Pennsylvania Route 23
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PA Route 23 |
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Length: | 80 mi[1] (129 km) | ||||||||||||
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Formed: | 1928 | ||||||||||||
West end: | PA 441 in Marietta | ||||||||||||
Major junctions: |
US 222 in Lancaster US 30 east of Lancaster US 322 east of New Holland I-176 in Morgantown US 422 in Valley Forge US 202 in Bridgeport |
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East end: | US 1 in Philadelphia | ||||||||||||
Counties: | Berks, Chester, Montgomery, Lancaster, Philadelphia | ||||||||||||
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Pennsylvania Route 23 (PA-23) is an 80 mile long state highway located in southern Pennsylvania.
Contents |
[edit] Route description
[edit] Marietta to Valley Forge
PA 23 starts in Marietta, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, and proceeds east towards Lancaster, Pennsylvania as the Marietta Pike. West of Lancaster, Route 23 passes over US 30 (which here is an expressway parallel to Lincoln Highway), with the preceding Centerville Road and subsequent PA-741 providing complete access between 23 and 30. In downtown Lancaster, Route 23 splits onto the one-way Chestnut and Walnut Streets. The next set of blocks south has PA 462 running parallel to 23 on Orange and King Streets. In downtown Lancaster, PA-23 (and 462) crosses in succession: US 222S/PA 272S at Prince Street, PA-72N at Queen Street, PA-72S at Duke Street, and US 222N/PA 272N at Lime Street. East of Lancaster, Route 23 merges with US 30 for about 1/4 mile, forming a wrong-way concurrency. Then it heads east towards Morgantown, Pennsylvania .
In Morgantown, a grade-level intersection with Interstate 176 spur provides access to and from Reading only. PA-10 North connects 23 to a complete I-176 interchange which also gives access to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-76. East of Morgantown the route passes through the northern Chester County towns of Elverson, Warwick, South Coventry, and East Vincent before entering Phoenixville. In Phoenixville, 23 intersects PA-29 before continuing east to Valley Forge as Valley Forge Road. From here to its end, Route 23 generally follows the course of the Schuylkill River.
[edit] Valley Forge to Philadelphia
The Route passes through Valley Forge National Historical Park, the site were George Washington and his troops made an important winter encampment during the American Revolutionary War. At the east edge of the Park, 23 has a junction with US 422. East of Valley Forge the Route crosses north of King of Prussia toward Bridgeport. Just before Bridgeport, 23 passes over the end of the never completed Schuylkill Parkway (23 Bypass) to 422. 23 then passes under DeKalb Pike US 202S.
Upon entering Bridgeport, 23 turns left on the Schuylkill Parkway. Traffic from 202 uses ramps built for the bypass to access 23 at this point. The Parkway ends in a 1/4 mile and 23 becomes 4th Street in Bridgeport. At a light, 23 crosses US 202N. Exiting Bridgeport, 23 becomes Schuylkill River Road and passes under the bridge carrying I-276, the PA Turnpike's Philadelphia Extension, across the Schuylkill River. The Route then turns generally southward with the river and skirts a large quarry opposite. The Schuylkill River Road name ends as 23 passes under the I-476/Blue Route bridge across the Schuylkill River. Entering West Conshohocken, 23 becomes Front Street.
In West Conshohocken, Front Street intersects Matson Ford Road, which provides access to the I-476/I-76 interchange ramps which are signed for PA 23. Exiting West Conshohocken, Route 23 passes under I-76 and becomes Conshohocken State Road. The river swings away to the east and then to a parallel course while Conshohocken State Road continues through suburban Lower Merion Township toward Gladwyne and on to Bala Cynwyd. In Bala Cynwyd, 23 intersects U.S. Route 1/City Line Avenue and enters the County and City of Philadelphia becoming Conshohocken Avenue.
Pennsylvania Route 23 and Conshohocken Avenue end at Belmont Avenue just before entering Fairmount Park and rejoining the Schuylkill River course. The USGS Topographic map indicates that the Route 23 designation may follow Belmont Avenue south toward U.S. Route 30.
[edit] Communities along the route
[edit] Major intersections
County | Location | Mile | Road(s) | Notes |
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Lancaster | Marietta | 0.0 | PA 441 | |
Rohrerstown | US 30 Lincoln Highway |
PA 23 passes over US 30. | ||
PA 741 | ||||
Lancaster | PA 462 | Western terminus of duplex. | ||
PA 999 | Northern terminus of PA 999. Access from PA 23 eastbound only. |
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US 222/PA 272 | ||||
PA 72 | ||||
PA 462 | Eastern terminus of duplex. | |||
US 30 | Western terminus of duplex. | |||
US 30 | Eastern terminus of duplex. | |||
Upper Leacock Township | PA 772 | Western terminus of duplex. | ||
PA 772 | Eastern terminus of duplex. | |||
East Earl Township | US 322 | |||
PA 897 | Western terminus of duplex. | |||
PA 897 | Eastern terminus of duplex. | |||
PA 625 | Southern terminus of PA 625. | |||
Caernarvon Township | PA 10 | Western terminus of duplex. | ||
Berks | Morgantown | I-176 | Exit 2 (I-176). | |
PA 10 | Eastern terminus of duplex. To I-76/PA Tpk. - use PA 10 north. |
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I-76/PA Turnpike | PA 23 passes over I-76/PA Turnpike. | |||
Caernarvon Township | PA 401 | Western terminus of PA 401. | ||
Chester | Elverson | PA 82 | ||
Warwick Township | PA 345 | |||
South Coventry Township | PA 100 | |||
East Pikeland Township | PA 724 | Eastern terminus of PA 724. | ||
Phoenixville | PA 113 | Western terminus of duplex. | ||
PA 113 | Eastern terminus of duplex. | |||
PA 29 | ||||
Montgomery | Valley Forge | PA 252 | Northern terminus of PA 252. | |
US 422 | Interchange. | |||
Bridgeport | US 202 | interchange. | ||
Upper Merion Township | I-276/PA Tpk. | PA 23 passes under I-276/PA Turnpike. | ||
PA 320 | Northern terminus of PA 320. | |||
West Conshohocken | I-476 | PA 23 passes under I-476. | ||
I-76 | Exits 331-332 (I-76). To I-476 - use I-76 west. |
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Philadelphia | Philadelphia | US 1 |
Legend | |||||
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Crossing, no access | Concurrency termini | Decommissioned | Unconstructed | Closed |