Pennsylvania Route 56

(Redirected from Johnstown Expressway)

Pennsylvania Route 56 (PA 56) is a 108-mile-long (174 km) state highway that is located in west central Pennsylvania in the United States.

Pennsylvania Route 56 marker
Pennsylvania Route 56
Map
PA 56 highlighted in red and PA 56 Truck in blue
Route information
Maintained by PennDOT and City of New Kensington
Length108.055 mi[1] (173.898 km)
Major junctions
West endC.L. Schmitt Bridge in New Kensington
Major intersections
East end US 30 near Bedford
Location
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountiesWestmoreland, Armstrong, Indiana, Cambria, Somerset, Bedford
Highway system
PA 55 PA 57

Its western terminus is situated at the eastern end of the C.L. Schmitt Bridge in New Kensington. Its eastern terminus is located on U.S. Route 30 (US 30) west of Bedford.

Route description

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PA 56 eastbound past the Bedford Street interchange in Johnstown

PA 56 starts at the intersection of Industrial Boulevard and 9th Street in New Kensington, Westmoreland County; this is also the eastern end of the C.L. Schmitt Bridge, across the Allegheny River from the PA 28 freeway. In New Kensington, PA 56 first heads south along Industrial Boulevard before turning east onto 7th Street where it first encounters a short city-maintained section of road before transitioning back to state maintenance. In the east part of New Kensington, it has a concurrency with PA 366 before entering the city of Lower Burrell. Also in Westmoreland County, it has concurrencies with PA 356 and PA 66 Alternate.

After crossing the Kiskiminetas River, PA 56 merges with PA 66 for a short distance in Armstrong County. It then travels east and eventually merges with PA 156, crossing into Indiana County. At this point, it merges with US 422 and heads toward Indiana. In Indiana, US 422 and PA 56 become a short freeway. At the U.S. 119 exit, PA 56 merges with US 119, heading south.[2][failed verification]

PA 56 ends its concurrency with US 119 in Homer City and continues east on a two-lane road. Approaching Armagh, it crosses US 22 at an interchange. The route then enters Westmoreland County again briefly, passing through its extreme northeastern corner. It is at this point, that PA 56 crosses through Seward. A short time after passing through Seward, it crosses into Cambria County. Continuing east, it travels along the southern side of the Conemaugh River through the Conemaugh Gap. It then emerges into the city of Johnstown.[2][failed verification]

PA 56 travels through the heart of the West End section of Johnstown on two-lane city streets. It then merges with PA 403 on Broad Street, a four-lane road containing many traffic signals. At the final signal, it breaks away from PA 403 and becomes a freeway entitled Johnstown Expressway. PA 56 enters the four-lane expressway and meets US 219. It eventually exits US 219 at Scalp Avenue, the original interchange, and continues east toward Windber.

The route enters Somerset County at Windber. Once past Windber, 56 returns to two lanes. It enters Bedford County at the top of Laurel Ridge at 2,700 feet (820 m) above sea level. The descent down the eastern slope contains a dangerous hairpin curve that has been the site of many accidents over the years.[citation needed]

It then crosses Interstate 99 (I-99) US 220 at an interchange near Cessna. After a short distance, PA 56 crosses over I-99 and US 220, then later passes under the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76 and I-70). The route ends at a T intersection with US 30 in Wolfsburg, west of Bedford.[2][failed verification]

Major intersections

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CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
WestmorelandNew Kensington0.0000.000 
 
Orange Belt west (C.L. Schmitt Bridge) / Industrial Boulevard / 9th Street
Western terminus; west end of Orange Belt concurrency
0.2230.359 
 
 
  PA 56 Truck east / Orange Belt (Industrial Boulevard)
Western terminus of PA 56 Truck; east end of Orange Belt concurrency
0.8641.390 
 
 
 
 
PA 366 south / PA 56 Truck west (Stevenson Boulevard) / 7th Street
West end of PA 366 concurrency; eastern terminus of PA 56 Truck
0.9991.608 
 
PA 780 east (Powers Drive) – Penn State New Kensington
Western terminus of PA 780
1.552–
1.839
2.498–
2.960
 
 
PA 366 north (Tarentum Bridge Road) – Tarentum
Trumpet interchange; east end of PA 366 concurrency
Allegheny Township9.08114.614 
 
PA 356 north – Freeport
West end of PA 356 concurrency
9.61215.469 
 
PA 356 south – North Washington
East end of PA 356 concurrency
Vandergrift13.27721.367 
 
 
PA 66 Alt. south (Washington Avenue)
West end of PA 66 Alt. concurrency; eastbound PA 56 only
ArmstrongNorth Vandergrift13.83122.259 
 
PA 66 north – Lincoln Street, Leechburg
 
 
 
PA 66 Alt. north (First Street) – Kittanning
West end of PA 66 concurrency; east end of PA 66 Alt. concurrency
Apollo16.40326.398 
 
PA 66 south (1st Street) – Greensburg
East end of PA 66 concurrency
Kiskiminetas Township23.69338.130 
 
PA 156 south – Avonmore, Maysville
West end of PA 156 concurrency
South Bend Township29.82347.995 
 
PA 210 north – Elderton
Southern terminus of PA 210
IndianaShelocta32.80152.788 
 
US 422 west – Kittanning
 
 
PA 156 ends
West end of US 422 concurrency; east end of PA 156 concurrency;
Northern terminus of PA 156
Armstrong Township37.69460.663West end of freeway
37.694–
38.048
60.663–
61.232
 
 
 
US 422 Bus. east (Philadelphia Street)
Western terminus of US 422 Bus.; interchange
White Township39.879–
40.360
64.179–
64.953
  
 
 
PA 286 (Oakland Avenue) / PA 286 Truck begins
Western terminus of PA 286 Truck; to Indiana University of Pennsylvania; diamond interchange
42.295–
42.729
68.067–
68.766
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
US 119 north / PA 286 Truck north / US 422 east – Punxsutawney, Ebensburg
West end of US 119 concurrency; east end of US 422 / PA 286 Truck concurrencies; cloverleaf interchange
43.064–
43.402
69.305–
69.849
 
 
 
US 422 Bus. west (Wayne Avenue) – Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Eastern terminus of US 422 Bus.; trumpet interchange
44.00470.818East end of freeway
Homer City45.87273.824 
 
US 119 south / SR 3056 (Ridge Avenue)
East end of US 119 concurrency
Center Township48.69078.359 
 
PA 954 north
Southern terminus of PA 954
Brush Valley Township51.39782.715 
 
PA 259 north (Yellow Creek Park Road) / Valley View Road – Nolo
West end of PA 259 concurrency
51.45382.806 
 
PA 259 south
East end of PA 259 concurrency
Armagh57.571–
57.704
92.652–
92.866
  US 22 (William Penn Highway) – Blairsville, EbensburgPartial cloverleaf interchange
East Wheatfield Township60.05896.654 
 
PA 711 north (Charles Road) / SR 2008 (Power Plant Road)
West end of PA 711 concurrency
WestmorelandSeward60.69597.679 
 
PA 711 south – New Florence
East end of PA 711 concurrency
CambriaJohnstown68.104109.603 
 
PA 403 north (Cooper Avenue)
West end of PA 403 concurrency
69.942112.561 
 
PA 403 south (Napoleon Street)
East end of PA 403 concurrency
69.942112.561West end of freeway
70.826113.983 
 
 
 
 
To PA 271 / PA 403 south (Bedford Street)
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; partial diamond interchange
71.854–
71.931
115.638–
115.762
Geistown, DaleEastbound entrance and exit; access via Bedford Street
72.156–
72.437
116.124–
116.576
Widman StreetDiamond interchange
Richland Township74.215–
74.595
119.437–
120.049
Walters AvenuePartial cloverleaf interchange
75.285–
75.558
121.159–
121.599
 
 
US 219 north – Ebensburg
West end of US 219 concurrency; trumpet interchange
76.289–
76.601
122.775–
123.277
  PA 756 – Elton, GeistownDiamond interchange
77.021–
77.296
123.953–
124.396
 
 
US 219 south (Scalp Avenue West) / SR 3016 – Somerset
East end of US 219 concurrency; partial cloverleaf interchange
77.231124.291East end of freeway
SomersetPaint79.425–
79.629
127.822–
128.150
  PA 601 / SR 4051 (Main Street) – Scalp Level, PaintNorthern terminus of PA 601; partial cloverleaf interchange
Windber81.106130.527  PA 160 (Pomroy Drive / 21st Street) – Windber, Central City
BedfordPleasantville96.147154.734  PA 96 (Cortland Road / King St. Clair Road) – Schellsburg, Weyant, Blue Knob State Park
Bedford Township104.007–
104.198
167.383–
167.690
   
 
I-99 / US 220 to Penna Turnpike – Bedford, Altoona
Interstate 99 exit 3; diamond interchange
104.743168.568 
 
 
 
 
 
  US 220 Bus. to I-76 / Penna Turnpike – Bedford, Bedford County Airport
Northern terminus of US 220 Bus.
108.055173.898  US 30 (Lincoln Highway) – Bedford, SchellsburgEastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

PA 56 Truck

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Current

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Pennsylvania Route 56 Truck
LocationNew Kensington, Pennsylvania
Existed1980–present

Pennsylvania Route 56 Truck is a 2-mile-long (3.2 km) truck route in the Pittsburgh industrial suburb of New Kensington, Pennsylvania. The route's western terminus also marks the end of its parent, as each formulate a different way of travel for those who have crossed the C.L. Schmitt Bridge. While Route 56 makes several turns as it passes through the stop light-filled center of the community, the truck route runs as the four-lane Industrial Boulevard along the Allegheny River, before turning back north as it is multiplexed with Pennsylvania Route 366.

Former

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Pennsylvania Route 56 Truck
LocationIndiana County, Pennsylvania
Existed2013–2015

Pennsylvania Route 56 Truck was an east-west truck route bypassing a weight-restricted bridge over Little Brush Creek in Brush Valley, on which trucks over 29 tons and combination loads over 40 tons were prohibited. It was formed and established in 2013 and it used to follow US 119 and US 22. As of October 2015, the "Truck PA 56" signs were removed off of US 22 and US 119.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Bureau of Maintenance and Operations (January 2019). Roadway Management System Straight Line Diagrams (Report) (2019 ed.). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Google Maps Directions - Pennsylvania Route 56
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