U.S. Route 202 in Pennsylvania

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U.S. Route 202
South end: US 202 at Delaware border in Bethel Twp.
Major
junctions:		 US 1/US 322 in Painters Crossroads
US 322 in West Goshen Twp.
US 30 in East Whiteland Twp.
US 422 in King of Prussia
I-76/I-276/PA Tpk in King of Prussia
PA 309 in Montgomeryville
PA 611 in Doylestown
North end: US 202 at New Jersey border in Solebury Twp.
Pennsylvania State Routes
< PA 201 PA 204 >
Minor - Legislative
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U.S. Route 202 runs through the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, passing through the northern and western suburbs of Philadelphia. It runs in a general southwest to northeast direction through the state, passing through West Chester, King of Prussia, Norristown, Montgomeryville, Doylestown, and New Hope.

Contents

[edit] Route description

[edit] Delaware County

Northbound US 202/US 322 in Chadds Ford Township.
Northbound US 202/US 322 in Chadds Ford Township.

U.S. Route 202 heads north from the Delaware border on Wilmington West Chester Pike, briefly passing through Bethel Township before entering Concord Township in Delaware County. It meets the western terminus of Pennsylvania Route 491 and heads north into Chadds Ford Township. In Painters Crossroads, on the border of Chadds Ford and Concord Townships, it crosses U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 322 makes a right turn from the east along US 1 to form a concurrency with US 202. The two routes head north along the border of Chadds Ford and Thornbury Townships toward Chester County.

[edit] Chester County

US 202 and US 322 cross into Chester County, heading north on Wilmington Pike along the border of Birmingham and Thornbury Townships. They intersect Pennsylvania Route 926 and head into Westtown Township. At the border of Westtown and West Goshen Townships, US 202 and US 322 head onto the limited-access West Chester Bypass, which bypasses West Chester to the east, while U.S. Route 322 Business heads north into West Chester on High Street.

The West Chester Bypass intersects Matlack Street at a traffic light, and then has interchanges with Westtown Road, Pennsylvania Route 3 (West Chester Pike), and Paoli Pike. US 322 then heads to the west on a two-lane expressway around the northern part of West Chester, and US 202 continues to the north on a four-lane expressway. It interchanges with the southern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 100, which heads to the northwest on a short expressway toward Exton. It then interchanges with Boot Road and heads into East Goshen Township briefly before entering West Whiteland Township.

US Route 202, traveling south near Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania.
US Route 202, traveling south near Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania.

On the border of West Whiteland and East Whiteland Township, US 202 interchanges with U.S. Route 30 (Lancaster Avenue). This interchange marks the eastern terminus of the U.S. Route 30 freeway in Chester County and U.S. Route 30 Business, which heads to the west on Lancaster Pike. Past this interchange, US 202 heads in a more easterly direction and interchanges with Pennsylvania Route 401 and Pennsylvania Route 29 near the Great Valley Corporate Center. It then crosses into Tredyffrin Township and heads east, intersecting Swedesford Road at a partial interchange with access only to and from the south and then Chesterbrook Boulevard. It then meets Pennsylvania Route 252, which parallels the freeway for a little distance before crossing it.

[edit] Montgomery County

US Route 202 (perpendicular), at the expressway terminus in King of Prussia. Twelve lanes move traffic through the intersection with Gulph Road.
US Route 202 (perpendicular), at the expressway terminus in King of Prussia. Twelve lanes move traffic through the intersection with Gulph Road.

US 202 then crosses into Upper Merion Township, where it interchanges with the eastern terminus of U.S. Route 422, which heads to the northwest on a limited-access highway. It then heads toward King of Prussia, where it interchanges with Interstate 76 (the Schuylkill Expressway). I-76 provides access to the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 276), which US 202 does not have direct access to. The intersection between US 202, US 422, and I-76 is a complex interchange that was recently rebuilt. Past I-76, US 202 becomes a surface road called Dekalb Pike and passes by the King of Prussia Mall, the largest shopping mall on the East Coast of the United States and one of the largest shopping malls in the country.

It heads to the northeast and crosses over the Pennsylvania Turnpike, passing through various suburban developments. In Bridgeport, US 202 splits into two roads, with northbound US 202 heading into Bridgeport on two-lane, two-way Dekalb Street and southbound US 202 heading onto a four-lane freeway. Northbound US 202 crosses Pennsylvania Route 23 at an intersection in the center of Bridgeport and southbound US 202 features ramps that provide access to PA 23. These ramps were intended to connect to the Schuylkill Parkway, a never-built bypass of PA 23 in Upper Merion Township. Both routes cross the Schuylkill River into Norristown, with northbound US 202 heading north on one way Dekalb Street and US 202 southbound heading down two-way Markley Street. US 202 follows this one-way pair through the length of Norristown, with the route meeting back into one road at the northern border of Norristown, where southbound US 202 follows Johnson Highway between Dekalb Street and Markley Street.

US 202 then heads into East Norriton Township on the two-way Dekalb Pike. It intersects Germantown Pike and then continues into Whitpain Township. It passes over the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 476) and intersects Pennsylvania Route 73. It then heads into Lower Gwynedd Township and then intersects Pennsylvania Route 63 on the border of Lower Gwynedd and Upper Gwynedd Townships. It then heads into Montgomery Township and intersects Pennsylvania Route 309 (Bethlehem Pike) near the Montgomery Mall.

US 202 then turns north onto PA 309, following it to the Five Points intersection in Montgomeryville, where it crosses Pennsylvania Route 463 and where US 202 splits from PA 309 by heading to the northeast on Doylestown Road.

[edit] Bucks County

US Route 202 northbound on Lower York Road, approaching New Hope.
US Route 202 northbound on Lower York Road, approaching New Hope.

US 202 the crosses into New Britain Township in Bucks County and becomes Butler Avenue. It enters Chalfont, where it shares a brief concurrency with Pennsylvania Route 152. It then passes through New Britain before entering Doylestown Township. It passes by Delaware Valley College and becomes State Street at the intersection with New Britain Road.

US 202 then turns south onto the Pennsylvania Route 611 Doylestown Bypass, forming a wrong-way concurrency. It then heads east onto a freeway running along the southern edge of Doylestown, interchanging with Main Street. The freeway the ends, and US 202 becomes a surface road called Doylestown-Buckingham Pike, intersecting Pennsylvania Route 313. It heads east into Buckingham Township, and continues to the village of Buckingham, where it crosses Pennsylvania Route 413 and then meets Pennsylvania Route 263.

It then forms a concurrency with PA 263, heading north on York Road, a part of Old York Road which connected Philadelphia to New York City. The two routes split in Lahaska, with US 202 heading east on Lower York Road. It heads into Solebury Township and heads east toward New Hope. Before reaching New Hope, it meets Pennsylvania Route 179, which heads into New Hope on the former alignment of US 202. US 202 bends to the north of New Hope and interchanges with Pennsylvania Route 32 before crossing the Delaware River into New Jersey on the New Hope-Lambertville Toll Bridge.

[edit] History

Before the creation of the U.S. highway system, the route had been part of Pennsylvania Route 29 between the Delaware border and West Chester and Pennsylvania Route 52 between West Chester and the New Jersey border. [1] U.S. Route 122 was created in 1926, connecting US 22 at Whitehouse, New Jersey with Wilmington, Delaware. It became part of US 202 in 1934.

U.S. Route 202 had followed a different alignment in Chester County before the limited access alignment was built. The former alignment had US 202 exiting from what was then the West Chester By-Pass onto Paoli Pike, then later overlapping US 30 in Paoli and then turning north on what later became PA 252.

[edit] The Piedmont Expressway

In the early 1960s, a four-lane expressway was proposed that would follow the US 202 corridor. The "Piedmont Expressway" was to be 59 miles long, and would cost approximately $146 million. It was to serve as an outer beltway around the Philadelphia area, similar to the Capital Beltway that encircles Washington, D.C.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation divided the US 202 Expressway into the following eight sections:

[edit] Future

 This section contains information about a planned or expected future road.
It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change as the road's construction or completion approaches and more information becomes available.

[edit] Widening

PennDOT has plans to widen two sections of U.S. Route 202, from U.S. Route 30 in East Whiteland Township to North Valley Road in Tredyffrin Township in Chester County, costing $175 million, and from Johnson Highway on the Norristown/East Norriton Township border to Pennsylvania Route 309 in Montgomeryville in Montgomery County, costing $130 million. Construction on both segments was expected to start in 2009. However, PennDOT has indefinitely suspended construction on both segments due to to need to use money to repair structurally deficient bridges. Construction will not start until 2011 at the earliest.[2]

[edit] 202 Parkway

The 202 Parkway is a proposed 8.5-mile at-grade road that will run from Montgomeryville to Doylestown north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The road has been at the front of discussion and controversies around the Bucks and Montgomeryville areas for almost forty years. It was originally planned as a four-lane expressway, but in 2005 the plan was changed to a two to four lane parkway after funding for the road was cut.[3] The parkway is planned to be four lanes from Pennsylvania Route 63 to Pennsylvania Route 463 and two lanes from PA 463 to Pennsylvania Route 611. It will have 5-foot-wide shoulders, 12-foot-wide walking paths on each side, sound barriers, and a 40 mph speed limit. The parkway is planned to cost $200 million with construction beginning in fall 2008[4] and completion by late 2010 with a planned opening date in early 2011[5]. PennDOT is in the process of acquiring properties along the future right of way.[3]

[edit] Major intersections

County Location Milepost Destinations Notes
Delaware state line
Delaware Concord Township PA 491 east (Naamans Creek Road)
Painters Crossroads US 1 / US 322 east (Baltimore Pike) South end of US 322 overlap
Chester Darlington Corners PA 926 (Street Road)
South end of expressway section
West Goshen Township
US 322 Bus. (High Street)
Matlack Street at-grade intersection
Westtown Road
PA 3 (Gay Street) – Newtown Square
Paoli Pike
US 322 west – Downingtown Northbound exit, southbound entrance
North end of US 322 overlap
PA 100 north to US 30 west – Exton Northbound exit, southbound entrance
Boot Road
East Whiteland Township
US 30 to US 30 Bus. – Frazer, Downingtown
PA 401 – Frazer
PA 29 – Malvern, Great Valley
Tredyffrin Township To PA 252 – Paoli Northbound exit, southbound entrance
Chesterbrook Boulevard
PA 252 south – Paoli, Devon Southbound exit, northbound entrance
PA 252 (Valley Forge Road, West Valley Road)
Devon Park Drive Northbound exit
I-76 east – Philadelphia Northbound exit
Montgomery King of Prussia US 422 west – Pottstown, Valley Forge National Historic Park
I-76 to I-276 to PA Turnpike – Philadelphia, Harrisburg, New Jersey
North end of expressway section
Bridgeport PA 23 (Valley Forge Road, Fourth Street) Interchange southbound, at-grade intersection northbound
Norristown Main Street
East Norriton Township Germantown Pike former US 422
Whitpain Township PA 73 (Skippack Pike)
Montgomery Township PA 63 (Welsh Road)
PA 309 south (Bethlehem Pike) South end of PA 309 overlap
PA 309 north (Bethlehem Pike) / PA 463 (Cowpath Road, Horsham Road) North end of PA 309 overlap
Bucks Chalfont PA 152 south (Limekiln Pike) South end of PA 152 overlap
PA 152 north (Main Street) North end of PA 152 overlap
South end of expressway section
Doylestown Township PA 611 north – Easton South end of PA 611 overlap
PA 611 south – Edison North end of PA 611 overlap
Easton Road, Main Street
North end of expressway section
PA 313 (Swamp Road)
Buckingham Township PA 413 (Durham Road)
PA 263 south (York Road) South end of PA 263 overlap
PA 263 north (Upper York Road) North end of PA 263 overlap
Solebury Township PA 179 north (Lower York Road)
South end of expressway section
PA 32 – New Hope, Easton
New Hope-Lambertville Toll Bridge over Delaware River

[edit] References

  1. ^ The US Highway System and Numbering – The Pennsylvania State Route Numbering System – Central PA/MD Roads URL accessed 16 February 2008
  2. ^ Petersen, Nancy. "Gridlock ahead for road projects", The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 6, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-06. 
  3. ^ a b Savana, Freda R. "Make way for the 202 Parkway." The Intelligencer, March 2, 2008
  4. ^ Kristofic, Christina. "PennDOT to hold meetings on noise from parkway." The Intelligencer, November 1, 2007
  5. ^ Moyer, Sandra. "Parkway construction could begin by year's end." The Intelligencer, March 26, 2008


v • d • e
Road transportation infrastructure of the metro Philadelphia area
Interstates
I-76 • I-176 • I-276 • I-476 • I-676 • I-95 (PA·DE) • I-295 • I-495
U.S. Routes
US 1 • US 13 (PA·DE) • US 30 (PA·NJ) • US 40 (NJ·DE) • US 130 • US 202 (PA·DE) • US 322 (PA·NJ) • US 422
Pennsylvania Routes
PA 3 • PA 23 • PA 29 • PA 32 • PA 63 • PA 73 • PA 100 • PA 113 • PA 132 • PA 152 • PA 232 • PA 252 • PA 263 • PA 291 • PA 309 • PA 313 • PA 320 • PA 332 • PA 352 • PA 363 • PA 401 • PA 413 • PA 420 • PA 452 • PA 463 • PA 532 • PA 611 • PA 663
New Jersey Routes
NJ 38 • NJ 41 • NJ 42 • NJ 44 • NJ 45 • NJ 47 • NJ 48 • NJ 49 • NJ 55 • NJ 70 • NJ 73 • NJ 90 • NJ 168 • NJ 413
Delaware Routes
DE 1 • DE 2 • DE 4 • DE 7 • DE 9 • DE 41 • DE 71 • DE 92 • DE 100 • DE 141 • DE 273 • DE 299 • DE 896
Named roads/streets
Bridges


U.S. Route 202
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Delaware		 Pennsylvania Next state:
New Jersey