U.S. Route 22

U.S. Route 22 marker

U.S. Route 22
Route information
Length: 647.45 mi[1][2] (1,041.97 km)
Existed: 1926 – present
Major junctions
West end: US 27 / US 42 / US 52 / US 127 in Cincinnati, OH
 
East end: I‑78 / US 1-9 in Newark, NJ
Location
States: Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey
Highway system
← SR 21OHSR 22 →
← US 40SR 41 →

U.S. Route 22 (US 22) is a west–east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at U.S. Route 1/9 in the Newark Airport Interchange.[3] US 22 is named the "William Penn Highway" throughout most of Pennsylvania. In southwest Ohio, it overlaps with State Route 3 and is familiarly known as the 3C Highway, "22 and 3", and Montgomery Road.

A section of US 22 in Pennsylvania between New Alexandria at U.S. Route 119 and Harrisburg at Interstate 81 has been designated a part of Corridor M of the Appalachian Development Highway System.

Route description

Lengths
  mi[1]km
OH 243.35 391.63
WV 5.97 9.60
PA 337.60 543.31
NJ[2] 60.53 97.41
Total 647.45 1041.97

Ohio

Old U.S. Route 22 marker located near the intersection of U.S. Highway 22 & Ohio Highway 207 in Pickaway County, Ohio.

US 22 has its westernmost end-point in downtown Cincinnati—however, its eastbound and westbound end-points are not at the same intersection. Officially, US 22 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, US 22 Westbound follows 9th Street and officially ends at Central Avenue[4] (signage designating the end occurs much sooner, approaching Elm Street, U.S. Route 42 Northbound).[5]

From downtown Cincinnati to Washington Court House, US 22 roughly follows the historic 3C Highway which connected Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. This section is also concurrent with State Route 3 (SR 3). At Washington Court House, SR 3 and US 22 diverge. US 22 continues to the east through Circleville to Lancaster. From Lancaster to Zanesville, US 22 roughly follows the route of Zane's Trace, an early pioneer road blazed by Colonel Ebenezer Zane beginning in 1796.

Starting just west of Cadiz, US 22 becomes a limited-access expressway for the remainder of its 30-some miles in Ohio as it approaches and enters the Pittsburgh metropolitan area (with the exception of an at grade intersection with no stop lights or signs on US 22 and narrowing to two lanes for about a mile east of Cadiz). It junctions with State Route 7 for roughly a mile along the Ohio River shoreline in Steubenville.

West Virginia

View east along US 22 in Weirton, West Virginia

Known as the Robert C. Byrd Expressway, the expressway route that began roughly 30 miles to the west near Cadiz, Ohio continues for approximately five miles within the state of West Virginia as it approaches more population density within the Pittsburgh metro area. US 22 travels through or borders the city of Weirton for its entire length, from the Pennsylvania state line on the east to the Ohio River and Steubenville, Ohio on the west.

Pennsylvania

Parts of U.S. 22 are still 2 lanes, though this stretch just west of Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania was widened by 2011.

US 22 enters Pennsylvania as a limited-access highway connecting Weirton, West Virginia, and Steubenville, Ohio, with Pittsburgh. Through much of the Pittsburgh area, it multiplexes with Interstate 376 and US 30. US 30 merges with US 22 near Imperial and Pittsburgh International Airport, and both highways then merge with Interstate 376 in Robinson Township. Together, these three highways form a busy, limited-access multiplex through the city of Pittsburgh. US 30 then splits from Interstate 376 and US 22 in Wilkinsburg

East of Interstate 376, US 22 continues east as a primary arterial highway between Pittsburgh and major population centers in central Pennsylvania, such as Johnstown, Altoona, State College, Huntingdon, Fredricksburg, and Lewistown. The entire length between Pittsburgh and US 220 and Interstate 99 just west of Altoona was widened to at least four lanes by summer 2011.

US 22 in eastern Pennsylvania is a four lane limited-access expressway between Easton and Interstate 78 to the west; it is dually designated with the Lehigh Valley Thruway in Allentown. The original designation for this expressway was to be Interstate 78, but local opposition to a freeway in Phillipsburg, along with substandard conditions at Easton, forced federal highway officials to relocate Interstate 78 south of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and Phillipsburg. U.S. 22 then crosses the Delaware River on the Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge.

US 22 between eight miles (13 km) east of Interstate 81 to Allentown is concurrent with Interstate 78. Former highway alignments of US 22 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.

New Jersey

a one-way two lane road lined with businesses and power lines
US 22 westbound at Springfield Road in Union

U.S. Route 22 in New Jersey predates, and was largely replaced by, Interstate 78 as it was built between 1956 and 1989,[6] and shares designation with I-78 from exit 3 to exit 18. US 22 was an expressway in some segments, including the area around Perryville and Clinton. It connects Phillipsburg with Newark in New Jersey.

US 22 has one major interchange besides I-78, that being Interstate 287, although it is not a full interchange, with two missing movements: US 22 eastbound to I-287 northbound and I-287 southbound to US 22 westbound.

The only level crossing of the highway happens in Union County in the Union Township section of the highway. It once belonged to the Rahway Valley Railroad; the crossing was closed in 1992 when service on the railroad was ended.

History

US 22 is one of the original U.S. Routes, though in the 1925 plan it was to terminate in Cleveland, Ohio, entering Ohio on modern U.S. Route 422. In the finalized 1926 plan, it followed the current course to U.S. Route 40, where it ended. In 1932, it had been extended to Cincinnati as it is currently, replacing Ohio State Route 10 and following preexisting State Route 3.[7][8]

Before the Byrd Expressway, West Virginia's segment of U.S. 22 ran from Pennsylvania Avenue at the PA/WV state line to Main St., then left on Main St. through downtown Weirton (aligning U.S. 22 with West Virginia Route 2), and right on Freedom Way to the Fort Steuben Bridge and Ohio River to Steubenville, Ohio. An "Alternate U.S. 22" route 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 in the mid-1970s, U.S. 22 was reassigned, starting on the new road from the PA/WV state line, continuing on Cove Road where the expressway ended and joining the remainder of the original route at Main St. The Pennsylvania Avenue segment of U.S. 22 from Colliers Way to Main St. was reassigned as WV Route 105 and Alt. U.S. 22 was reassigned as WV Route 507. In 2003, WV 507 was extended along the previous U.S. 22 alignment from Cove Road to the Fort Steuben Bridge and was reassigned as County Route 507. The Fort Steuben Bridge, which originally carried U.S. 22 across the Ohio River until the construction of the Veterans Memorial Bridge, was permanently closed on January 8, 2009,[9] and demolished by detonation on February 21, 2012.[10]

Major intersections

Ohio
US 27 / US 42 / US 52 / US 127 near Downtown Cincinnati
I‑71 in Downtown Cincinnati
I‑71 in Evanston
I‑71 in Kenwood
I‑275 in Montgomery
US 68 in Wilmington
US 35 in Union Township
US 62 in Washington Court House. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 23 in Circleville
US 33 southwest of Lancaster
US 40 in Zanesville. The highways travel concurrently to Cambridge.
I‑70 in Perry Township
I‑77 in Cambridge Township
US 250 in Cadiz. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
West Virginia
WV 2
Pennsylvania
US 30 in North Fayette Township. The highways travel concurrently to Wilkinsburg.
I‑376 in Robinson Township. The highways travel concurrently to Monroeville.
I‑79 in Collier Township
US 19 in Pittsburgh. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
I‑279 in Pittsburgh
US 119 in New Alexandria. The highways travel concurrently to Burrell Township.
US 219 in Ebensburg
I‑99 / US 220
US 522 in Wayne Township. The highways travel concurrently to Lewistown.
US 322 in Lewistown. The highways travel concurrently to Susquehanna Township.
US 11 / US 15 in Reed Township
I‑81 / US 322 in Susquehanna Township
I‑83 / US 322 in Lower Paxton Township
I‑78 in Bethel Township
I‑78 in Upper Macungie Township
I‑476 in South Whitehall Township
New Jersey
I‑78 on the Pohatcong–Greenwich township line. The highways travel concurrently to Clinton Township.
US 202 / US 206 in Bridgewater Township
I‑287 in Bridgewater Township
US 1-9 in Newark

See also

References

  1. 1 2 DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2007 software, Driving Directions
  2. 1 2 "US 22 Straight Line Diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  3. ↑ Mapguy. "Endpoints of US highways." 12 Oct. 2006. 21 Oct. 2006 .
  4. ↑ Straight Line Diagrams (US 22 Hamilton County). Ohio Department of Transportation.
  5. ↑ 104 W 9th St, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Google Street View
  6. ↑ "Interstate 78 (New Jersey)". nycroads.com.
  7. ↑ "U.S. 22: The William Penn Highway". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  8. ↑ Official Transportation Map archive. Ohio Department of Transportation.
  9. ↑ Gossett, Dave (2009-01-15). "Fort Steuben Bridge permanently closed". Weirton Daily Times. Archived from the original on 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
  10. ↑ Scott, Warren (2012-02-21). "Blast topples Fort Steuben Bridge". Steubenville, Ohio: Herald Star. Retrieved 2012-02-21.

Route map: Google

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