U.S. Route 522 in Pennsylvania

U.S. Route 522 (US 522) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Powhatan, Virginia to Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, the U.S. highway runs 127.5 miles (205.2 km) from the Maryland state line near Warfordsburg north to its northern terminus at US 11 and US 15 in Selinsgrove. US 522 passes through the Ridge and Valley Province of the Appalachian Mountains of central Pennsylvania, connecting Hancock, Maryland on the Potomac River with McConnellsburg, Mount Union, Lewistown, Middleburg, and Selinsgrove on the Susquehanna River. The U.S. highway is part of the National Highway System along its concurrency with Interstate 70 (I-70) from the Maryland state line to Warfordsburg and from US 522's interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) to Selinsgrove.^[2]

Route description

US 522 enters Pennsylvania concurrent with I-70 (Eisenhower Memorial Highway) in Bethel Township in Fulton County, just north of Hancock. The Interstate and the U.S. highway split at Exit 168 in Warfordsburg, a diamond interchange where I-70 curves west while US 522 heads north. The US 522 roadway continues south of the interchange to PA 484 (Buck Valley Road), which is the original alignment of US 522 south of the interchange. US 522 crosses Little Tonoloway Creek and heads northwest as Great Cove Road, passing through a gap in Tonoloway Ridge on its way to a junction with PA 643 (Flickersville Road) in the hamlet of Dott. The U.S. highway continues northeast around the northern edge of Tonoloway Ridge at the Belfast Township village of Needmore, where the highway has a brief concurrency with PA 655, which heads south as Thompson Road and north as Pleasant Valley Road. US 522 curves to the east, crossing Tonoloway Creek, ascending Timber Ridge, and descending the ridge to cross Licking Creek. The U.S. highway climbs over Scrub Ridge and curves to the northeast at the village of Big Cove Tannery in Ayr Township, where the highway intersects PA 928 (Big Cove Tannery Road) and crosses Big Cove Creek.^[1]

US 522 passes around the northern end of Dickeys Mountain and enters the broad valley between Meadow Grounds Mountain to the west and Tuscarora Mountain to the east. Near the northern end of the valley US 522 passes through the county seat of McConnellsburg, where the highway is named Second Street and passes near the Fulton House. In the center of the borough, the U.S. highway intersects Lincoln Way, which heads east as PA 16. Lincoln Way is the old alignment of US 30 and part of the original Lincoln Highway. US 522 heads north out of town and meets modern US 30 (Lincoln Highway) at a diamond interchange as the highway heads through the narrow valley between Little Scrub Ridge to the west and Cove Mountain to the east. The U.S. highway heads northwest through a gap in the former mountain into Dublin Township, where the highway intersects PA 475 (Waterfall Road) and meets the Pennsylvania Turnpike (also marked as I-76) at Exit 180, the Fort Littleton interchange. US 522 parallels the turnpike northeast to the village of Burnt Cabins, Pennsylvania just north of Sidneys Knob. Here the U.S. highway turns north into Huntingdon County.^[1]

US 522 heads north as Croghan Pike through Dublin Township on the east side of Shade Mountain. After intersecting PA 35 and PA 641 in the village of Shade Gap, the U.S. highway passes through a gap in Shade Mountain into the Locke Valley. US 522 heads north then curves west again through a gap in Blacklog Mountain. The U.S. highway becomes Ridgely Street in the borough of Orbisonia, where the highway intersects PA 994 (Elliot Street). US 522 parallels Aughwick Creek north through Shirleysburg to Allenport, where the highway meets the southern end of PA 103. Just north of Allenport, the old alignment of US 522, Shirley Street, splits to the west to serve Mount Union. US 522 bypasses the borough, paralleling the Juniata River north. The U.S. highway passes under the former Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad (now owned by Norfolk Southern Railway) before crossing the river into Mifflin County to an intersection with US 22 (William Penn Highway).^[1]

US 522 joins US 22 in a concurrency that heads northeast between Jacks Mountain to the northwest and the Juniata River to the southeast. The two highways pass through McVeytown on their way to Lewistown. In Granville Township, the old alignment continues straight into Lewistown as US 22 Business while US 522 and US 22 split to the opposite side of Big Ridge as a freeway. US 522 and US 22 meet US 322 at a directional interchange just north of Lewistown. The interchange also includes ramps from all directions to access Electric Avenue. The three U.S. highways join in a concurrency for a short distance south into the county seat before US 522 leaves the freeway for Walnut Street. Northbound US 522 accesses Walnut Street via Logan Street. US 22 and US 322 continue on the freeway toward Harrisburg.^[1]

US 522 crosses Kishacoquillas Creek and soon leaves Lewistown. The U.S. highway heads northeast through the valley of Jacks Creek between Jacks Mountain to the north and Shade Mountain to the south, a valley that has several short ridges itself. US 522 passes through the hamlet of Alfarata before entering Snyder County. The U.S. highway continues northeast through McClure, Beavertown, and Beaver Springs, where the highway has a concurrency with PA 235. US 522 also has a concurrency with PA 104 in the county seat of Middleburg, where the highway crosses Middle Creek. The U.S. highway follows the creek east through Kreamer before the stream heads southeast as US 522 continues east toward Selinsgrove. US 522 intersects University Avenue, the old alignment of US 522 that heads toward Susquehanna University and downtown Selinsgrove, before entering the borough limits. The U.S. highway intersects the southern end of PA 204 and Broad Street before reaching its former eastern terminus at Market Street. Market Street, which heads south into downtown, is the old alignment of US 11 and US 15. US 522 turns north onto Market Street, crosses over Penns Creek, and passes by the entrance to Penn Valley Airport. US 522 reaches its northern terminus at a partial cloverleaf interchange with US 11 and US 15. US 11 and US 15 head south as a freeway toward Harrisburg. US 11 and US 15 continue north along the US 522 roadway toward Hummels Wharf. The freeway ends as a stub just north of the interchange.^[1]

Major intersections

References

External links

• Pennsylvania Highways - U.S. Route 522