U.S. Route 22 in Pennsylvania
U.S. Route 22 is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from Cincinnati, Ohio, in the west, to Newark, New Jersey, in the east. In Pennsylvania, the route runs for between the West Virginia state line in Washington County, where it is a freeway through the western suburbs of Pittsburgh, and then runs east to Easton and the New Jersey state line in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.
Much of US 22 in Pennsylvania follows the route of the historic William Penn Highway. The portion from the Pennsylvania Route 66 interchange near Delmont east to the Interstate 81 interchange near Harrisburg is the main part of Corridor M of the Appalachian Development Highway System, although a large portion near the center of the route has not yet been upgraded to a four-lane divided highway.
Between Fredericksburg and just west of Allentown, US 22 runs concurrently with I-78. From Allentown to the New Jersey state line, the route is a freeway named the Lehigh Valley Thruway.
Route description
West Virginia to Pittsburgh
US 22 enters Pennsylvania from West Virginia in Washington County, heading east as a four-lane freeway named William Penn Highway. The route runs through rural areas with some development, curving northeast and then east again before coming to a partial cloverleaf interchange with PA 18 near The Pavilion at Star Lake. Past this interchange, the freeway continues east and crosses Raccoon Creek before curving southeast and reaching a diamond interchange with Maple Grove Road that serves Bavington, Pennsylvania.Following this, US 22 heads east again and comes to a three-level diamond interchange with the PA 576 toll road.
US 22 enters Allegheny County and immediately reaches a partial cloverleaf interchange with the northern terminus of PA 980, where it also passes over the Montour Trail. From here, the freeway continues east through rural land with some development to a partial cloverleaf interchange with Kelso Road that provides access to Noblestown. The route curves northeast and reaches a partial cloverleaf interchange with US 30 and the northern terminus of PA 978.
At this point, US 30 heads east for a concurrency with US 22. US 22/US 30 run east as a four-lane freeway through suburban areas, coming to a partial cloverleaf interchange with Oakdale Road that serves Hankey Farms. Farther east, the freeway has a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with McKee Road that provides access to the borough of Oakdale to the south. From here, US 22/US 30 turn east-northeast and reach an interchange that connects to Old Steubenville Pike, Bayer Road, and Montour Church Road. The freeway comes to an interchange with I-376, where US 22/US 30 head southeast concurrent with I-376 and PA 60 continues east at-grade along a four-lane divided highway.
I-376/US 22/US 30 head southeast as the four-lane Penn-Lincoln Parkway, reaching an interchange with Ridge Road. The freeway comes to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with Campbells Run Road, where it widens to six lanes. The highway curves to the east and meets I-79 at an interchange.
Past this interchange, I-376/US 22/US 30 narrows to two lanes eastbound and head into the borough of Rosslyn Farms, turning southeast and coming to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with Rosslyn Road that serves Rosslyn Farms. The freeway crosses into the borough of Carnegie and reaches a bus-only eastbound exit and westbound entrance connecting to Pittsburgh Regional Transit 's West Busway before passing over a Pittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad line. The highway passes over Chartiers Creek and another Pittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad line as it leaves Carnegie and comes to the PA 50 interchange.
I-376/US 22/US 30 narrows to four lanes, passing under a Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway line and curving northeast into the borough of Green Tree. The freeway reaches the PA 121 interchange, where it gains a third westbound lane, and heads east, entering Pittsburgh and coming to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with Parkway Center Drive.
The highway turns north and reaches a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with US 19, where US 19 joins I-376/US 22/US 30 on the Penn-Lincoln Parkway. Within this interchange, the road has an eastbound runaway truck ramp and passes under a ramp carrying both directions of US 19 Truck.
The freeway widens to six lanes and passes under a Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway line before reaching an interchange with PA 51, where US 19 Truck joins the Penn-Lincoln Parkway from PA 51 and US 19 splits from the Penn-Lincoln Parkway by heading north along with PA 51. Past this interchange, I-376/US 22/US 30/US 19 Truck narrows to four lanes and passes under Mount Washington in the Fort Pitt Tunnel.
Image:376 00.jpg|right|thumb|US 22 westbound concurrent with I-376 and US 30 on the Penn-Lincoln Parkway in Pittsburgh
After emerging from the Fort Pitt Tunnel, the freeway passes over Norfolk Southern Railway's Mon Line and PA 837, coming to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance that connects to northbound PA 837. The Penn-Lincoln Parkway heads onto the Fort Pitt Bridge, a double-decker bridge carrying four lanes in each direction, and passes over CSX Transportation's Pittsburgh Subdivision railroad line and the Monongahela River as it heads into Downtown Pittsburgh at Point State Park and comes to an interchange with the southern terminus of I-279, where US 19 Truck heads north along I-279 and I-376/US 22/US 30 continue east along the Penn-Lincoln Parkway. The I-279 interchange also includes eastbound exits and westbound entrances with Boulevard of the Allies/Liberty Avenue and Fort Duquesne Boulevard that serve Downtown Pittsburgh. The four-lane freeway heads east-southeast between Downtown Pittsburgh to the north and the Monongahela River to the south, reaching a partial interchange with Stanwix Street with no eastbound exit. The highway heads under the Smithfield Street Bridge and comes to an interchange with Grant Street, where it widens to six lanes. I-376/US 22/US 30 pass under the Panhandle Bridge carrying PRT's Pittsburgh Light Rail line and then the Liberty Bridge before the lanes split as it reaches a westbound ramp to Second Avenue north of the South Tenth Street Bridge and south of the Duquesne University campus.
Past this, the highway continues east between urban areas to the north and the Monongahela River to the south, with the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in the median. The freeway comes to an interchange connecting to PA 885 and Forbes Avenue north of the Birmingham Bridge, at which point the trail leaves the median of the freeway and the river heads further south from the freeway. I-376/US 22/US 30 head southeast, with the Three Rivers Heritage Trail parallel to the south, and reaches a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with PA 885. The highway turns east away from the trail and passes over the Allegheny Valley Railroad's P&W Subdivision line. The freeway comes to an interchange with Beechwood Boulevard before it narrows to four lanes and passes under the southern portion of Squirrel Hill in the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. Past the tunnel, I-376/US 22/US 30 head through wooded areas and pass over Ninemile Run in Frick Park. The highway leaves Pittsburgh as it comes to an interchange with Braddock Avenue that serves the boroughs of Edgewood and Swissvale. The freeway continues east through suburban areas in Edgewood, passing under Norfolk Southern Railway's Pittsburgh Line and PRT's Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway. I-376/US 22/US 30 turn to the northeast and head through a corner of the borough of Braddock Hills before entering the borough of Wilkinsburg. In Wilkinsburg, the freeway comes to an interchange with the southern terminus of PA 8, where US 30 splits from I-376/US 22 on the Penn-Lincoln Parkway by heading southeast at-grade on Ardmore Boulevard.
Pittsburgh to Hollidaysburg
Past this interchange, I-376/US 22 continue northeast through suburban development, crossing into the borough of Churchill and reaching an eastbound exit and westbound entrance with Greensburg Pike. From here, the freeway narrows to four lanes and curves east, coming to an interchange with PA 130. The highway widens back to six lanes and continues southeast, reaching an interchange serving the western terminus of US 22 Business and PA 791, where it turns to the east and leaves Churchill. I-376/US 22 continue east through suburbs and the road enters the borough of Monroeville upon crossing over Thompson Run and a Union Railroad line. The freeway curves southeast and comes to an interchange providing access to the eastern terminus of US 22 Bus., PA 48, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the Pittsburgh interchange. At this point, US 22 splits from I-376, which ends at the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and continues east along William Penn Highway, a four-lane divided highway with at-grade intersections. The road runs through suburban development, curving southeast and reaching an interchange with the western terminus of PA 286 that consists of an eastbound exit and westbound entrance, with the westbound exit and eastbound entrance provided by an at-grade intersection with a short connector. Past PA 286, the route winds to the east.US 22 leaves Monroeville and enters the borough of Murrysville in Westmoreland County, where it continues east through suburban areas along William Penn Highway, a four-lane divided highway with occasional jughandles. The road curves to the east-southeast and passes over the Westmoreland Heritage Trail and Turtle Creek. The route continues past a mix of rural areas and development, passing to the south of the borough of Export and crosses Turtle Creek again before leaving Murrysville. US 22 curves east and comes to a single-point urban interchange with PA 66 south of the borough of Delmont. Past this interchange, the road runs east-northeast through rural areas with occasional development, turning east and coming to an intersection with PA 819 in Five Points. The route continues east and reaches a junction with US 119 near Shieldsburg. At this point, US 119 turns east to run concurrent with US 22 along William Penn Highway. The road comes to a bridge over Loyalhanna Creek within the Loyalhanna Lake National Recreation Area and enters the borough of New Alexandria. At this point, the two routes pass north of developed areas of the borough and reach an intersection with PA 981 along the northern border of New Alexandria. From here, US 22/US 119 continue northeast through rural land with some development, passing to the north of Keystone Raceway. The road curves to the east and comes to a junction with the northern terminus of PA 982. Past this intersection, the two routes run through more rural areas, curving back to the northeast.
Upon crossing the Conemaugh River, US 22/US 119 enter the borough of Blairsville in Indiana County and pass over Norfolk Southern Railway's Conemaugh Line before reaching an interchange with PA 217. The road runs east through developed areas, passing over Lear Road, before it leaves Blairsville and comes to a bridge over Norfolk Southern Railway's Blairsville Industrial Track line. The two routes run east-northeast through commercial areas before coming to a partial cloverleaf interchange where US 119 splits from US 22 by heading to the northeast. From here, US 22 continues east along four-lane divided William Penn Highway through rural areas with occasional development, crossing Chestnut Ridge. Farther east, the route curves to the southeast and reaches an interchange with PA 259. The road turns back to the east and passes south of Clyde. US 22 intersects West Philadelphia Street, which heads east to the borough of Armagh, and becomes a freeway that bypasses Armagh to the north. The route comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange with PA 56 that provides access to Armagh. The road continues east and has an eastbound right-in/right-out interchange with East Philadelphia Street before it reaches a partial cloverleaf interchange with PA 403. At the PA 403 interchange, the freeway section ends and US 22 continues east-southeast as a four-lane divided highway with at-grade intersections through rural land with some development.
US 22 crosses into Cambria County, where the name of the road becomes Admiral Peary Highway. The route gains a third eastbound lane as it ascends Laurel Ridge. The road comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange with Dishong Mountain Road. Past this interchange, US 22 turns east-northeast and reaches the summit of the ridge before it descends Laurel Ridge as a four-lane divided highway, passing through a section of Gallitzin State Forest. The route continues through rural areas with some development and passes through Chickaree before curving to the east. The road comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange with PA 271 south of the borough of Nanty Glo. Past this interchange, US 22 continues east through rural land, turning to the northeast. The route heads near development and passes southeast of Ebensburg Airport before it reaches a cloverleaf interchange with the US 219 freeway. The road runs through commercial areas and comes to a partial trumpet interchange with High Street that provides access to the borough of Ebensburg; this interchange has no westbound exit. At this point, US 22 curves to the east and bypasses Ebensburg to the south by running along its southern border, passing over PA 160 with no access. The road runs near developed areas and comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange with Rowena Drive/Admiral Peary Highway on the eastern edge of Ebensburg. Following this interchange, the route becomes an unnamed four-lane freeway and continues east through rural areas, passing under an abandoned railroad line. US 22 turns southeast and makes a curve to the east before reaching a diamond interchange with the western terminus of PA 164 near Munster. The freeway continues southeast and passes over Norfolk Southern Railway's Pittsburgh Line prior to coming to a partial cloverleaf interchange with PA 53 south of the borough of Cresson. The route curves to the northeast and reaches a diamond interchange with Admiral Peary Highway east of Cresson. Following this interchange, US 22 makes a turn to the east and comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange with Tunnelhill Road south of the borough of Tunnelhill that provides access to the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site to the south.
At the interchange with Tunnelhill Road, US 22 enters Blair County and begins to descend through Blair Gap, heading northeast before winding to the east as it heads through rural areas. The freeway turns to the southeast and heads into developed areas to the south of Altoona. US 22 comes to a double trumpet interchange with the southern terminus of PA 764, where US 22 splits to the south onto an unnamed four-lane divided highway with at-grade intersections while the freeway continues east to an interchange with I-99/US 220. The route heads south-southwest through a mix of rural areas and development, with two sections where the median turns into a center left-turn lane. The four-lane divided highway curves to the east-southeast and comes to an intersection with US 220 Bus., which heads to the south. At this point, US 22 turns east-northeast for a concurrency with US 220 Bus. on two-lane undivided 3rd Avenue, entering the borough of Duncansville. The road runs through developed areas of the borough, passing under I-99/US 220. The two routes gain a center left-turn lane and leave Duncansville, crossing a Norfolk Southern Railway line and then Norfolk Southern Railway's Cove Secondary railroad line at-grade before US 220 Bus. splits from US 22 by heading to the north. From here, US 22 heads east as Broad Street as it runs parallel to the Cove Secondary to the south, entering the borough of Hollidaysburg. The road narrows to two lanes before it crosses Beaverdam Branch and becomes South Juniata Street. The route turns east-northeast onto Blair Street and heads away from the railroad tracks, coming to an intersection with PA 36. US 22 turns northeast and runs between developed areas to the northwest and a railroad yard to the southeast before it crosses a Norfolk Southern Railway spur at-grade and curves east, leaving Hollidaysburg.