Limestone Road is a road name found in multiple locations, most notably in the United States (Delaware and Maryland) and in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The name derives from the geological presence of limestone in the respective areas or from historical associations with limestone quarrying and transport.
Delaware, United States
In northern New Castle County, Delaware, Limestone Road is a major north-south thoroughfare that forms part of Delaware Route 7. It runs approximately five miles through the Piedmont terrain from the Pennsylvania state line south to Milltown. The road has existed since at least the mid-18th century as a colonial route, linking farms in southeastern Pennsylvania to shipping points at Newport and Stanton, Delaware, from which grain traveled to Philadelphia. The name is derived from the geological composition of the area, which contains limestone deposits. Over time, the road has been widened and developed into a significant commercial and residential corridor serving the greater Wilmington metropolitan area.
Maryland, United States
In Cumberland, Maryland, Limestone Road is the namesake of the Limestone Road Superfund Site, a hazardous waste site listed on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List. The site, located on both sides of Limestone Road on the western slope of Irons Mountain, was used for the disposal of commercial, residential, and demolition waste during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1981, approximately 110 tons of waste sludge containing chromium, lead, and cadmium were illegally dumped on the properties. The EPA selected a remediation alternative involving site grading, capping of contaminated soil, fencing, and continued monitoring of water and sediment.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
In Belfast, Limestone Road was named after the old Limestone Railway, with which it ran parallel. The Limestone Railway was promoted by Thomas Vemer, the last Sovereign of Belfast under the old regime, who acquired quarrying rights on Cavehill from the Marquis of Donegall. The railway was built to carry quarried limestone down to the quays. The railway operation was successful for a time, then declined, and the track was filled in and levelled in 1924. In 1949, Limestone Street was incorporated into Limestone Road, and the properties were renumbered in a continuous line. Part of Limestone Road had previously been called Alexandra Road.
Historical American Roads
"Limestone Road" was also used as an alternate name for portions of Zane's Trace (also known as Zanes Trace), an early American migration route and road in Ohio, along with names such as Maysville Road, Maysville Pike, and Limestone and Chillicothe Road.
