I-895 is maintained by the
Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) and, like all Interstate Highways, is a part of the
National Highway System for its entire length.
Western approach I-895 begins at exit 46 of I-95 in Elkridge with single-lane flyover ramps from northbound I-95 to I-895 and from I-895 to southbound I-95. The highway, which has a speed limit of , expands to four lanes on a viaduct over local roads and
CSX Transportation's
Capital Subdivision railroad line and
MARC Train's
Camden Line. I-895 crosses the Patapsco River (the
Howard–
Baltimore county line) and US 1 (Washington Boulevard), then receives the exit 1 flyover ramps from northbound US 1 and to southbound US 1 before passing under
I-195 with no access. I-895 continues east parallel to the Patapsco River. The highway passes along the southern edge of
Halethorpe, where it crosses
Amtrak's
Northeast Corridor railroad line and MARC Train's
Penn Line along with Herbert Run. I-895 meets I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) at exit 3, which includes a loop ramp from eastbound I-695 and a ramp to westbound I-695. The highway crosses Hammonds Ferry Road in
Baltimore Highlands before exit 4 with MD 295 (B–W Parkway), which includes a loop ramp to southbound MD 295 and a ramp from northbound MD 295. The speed limit drops to , then the highway crosses
MD 648 (Annapolis Road) and curves northeast across marshland, the main line of the
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)'s
Baltimore Light RailLink, and the Patapsco River into
Anne Arundel County. East of the river, I-895 receives flyover ramps from the thruway's southern approach, unsigned I-895B, at exit 6 in
Brooklyn Park. The highway enters the city of Baltimore and curves to the east over Patapsco Avenue before exit 7 with MD 2 (Potee Street), which includes a loop ramp to southbound MD 2 and a ramp from the intersection of MD 2 and
MD 173 (Patapsco Avenue). I-895 parallels CSX Transportation's Curtis Bay Branch as the highway passes along the northern edge of the
Brooklyn neighborhood. The highway crosses the Curtis Bay Branch on a steel
K-truss bridge ahead of exits 8A and 8B. Exit 8A includes a loop ramp to and a flyover ramp from Shell Road, which heads toward the
Curtis Bay neighborhood. Exit 8B includes ramps from eastbound Frankfurst Avenue and to westbound Frankfurst Avenue; that street leads to Hanover Street and
Downtown Baltimore. I-895 passes through the 14-booth toll plaza for the tunnel; immediately to the east of the toll plaza is exit 9, a half
diamond interchange with Childs Street for traffic to and from the toll plaza. The speed limit decreases to as the highway curves to the northeast through the Fairfield unit of the
Port of Baltimore and descends into the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel.
Northern approach I-895 surfaces from the tunnel adjacent to the toll plaza for the
Fort McHenry Tunnel within the Canton neighborhood. The highway passes over several rail lines of the
Canton Railroad and several streets as it curves to the north. The exit 10 ramp to Holabird Avenue diverges from I-895 immediately before the highway passes under I-95 with no access. I-895 returns to ground level and the highway crosses Ponca and Boston streets; the speed limit increases to ahead of exits 11A and 11B, which serve Boston and O'Donnell streets, respectively (with ramps to/from eastbound Boston Street and loop ramps to/from westbound O'Donnell Street). The highway crosses a rail line before passing through the
Greektown neighborhood in a cut. I-895 passes under
MD 150 (Eastern Avenue) ahead of exit 12, a four-ramp
partial cloverleaf interchange with Lombard Street just to the west of
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center that has ramps in both directions of the Interstate, and is the only interchange to be built out that way. The highway veers northeast and crosses both Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and CSX Transportation's
Philadelphia Subdivision railroad lines before exit 13 with US 40 (Pulaski Highway) and
MD 151 (Erdman Avenue); the entrance ramp extends from the US 40–MD 151 partial cloverleaf interchange immediately to the north and west. After crossing Herring Run, I-895 meets Moravia Road at exit 14, a five-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange that lacks an exit from northbound I-895, which is accessed via exit 13 and a loop ramp to the northwest. This interchange complements exit 60 off I-95, where the eastern terminus of Moravia Road meets the planned western terminus of the
Windlass Freeway. A branch of the I-95 Express Toll Lanes begin within the interchange with Moravia Road, there are ramps from northbound I-895 to the northbound toll lanes, and from the southbound toll lanes to southbound I-895. The highway crosses Moores Run before reaching its northern terminus at exit 62 of I-95 (John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway), a pair of flyover ramps from I-895 to northbound I-95 and from southbound I-95 to I-895 on the boundary between the city of Baltimore and the Baltimore County community of Rosedale. ==History==