Wikipedia / U.S. Route 22
Wikipedia / U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route22 (US22) is a major east–west route and one of the original United States Numbered Highwayss, founded in 1926. It runs from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at US 1/9 at the Newark Airport Interchange.
US22 is named the William Penn Highway through most of Pennsylvania. In southwest Ohio, it overlaps with State Route 3 (SR3) and is familiarly known as the 3-C Highway, "22 and 3", and Montgomery Road.
A section of US22 in Pennsylvania between New Alexandria at US 119 and Harrisburg at Interstate 81 (I-81) has been designated a part of Corridor M of the Appalachian Development Highway System.
Route description
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Ohio
US22 has its westernmost endpoint in downtown Cincinnati. Its eastbound and westbound endpoints are not at the same intersection. Officially, US22 eastbound begins on Central Avenue (US 27 northbound/US 52 westbound/US 127 northbound) at 5th Street, then proceeds north, turning east onto 7th Street. Meanwhile, US22 westbound follows 9th Street and officially ends at Central Avenue (signage designating the end occurs much sooner, approaching Elm Street, US 42 northbound).
From downtown Cincinnati to Washington Court House, US22 roughly follows the historic 3-C Highway which connected Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. This section is also concurrent with SR 3. At Washington Court House, SR3 and US22 diverge. US22 continues to the east through Circleville to Lancaster. From Lancaster to Zanesville, US22 roughly follows the route of Zane's Trace, an early pioneer road blazed by Ebenezer Zane beginning in 1796.
Starting just west of Cadiz, US22 becomes a limited-access expressway for the remainder of its approximately in Ohio as it approaches and enters Greater Pittsburgh (with the exception of an at-grade intersection with no stoplights or signs on US22 and narrowing to two lanes for about east of Cadiz). It junctions with SR 7 for roughly along the Ohio River shoreline in Steubenville.
West Virginia
Known as the Robert C. Byrd Expressway, the expressway route that began roughly to the west near Cadiz, Ohio, continues for approximately within the state of West Virginia (the highway runs concurrent with West Virginia Route 2, or WV2, for one of those miles, or ) as it approaches more population density within Greater Pittsburgh. US22 travels through or borders the city of Weirton for its entire length in West Virginia, from the Ohio state line over the Ohio River, to the Pennsylvania state line.
Pennsylvania
US22 enters Pennsylvania as a limited-access highway connecting Weirton, West Virginia, and Steubenville, Ohio, with Pittsburgh. Through much of Greater Pittsburgh, it overlaps I-376 and US 30. US30 merges with US22 near Imperial and Pittsburgh International Airport, and both highways then merge with I-376 in Robinson Township. Together, these three highways form a busy, limited-access multiplex through the city of Pittsburgh. US30 then splits from I-376 and US22 in Wilkinsburg, and the I-376/US22 concurrency continues to the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville, where I-376 ends.
East of I-376, US22 continues east of Pittsburgh as a primary arterial highway. The entire length between Pittsburgh and US 220 and I-99 just west of Altoona was widened to at least four lanes by mid-2011. I-99 links the highway to State College and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Heading east from I-99, US22 narrows and becomes the primary highway linking Hollidaysburg and Huntingdon. Near Mount Union, it forms a concurrency with US 522, and the two highways go northeast along the Juniata River to Lewistown.
In Lewistown, US22 breaks with US522 and forms a concurrency with US 322, and the two routes travel southeast, mostly as an expressway, toward Harrisburg. At the north end of Harrisburg, US22 and US322 split and US22 runs southward toward the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center. From there, it turns eastward along Arsenal Boulevard, Herr Street, and Walnut Street to Jonestown Road. Through Dauphin and Lebanon counties, US22 parallels I-81 and I-78 to the south as a four-lane arterial. East of Fredericksburg, along the border between Lebanon and Berks counties, US22 forms a concurrency with I-78, which runs to the Allentown area. Former highway alignments of US22 that parallel this section are collectively known as the "Hex Highway", so called because of the Berks County-based Pennsylvania Dutch families that hang hex signs on their barns.
In the Lehigh Valley, US22 is a four-lane limited-access expressway between Easton and I-78 to the west; it is dually designated with the Lehigh Valley Thruway in Allentown. The original designation for this expressway was to be I-78, but local opposition to a freeway in Phillipsburg, along with substandard conditions at Easton, forced federal highway officials to relocate I-78 south of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and Phillipsburg. US22 then crosses the Delaware River on the Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge.
New Jersey
US22 in New Jersey predates and was largely replaced by I-78 after I-78 was built between 1956 and 1989 and shares designation with I-78 from exit3 to exit18. US22 was an expressway in some segments, including the area around Perryville and Clinton. It connects Phillipsburg with Newark in New Jersey.
US22 has one major interchange besides I-78, that being I-287, although it is not a full interchange, with two missing movements: US22 eastbound to I-287 northbound and I-287 southbound to US22 westbound, though indirect access is available via US202/206
One of two level crossing of the highway happens in Union County in the Union Township section of the highway (the other occurring in Lewistown, Pennsylvania). It once belonged to the Rahway Valley Railroad; the crossing was closed in 1992 when service on the railroad was ended.
History
US22 is one of the original U.S. Highways. In the 1925 plan, it was initially designed to terminate in Cleveland, Ohio, entering Ohio on modern US 422. In the finalized 1926 plan, however, it followed the current course to US 40, where it ended. In 1932, it was extended to Cincinnati as it is currently, replacing SR 10 and following preexisting SR3.
Before the Byrd Expressway, West Virginia's segment of US22 ran from Pennsylvania Avenue at the West Virginia–Pennsylvania state line to Main Street, then left on Main Street through downtown Weirton (aligning US22 with WV 2), and right on Freedom Way to the Fort Steuben Bridge and Ohio River to Steubenville, Ohio. US22 Alternate (US22 Alt.) ran along Cove Road from Pennsylvania Avenue to the intersection of Harmon Creek Road (left turn) and the continuation of Cove Road.
With the opening of the first segment of the Byrd Expressway on March 9, 1972, US22 was reassigned, starting on the new road from the West Virginia–Pennsylvania state line, continuing on Cove Road where the expressway ended and joining the remainder of the original route at Main Street. The Pennsylvania Avenue segment of US22 from Colliers Way to Main Street was reassigned as WV 105 and US22 Alt. was reassigned as WV507. In 2003, WV507 was extended along the previous US22 alignment from Cove Road to the Fort Steuben Bridge and was reassigned as CR507. The Fort Steuben Bridge, which originally carried US22 across the Ohio River until the construction of the Veterans Memorial Bridge, was permanently closed on January 8, 2009, and demolished by detonation on February 21, 2012.
Major intersections
Ohio
in Cincinnati. Begin US27, US42, US52, and US127 concurrencies.
in Cincinnati
in Cincinnati. End US27, US42, US52, and US127 concurrencies.
in Cincinnati
in Cincinnati
in Kenwood
in Montgomery
in Wilmington
in Washington Court House. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
in Circleville
in Zanesville. The highways travel concurrently to Cambridge.
in Cadiz. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
West Virginia
No major junctions
Pennsylvania
in Imperial. The highways travel concurrently to Wilkinsburg
in Pittsburgh. Begin US19 and US19 Truck concurrencies.
in Pittsburgh. End US19 concurrency.
in Pittsburgh. End US19 concurrency.
in Monroeville
northeast of Mount Union. The highways travel concurrently to Lewistown.
in Highland Park. US22/US322 travels concurrently to Harrisburg.
north-northeast of Duncannon
in Harrisburg
at the ProgressColonial Park line
east-northeast of Fredericksburg. The highways travel concurrently to east-northeast of Fogelsville.
in Cetronia
New Jersey
in Bridgewater
in Bridgewater
in Newark
in Newark
See also
References
External links