Similar, but different. The first shield is just after I-895 spawns from I-95, and the TO is part of the I-95 shield - I was going too fast to notice if it was wooden, though. The second is just as old, but in all different pieces, and well north of the Harbor Tunnel. These are original to the Harbor Tunnel, and if you're up on your history you'll know I-95 briefly used that before the Fort McHenry Tunnel opened. So either the TO signs were erected when I-95 was moved, or they were always there to let you know that this was just a temporary routing.
Pardon the rear window, but that's the northern beginning of I-97 (well, actually the ramps that lead to it). You may also notice that I-895 South is suddenly The Tunnel Thruway. Given the existence of another tunnel on I-95, the sign should read Harbor Tunnel Thruway. Taking that exit, I came to some odd mileposting. I-895B is Maryland's term for the highway that continues to MD 2, which, as you'll note, is not what Exit 6 is signed for. I-895A is the short branch that heads west to I-97. Of course, the whole thing would make more sense as I-97 (and, for the spur to 2, perhaps I-97A).
Southbound across a railroad in Masonville, on the south side of the Harbor Tunnel. This is just south of the Tunnel tollbooths.
A side view of the bridge from Shell Rd. NB at I-895 Exit 8.
Shell Rd. turns into Frankfurst Rd. after crossing I-895 and these photos are from there looking south at the bridge as I travel west, parallel to I-895 SB.
Art Deco lettering!
A different look at it, southbound courtesy Lou Corsaro.
Between those two photos, click for a southbound video drive.
This is technically Exit 10, immediately after the tollbooths on the north side of the tunnel. It is very much original signage as well. Notice the traffic back there to the left on I-95, which braids with I-895 north of the tunnels. There happened to be an accident that day, but in general, even though 895 is four lanes and 95 six, I-895 flows better because most people just follow the same number straight through. (895 is less mileage even, and an advance sign tells you that.)
The I-895 split from I-95 was under construction at the same time as the disentanglement of the I-95/695 junction a few miles to the north. I guess Maryland figured, as long as people are inconvenienced, may as well maximize the inconvenience but minimize the duration. These photos are from 2009-2010, after I-895 became a right exit instead of a left exit, but before the HOV lane was constructed down the middle of I-95 to Exit 14 (Moravia Rd.) of I-895.
Continuing south to the aforementioned Moravia Rd. interchange. There are already standard ramps on the right side of I-895, and this will add a restricted HOV ramp right down the middle.
New in December 2014, the I-95 Express Lanes opened to traffic and were free as an incentive to test drive them, so I entered them from the end of I-895 NB. Besides the ugly Toll shields, what's featured here is the fact that none of the ramps were built at the I-695 interchange (to this day, and maybe never) but there at least are ramps to MD 43 beyond that. Nothing was ever pasted over "NO CASH" so I'm not sure what the little dots are. LEDs highlighting the fact?