U.S. Route 119 in Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
U.S. Route 119 travels through Connellsville
Connellsville, Pennsylvania
Connellsville is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, USA, 57 miles southeast of Pittsburgh on the Youghiogheny River, a tributary of the Monongahela River. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. In 1890, 5,629 people lived in Connellsville, which was a borough at that time...

, Greensburg
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city is named after Nathanael Greene, a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War...

, and Punxsutawney
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
Punxsutawney is a borough in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States, northeast of Pittsburgh. In 1907, Punxsutawney and Claysville boroughs were consolidated and incorporated as Greater Punxsutawney. A high-grade soft coal was mined in the surrounding region...

, and bypasses Uniontown
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...

 and Indiana. There are numerous other boroughs and villages along its 133 miles (214 km) route in the Keystone State. The southern entrance of US 119 is at the West Virginia state line one-half mile south of Point Marion
Point Marion, Pennsylvania
Point Marion is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,333 at the 2000 census. It is served by the Albert Gallatin Area School District.Point Marion is located at the confluence of the Monongahela and Cheat Rivers...

. The northern terminus is at US 219
U.S. Route 219
U.S. Route 219 is a spur of U.S. Route 19. It runs for from West Seneca, New York at an interchange with Interstate 90, to Rich Creek, Virginia, intersecting at U.S. Route 460. U.S. 219 is found in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia...

 two miles (3 km) south of DuBois, Pennsylvania
DuBois, Pennsylvania
DuBois is a city in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the principal city in the DuBois, Pa Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

. US 119 is in the National Highway System
National Highway System (United States)
The National Highway System is a network of strategic highways within the United States, including the Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities.Individual states...

 from the West Virginia state line to Exit 0 of PA Turnpike 66
Pennsylvania Route 66
Pennsylvania Route 66 is a long state highway in Western Pennsylvania. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 6 in Kane. Its southern terminus is at US 119 near New Stanton. West of Greensburg, PA 66 becomes the tolled Amos K. Hutchinson Bypass, a part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike System. The...

, and from US 22
U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route 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 near the Newark Liberty International Airport.US 22 also carries the names of the William...

 to US 219. From US 22
U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route 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 near the Newark Liberty International Airport.US 22 also carries the names of the William...

 to US 219, the highway carries the name of the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Highway; from US 22 to PA 56
Pennsylvania Route 56
Pennsylvania Route 56 is a major long state highway located in central Pennsylvania. Its western terminus is at the eastern approach to the C.L. Schmitt Bridge in New Kensington. Its eastern terminus is U.S. Route 30 west of Bedford.- Route description :...

, it is also known as the Patrick J. Stapleton Highway; near Uniontown, it bears the name George C. Marshall Parkway.

Concurrencies along the route include PA 43 from Chadville to US 40
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...

; US 40 from the Hopwood interchange to Main Street, Uniontown; Truck PA 711
Pennsylvania Route 711
Pennsylvania Route 711 is an long, north–south state highway located in Fayette, Westmoreland and Indiana counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at US 119/PA 201 in Connellsville. The northern terminus is at PA 403 in East Wheatfield Township.-Route description:PA 711 goes by...

 from Connellsville to North Connellsville; PA 819
Pennsylvania Route 819
Pennsylvania Route 819 is a long state highway located in Fayette and Westmoreland counties in Pennsylvania, USA. The southern terminus is at PA 201 in Vanderbilt. The northern terminus is at PA 66 in Oklahoma.-Fayette County:...

 from the borough of South Greensburg to the City of Greensburg; Business PA 66 from US 30
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the...

 in South Greensburg to Greensburg; PA 130
Pennsylvania Route 130
Pennsylvania Route 130 is a long state highway located in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at PA 8 in Pittsburgh. The eastern terminus is at PA 381 near Kregar....

 in Greensburg; US 22
U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route 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 near the Newark Liberty International Airport.US 22 also carries the names of the William...

 from Shieldsburg to two miles (3 km) east of Blairsville; PA 56
Pennsylvania Route 56
Pennsylvania Route 56 is a major long state highway located in central Pennsylvania. Its western terminus is at the eastern approach to the C.L. Schmitt Bridge in New Kensington. Its eastern terminus is U.S. Route 30 west of Bedford.- Route description :...

 from Homer City
Homer City, Pennsylvania
Homer City is a borough in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,844 at the 2000 census. The Homer City Generating Station is located outside of Homer City but it takes its name from the borough. Homer City is located in the Indiana metro area...

 to US 422
U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422 is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western spur begins in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and ends at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania...

; Business US 422 from the Wayne Avenue interchange to the US 422 interchange; Truck PA 286 from US 422 to PA 286
Pennsylvania Route 286
Pennsylvania Route 286 is an long, east–west state highway located in Allegheny, Westmoreland, Indiana, and Clearfield counties in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at US 22 in Monroeville. The eastern terminus is at US 219 near Burnside....

; and PA 36
Pennsylvania Route 36
Pennsylvania Route 36 is a long state highway located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 26 near the Hopewell Township community of Yellow Creek...

 in Punxsutawney.

Fayette County

US 119 enters 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...

 from Monongalia County, WV just south of Point Marion, PA. Known as Morgantown Rd. for most of its route south of Uniontown, it travels north through Point Marion. The highway leaves the borough
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...

 upon crossing the Cheat River
Cheat River
The Cheat River is a tributary of the Monongahela River in eastern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Via the Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed, ultimately draining into the Gulf of Mexico.-Geography:The Cheat is formed at...

 at its confluence
Confluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...

 with the Monongahela River
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...

. Route 119 then turns toward the east-northeast and heads toward Smithfield. To the northeast of Smithfield, Morgantown Rd. intersects with Big Six Rd., which provides access to PA 43 at exit 8. This begins a section of the highway that runs parallel to two other highways, PA 43 and PA 857, till their termini at the Uniontown bypass in South Union Township.

US 119 merges with US 40 to form part of the George C. Marshall Parkway, which bypasses the city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

 of Uniontown to the west and north. Exits along the US 119 section of the bypass include Walnut Hill Rd.; McClellandtown
McClellandtown, Pennsylvania
McClellandtown is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The village was founded by a family of that name, who lived there many years ago. William McClelland, the founder, died there July 12, 1815, in the eighty-second year of his age...

 Rd. (PA 21); Main St. (US 40 West and US 40 Bus), the north end of concurrency with US 40; Pittsburgh St. (PA 51); N. Gallatin Ave.; and Connellsville Rd. Shortly after the Connellsville Rd. exit, US 119 passes Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.

Eleven miles northeast of Uniontown and six miles (10 km) north of Penn State, US 119 enters the city of Connellsville. Route 119 becomes a one-way pair
One-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or just couplet is a pair of parallel, usually one-way streets that carry opposite directions of a signed route or major traffic flow, or sometimes opposite directions of a bus or streetcar route....

 of 8th and 9th Sts. in western Connellsville. After intersection PA 201/PA 711 (W. Crawford Ave.), US 119 crosses the Youghiogheny River
Youghiogheny River
The Youghiogheny River , or the Yough for short, is a tributary of the Monongahela River in the U.S. states of West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania...

 via the Memorial Bridge, one of two bridges in Connellsville. The highway leaves Connellsville as Memorial Blvd and heads to the north intersecting with the southern terminus of PA 982 (Pleasant Valley Rd.).

North of Pleasant Valley Rd. is a trumpet interchange with Everson Valley Rd. Just north of this intersection, US 119 leaves Fayette County, having spent 38 miles (61.2 km) in Fayette County.

Westmoreland County

The highway enters Westmoreland County in East Huntingdon Township. US 119 continues north between the boroughs of Scottdale and Mount Pleasant. East of Scottdale, US 119 has an exit with PA 819 signed for the two communities, and then west of Mount Pleasant is an interchange with PA 31, which also provides access to PA 981.

Five and a half miles north of Mount Pleasant, just west of Youngwood, US 119 traffic must exit the expressway at a full cloverleaf interchange
Cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...

 (straight ahead is the beginning of PA 66 North), immediately to the east of connections to the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The three sections of the turnpike system total . The main section extends from Ohio to New Jersey and is long...

 and I-70. After leaving the expressway, US 119 enters Youngwood as Hellman St., which becomes the one-way pair of 3rd and 4th Sts.

Shortly after leaving Youngwood, US 119 intersects 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,...

 (US 30), which bypasses Greensburg to the west and south. Route 119 becomes Main St. at this point and travels through downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....

 Greensburg. At PA 130, Pittsburgh St., US 119 turns to the right and leaves Greensburg as Harvey Ave and heads to the northeast toward the historical Hannastown
Hannastown, Pennsylvania
Hannastown is an unincorporated community and important historical and archaeological site located in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Although the village is not tracked by the Census Bureau, it has been assigned the ZIP code 15635....

. Once leaving Greensburg US 119 becomes predominantly a two-lane road again for the first time since joining the Uniontown bypass nearly 40 miles (64.4 km) south.

After passing Hannastown, US 119 continues to the northeast to merge with the William Penn Highway
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...

 (US 22 (PA)). The concurrency runs to the east-northeast toward Blairsville where US 119 leaves Westmoreland County after spending 33 miles (53.1 km) in the county.

Indiana County

US 119 enters Indiana County in the borough of Blairsville after crossing the Conemaugh River
Conemaugh River
The Conemaugh River is a long tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland, Indiana, and Cambria counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.- Course :...

. US 119/US 22 bypasses the borough to the north and heads to the end of the concurrency in Burrell Township. US 119 then takes a more northerly path as the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Highway. While the portion of US 119 between Blairsville and Homer City was a two-lane segment until recent years, this portion of the highway is being widened to four lanes.

Seven miles north of the William Penn Highway, US 119 enters Homer City, merges with PA 56. PA 56 leaves US 119 when the highway intersects the Benjamin Franklin Highway (US 422) south of Indiana. US 119 then becomes an eastern bypass of the borough. The only exit on the bypass is the Philadelphia St. exit at PA 286.

Immediately after passing Indiana, the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Highway becomes a two-lane road again north of an interchange with PA 110 and continues to Home. In Home, US 119 is the eastern terminus of PA 85. US 119 the continues north through rural northern Indiana County before leaving the county in North Mahoning Township after travelling 42 miles (67.6 km) in the county.

Jefferson and Clearfield Counties

US 119 enters Jefferson County in Young Township. Just north of the Jefferson County border, the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Highway intersects PA 436. After entering Punxsutawney, the home of Punxsutawney Phil
Punxsutawney Phil
Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog resident of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. On February 2 of each year, the town of Punxsutawney celebrates the beloved groundhog with a festive atmosphere of music and food...

, the route merges with PA 36
Pennsylvania Route 36
Pennsylvania Route 36 is a long state highway located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 26 near the Hopewell Township community of Yellow Creek...

 at Mahoning St. US 119 is concurrent with PA 36 for four blocks before making a left turn on Hampton Ave. Route 119 leaves Punxsutawney shortly thereafter as Ridge Ave. and heads east toward Big Run. Before reaching Big Run, US 119 passes the Punxsutawney Municipal Airport in Bell Township. After passing through Big Run as Main St., the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Highway turns to the north-northeast toward Sykesville, PA.

Shortly after leaving Sykesville, US 119 leaves Jefferson County and enters Clearfield in Sandy Township south of DuBois. After an intersection with US 322, route 119 ends at US 219 just south of DuBois.

US 119 spends 18 miles (29 km) in Jefferson County and less than 3 miles (4.8 km) in Clearfield County.

History

U.S. Route 119 was originally signed in 1926. Until 1927 it ran from West Virginia to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. Originally, instead of ending a US 219 in Sandy Township, it followed US 219's current alignment for 44 miles (70.8 km) north to Wilcox. It then followed the present-day PA 321 to Kane where it ran concurrent to US 6 to Smethport, 26 miles (41.8 km) to the northeast. In Smethport, US 119 travelled the current alignment of PA 46 to Bradford where it turned north to New York via US 219's current alignment. In 1927, US 119 terminated at its current location south of DuBois.

In the 1940s and 1950s, the highway was widened in several places, the most notable include: a 1940 widening from New Stanton to Greensburg; a 1948 widening in Connellsville; a 1956 widening in Uniontown. In 1965, an expressway was completed from PA 819 to PA 31, and in 1966, it was completed from Pennsville to PA 819. This expressway runs between Mount Pleasant and Scottdale.

In 1972, the Uniontown (started in 1971) and Indiana (started in 1969) bypasses were completed. In 1978 an expressway from PA 31 to the PA 66 interchange was completed, which finished the current 11 miles (17.7 km) expressway from Pennsville to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. In 1993 an expressway from the southern end of the Uniontown bypass to Big Six Road in Georges Township was built parallel to US 119. This is currently part of PA 43 but is the only free section of the Mon-Fayette Expressway
Mon-Fayette Expressway
The Mon–Fayette Expressway is an interstate tolled freeway that is planned to eventually link Interstate 68 near Morgantown, West Virginia with two branches to Interstate 376 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

. In 2000, US 119 was widened along its concurrency with US 22 in Westmoreland County. Many of the latest improvements have been controversial, but improvements continue to be made.

Major intersections

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