Pennsylvania Route 222
Encyclopedia
Pennsylvania Route 222 is a 4.49 mi (7.23 km)-long state highway
contained entirely in Allentown
, Lehigh County
, Pennsylvania
and its immediate suburbs mostly along Hamilton Boulevard. The route, in center city Allentown, is aligned along West Hamilton, West Linden, and West Walnut Streets. The route is referenced as SR 2006, under the Local Referencing System.
The southern terminus of the route is at Interstate 78 and Pennsylvania Route 309
in Dorneyville
, where the right-of-way
of PA 222 changes designation to U.S. Route 222. The northern terminus is Pennsylvania Route 145
in Allentown.
of Interstate 78 and Pennsylvania Route 309
. The junction is the northern terminus of U.S. Route 222, the right-of-way of PA 222, designated southward towards Reading
as Hamilton Boulevard. Route 222 is aligned south of Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
, a local amusement park
. Direct access to Dorney Park is limited to 222 southbound, as northbound traffic must make a left turn onto Lincoln Avenue to access the park. Half-mile east of Dorney Park, 222 splits into two carriageways, with 222 north remaining on Hamilton Boulevard and 222 south following the newer Hamilton Boulevard Bypass to the north. A short distance to the east, the separated 222 intersects Cedar Crest Boulevard, a major north–south arterial in the Allentown metropolitan area.
Northeast of Cedar Crest Boulevard, the two carriageways merge into a single Hamilton Boulevard in the shadow of Cedar Crest College
. Roughly a half-mile from the merge, 222 becomes Hamilton Street at Ott Street and is designated along the southern edge of Cedar Creek Park, the host of the annual Mayfair Festival. Route 222 continues east, intersecting 24th Street and 15th Street, among other roads, west of downtown Allentown. In the downtown district, 222 splits once more at 12th Street, with 222 north turning right onto 12th before returning east on Walnut Street. A half-mile east of 12th Street, 222 intersects the southbound-only 7th Street, carrying Pennsylvania Route 145
south, west of the terminus at the northbound-only 6th Street (PA 145 north).
Southbound PA 222 begins where The Morning Call
is situated, two blocks north of Walnut Street at the intersection of Linden Street and 6th Street. Route 222 south is aligned on Linden to 12th Street, where 222 south joins 222 northbound at Hamilton Street one block to the south. Hamilton Boulevard also is home to the global headquarters of Air Products & Chemicals
.
When the Sproul Road Bill was signed on May 31, 1911, the state began maintenance over state highways. One of those highways was Legislative Route 157, the modern Hamilton Boulevard section of PA 222, west of Allentown. Another state highway was Legislative Route 159, aligned east of Allentown to downtown Bethlehem along Hanover Avenue and Broad Street. No routes had a designation within the city of Allentown.
In 1916, the William Penn Highway
was organized as an alternative to the Lincoln Highway
. The roadway traversed downtown Allentown via Hamilton Street and Hamilton Boulevard. The Pennsylvania Department of Highways gave the road the Pennsylvania Route 3
numbering in 1924 and when the United States Highway System was formed, U.S. Route 22 became part of it. The William Penn Highway served the nation's largest city
; the road became problematic for motorists in Lebanon
along the current U.S. Route 422; Reading
via U.S. Routes 22 and 222; and Allentown on Hamilton Street (US 22).
Pennsylvania Route 43 was aligned as a bypass, north of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country
, between Allentown and Harrisburg. On June 8, 1931, the American Association of State Highway Officials came to a resolution to the traffic problem, by replacing the PA 43 corridor with US 22 and the William Penn Highway name to match. The state truncated PA 43 to Susquehanna Street from Allentown to Bethlehem.
U.S. Route 222 replaced the former US 22 alignment from Reading to Allentown. Hamilton Street was numbered as US 222, west of downtown Allentown, where it turned north onto 15th Street. This portion of US 222 was seven-blocks long which ended at Tilghman Street
(then US 22). With the construction of the Lehigh Valley Thruway in the early 1950s and the relocation of US 22 to that route, US 222 was extended east along Tilghman Street to 7th Street, then north on 7th Street to the interchange with the new freeway.
In the late 1950s, US 222 was realigned to a newly constructed bypass carrying U.S. Route 309 and PA Route 29, west of Allentown. From the south, US 222 left Hamilton Boulevard and turned north onto the freeway. US 222 terminated at an interchange with US 22, US 309, and PA 29 in South Whitehall Township
. The freeway, originally signed as US 309/PA 29/US 222, dropped the PA 29 designation in 1966; in 1968, US 309 was downgraded to PA 309 and US 222 was truncated to end at the current northern termini. By the 1980s, Interstate 78 became part of the freeway that occupied PA 309.
In 1984, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
was planning to extend PA Route 145 and US 222. Traffic engineer Samuel D. Darrohh said that Allentown is one of few Pennsylvania cities without a traffic route going through it. After the plan was introduced, he said that motorists might be aided if US 222 is extended along Hamilton Boulevard to connect with the proposed PA 145 corridor.
PennDOT originally planned the road as U.S. Route 222 but AASHTO denied the extension. In 1991, it was commissioned as PA 222. PA 145 was extended south of the Lehigh Valley Thruway
to the I-78/PA 309 overlap near Lanark
.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
contained entirely in Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, Lehigh County
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
-Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and its immediate suburbs mostly along Hamilton Boulevard. The route, in center city Allentown, is aligned along West Hamilton, West Linden, and West Walnut Streets. The route is referenced as SR 2006, under the Local Referencing System.
The southern terminus of the route is at Interstate 78 and Pennsylvania Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309 is a major highway which runs for 134 miles through Pennsylvania in the United States. It connects Philadelphia and its northern suburbs to Allentown, Hazleton, and Wilkes-Barre. A limited-access highway portion of PA 309 in the Wilkes-Barre area is known as the North...
in Dorneyville
Dorneyville, Pennsylvania
Dorneyville is an unincorporated town located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA. The town is located between Allentown, Pennsylvania and Trexlertown, Pennsylvania in South Whitehall Township. Dorneyville is located off Interstate 78 and is home to the northern terminus of U.S. Route 222. It is...
, where the right-of-way
Easement
An easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...
of PA 222 changes designation to U.S. Route 222. The northern terminus is Pennsylvania Route 145
Pennsylvania Route 145
Pennsylvania Route 145 , unofficially known as "the gateway to Allentown", is a long north–south state highway in the Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania...
in Allentown.
Route description
PA 222 begins at an interchange with the concurrencyConcurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
of Interstate 78 and Pennsylvania Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309 is a major highway which runs for 134 miles through Pennsylvania in the United States. It connects Philadelphia and its northern suburbs to Allentown, Hazleton, and Wilkes-Barre. A limited-access highway portion of PA 309 in the Wilkes-Barre area is known as the North...
. The junction is the northern terminus of U.S. Route 222, the right-of-way of PA 222, designated southward towards Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
as Hamilton Boulevard. Route 222 is aligned south of Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The park features nine roller coasters, other adult and children's rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom....
, a local amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
. Direct access to Dorney Park is limited to 222 southbound, as northbound traffic must make a left turn onto Lincoln Avenue to access the park. Half-mile east of Dorney Park, 222 splits into two carriageways, with 222 north remaining on Hamilton Boulevard and 222 south following the newer Hamilton Boulevard Bypass to the north. A short distance to the east, the separated 222 intersects Cedar Crest Boulevard, a major north–south arterial in the Allentown metropolitan area.
Cedar Crest College
Cedar Crest College is a private liberal arts women's college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. During the 2006-2007 academic year, the college had 1,000 full-time and 800 part-time undergraduates and 85 graduate students...
. Roughly a half-mile from the merge, 222 becomes Hamilton Street at Ott Street and is designated along the southern edge of Cedar Creek Park, the host of the annual Mayfair Festival. Route 222 continues east, intersecting 24th Street and 15th Street, among other roads, west of downtown Allentown. In the downtown district, 222 splits once more at 12th Street, with 222 north turning right onto 12th before returning east on Walnut Street. A half-mile east of 12th Street, 222 intersects the southbound-only 7th Street, carrying Pennsylvania Route 145
Pennsylvania Route 145
Pennsylvania Route 145 , unofficially known as "the gateway to Allentown", is a long north–south state highway in the Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania...
south, west of the terminus at the northbound-only 6th Street (PA 145 north).
Southbound PA 222 begins where The Morning Call
The Morning Call
The Morning Call is a daily newspaper based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The newspaper is owned by the Tribune Company, whose other publications include the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Baltimore Sun....
is situated, two blocks north of Walnut Street at the intersection of Linden Street and 6th Street. Route 222 south is aligned on Linden to 12th Street, where 222 south joins 222 northbound at Hamilton Street one block to the south. Hamilton Boulevard also is home to the global headquarters of Air Products & Chemicals
Air Products & Chemicals
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is an international corporation whose principal business is selling gases and chemicals for industrial uses. Air Products' headquarters is in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. Air Products is the Lehigh...
.
History
From the establishment of Allentown in the 18th century to the modern age, Hamilton Street has been the main arterial of the municipality. Similar to many other Allentown-area streets at the time; Hamilton, Linden, and Walnut Streets were used for trolley car and horse transportation. Following a economic depression the city suffered in the late 19th century, it rebounded in the 20th century with the establishment of many shopping stores on Hamilton Street; the commercial center of the city, that hosted the annual Workhorse Parade, a popular attraction in the 1910s.When the Sproul Road Bill was signed on May 31, 1911, the state began maintenance over state highways. One of those highways was Legislative Route 157, the modern Hamilton Boulevard section of PA 222, west of Allentown. Another state highway was Legislative Route 159, aligned east of Allentown to downtown Bethlehem along Hanover Avenue and Broad Street. No routes had a designation within the city of Allentown.
William Penn Highway
The William Penn Highway was an auto trail in the United States, generally running from Pittsburgh east to New York City. It served as the eastern end of the Pikes Peak Ocean-to-Ocean Highway. The William Penn Highway Association of Pennsylvania was organized March 27, 1916 to promote a road...
was organized as an alternative to the Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
. The roadway traversed downtown Allentown via Hamilton Street and Hamilton Boulevard. The Pennsylvania Department of Highways gave the road the Pennsylvania Route 3
Pennsylvania Route 3
Pennsylvania Route 3 is a state highway located in the southeastern portion of Pennsylvania. The route connects West Chester with Philadelphia. The divided highway that comprises much of its route is the West Chester Pike, built as a turnpike by the Philadelphia and West Chester Turnpike Company...
numbering in 1924 and when the United States Highway System was formed, U.S. Route 22 became part of it. The William Penn Highway served the nation's largest city
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; the road became problematic for motorists in Lebanon
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon, formerly known as Steitztown, is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461...
along the current U.S. Route 422; Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
via U.S. Routes 22 and 222; and Allentown on Hamilton Street (US 22).
Pennsylvania Route 43 was aligned as a bypass, north of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania Dutch Country refers to an area of southeastern Pennsylvania, United States that by the American Revolution had a high percentage of Pennsylvania Dutch inhabitants. Religiously, there was a large portion of Lutherans. There were also German Reformed, Moravian, Amish, Mennonite and...
, between Allentown and Harrisburg. On June 8, 1931, the American Association of State Highway Officials came to a resolution to the traffic problem, by replacing the PA 43 corridor with US 22 and the William Penn Highway name to match. The state truncated PA 43 to Susquehanna Street from Allentown to Bethlehem.
U.S. Route 222 replaced the former US 22 alignment from Reading to Allentown. Hamilton Street was numbered as US 222, west of downtown Allentown, where it turned north onto 15th Street. This portion of US 222 was seven-blocks long which ended at Tilghman Street
State Route 1002 (Lehigh County, Pennsylvania)
State Route 1002 ', locally known as Tilghman Street and Union Boulevard, is a major long east–west road in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The majority of the roadway is the former alignment of U.S...
(then US 22). With the construction of the Lehigh Valley Thruway in the early 1950s and the relocation of US 22 to that route, US 222 was extended east along Tilghman Street to 7th Street, then north on 7th Street to the interchange with the new freeway.
In the late 1950s, US 222 was realigned to a newly constructed bypass carrying U.S. Route 309 and PA Route 29, west of Allentown. From the south, US 222 left Hamilton Boulevard and turned north onto the freeway. US 222 terminated at an interchange with US 22, US 309, and PA 29 in South Whitehall Township
South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania
South Whitehall Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley area of the state. The population of South Whitehall Township was 18,028 at the 2000 census...
. The freeway, originally signed as US 309/PA 29/US 222, dropped the PA 29 designation in 1966; in 1968, US 309 was downgraded to PA 309 and US 222 was truncated to end at the current northern termini. By the 1980s, Interstate 78 became part of the freeway that occupied PA 309.
In 1984, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Barry Schoch Presently, PennDOT supports over of state roads and highways, about 25,000...
was planning to extend PA Route 145 and US 222. Traffic engineer Samuel D. Darrohh said that Allentown is one of few Pennsylvania cities without a traffic route going through it. After the plan was introduced, he said that motorists might be aided if US 222 is extended along Hamilton Boulevard to connect with the proposed PA 145 corridor.
PennDOT originally planned the road as U.S. Route 222 but AASHTO denied the extension. In 1991, it was commissioned as PA 222. PA 145 was extended south of the Lehigh Valley Thruway
Lehigh Valley Thruway
U.S. Route 22 is an east–west route stretching from Cincinnati, Ohio in the west to Newark, New Jersey in the east. In Pennsylvania, the route runs for between the West Virginia state line at Washington County, where it is a limited-access expressway-grade route through the western suburbs...
to the I-78/PA 309 overlap near Lanark
Lanark, Pennsylvania
Lanark is a small unincorporated village located in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Residents of Lanark are served by the Center Valley and Coopersburg Post Offices with zip code of 18034 and 18036, respectively. Lanark is located within Southern Lehigh School District...
.