Pennsylvania Route 501 (PA 501) is a north–south
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in south central
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
that runs for . Its southern terminus is at
U.S. Route 222
U.S. Route 222 (US 222) is a U.S. Highway that is a spur of US 22 in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania. It runs for from US 1 in Conowingo, Maryland, north to Interstate 78 (I-78)/Pennsylvania Route 309 (PA 309) in Dorneyville, Pennsylv ...
(US 222) and
PA 272 north of
Lancaster, and its northern terminus is
PA 895 southeast of
Pine Grove. The route heads north from Lancaster and runs through suburban and rural areas in northern
Lancaster County, passing through
Lititz and crossing
US 322
U.S. Route 322 (US 322) is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926. A portion of it at one time was concurrent with ...
in
Brickerville. PA 501 continues into
Lebanon County
Lebanon County ( Pennsylvania Dutch: Lebanon Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,568. Its county seat is the city of Lebanon.
The county was formed from portions of Dauphi ...
and heads into the
Lebanon Valley, where it passes through
Schaefferstown and intersects
US 422
U.S. Route 422 (US 422) is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western segment of US 422 runs from downtown Cleveland, Ohio, east to Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. ...
in
Myerstown. The route passes through western
Berks County
Berks County ( Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading.
The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware River ...
, where it has an interchange with
Interstate 78
Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...
(I-78)/
US 22 near the community of
Bethel
Bethel ( he, בֵּית אֵל, translit=Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; el, Βαιθήλ; la, Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanct ...
. PA 501 crosses
Blue Mountain into
Schuylkill County and continues to its northern terminus.
The portion of the road in northern Lancaster County was originally established as two private
turnpikes in the 19th century, becoming a public road in 1926. PA 501 was designated in 1928 to run from
PA 72 in Lancaster north to
PA 5 (now US 322) in Brickerville while PA 243 was designated onto the road running between US 22/
PA 3 (now US 422) in Myerstown and
PA 43 in Bethel. PA 501 was extended north to US 422 in Myerstown during the 1930s. By 1946, the route replaced PA 243 and continued north to US 22 in Bethel. PA 501 was extended to a new alignment of US 22 north of Bethel by 1953. The southern terminus was cut back to its current location by 1960 to eliminate a concurrency with US 222. By 1966, PA 501 was extended north to PA 895. In 2013, the route was realigned to bypass the center of Schaefferstown to the west.
Route description
Lancaster County
![PA 501 NB past PA 722](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/PA_501_NB_past_PA_722.jpeg)
PA 501 begins at an intersection with
US 222/
PA 272 in the community of
Glen Moore
Glen Moore (born October 28, 1941) is an American jazz bassist, who occasionally performs on piano, flute and violin.
Moore was born in Portland, Oregon, United States. His performing career began at age 14 with the Young Oregonians in Portlan ...
in
Manheim Township,
Lancaster County, north of the city of
Lancaster. From here, the route heads north on Lititz Pike, a five-lane road with a
center left-turn lane
A reversible lane (British English: tidal flow) is a lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on certain conditions. Typically, it is meant to improve traffic flow during rush hours, by having overhead traffic lights and li ...
, with the southbound direction running
concurrent
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with southbound US 222. The road passes through business areas and runs to the east of a residential neighborhood before reaching an interchange with the
US 30
U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...
freeway, where the road is a four-lane
divided highway
A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
. At this point, the concurrency with southbound US 222 ends and PA 501 continues north as a three-lane road with a center left-turn lane. The route heads through suburban residential areas with some businesses, passing through
Overlook
A scenic viewpoint – also called an observation point, viewpoint, viewing point, vista point, lookout, scenic overlook,These terms are more commonly used in North America. etc. – is an elevated location where people can view scenery (often ...
and
Brooklawn. Farther north, the road narrows to two lanes. In the community of
Neffsville, PA 501 intersects
PA 722, with that route turning north for a concurrency before it splits to the east on East Oregon Road. Past this, PA 501 passes near more suburban residential and commercial development, gaining a center left-turn lane again. The road becomes two lanes again and runs between farm fields to the west and the
Lancaster Airport to the east before it crosses into
Warwick Township.
The route widens into a five-lane road with a center left-turn lane and passes between businesses to the west and farmland to the east. The road narrows to three lanes and passes through the residential community of
Kissel Hill before it enters commercial areas. PA 501 continues into the borough of
Lititz and becomes South Broad Street, running past more businesses before becoming lined with homes. The route continues north and loses the center turn lane before it heads into the commercial downtown and intersects
PA 772. At this point, PA 772 turns north for a concurrency with PA 501 before it splits east along East Main Street. PA 501 becomes North Broad Street and crosses
Norfolk Southern
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the ...
's Lititz Secondary railroad line at-grade east of the former Lititz station, heading out of the downtown area and passing through residential neighborhoods. The route leaves Lititz for Warwick Township again and becomes Furnace Hills Pike, running past commercial establishments as a three-lane road with a center left-turn lane. The road narrows to two lanes and runs near residential neighborhoods before it crosses into
Elizabeth Township, heading northeast through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes. PA 501 winds north through more rural land and comes to a junction with
US 322
U.S. Route 322 (US 322) is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926. A portion of it at one time was concurrent with ...
(28th Division Highway) in the community of
Brickerville. The route passes through more farmland and woods and comes to a bridge over the
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's we ...
(
I-76
Interstate 76 may refer to:
Interstate Highways in the United States
* Interstate 76 (Colorado–Nebraska)
* Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey), running through Pennsylvania
Video gaming
* ''Interstate '76
''Interstate '76'' is a vehicular ...
), at which point it heads into forested areas. The road traverses
South Mountain and curves to the northwest.
[
]
Lebanon, Berks, and Schuylkill counties
PA 501 crosses into Heidelberg Township in Lebanon County
Lebanon County ( Pennsylvania Dutch: Lebanon Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,568. Its county seat is the city of Lebanon.
The county was formed from portions of Dauphi ...
and becomes Stiegel Pike, continuing north through forests with some farms and homes and passing through the community of Waldeck. The route heads northeast before it turns to the northwest and enters the agricultural Lebanon Valley in the southeastern portion of Lebanon County, which is home to an Amish
The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churches ...
community. The road heads north and bypasses the community of Schaefferstown to the west, coming to an intersection with PA 419/ PA 897. PA 501 continues north through farmland with occasional homes, passing through the community of Reistville. The route enters Jackson Township and becomes South College Street as it continues through rural areas. Farther north, the road runs near a few commercial establishments and passes under Norfolk Southern's Harrisburg Line
The Harrisburg Line is a rail line owned and operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The line runs from Philadelphia west to Harrisburg.
The Harrisburg Line was formed the day Conrail began operations, ...
, at which point it enters the borough of Myerstown. PA 501 heads past industrial buildings before it crosses Tulpehocken Creek and continues north into residential areas. At the intersection with Main Avenue, the route becomes North College Street and passes more homes before it reaches an intersection with US 422
U.S. Route 422 (US 422) is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western segment of US 422 runs from downtown Cleveland, Ohio, east to Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. ...
in a business area. Past this intersection, the road passes homes and leaves Myerstown for Jackson Township again. The route heads north through a mix of farmland and woodland with a few residences.
PA 501 enters Tulpehocken Township in Berks County
Berks County ( Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading.
The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware River ...
and becomes Lancaster Avenue, heading northeast through farmland with some commercial development before it passes residences and some businesses in the community of Mount Aetna. The road curves north and runs through farmland, crossing Little Swatara Creek
Little Swatara Creek (once known as Jackson Creek) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of Swatara Creek in southeast Pennsylvania in the United ...
into Bethel Township. The route heads through agricultural areas with some homes and makes a sharp curve to the east. PA 501 turns north to remain along Lancaster Avenue, with Rehrersburg Road continuing east, and runs through more rural land. The road enters the community of Bethel
Bethel ( he, בֵּית אֵל, translit=Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; el, Βαιθήλ; la, Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanct ...
and becomes lined with homes before it intersects Old Route 22 in the center of the community. At this point, the route turns west and remains along Lancaster Avenue, curving to the north into business areas as a three-lane road with a center left-turn lane and reaching an interchange with I-78
Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...
/ US 22. Past this interchange, PA 501 narrows to two lanes and heads through farmland, turning northwest as it passes to the east of a warehouse. The road continues through a mix of farms and trees with some homes, heading to the north. The route runs through agricultural land before it enters forested areas and begins to ascend Blue Mountain. PA 501 turns west as it continues to climb the mountain. At the summit, the route crosses the Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tr ...
and enters Pine Grove Township in Schuylkill County, where it becomes Bethel Road and descends the mountain. The route turns north at the base of Blue Mountain and runs through a mix of farms and woods with a few homes. PA 501 crosses Lower Little Swatara Creek
Lower Little Swatara Creek is a tributary of Swatara Creek in southern Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, US. The creek is long. The creek starts on Blue Mountain and flows west-southwest into Swatara Creek near the community of Pine Grove. Fishin ...
and reaches its northern terminus at an intersection with PA 895 in the community of Marstown, located southeast of the borough of Pine Grove.
History
The portion of PA 501 between Lancaster and Lititz was chartered as the Lancaster and Lititz Turnpike in 1838, a private turnpike
Turnpike often refers to:
* A type of gate, another word for a turnstile
* In the United States, a toll road
Turnpike may also refer to:
Roads United Kingdom
* A turnpike road, a principal road maintained by a turnpike trust, a body with powers ...
. The roadway between Lititz and Lexington was chartered as the Lititz and Lexington Turnpike in 1882. In 1894, the Lancaster and Lititz Turnpike was leased by the Lancaster Traction Company, which established a trolley line along the turnpike. This trolley line continued to operate until 1938. On October 7, 1926, both the Lancaster and Lititz Turnpike and the Lexington Turnpike were sold to the state and Lancaster County at $70,000 and $4,000, respectively.
When routes were first legislated in Pennsylvania in 1911, the current route of PA 501 was not given a route number. PA 501 was designated in 1928 to run from PA 72 (Prince Street) in Lancaster north to PA 5 (now US 322) in Brickerville, running along a paved road. The route headed east from PA 72 on Liberty Street before it turned north and followed Lititz Avenue out of Lancaster, continuing along its current alignment to Brickerville. PA 243 was designated in 1928 to run from US 22/ PA 3 (now US 422) in Myerstown north to PA 43 (now Old Route 22) in Bethel, following an unpaved road.[ PA 243 was paved by 1930.] The road between Brickerville and Myerstown and Bethel and Pine Grove was an unnumbered, unpaved road.[ In the 1930s, PA 501 was extended north from US 322 in Brickerville to US 422 and the southern terminus of PA 243 in Myerstown along a paved road.] Also, US 222 was designated concurrent with the route between PA 72 at Prince Street and Oregon Pike. By this time, the unnumbered road between Bethel and Pine Grove was paved except for a portion crossing Blue Mountain.
By 1946, PA 501 was extended north from Myerstown to US 22 (which had replaced PA 43) in Bethel, replacing the entire length of PA 243. The remainder of the road between Bethel and Pine Grove was paved by 1950. By 1953, the route was extended north to a new alignment of US 22 (which also now carries I-78) north of Bethel. By 1960, the southern terminus of PA 501 was cut back to its current location, eliminating a concurrency with US 222. PA 501 was extended north to PA 895 near Pine Grove by 1966.
In 1970, plans were made for a realignment of PA 501 in Schaefferstown to bypass the community. The route of PA 501 through Schaefferstown saw heavy traffic and noise from trucks, with frequent accidents. On July 1, 1970, a public meeting was held, with three proposed routes presented. At the time, construction was expected to begin in 1971 provided funding was available.[ ] Plans for the PA 501 realignment resurfaced in 2010.[ Prior to the realignment, the route entered the community from the south on Carpenter Street and turned west to run concurrent with PA 419/PA 897 on Main Street before heading north along its current routing.] The PA 501 realignment project cost $10.4 million. On September 2, 2010, a court ruling was made overturning a decision that prevented farmland from being taken to construct the road. Construction on the bypass began in summer 2011.[ The realignment was originally expected to be completed in April 2013 but was pushed back due to utility relocation issues.] The new alignment of PA 501 in Schaefferstown opened to traffic on September 9, 2013.
Major intersections
See also
*
*
References
External links
Pennsylvania Highways: PA 501
Pennsylvania Roads - PA 501
{{Authority control
501
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Year 501 ( DI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Avienus and Pompeius (or, less frequently, year 1254 '' Ab u ...
PA 501
Transportation in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Berks County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania