=Chestnut Ridge|dir2=north|location1=[[Meyersdale, Pennsylvania|Meyersdale]]}}
|notes=Eastern terminus of US&nbsp;219 concurrency; southern terminus of US&nbsp;219 Bus.
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=none
|mile=23.98
|exit=24
|road={{jctname|state=MD|MD|948D|noshield1=yes|name1=Lower New Germany Road}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Finzel
|mile=29.78
|exit=29
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|546|city1=Finzel}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|county=Allegany
|cspan=21
|location=Frostburg
|lspan=2
|mile=33.32
|exit=33
|road={{jctname|state=MD|MD|736|name1=Midlothian Road|noshield1=yes|city1=Frostburg}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=35.01
|exit=34
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|36|city1=Westernport|city2=Frostburg}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=LaVale
|lspan=2
|mile=39.20
|exit=39
|type=incomplete
|road={{jct|state=MD|US-Alt|40|dab1=Cumberland|city1=La Vale}}
|notes=No eastbound exit
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=39.93
|exit=40
|type=incomplete
|road={{jct|state=MD|US-Truck|220|dir1=south|name1=Vocke Road}}
|notes=No westbound entrance; Vocke Road is unsigned [[Maryland Route 658|MD&nbsp;658]]
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=none
|mile=41.54
|exit=41
|type=incomplete
|road={{jct|state=MD|road|Seton Drive|to2=to|MD|49}}
|notes=Westbound exit only
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Cumberland
|lspan=9
|mile=42.32
|exit=42
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=MD|US|220|dir1=south|road|Greene Street|city1=McCoole|location2=[[Keyser, West Virginia|Keyser]]}}
|notes=Western terminus of US&nbsp;220 concurrency; includes unsigned westbound exit and eastbound entrance to Fletcher Drive
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=43.59
|exit=43A
|type=incomplete
|road={{jct|state=MD|road|Beall Street / Johnson Street|location1=[[Ridgeley, West Virginia|Ridgeley, WV]]}}
|notes=[[Right-in/right-out]]s with Beall Street (westbound) and Johnson Street (eastbound)
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=43.88
|exit=43B
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|51|name1=Industrial Boulevard|location1=[[Cumberland Regional Airport]]|extra=airport}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=43.90
|exit=43C
|road=[[Downtown Cumberland, Maryland|Downtown Cumberland]]
|notes=Eastbound entrance via exit&nbsp;43B
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=44.22
|exit=43D
|road=Maryland Avenue
|notes=Right-in/right-out; no hazardous materials on westbound exit
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=44.85
|exit=44
|road={{jct|state=MD|US-Alt|40|dab1=Cumberland|dir1=west|name1=Baltimore Avenue|National||road|Willow Brook Road ([[Maryland Route 639|MD&nbsp;639]])}}
|notes=Eastern terminus of US 40 Alternate
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=45.77
|exit=45
|road={{jctname|state=MD|MD|952|noshield1=yes|name1=Hillcrest Drive}}
|notes=Right-in/right-out
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=46.47
|exit=46
|type=incomplete
|road={{jctname|state=MD|MD|144|noshield1=yes|name1=Naves Cross Road}}
|notes=Westbound exit and entrance; eastbound access is at exit&nbsp;47
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=47.17
|exit=47
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=MD|US|220|dir1=north|name1=[[Maryland Route 144|MD&nbsp;144]]|National|location1=[[Bedford, Pennsylvania|Bedford]]}}
|notes=Eastern terminus of US&nbsp;220 concurrency; signed as exit&nbsp;46 eastbound
}}
{{Jctint|exit
|location_special=[[Rocky Gap State Park]]
|mile=51.26
|exit=50
|road={{jctname|state=MD|MD|948AD|noshield1=yes|name1=Pleasant Valley Road|location1=[[Rocky Gap State Park]]}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=none
|mile=52.50
|exit=52
|type=incomplete
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|144|dir1=east|name1=[[National Pike]]}}
|notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Flintstone
|mile=55.95
|exit=56
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|144|name1=[[National Pike]]|city1=Flintstone}}
}}
{{jctint|exit
|location_special=[[Green Ridge State Forest]]
|lspan=2
|mile=62.92
|exit=62
|road={{jct|state=MD|US-Scenic|40|dir1=east|road|Fifteen Mile Creek Road}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|mile=64.19
|exit=64
|road={{jctname|state=MD|MD|948AL|noshield1=yes|name1=M.V. Smith Road}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=none
|mile=68.72
|exit=68
|road={{jctname|state=MD|MD|948Z|noshield1=yes|name1=Orleans Road}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=none
|mile=71.64
|exit=72
|road={{jct|state=MD|US-Scenic|40|road|High Germany Road / Swain Road}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|county=Washington
|cspan=4
|location=none
|mile=73.59
|exit=74
|type=incomplete
|road={{jct|state=MD|US-Scenic|40|dir1=east|road|Mountain Road}}
|notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=none
|mile=
|place=[[Sideling Hill#Sideling Hill Road Cut (I-68 and U.S. 40, Maryland)|Sideling Hill Cut]] (rest area and welcome center) 
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=none
|mile=77.15
|exit=77
|road={{jct|state=MD|US-Scenic|40|dir1=west|MD|144|road|Woodmont Road}}
}}
{{MDint|exit
|location=Hancock
|mile=81.09
|exit=82
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=MD|I|70|US|40|US|522|dir2=east|city1=Hancock|location2=[[Winchester, Virginia|Winchester]]|city3=Hagerstown|location4=[[Breezewood, Pennsylvania|Breezewood]]}}
|notes=Eastern terminus; eastern terminus of US&nbsp;40 concurrency; signed as exits&nbsp;82A (south), 82B (east) and 82C (west/north); exit 1A on I-70
}}
{{jctbtm|old|keys=concur,incomplete}}

==See also==
* {{Portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}
* {{Portal-inline|Maryland Roads}}

==Notes==
{{Noteslist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* [https://www.aaroads.com/interstate-guide/i-068/ Interstate Guide – I-68]
* [https://www.aaroads.com/guides/i-068-wv/ I-68 in West Virginia at AARoads.com]
* [https://www.aaroads.com/guides/i-068-md/ I-68 in Maryland at AARoads.com]
* [http://www.mdroads.com/routes/is068.html I-68 at MDRoads.com]
* [https://www.alpsroads.net/roads/wv/i-68/ West Virginia Roads - I-68]
* [https://www.alpsroads.net/roads/md/i-68/ Maryland Roads - I-68]
* [http://www.roadstothefuture.com/I68_MD.html Roads to the Future - National Freeway (I-68)]

{{Interstates}}

{{Featured article}}

[[Category:Appalachian Development Highway System|E]]
[[Category:Interstate Highway System|68]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in Maryland|68]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in West Virginia|68]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 40|68]]
[[Category:Transportation in Monongalia County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Transportation in Preston County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Roads in Garrett County, Maryland]]
[[Category:Roads in Allegany County, Maryland]]
[[Category:Roads in Washington County, Maryland]]
[[Category:Limited-access roads in Maryland]]