All photos are eastbound as long as the car is moving.


Across the Casselman River on the "modern road," although that description really fits I-68 now.


One of the original National Road bridges is just past US 219. Most of them are actually on the traveled way and not bypassed, a testament to their solid construction and partially because US 40 proper now follows I-68.


Through historic Frostburg on the whole of the MD 36 concurrency. The old National Road indeed bears off at MD 36, then curves left (now a regular turn) at the traffic light in the background of the last photo as MD 743.


The Clarysville Bridge, built in 1843 and lovingly restored in 1976. It's one of those bridges not on the modern through route, but it's still open to traffic.


The access is frrom MD 55 and faces west, serving a few houses on the south side of Alt. US 40.


The original builder's stone wore almost completely away but was still judged worthy of being reset. The original guiderail is gone, ostensibly since the bridge was bypassed.


By that 6-mile stone featured on the front page is a definitely genuine toll house from the National Pike days.


EB at Wills Mountain, where MD 36 comes back to Alt. US 40 again (remember it from Frostburg?), this time to end after a loop around the top of the state. The sign says that the first iron rails made in the U.S. were manufactured in 1844 at Mt. Savage. Before that time, all iron rails were imported from England. No wonder the railroad industry took off in the 1840s and 1850s.


The railroad tracks that crossed the trestle continue right alongside Alt. US 40 on this wall, not leaving the National Road any room to breathe. It's then mirrored by the sheer rock wall in the background.


Actually, this is a different railroad, one that runs on the Cumberland side of Wills Creek, which US 40 nevertheless crosses effortlessly. It then junctions itself somehow. You can almost read the bridge plaque, except for the name of the company. Sorry, best I could do while inside the car.


While I'm not a big fan of the one-piece signs, at least there are no misplaced JCT banners.

(The original) Casselman River Bridge
Onto MD 36 alone
Back to Alt. US 40 main page
Onto parent US 40

To I-68
Onto US 219
To US 220
Back to Maryland Roads
Back to Roads