Pennsylvania Route 18 (PA 18) is a major north–south highway in
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania is a region in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, covering the western third of the state. Pittsburgh is the region's principal city, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic ...
whose southern terminus is at
West Virginia Route 69 (WV 69) at the state line in
Greene County near the village of Garrison, while the northern terminus is at
PA 5 in
Lake City. At a length of , PA 18 is the only state route in
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, ...
— north–south ''or'' east–west — to traverse the entire state. It also has the distinction of being the longest state route in Pennsylvania.
Route description
Greene County
Traveling northward from
West Virginia Route 69 at the
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
state line, Route 18 winds through rural
Greene County, passing through the villages of Garrison, New Freeport, Nettle Hill, White Cottage, Woodruff, and Holbrook, before making its first junction with another state highway,
PA Route 21, just west of the village of Rogersville and over from the state line. Here the two routes overlap for nearly , winding east-northeast through Rogersville and the village of East View, crossing the South Fork of Ten Mile Creek numerous times before reaching the village of West Waynesburg. At this point, Route 18 leaves the concurrency and turns northwest, traveling to the county line, following along Browns Creek, and passing through the villages of Rees Mill, Sycamore, and Nineveh.
Washington County
Route 18 enters
Washington County, and intersects with the eastern terminus of
PA Route 231 and turns to the northeast and traveling over , passing near the villages of Old Concord and Sparta. Next, the route meets
PA Route 221, and the two overlap for just over a mile, heading northwest through the village of Prosperity. After the village, Route 18 leaves the concurrency and heads northward through the villages of Van Buren, Lagonda, and Gabby Heights as it approaches the city of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
nearly later. In Washington, Route 18 briefly overlaps with
US 40
U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America, is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid-Atlantic States. As with most routes wh ...
, and the routes head west, intersect with the western terminus of
PA Route 136, and then turn northwest. US 40 then leaves the concurrency, and nearly a mile later, Route 18 interchanges with
I-70, connecting via city streets to the entrance and exit ramps. Before departing the city, later, the route intersects with the eastern terminus of
PA Route 844, turns northward, and passes through the village of Oak Grove. Route 18 passes through the village of Gretna later and then overlaps with
PA Route 50 for a couple miles west of the village of Hickory before continuing north-northwest. The route then passes by the village of Atlasburg and through the village of Slovan before reaching the borough of
Burgettstown later. Route 18 meets
US 22
U.S. Route 22 (US 22) is a west–east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at U.S. Route 27, US 27, U.S. Route 42, US 42, U.S. Route 127, US 127, and U.S. Route 52, US 52 to Newark, New ...
nearly north of the borough, and then passes through the village of Florence at Old US 22 before reaching the county line just over later.
Beaver County
The route enters the borough of
Frankfort Springs as it enters
Beaver County, and meets the southern terminus of
PA Route 168
Pennsylvania Route 168 (PA 168) is a highway in Western Pennsylvania that runs for from Pennsylvania Route 18 in Frankfort Springs to Pennsylvania Route 208 in Volant. PA 168 intersects or runs concurrently with PA 18 at several points, inclu ...
at the north end of the borough. Passing through nearly of state park land, Route 18 eventually meets
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 ...
in the village of Harshaville. The route then junctions with
PA Route 151 at the village of Mechanicsburg about later, and then passes through the village of McCleary. As Route 18 approaches the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
, it turns east-northeast before its first interchange with
I-376
Interstate 376 (I-376) is a major auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System in the US state of Pennsylvania, located within the Allegheny Plateau. It runs from I-80 near Sharon south and east to a junction with the Pennsylvania Tur ...
about west of the borough of
Monaca
Monaca ( ) is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States along the Ohio River, northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 5,615 as of the 2020 census. First incorporated as Phillipsburg as the home of the New Philadelphia Societ ...
. The route enters the borough, turns north-northwest, crosses the Ohio River on the
Rochester-Monaca Bridge, and enters the borough of
Rochester. In Rochester, Route 18 intersects with the
PA Route 51/
PA Route 65
Pennsylvania Route 65 (PA 65, also known as the 65th Infantry Division Memorial Highway), is a major state highway located in western Pennsylvania, United States. The route, traveling north–south from the Interstate 279/ U.S. Route 19 Truck (I ...
overlap, and then
PA Route 68
Pennsylvania Route 68 (PA 68) is a east–west state highway located in western Pennsylvania in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at the Ohio state line west of Glasgow, Pennsylvania, Glasgow, where PA 68 continues into ...
before turning northwest, west, then north-northwest. It then merges with PA Route 65 along the east bank of the Beaver River. The concurrency enters the borough of
New Brighton, where Route 18 then leaves the concurrency over later, crosses the
Beaver River, enters the city of
Beaver Falls
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
, and continues northward almost . Route 18 briefly joins with
PA Route 588, and then intersects with the southern terminus of
PA Route 551 later, just before leaving the city and entering the borough of
Big Beaver. The route then passes through the borough of
Homewood about later, and re-enters Big Beaver, where it interchanges with
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 c ...
and 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 ...
. Route 18 then passes through the borough of
Koppel nearly later, where it intersects with
PA Route 351, and then re-enters Big Beaver a third time before leaving Beaver County later.
Lawrence County
As the route enters
Lawrence County, it also enters the borough of
New Beaver. Route 18 then turns northwestward, and passes through the borough of
Wampum later, where it intersects with the western terminus of
PA Route 288. The route re-enters New Beaver, then turns northward before its second intersection with
PA Route 168
Pennsylvania Route 168 (PA 168) is a highway in Western Pennsylvania that runs for from Pennsylvania Route 18 in Frankfort Springs to Pennsylvania Route 208 in Volant. PA 168 intersects or runs concurrently with PA 18 at several points, inclu ...
over later, near the village of Moravia. Route 18 enters the city of
New Castle nearly later as it crosses the
Mahoning River, and then meets
PA Route 108. The two join and turn east, then northeast through the village of Mahoningtown, situated between the Mahoning and
Shenango rivers. The concurrency then passes under
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. ...
about later before turning eastward and crossing the Shenango River. The concurrency then intersects later with PA Route 168, and the three routes overlap for , heading northward. Routes 108 and 168 then leave the concurrency, and Route 18 continues northward. The route is then joined with
Business US 422 near downtown New Castle for nearly . Business US 422 then leaves westward and Route 18 continues northward out of the city. Route 18 passes through the village of Walmo, and then intersects north of New Castle with Mitchell Rd., which carries traffic to
I-376
Interstate 376 (I-376) is a major auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System in the US state of Pennsylvania, located within the Allegheny Plateau. It runs from I-80 near Sharon south and east to a junction with the Pennsylvania Tur ...
parallel to and west of Route 18. From here, PA 18 heads into a rural area of northern Lawrence County that 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. Over later, the route intersects with the southern terminus of
PA 158 south of the borough of
New Wilmington
New Wilmington is a borough in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, first platted in 1824 and established as a borough on April 9, 1863. The population was 2,097 at the 2020 census. It is home to Westminster College and serves the Old O ...
, and later with
PA 208 west of the borough just before exiting Lawrence County north of the intersection.
Mercer County
Upon entering
Mercer County, the route winds northwesterly a few miles before turning west, where it has its second interchange with I-376 later. Route 18 then turns northwesterly again, intersecting with the northern terminus of
PA Route 551 later, and enters the borough of
West Middlesex a mile after that. Here, the route intersects with
PA Route 318. Turning northward, the route then passes under
I-80 and has an interchange with
PA Route 760 immediately after (Route 18 traffic interchanges with I-80 via this PA Route 760 interchange). Route 18 then enters the city of
Hermitage, intersects with the southern terminus of
PA Route 518 a mile north of PA Route 760 at the village of Bobby's Corners, and continues about before intersecting with
US 62 and then
Business US 62 less than later. Over after that, the route intersects with the northern terminus of PA Route 518 at the village of Lamont's Corners east of the borough of
Sharpsville before leaving Hermitage. The route enters the borough of
Clark
Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
about later, where it intersects with the northern terminus of
PA Route 258. Route 18 then crosses the
Shenango River Reservoir, then passes near the villages of Transfer, Reynolds Heights, and Shenango before entering the borough of
Greenville north of Clark. In Greenville, Route 18 intersects with the northern terminus of
PA Route 846 just before its junction with
PA Route 358. Here, the two routes overlap, heading eastward, and cross the
Shenango River once again, before intersecting about later with
PA Route 58, which joins the concurrency for about a quarter mile. Routes 18 and 58 then leave Route 358 and head northward. Less than a half mile later, Route 18 leaves the concurrency, turning northeastward, then northward, leaving Greenville. The Route continues through rural northern Mercer County about before passing through the village of Osgood, and leaves Mercer County less than a mile later.
Crawford County
After entering
Crawford County, Route 18 then passes through the village of Adamsville about north of the county line, and, over later, enters the village of Hartstown, where it joins
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 ...
, heading east-northeast. They travel over to the borough of
Conneaut Lake, where they serve
Conneaut Lake Park and join with
US 6
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to ...
/
PA Route 285, heading east. Route 285 leaves the concurrency one block later, and the remaining routes continue eastward out of the borough, nearly a mile later, where Route 18 then leaves the concurrency and heads northward. About north of the borough, Route 18 intersects with the northern terminus of
PA Route 618 near
Conneaut Lake Park, and then passes through the village of Harmonsburg. About later, the route is joined by
PA Route 198, and the concurrency enters the borough of
Conneautville. In the borough, Route 198 leaves the concurrency nearly later, and Route 18 continues northward, passing through the borough of
Springboro just over north of Conneautville.
Erie County
Over north of Springboro, the route crosses into
Erie County, and enters the borough of
Albion
Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...
nearly later. Here, Route 18 joins
US 6N eastward about , leaving the borough, where Route 18 turns northward. A mile later, the route passes through the borough of
Cranesville, and then enters the borough of
Platea
Plataea or Plataia (; grc, Πλάταια), also Plataeae or Plataiai (; grc, Πλαταιαί), was an ancient city, located in Greece in southeastern Boeotia, south of Thebes.Mish, Frederick C., Editor in Chief. “Plataea.” '' Webst ...
about later, where it interchanges with
I-90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
. Just over northward, Route 18 joins
US 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...
eastward into the borough of
Girard for , before leaving the concurrency and turning northward. Upon exiting Girard, the route enters the borough of
Lake City, where it terminates at
PA Route 5 near the shore of
Lake Erie
Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...
.
History
*1927 The route was signed from
Beaver Falls
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
to
Erie
*1928 Extended south from Beaver Falls to the
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
state line; also moved to its current alignment between
PA 158 and
Greenville from its previous alignment on current-day PA 158 near
New Wilmington
New Wilmington is a borough in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, first platted in 1824 and established as a borough on April 9, 1863. The population was 2,097 at the 2020 census. It is home to Westminster College and serves the Old O ...
to
Mercer
Mercer may refer to:
Business
* Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925)
* Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City
* Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader ...
and
PA 58 from Mercer to Greenville.
*1963 Moved from Liberty St., Atlantic Ave., and Washington St. in
New Castle to its current alignment on Mahoning Ave. and Jefferson St.
*1970 Widened from
PA 518 in
Hermitage (north end near
Sharpsville) to
Clark
Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
, and median installed; also, designation moved to the
Beaver Valley Expressway
Interstate 376 (I-376) is a major auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System in the US state of Pennsylvania, located within the Allegheny Plateau. It runs from I-80 near Sharon south and east to a junction with the Pennsylvania Tur ...
(now
Interstate 376 and
PA 760) expressway between the
West Middlesex interchange and the end of the Beaver Valley Expressway
*1971 Widened and median installed from
US 62 north to Highland Rd. in Hermitage (then Hickory Township)
*1972 Widening completed from Clark to Shenango (village, near Greenville)
*1978 Designation moved back to current alignment from the Beaver Valley Expressway designation of 1970; Business PA 18 designation through West Middlesex was eliminated
*1997 Widened to 5 lanes from the north Beaver Valley Expressway interchange near West Middlesex to US 62 in Hermitage
*2002 Widening completed from US 62 in Hermitage to PA 518 near Sharpsville
*2008 Rerouted away from Geneva College in Beaver Falls to make the campus more safe for students.
*2016 Rerouted in
Potter Township for both infrastructure improvements and widening in response to the
Pennsylvania Shell ethylene cracker plant
The Shell Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex is an under-construction ethylene Cracking (chemistry), cracker chemical plant, plant located in Potter Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Potter Township, Pennsylvania, United States, owned and o ...
, with
Royal Dutch Shell
Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New Yo ...
paying for the realignment.
Major intersections
Special routes
PA 18 Truck (Washington)
Pennsylvania Route 18 Truck is a
truck route
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...
of PA 18 that is located near
Washington, Pennsylvania.
The westbound exits and entrances of I-70 lead to a narrow street (called East Wylie Avenue) connecting to PA 18, thus making it harder for trucks to access PA 18. So, it follows I-70 west. It exits at exit 16, following Sheffield Street. Then, it creates a
U-Turn back onto I-70 east and exits off PA 18.
PA 18 Truck (New Castle)
Pennsylvania Route 18 Truck was a
truck route
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...
around a weight-restricted bridge over the Shenango River that existed from 2013 to about 2018. The bridge along Mahoning Avenue was prohibited to trucks over 30 tons, necessitating the route. The route followed PA 108, I-376,
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. ...
, and PA 168. In 2018, the bridge underwent rehabilitation, including the replacement of bearings, and substructure and steel repairs, among other fixes. As a result, the route was deleted upon reconstruction.
PA 18 Business (West Middlesex)
Pennsylvania Route 18 Business was a
business route
A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...
of PA 18 that was established in 1970 when PA 18 was shifted onto the a part of the Beaver Valley Expressway from Exit 2 (PA 18) to the PA 760/PA 18 interchange near
West Middlesex, Pennsylvania
West Middlesex is a borough along the Shenango River in southwestern Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 815 at the 2020 Census. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area.
Geography
West Middlesex is loc ...
. PA 18 Business followed New Castle Road and Sharon Road through the town of West Middlesex. The route was removed in 1978 when mainline PA 18 was rerouted on its old alignment, removing the need for the business route.
See also
*
*
References
External links
{{Commons category, Pennsylvania Route 18
Pennsylvania Highways: PA 18
018 018 may refer to
*Air Canada Flight 018, an airline flight from Hong Kong to Vancouver, Canada, illegally boarded by a Chinese man wearing a disguise in 2010
*Area code 018, a telephone area code in Uppsala, Sweden
*BMW 018, an experimental turboje ...
Transportation in Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Erie County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Greene County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Mercer County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Washington County, Pennsylvania