Pennsylvania Route 60
Encyclopedia
Pennsylvania Route 60 (PA 60) is a state highway
located in the western suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, in the United States
. Although the route follows a mostly east–west alignment, it is signed as a north–south highway. The southern terminus of the route is at a pseudo-interchange with U.S. Route 19 (US 19) and PA 51
in Pittsburgh's West End
while the northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 376 (I-376), US 22, and US 30 in Robinson Township. The portion of PA 60 outside of Pittsburgh is known as the Steubenville Pike; within the city, PA 60 follows several different streets.
The routing of PA 60 was originally designated as part of US 22 and US 30 in the 1920s. In 1956, US 22 and US 30 were rerouted to follow a new highway to the south while the former routing of the two routes through Crafton
became PA 60. The PA 60 designation was gradually extended northward as sections of the Airport Parkway and the Beaver Valley Expressway were built in the 1960s and 1970s, with the route eventually extending as far northward as US 62 Business in Sharon
. For years, a gap existed in PA 60 between West Mayfield
and New Castle
; it was filled on November 20, 1992, with the opening of a toll road
between the two locations.
In 2005, it was announced that the part of PA 60 between Robinson Township and the Pennsylvania Turnpike
in Beaver County
would become part of an extended I-376 in 2009. The changeover officially occurred on November 6, 2009, with I-376 extending farther northward to I-80 near Sharon. PA 60 was truncated back to its original terminus at US 22 and US 30 in Robinson Township and the remaining 5 1/2 mile segment of PA 60 from I-80 to Business US 62 in Sharon became PA 760
.
of the city of Pittsburgh
at a complex intersection with U.S. Route 19 (US 19) and PA 51
that also serves as the northern terminus of PA 837
. It heads southwestward along South Main Street through the West End before curving to the south and following Noblestown Road south and west around the Elliott
neighborhood. The route continues into Crafton Heights
, where it meets the eastern terminus of PA 50
. Here, the Noblestown Road name follows PA 50 to the south while PA 60 heads westward as Crafton Boulevard into the borough of Crafton
. Just inside the borough, the route makes a sharp turn to the south, generally paralleling the borough limits to the intersection of Crafton Boulevard and Dinsmore Avenue.
At this point, northbound and southbound PA 60 splits for about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km), with PA 60 south following Dinsmore and Noble Avenues northward through a densely populated residential area to East Steuben Street. The route turns west here, rejoining the northbound half of traffic five blocks later at West Crafton Avenue. PA 60 north, meanwhile, is routed on West Crafton and Crennell Avenues through a busway underpass to a traffic circle
with Stotz Avenue, where it turns right to follow Stotz Avenue for one block to Bradford Avenue. The route veers southward here, remaining on Bradford Avenue to a junction with Crafton Boulevard, where it rejoins opposing traffic.
Once again a two-direction highway, PA 60 heads westward through a more open but still developed area of Crafton before exiting the borough upon crossing Chartiers Creek
. Now in Robinson Township, PA 60 becomes known as Steubenville Pike as it heads generally westward through a mountainous, lightly developed portion of the township. The amount of development around the route increases as it approaches Interstate 79 (I-79), which PA 60 meets at exit 60. At this point, the Yellow Belt joins PA 60 as the route heads generally westward through a narrow but extensive commercial and residential neighborhood developed around the highway. As the route enters the vicinity of I-376
, US 22, and US 30, the valley widens and the homes and small commercial developments give way to larger establishments and stores. PA 60 continues on past them to an interchange with the aforementioned three routes, where PA 60 terminates.
that bypassed Crafton
to the south. Its former alignment through Crafton became PA 60. By 1960, a new highway was constructed between the Orange Belt north of Pittsburgh International Airport
near Carnot and the junction of US 22, US 30, and PA 60 in Robinson Township. The new road became part of an extended PA 60 in 1962. At the end of the highway, PA 60 followed the Orange Belt north to Carnot, where it met PA 51
.
Construction began in the 1960s on the Beaver Valley Expressway, a north–south freeway extending from Pittsburgh International Airport to Sharon
via New Castle
. By 1970, the highway was completed and opened to traffic near West Middlesex
and Beaver
. The segment of the freeway between Clinton Road northwest of the airport and Beaver was completed by the following year. PA 60 was rerouted and extended northward over the freeway to modern exit 36 by 1973. The remainder of the freeway south of what is now exit 31 was complete by 1980, resulting in another extension of PA 60. Also completed by this time was the New Castle – Sharon segment of the highway, which was also designated as PA 60 upon opening. At the time, PA 60 ended at Interstate 80 while a short extension of the expressway to PA 718
south of Sharon was designated but not signed as State Route 3004 (SR 3004). PA 60 was extended northward over SR 3004 to PA 18
at some point between 1990 and 1997 and northwestward along SR 3004 and PA 718 to US 62 Business in Sharon at some point between 1997 and 2004.
The 16.5 miles (26.6 km) gap in the highway, and thus PA 60, between West Mayfield and New Castle went unfilled for almost a decade. On October 20, 1989, ground was broken on a bridge over the Mahoning River
in Lawrence County
, marking the start of a $260 million project to complete the missing link in the freeway. The highway, built by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
as a toll road
, opened to traffic on November 20, 1992. Meanwhile, ground was broken August 27, 1990, on the Southern Expressway, a $190 million, 7.5 miles (12.1 km) highway built to serve a new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport. The new highway began at the Beaver Valley Expressway northwest of the airport and followed the western and southern edges of the airport to meet the Penn-Lincoln Parkway in Robinson Township. It was opened to traffic as the Airport Expressway on September 9, 1992. PA 60 was realigned to follow the new highway around the southwestern edge of the airport while its former routing around the northeastern edge became PA 60 Business.
On October 17, 2005, U.S. Senator Rick Santorum
and U.S. Representative Melissa Hart announced that the Interstate 376 designation would be extended westward over Interstate 279, US 22, US 30, and northward over PA 60 to a new terminus at the Pennsylvania Turnpike
near Beaver Falls
in 2009. I-376 replaced I-279 on June 10, 2009. It was extended again on November 6, 2009, to Interstate 80 near Sharon, overlapping US 22 and US 30 along the Parkway West and replacing PA 60 from Steubenville Pike north to I-80. PA 60 was truncated to its junction with US 22 and US 30 as a result. The former routing of PA 60 in the vicinity of Sharon became PA 760
while PA 60 Business became Business Loop I-376. On August 1, 2010, signage along the former Turnpike 60 was officially changed to I-376.
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...
located in the western suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Although the route follows a mostly east–west alignment, it is signed as a north–south highway. The southern terminus of the route is at a pseudo-interchange with U.S. Route 19 (US 19) and PA 51
Pennsylvania Route 51
Pennsylvania Route 51 is a major state highway in Western Pennsylvania. It runs for from Uniontown to the Ohio state line near Darlington, where it connects with Ohio State Route 14. Route 51 is the termination point for Pennsylvania Route 43, Pennsylvania Route 48 and Pennsylvania Route 88. ...
in Pittsburgh's West End
West End (Pittsburgh)
West End Village is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's west city area. It has a zip code of 15220, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 2 ....
while the northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 376 (I-376), US 22, and US 30 in Robinson Township. The portion of PA 60 outside of Pittsburgh is known as the Steubenville Pike; within the city, PA 60 follows several different streets.
The routing of PA 60 was originally designated as part of US 22 and US 30 in the 1920s. In 1956, US 22 and US 30 were rerouted to follow a new highway to the south while the former routing of the two routes through Crafton
Crafton, Pennsylvania
Crafton is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, west of downtown Pittsburgh. The population grew from 1,927 in 1900 to 4,583 in 1910 and to 7,163 in 1940. The population was 5,951 at the 2010 census.-History:...
became PA 60. The PA 60 designation was gradually extended northward as sections of the Airport Parkway and the Beaver Valley Expressway were built in the 1960s and 1970s, with the route eventually extending as far northward as US 62 Business in Sharon
Sharon, Pennsylvania
Sharon is a city in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in the United States, northwest of Pittsburgh. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. For years, a gap existed in PA 60 between West Mayfield
West Mayfield, Pennsylvania
West Mayfield is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,187 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Mayfield is located at ....
and New Castle
New Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Pittsburgh and near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border just east of Youngstown, Ohio; in 1910, the total population was 36,280; in 1920, 44,938; and in 1940, 47,638. The population has fallen to 26,309 according to the...
; it was filled on November 20, 1992, with the opening of a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
between the two locations.
In 2005, it was announced that the part of PA 60 between Robinson Township and 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...
in Beaver County
Beaver County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...
would become part of an extended I-376 in 2009. The changeover officially occurred on November 6, 2009, with I-376 extending farther northward to I-80 near Sharon. PA 60 was truncated back to its original terminus at US 22 and US 30 in Robinson Township and the remaining 5 1/2 mile segment of PA 60 from I-80 to Business US 62 in Sharon became PA 760
Pennsylvania Route 760
Pennsylvania Route 760 is a state highway located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. The route runs from an interchange with Interstate 80 and I-376 in Shenango Township to an intersection with U.S. Route 62 Business and PA 718 in Sharon...
.
Route description
PA 60 begins in the West EndWest End (Pittsburgh)
West End Village is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's west city area. It has a zip code of 15220, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 2 ....
of the city of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
at a complex intersection with U.S. Route 19 (US 19) and PA 51
Pennsylvania Route 51
Pennsylvania Route 51 is a major state highway in Western Pennsylvania. It runs for from Uniontown to the Ohio state line near Darlington, where it connects with Ohio State Route 14. Route 51 is the termination point for Pennsylvania Route 43, Pennsylvania Route 48 and Pennsylvania Route 88. ...
that also serves as the northern terminus of PA 837
Pennsylvania Route 837
Pennsylvania Route 837 is a state route located in western Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at Pennsylvania Route 88 in the Carroll Township hamlet of Wickerham Manor. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 19 and Pennsylvania Route 51 in downtown Pittsburgh at the junction of...
. It heads southwestward along South Main Street through the West End before curving to the south and following Noblestown Road south and west around the Elliott
Elliott (Pittsburgh)
Elliott is a small, hilly neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's West End Region. Elliott is represented on the Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 2 , and uses the zip code 15220.-History:...
neighborhood. The route continues into Crafton Heights
Crafton Heights (Pittsburgh)
Crafton Heights is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its name is derived from the neighboring borough, Crafton Borough, and the majority of today's community was annexed to the City of Pittsburgh in 1921...
, where it meets the eastern terminus of PA 50
Pennsylvania Route 50
Pennsylvania Route 50 is a long state highway located in western Pennsylvania. The western terminus of the route is at Pennsylvania Route 844 in the Independence Township community of Independence less than a mile from the West Virginia state line. The eastern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 60...
. Here, the Noblestown Road name follows PA 50 to the south while PA 60 heads westward as Crafton Boulevard into the borough of Crafton
Crafton, Pennsylvania
Crafton is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, west of downtown Pittsburgh. The population grew from 1,927 in 1900 to 4,583 in 1910 and to 7,163 in 1940. The population was 5,951 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. Just inside the borough, the route makes a sharp turn to the south, generally paralleling the borough limits to the intersection of Crafton Boulevard and Dinsmore Avenue.
At this point, northbound and southbound PA 60 splits for about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km), with PA 60 south following Dinsmore and Noble Avenues northward through a densely populated residential area to East Steuben Street. The route turns west here, rejoining the northbound half of traffic five blocks later at West Crafton Avenue. PA 60 north, meanwhile, is routed on West Crafton and Crennell Avenues through a busway underpass to a traffic circle
Traffic circle
A traffic circle or rotary is a type of circular intersection in which traffic must travel in one direction around a central island. In some countries, traffic entering the circle has the right-of-way and drivers in the circle must yield. In many other countries, traffic entering the circle must...
with Stotz Avenue, where it turns right to follow Stotz Avenue for one block to Bradford Avenue. The route veers southward here, remaining on Bradford Avenue to a junction with Crafton Boulevard, where it rejoins opposing traffic.
Once again a two-direction highway, PA 60 heads westward through a more open but still developed area of Crafton before exiting the borough upon crossing Chartiers Creek
Chartiers Creek
Chartiers Creek is a tributary of the Ohio River in Western Pennsylvania in the United States. The creek was named after Pierre Chartiers, a trapper of French and Native American parentage who established a trading post at the mouth of the creek in 1743....
. Now in Robinson Township, PA 60 becomes known as Steubenville Pike as it heads generally westward through a mountainous, lightly developed portion of the township. The amount of development around the route increases as it approaches Interstate 79 (I-79), which PA 60 meets at exit 60. At this point, the Yellow Belt joins PA 60 as the route heads generally westward through a narrow but extensive commercial and residential neighborhood developed around the highway. As the route enters the vicinity of I-376
Interstate 376
Interstate 376 is a major auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, located entirely within the Allegheny Plateau. It runs from I-80 near Sharon south and east to a junction with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville, after having crossed the Turnpike...
, US 22, and US 30, the valley widens and the homes and small commercial developments give way to larger establishments and stores. PA 60 continues on past them to an interchange with the aforementioned three routes, where PA 60 terminates.
History
The entirety of modern PA 60 was originally designated as part of US 22 and US 30 in the 1920s. In 1956, US 22 and US 30 were realigned to follow a new highway between Robinson Township and Pittsburgh's West EndWest End (Pittsburgh)
West End Village is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's west city area. It has a zip code of 15220, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 2 ....
that bypassed Crafton
Crafton, Pennsylvania
Crafton is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, west of downtown Pittsburgh. The population grew from 1,927 in 1900 to 4,583 in 1910 and to 7,163 in 1940. The population was 5,951 at the 2010 census.-History:...
to the south. Its former alignment through Crafton became PA 60. By 1960, a new highway was constructed between the Orange Belt north of Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
near Carnot and the junction of US 22, US 30, and PA 60 in Robinson Township. The new road became part of an extended PA 60 in 1962. At the end of the highway, PA 60 followed the Orange Belt north to Carnot, where it met PA 51
Pennsylvania Route 51
Pennsylvania Route 51 is a major state highway in Western Pennsylvania. It runs for from Uniontown to the Ohio state line near Darlington, where it connects with Ohio State Route 14. Route 51 is the termination point for Pennsylvania Route 43, Pennsylvania Route 48 and Pennsylvania Route 88. ...
.
Construction began in the 1960s on the Beaver Valley Expressway, a north–south freeway extending from Pittsburgh International Airport to Sharon
Sharon, Pennsylvania
Sharon is a city in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in the United States, northwest of Pittsburgh. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
via New Castle
New Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Pittsburgh and near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border just east of Youngstown, Ohio; in 1910, the total population was 36,280; in 1920, 44,938; and in 1940, 47,638. The population has fallen to 26,309 according to the...
. By 1970, the highway was completed and opened to traffic near West Middlesex
West Middlesex, Pennsylvania
West Middlesex is a borough in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, along the Shenango River. The population was 929 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and Beaver
Beaver, Pennsylvania
Beaver is a borough in and the county seat of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, at the confluence of the Beaver and Ohio Rivers. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,775, having dropped from 5,641 in 1940....
. The segment of the freeway between Clinton Road northwest of the airport and Beaver was completed by the following year. PA 60 was rerouted and extended northward over the freeway to modern exit 36 by 1973. The remainder of the freeway south of what is now exit 31 was complete by 1980, resulting in another extension of PA 60. Also completed by this time was the New Castle – Sharon segment of the highway, which was also designated as PA 60 upon opening. At the time, PA 60 ended at Interstate 80 while a short extension of the expressway to PA 718
Pennsylvania Route 718
Pennsylvania Route 718 is an long state highway located in Mercer county in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at PA 318 in Shenango Township. The northern terminus is the Ohio state line in South Pymatuning Township.-Route description:...
south of Sharon was designated but not signed as State Route 3004 (SR 3004). PA 60 was extended northward over SR 3004 to PA 18
Pennsylvania Route 18
Pennsylvania Route 18 is a major north–south highway in Western Pennsylvania whose southern terminus is at the West Virginia state line in Greene County, Pennsylvania near the village of Garrison, while the northern terminus is at PA Route 5 in Lake City, Pennsylvania...
at some point between 1990 and 1997 and northwestward along SR 3004 and PA 718 to US 62 Business in Sharon at some point between 1997 and 2004.
The 16.5 miles (26.6 km) gap in the highway, and thus PA 60, between West Mayfield and New Castle went unfilled for almost a decade. On October 20, 1989, ground was broken on a bridge over the Mahoning River
Mahoning River
The Mahoning River is a river located in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. It joins the Shenango River to form the Beaver River and is part of the Ohio River watershed.- Physical properties :...
in Lawrence County
Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, its population was 91,108. The county was added to the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2003. The county seat is New Castle....
, marking the start of a $260 million project to complete the missing link in the freeway. The highway, built by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission was created in 1937 to construct, finance, operate and maintain the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The commission consists of five members. Four members are appointed by the Governor of Pennsylvania. The fifth member is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation.In...
as a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
, opened to traffic on November 20, 1992. Meanwhile, ground was broken August 27, 1990, on the Southern Expressway, a $190 million, 7.5 miles (12.1 km) highway built to serve a new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport. The new highway began at the Beaver Valley Expressway northwest of the airport and followed the western and southern edges of the airport to meet the Penn-Lincoln Parkway in Robinson Township. It was opened to traffic as the Airport Expressway on September 9, 1992. PA 60 was realigned to follow the new highway around the southwestern edge of the airport while its former routing around the northeastern edge became PA 60 Business.
On October 17, 2005, U.S. Senator Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
and U.S. Representative Melissa Hart announced that the Interstate 376 designation would be extended westward over Interstate 279, US 22, US 30, and northward over PA 60 to a new terminus at 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...
near Beaver Falls
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,987 at the 2010 census. It is located 31 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, and on the Beaver River, six miles from its confluence with the Ohio River...
in 2009. I-376 replaced I-279 on June 10, 2009. It was extended again on November 6, 2009, to Interstate 80 near Sharon, overlapping US 22 and US 30 along the Parkway West and replacing PA 60 from Steubenville Pike north to I-80. PA 60 was truncated to its junction with US 22 and US 30 as a result. The former routing of PA 60 in the vicinity of Sharon became PA 760
Pennsylvania Route 760
Pennsylvania Route 760 is a state highway located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. The route runs from an interchange with Interstate 80 and I-376 in Shenango Township to an intersection with U.S. Route 62 Business and PA 718 in Sharon...
while PA 60 Business became Business Loop I-376. On August 1, 2010, signage along the former Turnpike 60 was officially changed to I-376.