Maryland Route 4

View north from the south end of MD 4 at MD 5 near Leonardtown

MD 4 begins at an intersection with MD 5 (Point Lookout Road) just east of the town of Leonardtown. The highway heads east as two-lane St. Andrews Church Road. MD 4 crosses several branches of Glebe Run, including Gravelly Run, and then parallels and crosses Glebe Run. The highway crosses the Western Branch of the St. Mary's River west of Indian Bridge Road, which leads south toward St. Mary's River State Park and later becomes MD 471. MD 4 heads northeast by historic St. Andrew's Church and crosses the Eastern Branch of the St. Mary's River on its way to California, where the highway intersects MD 235 (Three Notch Road). The highway continues as Patuxent Beach Road, a two-lane controlled-access highway. The highway curves to the east and back northeast again, crossing Mill Creek and Kingston Creek before crossing Town Creek and the Patuxent River on the high-level Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge.[1][2]

Highway marker used along the MD 2/MD 4 concurrency

MD 4 descends from the bridge into Calvert County just north of Solomons. The highway's name becomes Solomons Island Road and it expands to a four-lane divided highway. MD 4 has a compact interchange with MD 2, which leads south toward the Calvert Marine Museum and joins MD 4 in a long concurrency, during which the highway is often denoted MD 2–4. MD 2-4 heads north between the Solomons Naval Recreation Center to the west and MD 765 (Solomons Island Road South) on the east. MD 765 closely parallels the highway through the community of Dowell and intersections with Patuxent Point Parkway and Dowell Road. North of the latter road, MD 765 (H.G. Trueman Road) veers away from MD 2–4, which is also marked as Louis L. Goldstein Highway. MD 2-4 continues northeast through Lusby, where the highway has directional crossover intersections with Southern Connector Boulevard (unsigned MD 765Z) and MD 760 (Rousby Hall Road).[1][2]

Southbound MD 4 entering Calvert County

MD 2-4 gradually curves north and meets the western end of MD 497 (Cove Point Road) and a connecting road that leads to the parallel MD 765 and Calvert Cliffs State Park. The highway intersects MD 765 (Pardoe Road) and receives the end of the parallel highway shortly before crossing Johns Creek. MD 2-4 is paralleled to the east by another section of MD 765, Nursery Road, as it passes to the west of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. Another section of MD 765, Saw Mill Road, parallels the divided highway between Calvert Cliffs Parkway, which leads to the power station, and Flag Pond Parkway, which leads to Flag Ponds Nature Park. After crossing Quaker Swamp, also known as Woodland Branch of St. Leonard Creek, MD 2-4 enters the community of St. Leonard and is paralleled to the east by another segment of MD 765, St. Leonard Road. At the intersection with Ball Road/Calvert Beach Road in St. Leonard, the road passes east of a park and ride lot serving MTA Maryland commuter buses. Calvert Beach Road heads east to serve Calvert Beach. The highway intersects Western Shores Boulevard, which provide access to Long Beach, respectively. In Port Republic, MD 2-4 curve west at MD 509 (Governor Run Road) and has a dual intersection with MD 765 and MD 264 (Broomes Island Road). The junction with MD 765 is a right-in/right-out intersection with northbound MD 2-4; the MD 264 intersection is a directional crossover.[1][2]

MD 2-4 meets the eastern end of MD 506 (Sixes Road) and curves north toward the unincorporated town center of Prince Frederick. MD 765 (Main Street) splits to the northbound side of the main highway shortly before the highways cross Parker Creek, and MD 2-4 expands to six lanes ahead of its intersection with MD 231, which heads west as Hallowing Point Road and east as Church Street toward the Calvert County courthouse and offices. Further north, the highway receives the north end of MD 765. The routes leave Prince Frederick after their junction with MD 402 (Dares Beach Road) and the roadway reduces to four lanes before passing west of Calvert Health Medical Center. MD 2-4 cross Hunting Creek immediately after their directional crossover intersection with MD 263 (Plum Point Road). The highway parallels the loop of MD 524 (Old Town Road), which leads to MD 521, through Huntingtown. A park and ride lot is located southwest of the intersection with the southern terminus of MD 524. Within Huntingtown, the divided highway passes west of Huntingtown High School. From Huntingtown, the divided highway continues straight north to the split of MD 2 and MD 4 at a directional crossover intersection in Sunderland.[1][2]

Northbound MD 4 near California

MD 4 continues northwest as four-lane divided Southern Maryland Boulevard while MD 2 heads northeast as Solomons Island Road toward Annapolis. MD 4 immediately intersects MD 262 (Lower Marlboro Road) at another directional crossover intersection; the portion of MD 262 east of MD 4 has a right-in/right-out intersection with northbound MD 4. The highway crosses Chew Creek and Hall Creek on either side of Chaneyville, then passes through the town center of Dunkirk. Immediately south of the Calvert–Anne Arundel county line at Lyons Creek, MD 4 has a partial trumpet interchange with MD 260 (Chesapeake Beach Road); there is no access from MD 260 to southbound MD 4. The highway continues north paralleled by service roads briefly on the east (Fishers Station Road) and then on the west (MD 4 Service Road); both are segments of MD 980. A park and ride lot serving MTA Maryland commuter buses is located east of MD 4 north of the Lower Pindell Road intersection, with access from MD 980B service road. The divided highway and service road run north to Bristol, where the divided highway has a diamond interchange with MD 258 (Bay Front Road), which leads to MD 259 (Greenock Road) and MD 794 (Southern Maryland Boulevard).[1][2]

MD 4 southbound viewed from MD 408 in Waysons Corner

MD 4 continues northwest as Stephanie Roper Highway, with MD 794 (Southern Maryland Boulevard) paralleling on the northbound side. The southbound side is paralleled by another segment of MD 980 (MD 4 Service Road); there are ramps and right-in/right-out intersections with the parallel service roads on either side of Galloway Creek east of Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary. MD 4 curves west at its diamond interchange with MD 408 (Mt. Zion–Marlboro Road) at Waysons Corner. The highway crosses the Patuxent River into Prince George's County on Hills Bridge and has a northbound ramp to Marlboro Pike and a southbound ramp from Green Landing Road, which is unsigned MD 726. MD 4 has a cloverleaf interchange with U.S. Route 301 (Robert Crain Highway) and crosses over CSX's Pope's Creek Subdivision rail line. The freeway continues to the south of the town of Upper Marlboro, which is accessed via MD 4's diamond interchange with MD 717 (Water Street), which heads north toward the Prince George's County courthouse and county offices in the center of town and the Prince George's Equestrian Center and Show Place Arena to the south.[1][2]

MD 4 continues west as Pennsylvania Avenue and crosses the Western Branch of the Patuxent River just west of MD 717. West of Upper Marlboro, the freeway has a half-diamond interchange with Old Crain Highway allowing access to and from the west and a modified diamond interchange with Ritchie Marlboro Road, the portion of which between the highway and parallel Old Marlboro Pike to the north is another segment of MD 980. MD 4 has a partial cloverleaf interchange with the eastern end of MD 223 (Woodyard Road) in Melwood before the freeway ends and the highway expands to six lanes at Dower House Road. The highway heads northwest along the northeastern edge of the Andrews Air Force Base to an intersection with Suitland Parkway, which provides access to the military installation and leads west to MD 337 (Allentown Road). North of the parkway, MD 4 drops to four lanes at its cloverleaf interchange with I-95/I-495 (Capital Beltway) in Forestville. The highway intersects Forestville Road, which leads to the parallel Marlboro Pike. MD 4 intersects MD 458 (Silver Hill Road) south of District Heights, then parallels Oxon Run between Coral Hills and Cedar Hill Cemetery before reaching the District of Columbia boundary on the northern edge of Suitland at Southern Avenue. Pennsylvania Avenue continues northwest straight toward downtown Washington.[1][2]