 MD 704 was named for George N. Palmer , a banker and community leader in Seat Pleasant , by 1951 . John Hanson Highway was constructed from US 301 in Bowie west to MD 704 between 1954 and 1957 . MD 704 was expanded to a divided highway through the highway 's interchange with the freeway as part of the construction . In addition to the current set of ramps , the interchange included loop ramps from westbound MD 704 to the eastbound freeway and from the westbound freeway to westbound MD 704 . By 1958 , the portion of MD 704 south of the freeway was marked as Temporary US 50 . This temporary route extended west into Washington along newly completed East Capitol Street and the pair of Independence Avenue and Constitution Avenue to reconnect with US 50 at 2nd Street in Capitol Hill . US 50 remained along Defense Highway ( now MD 450 ) from Bowie to Bladensburg and on Bladensburg Road and Maryland Avenue within the city until 1962 , when the U.S. Highway was placed along the newly completed John Hanson Highway from Bowie to Washington and Temporary US 50 was removed from MD 704 . 
