Maryland Route 97 - Route Description - Carroll County

Carroll County

Upon crossing the river, MD 97 enters Carroll County and becomes Old Washington Road. The road crosses CSX's Old Main Line Subdivision railroad and the speed limit drops to 35 mph (56 km/h) as it passes wooded areas with some residences before increasing to 40 mph (64 km/h) again. It runs through a mix of woods and farms with some residences along the road. The number of residences increases as the route crosses Streaker Road in Berrett as a 35 mph (56 km/h) road. From here, MD 97 passes more residences as a 40 mph (64 km/h) road before intersecting Maryland Route 850 (Old Liberty Road) at a roundabout; a short distance later, it intersects Maryland Route 26 (Liberty Road) at a folded diamond interchange in Dorsey Crossroads. Past MD 26, MD 97 becomes New Washington Road and heads north through a mix of farmland, woodland, and residential neighborhoods, paralleled to the west by Maryland Route 854 (Old Washington Road). The road passes through woodland before intersecting Nicodemus Road, where it continues past farms and woods before crossing Maryland Route 32 (Sykesville Road) in Fenby.

Past this intersection, MD 97 passes to the east of Carroll Community College and heads into residential areas as it approaches Westminster, bypassing the center of the town to the east. The route becomes Malcolm Drive past the intersection with Main Street/Old Westminster Road and continues to an intersection with Maryland Route 140 (Baltimore Boulevard). Here, MD 97 makes a left turn to form a concurrency with MD 140 on Baltimore Boulevard, a six-lane divided highway. The two routes head through commercial areas on the outskirts of Westminster, passing by the TownMall of Westminster before interchanging with Maryland Route 27 (Manchester Road) at a folded-diamond interchange. Past this interchange, the road passes over the Maryland Midland Railway and passes more businesses. At the Sullivan Road intersection, the road becomes College View Boulevard and a short distance later, MD 97 splits from MD 140 at an interchange near McDaniel College.

MD 97 continues north on Littlestown Pike, a two-lane undivided road. The road passes Carroll County Regional Airport before heading into a mix of farmland and residences, with the speed limit increasing to 50 mph (80 km/h). MD 97 intersects the southern terminus of Maryland Route 496 (Bachmans Valley Road), and continues northwest through agricultural and wooded areas with intermittent residences, with the speed limit eventually dropping to 40 mph (64 km/h). It passes through Union Mills, where the speed limit drops to 35 mph (56 km/h) and the road intersects Old Hanover Road. The speed limit rises to 45 mph (72 km/h) upon leaving Union Mills before dropping to 35 mph (56 km/h) again as MD 97 enters Silver Run, a community of residences. Upon leaving this community, the speed limit on the route increases to 50 mph (80 km/h) as it continues through woods and farm fields. A short distance later, MD 97 reaches the Pennsylvania border, where it becomes Pennsylvania Route 97 and continues north into Adams County.