Pennsylvania Route 345 is a state highway in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of 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...

. The route runs from Pennsylvania Route 82

Pennsylvania Route 82

Pennsylvania Route 82 is a long north–south state highway located in southeast Pennsylvania, USA. The northern terminus is at PA 23 in Elverson...

 in West Nantmeal Township

West Nantmeal Township, Pennsylvania

West Nantmeal Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,170 at the 2010 census. It and East Nantmeal Township were originally part of a single Nantmeal Township, which was divided in 1739.-Geography:...

, Chester County

Chester County, Pennsylvania

-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...

 north to U.S. Route 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...

 in Birdsboro

Birdsboro, Pennsylvania

Birdsboro is a borough along the Schuylkill River in Berks County, Pennsylvania, eight miles southeast of Reading. In the past, Birdsboro was noted for its large foundries and machine shops, none of which remain in operation today.-History:...

, Berks County

Berks County, Pennsylvania

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...

.

Route description

Pennsylvania Route 345 heads north from Pennsylvania Route 82 on Bulltown Road. It crosses over 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...

 (Interstate 76

Interstate 76 (east)

Interstate 76 is an Interstate Highway in the United States, running 435 miles from an interchange with Interstate 71 west of Akron, Ohio, east to Interstate 295 near Camden, New Jersey....

) and enters East Nantmeal Township

East Nantmeal Township, Pennsylvania

East Nantmeal Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,803 at the 2010 census. It, along with West Nantmeal Township, was originally part of a single Nantmeal Township, which was divided in 1739.-Geography:...

, where it intersects Pennsylvania Route 401

Pennsylvania Route 401

Pennsylvania Route 401 is a short east–west state route in Berks and Chester counties, located in southeast Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 23 in Caernarvon Township, across the county line from Elverson. The eastern terminus is at U.S...

. Pennsylvania Route 345 continues into Warwick Township

Warwick Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania

Warwick Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,507 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...

, where it crosses Pennsylvania Route 23

Pennsylvania Route 23

Pennsylvania Route 23 is a state highway in southeastern Pennsylvania. The route begins at Pennsylvania Route 441 in Marietta and heads east to U.S. Route 1 in Philadelphia.-Marietta to Valley Forge:...

 and the name changes to Pine Swamp Road. It then enters French Creek State Park

French Creek State Park

French Creek State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in North Coventry and Warwick Townships in Chester County and Robeson and Union Townships in Berks County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It straddles northern Chester County and southern Berks County along French Creek. The park is the...

 and crosses into Union Township

Union Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania

Union Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,453 at the 2000 census.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,453 people, 1,324 households, and 1,035 families residing in the township. The population density was 148.9 people per square...

 in Berks County. Pennsylvania Route 345 passes by the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in southeastern Berks County, near Elverson, Pennsylvania, is an example of an American 19th century rural "iron plantation"...

 and continues north and forms the eastern boundary of Birdsboro before intersecting PA 724, with which the route forms a concurrency

Concurrency (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...

. After PA 724 diverges, PA 345 is known as Furnace Street and Center Road as it travels north into the village of Baumstown

Baumstown, Pennsylvania

Baumstown is an unincorporated community in Berks County, Pennsylvania, near the borough of Birdsboro. It is located at the junction of U.S. Highway 422 and Pennsylvania Route 345 in Exeter Township....

 and ends at an intersection with US 422.

History

In 2008, PA 345 was extended north along PA 724 and then along the former PA 82 to U.S. Route 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...

. At that time, PennDOT

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...

 decommissioned PA 82 north of Elverson

Elverson, Pennsylvania

Elverson is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,225 at the 2010 census.Settled near the region's early iron mines, Elverson is close to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, an example of a 19th century "iron plantation".-History:Elverson's earliest...

because of washed out roads between Elverson and Birdsboro.

Major intersections