Country Roads and Random Thoughts: South Shore Trail

South Shore Trail (Annapolis to Odenton)

The great lurch forward. Construction of Phase I (Waterbury Road to Hansel Drive) of the South Shore Trail should commence this summer, with follow-on phases being constructed though Fiscal year 2023 - now all this is as always subject approval and appropriation of funding - keep your fingers crossed.

The proposed South Shore Trail, in the works since the 1980’s, will cover the distance of 14 miles from Annapolis to Odenton. The trail will link the B&A Trail to the WB&A Trail and connect to the Annapolis Colonial Maritime Trail. The current South Shore Trail is from Annapolis Plaza to Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis – which opened in January 2013.

The South Shore Trail primarily utilizes the abandoned road bed of the WB& A Railroad between Annapolis and Odenton. The trail will connect with the Colonial Annapolis Maritime Trail on the east end.

On the Odenton end of the trail, the trail will connect with the Odenton Road Bike Path and the WB & A Trail, and providing easy access to Odenton Town Center. Future improvements planned for the Odenton area will facilitate connectivity with Fort Meade, the National Business Park, and Arundel Mills Mall.

The trail is a component of the East Coast Greenway and the American Discovery Trail.

The South Shore Trail's multi-phase construction will consist of:

· Phase I (Waterbury Road to Hansel Drive)

· Phase II (Sappington Station Road to Bonheur Drive)

· Phase III (Bestgate Road to Eisenhower Golf Course),

· Phase IV (Eisenhower Golf Course to Waterbury Road) and

· Phase V (Bestgate Road to Severn River Bridge).

The South Shore Trail's multi-phase construction timeline is:

· Phase I (Waterbury Road to Hansel Drive): Construction Expected to start Summer 2017

· Phase II (Sappington Station Road to Bonheur Drive): Design Underway

· Phase III (Bestgate Road to Eisenhower Golf Course): Feasibility Study expected to begin Summer 2017

· Phase IV (Eisenhower Golf Course to Waterbury Road): Feasibility Study expected to begin Summer 2017

· Phase V (Bestgate Road to Severn River Bridge): TBD

· MD3 Crossing: Feasibility Study expected to begin Spring/Summer 2017 for MD Route 3 Crossing

Check out the Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks website to see the maps of the South Shore Trail.

History of the Right of Way

The WashCycle did a nice piece on the History of the Shore Shore Trail right away back in December, 2008. “In 1838, after the B&O connected DC and Baltimore, a line was built off of that line to Annapolis. It was to connect at Elkridge, MD but instead connected several mile south at a place that became Annapolis Junction. Nonetheless, the name Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad was kept. The railroad struggled somewhat, but was still in service in 1903 when it was purchased by the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad. It was closed, electrified and in 1908 reopened.”

“The WB&A eventually became a three line system created out of the A&ER, a new electric line between DC and Baltimore and in 1921, the Baltimore and Annapolis. Portions of the WB&A and the B&A now serve as part of the Baltimore light rail system, sections of both are used for rail trails (B&A and WB&A) and parts of the WB&A are now roads in and around DC and north of Odenton.”

“Under the WB&A the A&ER became the "South Shore" line. The Great Depression did the WB&A in. Most of it was removed in 1935. A short piece continued to serve Fort Meade, but it too was gone by 1981. Only a small section at the junction still remains.”

For the rest of the story on the history of the right of way, visit the WashCycle write-up for the rest of the story.