Maryland Route 193

MD 193 westbound at MD 195 in Silver Spring

MD 193 begins at an acute intersection with MD 185 (Connecticut Avenue) in Kensington. There is no access between southbound MD 185 and eastbound MD 193, as well as between westbound MD 193 and northbound MD 185; those movements use Perry Avenue. The state highway, named University Boulevard, heads northeast as a six-lane divided highway through a commercial area. After leaving the town limits of Kensington, MD 193 passes through a mix of apartment complexes and single family homes. The state highway enters the commercial district of Wheaton, where the road passes the Westfield Wheaton shopping mall and intersects MD 586 (Veirs Mill Road). MD 586 south is used to access the Wheaton station along Washington Metro's Red Line. MD 193 continues east through the commercial area to meet MD 97 (Georgia Avenue). There are no left turns allowed from MD 193 to MD 97; instead, the eastbound and westbound directions use Grandview Avenue and Amherst Avenue, respectively, to complete the missing movements.[1][3]

After passing the WTOP-FM radio transmitter, MD 193 heads southeast through suburban residential areas. The state highway descends into the valley of Sligo Creek, where the highway meets the northern end of Sligo Creek Parkway and crosses the Sligo Creek Trail. MD 193 passes a cluster of high-rise apartment buildings and Northwood High School around the intersection with Arcola Avenue and turns south, passing Dennis Avenue. MD 193 splits into a one-way pair upon entering the Four Corners commercial area, where the highway intersects U.S. Route 29 (US 29) and passes Montgomery Blair High School. The state highway then meets Interstate 495 (I-495, Capital Beltway) at a partial cloverleaf interchange that is missing the movements between I-495 east and MD 193 west and between MD 193 east and I-495 west. The missing movements are completed by using US 29 south of Four Corners. After crossing the Capital Beltway, MD 193 continues south through residential suburban areas of Silver Spring, intersecting East Franklin Avenue. After meeting MD 320 and passing Quebec Terrace Park, the state highway turns southeast and enters an area of garden apartments and duplexes. After crossing MD 195 at an oblique angle, MD 193 enters Prince George's County.[1][3]

MD 193 westbound in College Park

MD 193 continues east into Langley Park, an area with multiple shopping centers, garden apartments, and heavy pedestrian cross-traffic. MD 193 meets MD 650 (New Hampshire Avenue) at Takoma-Langley Crossroads, an intersection with a shopping center on all four corners and the Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center located at the northwest corner. The state highway continues straight southeast toward its junction with MD 212, where MD 193 turns east. After passing Lane Manor Recreation Center, the state highway leaves the commercial area and crosses Northwest Branch. Here the highway reduces to four lanes. MD 193 continues east through a forested area toward College Park. Campus Drive continues straight toward the University of Maryland campus as well as University of Maryland Global Campus, while MD 193 veers left and intersects Adelphi Road. Movements between MD 193 east and Adelphi Road south are made via Campus Drive. After passing Adelphi Road, the state highway heads northeast past the intersection with Stadium Drive, which is used to access Maryland Stadium and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. After turning east again, MD 193 intersects Paint Branch Drive, which serves the Xfinity Center arena. The state highway passes Paint Branch Golf Course and crosses Paint Branch, after which the highway intersects US 1 at a partial interchange. The missing movements are made via a right-in/right-out interchange on the eastbound side just to the east of the partial interchange, and through Greenbelt Road (unsigned MD 430) just to the east of Rhode Island Avenue, which has a westbound at-grade exit and eastbound entrance.[1][3]

MD 193 westbound viewed from I-95/I-495 in Greenbelt

After passing Greenbelt Road, MD 193 expands to six lanes and its name changes to Greenbelt Road. The state highway crosses CSX's Capital Subdivision railroad line, MARC's Camden Line, and the Green Line of the Washington Metro and Indian Creek, then enters a commercial area as the highway straddles the northern boundary of Berwyn Heights. After passing Cherrywood Drive, which leads to the Greenbelt Metro station, MD 193 passes Beltway Plaza shopping mall. The state highway then meets MD 201 (Kenilworth Avenue) at a diamond interchange. MD 193 continues east into Greenbelt as an eight-lane divided highway past Greenbelt Park until right before passing under the Capital Beltway, where the right lane eastbound exits for the southbound Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Both directions of MD 193 access the southbound parkway via Southway, which heads north into the Greenbelt Historic District. After crossing the parkway, MD 193 has an intersection with the northbound ramps to the parkway. After passing south of Eleanor Roosevelt High School, the road reduces to four lanes and the state highway passes a series of apartment complexes on the south and the campus of Goddard Space Flight Center on the north. Beyond Goddard, MD 193 heads north of DuVal High School before it crosses Good Luck Road. The road passes some more apartments and shopping centers in Glenn Dale before meeting MD 564 (Lanham Severn Road).[1][3]

View west at the east end of MD 193 at MD 202 in Kettering

MD 193 heads southeast from MD 564 as Glenn Dale Boulevard, a four-lane divided highway with a wide median through scattered residential subdivisions. The state highway immediately crosses Amtrak's Northeast Corridor railroad line and MARC's Penn Line as well as Folly Branch. MD 193 passes Marietta, a historic home and museum, before its intersection with MD 450 (Annapolis Road), where the name of the highway changes to Enterprise Road. Beyond MD 450, the state highway slims down to two lanes and passes through residential subdivisions. After an intersection with the old alignment, MD 953 (Glenn Dale Road), MD 193 temporarily becomes a divided highway as it passes under the US 50 freeway. The state highway enters the affluent suburb of Woodmore, where it passes the Country Club at Woodmore and Enterprise Golf Course, which features the Newton White Mansion, before intersecting Lottsford Road and Woodmore Road. MD 193 continues south and temporarily expands to a four-lane divided highway prior to crossing the Northeast Branch of the Western Branch of the Patuxent River and meeting MD 214 (Central Avenue) in Kettering. Beyond MD 214, the state highway becomes a two-lane undivided road and changes its name to Watkins Park Drive. MD 193 passes Watkins Regional Park and First Baptist Church of Glenarden before encountering Oak Grove Drive at a roundabout. From there, the state highway turns southwest and meets its eastern terminus at MD 202 (Largo Road) at the boundary between the census-designated places of Kettering and Brock Hall.[1][3]