Upon crossing Sideling Hill Creek, I-68/US 40 enters Washington County and curves northeast through forested areas, ascending a grade and coming to a westbound runaway truck ramp. US 40 Scenic splits from the freeway at an eastbound exit and westbound entrance with Mountain Road (MD 903). Past this interchange, I-68/US 40 turns east and passes through a massive deep cut in Sideling Hill, where the freeway curves southeast and begins to descend the hill. Just to the east of the cut is a pair of rest areas and the Sideling Hill Welcome Center along the westbound side of the road, with a pedestrian bridge providing access from the eastbound direction. Following this, the freeway continues southeast, passing an eastbound runaway truck ramp, before it comes to a diamond interchange with the eastern terminus of US 40 Scenic and the western terminus of a section of MD 144, where it turns northeast. The road curves east and crosses through a gap in Tonoloway Ridge as it continues through forested areas with some farm fields. I-68 reaches its eastern terminus at a directional T interchange with I-70/US 522 near the town of Hancock, where US 40 continues east concurrent with I-70/US 522 on the Eisenhower Memorial Highway, a four-lane freeway. Soon after, US 522 splits from I-70/US 40 at a directional T interchange by heading south and providing access to Hancock. Following this, the freeway continues east across a forested hill, with a third lane for trucks while climbing the hill. The road comes to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with the eastern terminus of the Hancock section of MD 144, where the median widens and it heads east through wooded areas with the Western Maryland Rail Trail, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and the Potomac River parallel to the south. I-70/US 40 comes to an eastbound exit and westbound entrance with MD 615 before MD 615 closely parallels the road to the north to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance at MD 615's southern terminus. Past this interchange, the freeway curves to the southeast.