Pennsylvania Route 65
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Pennsylvania Route 65 (PA 65, also known as the 65th Infantry Division Memorial Highway), is a major
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 ...
located in western
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, ...
, United States. The route, traveling north–south from the
Interstate 279 Interstate 279 (I-279), locally referred to as Parkway North, is a north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway that lies entirely within Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Its southern end is at I-376 at the Fort Pitt Bridge in Pittsburgh, a ...
/ U.S. Route 19 Truck (I-279/US 19 Truck) concurrency in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
north to the PA 108/ PA 168 concurrency in New Castle, connects downtown Pittsburgh to the northwestern portion of the
Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Greater Pittsburgh is a populous region centered around its largest city and economic hub, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The region encompasses Pittsburgh's urban core county, Allegheny, and six adjacent Pennsylvania counties: Armstrong, Beaver, ...
. PA 65 is similar in its purpose to PA 18 and PA 51, both of which run parallel to PA 65 at one point or another; however, the three routes pass through different cities for most of their respective alignments. The route begins in the
Golden Triangle Golden Triangle may refer to: Places Asia * Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia), named for its opium production * Golden Triangle (Yangtze), China, named for its rapid economic development * Golden Triangle (India), comprising the popular tourist ...
of Pittsburgh as a
limited-access highway A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...
, following the bank of the Allegheny and
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
rivers around the
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
neighborhood, passing north of
Acrisure Stadium Acrisure Stadium is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Pan ...
and west of
PNC Park PNC Park is a baseball stadium on the North Shore (Pittsburgh), North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). It was opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, ...
. While limited-access, the road becomes ''Ohio River Boulevard'', named for the river that PA 65 parallels for between the city of Pittsburgh and the borough of
Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...
. Outside of the city, the road becomes a four-lane
at-grade At-grade may refer to: * At-grade intersection, a crossing between roads on the same level * Road junction *Level crossing, where a road or path crosses a railway on the same level * Diamond crossing, where two railway tracks cross * At-grade railwa ...
roadway to Rochester, with some portions featuring a
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 ...
. North of Rochester, PA 65 narrows to two lanes and passes through predominantly rural land, running concurrent with PA 18 and PA 288 as it heads north. In Pittsburgh, the boulevard was one of the deadliest roads in the city from the 1970s to the early 1980s.


Route description


Allegheny County

PA 65 originates at a triangular-shaped interchange at the I-279/US 19 Truck concurrency near downtown Pittsburgh. Long ramps stretch from exit 1C on I-279 north of the
Fort Duquesne Bridge The Fort Duquesne Bridge is a steel bowstring arch bridge that spans the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was colloquially referred to as "The Bridge to Nowhere". History The bridge was constructed from 1958-1963 by PennDOT, and ...
. PA 65 starts as a limited-access highway known as the "Ohio River Boulevard". This was the site of many deadly accidents during the 1970s. The following exit is called " North Shore" and is located only on PA 65 northbound. This exit is the primary entrance to
Acrisure Stadium Acrisure Stadium is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Pan ...
(home to the Steelers) and it is also a way for drivers to get to
PNC Park PNC Park is a baseball stadium on the North Shore (Pittsburgh), North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). It was opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, ...
(home to the
Pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
). On the following exit, PA 65 makes a loop to the north and begins a concurrency with US 19 at a
diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
just north of the West End Bridge. The following two exits (one northbound and another southbound) ends the concurrency between US 19 and PA 65. Beyond US 19, PA 65 returns to at-grade level as a
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 ...
through the western sections of Pittsburgh. At mile marker 2.9 near the Pittsburgh city line, PA 65 intersects the Blue Belt which crosses the Ohio River to the southwest on the
McKees Rocks Bridge The McKees Rocks Bridge is a steel trussed through arch bridge which carries the Blue Belt, Pittsburgh's innermost beltline, across the Ohio River at Brighton Heights and McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, west of the city. At long, it is the longe ...
. Outside of Pittsburgh, PA 65 continues as the Ohio River Boulevard on its northwest course and passes through the following boroughs paralleling the Ohio River:
Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to: Placenames Australia * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales Canada ...
,
Avalon Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...
, Ben Avon, and
Emsworth Emsworth is a town in the Borough of Havant in the county of Hampshire, England, near the border of West Sussex and located at by the south coast of England. It lies at the north end of an arm of Chichester Harbour, a large and shallow inlet fr ...
. In Emsworth, PA 65 intersects the first terminus of the
Green Belt A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which hav ...
at an intersection with Camp Horne Road. Upon exiting Emsworth, PA 65 returns to a divided highway and interchanges with
I-79 Interstate 79 (I-79) is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States, designated from I-77 in Charleston, West Virginia, north to Pennsylvania Route 5 (PA 5) and PA 290 in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is a primary thoroughfare ...
and the Yellow Belt at exit 66 in the borough of Glenfield. West of I-79, PA 65 continues to parallel the Ohio River located to the south. Along the way, PA 65 passes through some boroughs like Haysville and
Osborne Osborne may refer to: * Osborne (name) Places Australia * Osborne, South Australia (disambiguation), places associated with the suburb in the Adelaide metropolitan area * Osborne, New South Wales, a rural community in the Riverina region Can ...
. In the borough of Sewickley, PA 65 meets the long Orange Belt at Broad Street which crosses the Ohio River on the
Sewickley Bridge The Sewickley Bridge is a steel continuous truss bridge spanning the Ohio River between Sewickley and Moon Township, Pennsylvania, carrying State Route 4025 and the Orange Belt. It was built by American Bridge Company and opened on October 2 ...
and has direct access to PA 51. Leaving Sewickley, PA 65 crosses two more broughs (
Edgeworth Edgeworth may refer to: People * Edgeworth (surname) Places * Edgeworth, Gloucestershire, England * Edgeworth, New South Wales, Australia * Edgeworth, Pennsylvania, USA * Edgeworth Island, Nunavut, Canada * Edgeworthstown, County Longford, Repu ...
and Leetsdale) before exiting Allegheny County. In Leetsdale, PA 65 meets the first terminus of the Red Belt at an intersection involving Cross Street.


Beaver County

Leaving Allegheny County and entering Beaver County, PA 65 traverses the borough of Ambridge. In Ambridge, PA 65 intersects the southern terminus of PA 989. When exiting Ambridge, PA 65 travels to the north paralleling the Ohio River as a divided road as it passes through
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...
. In East Rochester, PA 65 follows a concurrency with PA 51, while in
Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...
, PA 51/PA 65 intersects PA 18. At mile marker 25.1 in downtown Rochester, a major four-route interchange takes place where PA 51 joins PA 68 and PA 65 continues to the north. In Rochester Township, PA 65 begins a concurrency with PA 18 as it enters the northbound lanes of PA 65 and exits on the southbound lanes. PA 18/PA 65 continue northward paralleling the Beaver River. In New Brighton, the PA 18/PA 65 concurrency ends when PA 65 makes a 90-degree-angle turn towards the northeast as 5th Street. After a couple of wide turns, PA 65 becomes Mercer Avenue later becoming Mercer Road outside of New Brighton. In North Sewickley Township, PA 65 intersects PA 588 then passes over
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 ...
(
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 ...
). East of
Ellwood City Ellwood City is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a small district in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Beaver County. The population was 7,031 at the 2020 ...
, PA 65 begins another concurrency with PA 288 into Ellwood City. On the south side of Ellwood City, PA 65/PA 288 curve to the north as 2nd Street.


Lawrence County

In downtown
Ellwood City Ellwood City is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a small district in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Beaver County. The population was 7,031 at the 2020 ...
, PA 65/PA 288 intersect the eastern terminus of PA 351 just north of the
Beaver 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 ...
Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...
county line. North of PA 351, PA 65/PA 288 meet the western terminus of PA 488; at that junction, PA 65/PA 288 make a 90-degree-angle turn to the west and another turn to the north. After crossing the
Connoquenessing Creek Connoquenessing Creek is a tributary of the Beaver River, approximately 50 mi (80 km) long, in Western Pennsylvania in the United States. Course Connoquenessing Creek rises in eastern Butler County and flows southwest, through the L ...
, the PA 65/PA 288 concurrency comes to an end while PA 65 travels north as North Street, then turns to the east to become Line Avenue, and then shifts towards the north as New Castle Road then becoming Ellwood Road. In Shenango Township, PA 65 intersects the southern terminus of PA 388 at a "Y" intersection. South of New Castle, PA 65 interchanges with US 422. PA 65 enters the city of New Castle as East Washington Street traveling on a northwest course. At mile marker 50.8, PA 65 intersects US 422 Business which was the former northern terminus of PA 65. In February 2007, PA 65 North was extended to terminate in downtown New Castle at the intersection of PA 108 and PA 168, both signed as Croton Avenue.


History


Main history

The designation was applied to the current US 62 alignment between Oil City and
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from 1928 to 1932. PA 65 was under construction from
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, ...
to Valley Road in 1928 and completed the following year. On July 15, 1960, PA 65 was designated in its current location replacing the previous PA 88 designation. This designation change was made to reduce the number of concurrent routes in Pittsburgh. The changes took effect a few months later and signs were changed by spring 1961. In 1965, a
median In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic fe ...
was installed between
Freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...
and
Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...
. In January 1970, construction began on the next section of Ohio River Boulevard from near the California Avenue/Marshall Avenue intersection to Pennsylvania Avenue. In 1973, a $16 million section opened to traffic with plans to continue the expressway to the
Fort Duquesne Bridge The Fort Duquesne Bridge is a steel bowstring arch bridge that spans the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was colloquially referred to as "The Bridge to Nowhere". History The bridge was constructed from 1958-1963 by PennDOT, and ...
. In spring 1987, construction on the $8 million Phase One project to connect the two sections of Ohio River Boulevard together began from Western Avenue to Allegheny Avenue. In January 1988, Phase Two of the project began, which consisted of a new interchange between the expressway and the West End Bridge. The bridge would be closed for two years while it underwent rehabilitation and new ramps were built at the northern end for the interchange. The southern terminus was moved from Western Avenue to I-279 when the missing section in Ohio River Boulevard was finally completed in 1992.


Connections with PA 88

While the two are nowhere near each other now, PA 65 and PA 88 were once the same route. In 1961, the routes were split, with the northern portion (New Castle–Pittsburgh) gaining the PA 65 badging while the southern portion (Pittsburgh– Point Marion) retained the PA 88 badging. This was done because the New Castle–Pittsburgh portion was dedicated to the 65th Infantry Division, and the number was changed in honor of that unit. Although it has been nearly half a century since the redesignation was done, remnants of PA 65 being once part of PA 88 still show in the area. Four of PA 88's five spur routes ( PA 288, PA 388, PA 488, and PA 588) are now spur routes of PA 65, but still retain the "88" base numbers. In addition, a
drive-in theater A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of movie theater, cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers ...
known as Spotlight 88 in North Sewickley Township retained its name after the route was redesignated, and is still known by that name as its current incarnation as a
flea market A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously-owned (second-hand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal' ...
after the drive-in was destroyed by an F3 tornado on May 31, 1985, as part of the
1985 United States-Canadian tornado outbreak The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
.


Ohio River Boulevard

Planning for Ohio River Boulevard started in the 1920s. In 1928, construction began on the boulevard that would run from
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
to the Borough of Emsworth. The highway would be wide and have many bridges over local roads. It would end at a
traffic circle A roundabout is a type of circular intersection (road), intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The N ...
on the North Shore of the Ohio River at the
McKees Rocks Bridge The McKees Rocks Bridge is a steel trussed through arch bridge which carries the Blue Belt, Pittsburgh's innermost beltline, across the Ohio River at Brighton Heights and McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, west of the city. At long, it is the longe ...
. The route that was built to relieve traffic and accidents on California Avenue was dedicated in August 1931 at a final cost of $12 million. As traffic on boulevard began to increase in the 1950s and 1960s, many plans were introduced to improve the highway. Ideas ranged from widening the highway to building a new expressway to current day I-79. During the 1960s, a southern extension of the boulevard to Pittsburgh's North Side was discussed and by 1973 the highway opened from the Fort Duquesne Bridge to Ridge Avenue and the McKees Rocks Bridge to Beaver Avenue and Chateau Street. Many of these proposals would fall to the wayside because of lack of funding and interest or community protest. The missing gap which includes a connection to the West End Bridge did not open until January 1992. By the 1970s, the Ohio River Boulevard section of PA 65 had become a deadly trail. By the mid-1970s, the boulevard became one of Pittsburgh's most dangerous roads. From November 7, 1979 to March 1981, 15 people were killed on the boulevard, eight of those deaths occurring between the McKees Rocks Bridge and Manchester. The deadliest time was in 1980 when seven people were killed on the boulevard.


Northern terminus

Prior to February 2007, the northern terminus of PA 65 was at US 422 Business, southeast of the current northern terminus at PA 108 and PA 168 (Croton Avenue). In February 2007, the route was extended northward from US 422 Business along East Washington Street to Croton Avenue.


Major intersections


PA 65 Truck


Allegheny County

Pennsylvania Route 65 Truck (PA 65 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 ...
of PA 65 that bypasses a weight-restricted bridge over Spruce Run Creek in Ben Avon, on which trucks over 32 tons and combination loads over 40 tons are prohibited. The route was signed in September 2013 and followed the McKees Rocks Bridge over the Ohio River, PA 51, Neville Road, Grand Avenue, and I-79. The bridge was reconstructed and 2021, and PA 65 Truck signs were removed. The route was still signed as recently as 2019; however, the bridge was rehabilitated some time before 2021, and the weight restrictions have since been removed.


Lawrence County

Pennsylvania Route 65 Truck (PA 65 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 ...
of PA 65 that bypasses a weight-restricted bridge over an abandoned railroad in Shenango Township, on which trucks over 36 tons and combination loads over 40 tons are prohibited. It was signed in September 2013 and follows US 422 and US 422 Business. The route was removed in December 2018 after the bridge was reconstructed.


See also

* *


References


External links


Pennsylvania Highways: PA 65
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pennsylvania Route 065 065 Limited-access roads in Pennsylvania Transportation in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Transportation in Beaver County, Pennsylvania Transportation in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania U.S. Route 62