Interstate 68 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Interstate 68
Lua error in Module:Infobox_road/map at line 15: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Route information
Maintained by WVDOH and MDSHA
Length	112.9 mi (181.7 km)
Existed	1991–present
Major junctions
West end	I‑79 in Morgantown, WV
	US 119 at Morgantown, WV US 40 / US 219 near Grantsville, MD US 220 near Cumberland, MD
East end	I-70 / US 40 / US 522 in Hancock, MD
Highway system
Main route of the Interstate Highway System Main • Auxiliary • Business ← MD 67 MD MD 68 → ← WV 67 WV WV 68 →

Interstate 68 (often called I-68) is a special kind of highway in the United States. It's part of the Interstate Highway System, which is a big network of roads that connect different states. These highways are built for fast, safe travel across the country.

I-68 starts in Morgantown, West Virginia, and goes east. It travels through the mountains and valleys of West Virginia and Maryland. The highway ends in Hancock, Maryland. The total length of Interstate 68 is about 112.9 miles (181.7 kilometers). It was officially opened in 1991.

About Interstate 68

Interstate 68 is an important road for people traveling in the Appalachian Mountains. It helps connect towns and cities in this area. The highway is also known as the National Freeway in some parts. This name comes from the historic National Road (U.S. Route 40), which runs alongside much of I-68.

The highway helps drivers get around easily. It connects with other major roads like Interstate 79 in West Virginia and Interstate 70 in Maryland. This makes it simple to travel to other parts of the country.

Building the Highway

Building Interstate 68 was a big project. It involved cutting through mountains and building bridges over rivers. One famous part is the Sideling Hill road cut in Maryland. This is a huge cut through a mountain that shows different layers of rock. It's a cool spot to see geology!

The highway was designed to make travel safer and faster. Before I-68, drivers had to use older, winding roads. Now, it's much easier to get from West Virginia to Maryland.

Images for kids

• 

  The Cumberland Thruway bridge, as seen from the Baltimore Street bridge over Wills Creek in Cumberland

• 

  View east along I-68 east of WV 26 in Preston County, West Virginia

• .

  I-68/US 40 eastbound and US 219 northbound at MD 495 near Grantsville

• 

  I-68 eastbound in Garrett County, Maryland, past the West Virginia state line

• 

  I-68 at the West Virginia–Maryland state line

• 

  Entering Maryland from West Virginia on I-68 eastbound in Garrett County

• 

  I-68 eastbound in Friendsville

• 

  I-68/US 40/US 220 concurrency in Cumberland

• 

  I-68 passes through the Sideling Hill road cut.

See also

In Spanish: Interestatal 68 para niños