PA Route 743 | ||||
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Route information | ||||
Maintained by PennDOT | ||||
Length: | 24 mi[1] (39 km) | |||
Existed: | 1930 – present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end: | PA 441 in Marietta | |||
North end: | PA 443 in Grantville | |||
Location | ||||
Counties: | Dauphin, Lancaster | |||
Highway system | ||||
Roads in Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania Route 743, PA 743, is a north–south state route located in central Pennsylvania. The northern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 443 one mile (1.6 km) west of the East Hanover Township hamlet of Grantville. The southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 441 in Marietta. Until 1961, the southern terminus was located in Hershey.
In Hershey, the section north of Chocolate Avenue is known as Park Avenue, and south of Chocolate Avenue, it is known as Cocoa Avenue. This is split by a left on Chocolate Avenue, and then a right one block later near the Hersheypark Arena. Park Avenue in the vicinity of Hershey Park has some street lights shaped like Hershey's Kisses. These can also be found on Chocolate Avenue.
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PA 743 begins at PA 441 near Marietta in East Donegal Township, Lancaster County, heading northwest on two-lane undivided Maytown Road. The road passes a mix of farms and residential subdivisions as it comes to the community of Maytown. After passing through Maytown, the route continues north through open farmland with a few homes, crossing into West Donegal Township. PA 743 makes a turn northeast prior to curving northwest. The road heads northeast and enters Elizabethtown, coming to a bridge over Amtrak's Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line. A short distance later, PA 743 comes to an intersection with PA 230 and forms a concurrency with that route by turning northwest onto South Market Street. The road, which contains a center left-turn lane, passes several homes prior to entering the downtown area of Elizabethtown and intersecting PA 241, at which point that route joins PA 230 and PA 743 on North Market Street. The road leaves the downtown and enters residential areas, with PA 241 and PA 743 splitting from PA 230 by briefly heading northeast on Linden Avenue. PA 241 and PA 743 turn north onto North Hanover Street a short distance later, passing a mix of homes and businesses as it crosses into Mount Joy Township and becomes Hershey Road. PA 241 splits from PA 743 by heading northeast onto Mt. Gretna Road, and PA 743 heads north-northeast to an interchange with PA 283. Within the area of the interchange, the road is briefly a divided highway. At this point, the route becomes concurrent with PA 341 Truck and heads into areas of farms and woods as an undivided road.[2][3]
Upon crossing the Conewago Creek, PA 743 enters Conewago Township in Dauphin County, continuing north-northwest past farmland, woodland, and a few homes. The road passes under the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) without an interchange before reaching the PA 341 intersection, at which point the PA 341 Truck overlap ends. Past this intersection, PA 743 passes through more rural areas with some homes and businesses, continuing into Derry Township and becoming Fishburn Road. The route turns northwest and passes residential neighborhoods as it enters the community of Hershey. PA 743 turns north onto Cocoa Avenue and passes between businesses to the west and farms to the east as it reaches the US 322 intersection. From this point, Cocoa Avenue continues through residential areas prior to intersecting US 422 (Chocolate Avenue) in the downtown area of Hershey. Here, PA 743 turns west on the four-lane US 422 for a block before heading north onto two-lane Park Avenue. The road comes to a bridge over Norfolk Southern's Harrisburg Line before running between Hersheypark to the west and ZOOAMERICA to the east. Continuing along the eastern edge of Hersheypark, the road passes near some homes to the east before reaching Hersheypark Drive.[2][4]
At this point, PA 743 turns east onto Hersheypark Drive, which is a four-lane road. The route passes between facilities owned by The Hershey Company and the Outlets at Hershey to the south before heading northeast to Laudermilch Road. Here, PA 743 turns north onto two-lane Laudermilch Road and enters agricultural areas. The road turns north and crosses the Swatara Creek into East Hanover Township. Here, the route winds north through a mix of farms, woods, and homes. The road passes a few businesses at the US 22 intersection. The route becomes Bow Creek Road at this intersection and continues northwest to an interchange with I-81. After this interchange, the route turns north into rural areas and passes a short distance to the west of Penn National Race Course. PA 743 comes to its northern terminus at an intersection with PA 443 at the base of Blue Mountain.[2][4]
County | Location | Mile | Destinations | Notes |
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Lancaster |
Marietta | PA 441 (River Road) | Southern terminus of PA 743 | |
Elizabethtown | PA 230 east (Market Street) | South end of PA 230 concurrency | ||
PA 241 south (Bainbridge Street) | South end of PA 241 concurrency | |||
PA 230 west (Market Street) | North end of PA 230 concurrency | |||
PA 241 north (Mt. Gretna Road) | North end of PA 241 concurrency | |||
PA 283 | Interchange | |||
Dauphin |
Deodate | PA 341 | ||
Hershey | US 322 (Governor Road) | |||
US 422 east (Chocolate Avenue) | South end of US 422 concurrency | |||
US 422 west (Chocolate Avenue) | North end of US 422 concurrency | |||
Grantville | US 22 (Allentown Boulevard) | |||
I-81 | Interchange | |||
PA 443 (Mountain Road) | Northern terminus of PA 743 | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
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