U.S. Route 62 (US 62) is a signed north-south U.S. Highway in Pennsylvania, which runs diagonally southwest-northeast through the industrial northwestern part of the state. Although initial portions of the route opened in 1926 in other areas of the country, US 62 was not designated in the commonwealth until 1932. The highway connects the small cities of
Sharon
Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname.
In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...
,
Franklin
Franklin may refer to:
People
* Franklin (given name)
* Franklin (surname)
* Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class
Places Australia
* Franklin, Tasmania, a township
* Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
,
Oil City, and
Warren
A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...
to larger markets, such as
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, Mahoning County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of ...
and
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
.
Route description
U.S. Route 62 enters Pennsylvania from Ohio as part of the Shenango Valley Freeway. Four lanes, winding, and with limited stop lights, the road, which was built in 1958, bypasses the city of Sharon. A business route is signed on the former path of the highway. After passing through Sharon, the road reverts to two lane status, as it travels toward
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 ...
, the county seat of
Mercer County. Here, it briefly joins
US 19
U.S. Route 19 (US 19) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie.
The highway's southern ...
through the center of town. The road then turns sharply toward a north-northeast alignment and features an interchange with
Interstate 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 ...
. After cutting through rural Mercer and
Venango counties, US 62 reaches the twin industrial towns of
Franklin
Franklin may refer to:
People
* Franklin (given name)
* Franklin (surname)
* Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class
Places Australia
* Franklin, Tasmania, a township
* Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
and
Oil City. In Franklin, the highway is briefly cosigned 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 ...
, as it passes through the west side of town. The road then joins
PA 8 to form a four–lane riverfront connector between the two towns. Immediately before entering Oil City, the roads split, with US 62 branching off to cross the
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River ( ) is a long headwater stream of the Ohio River in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York. The Allegheny River runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border northwesterly into ...
over the
Petroleum Street Bridge
The Petroleum Street Bridge is a girder bridge connecting the North Side and South Side neighborhoods of Oil City, Pennsylvania and crosses the Allegheny River. The bridge sits just downstream from the confluence of Oil Creek and the Allegheny Ri ...
and serve the south side of town. After crossing this 1995 girder structure, which replaced a 1910 truss bridge, the highway remains four lanes until leaving the municipality.
The Allegheny River is only rarely out of sight as the highway winds its way through Venango and
Forest Counties, crossing from the south bank to the north by way of the
Hunter Station Bridge
The Hunter Station Bridge is a truss bridge that carries U.S. Route 62 (US 62) across the Allegheny River in rural Tionesta Township in Forest County, Pennsylvania. The structure was named for a railroad stop on the long defunct Ridgwa ...
, an unusual 1934 truss design. It crosses the river a third time on the
Tionesta Bridge
The Tionesta Bridge is a girder bridge that carries U.S. Route 62 and Pennsylvania Route 36 across the Allegheny River in rural Forest County, Pennsylvania. The borough of Tionesta on the east bank of the river is connected with an unpopulated s ...
, a 1961 girder structure that set the tone for 1980s–90s replacements of a series of historic bridges along the waterway. While traveling through Forest and into
Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War:
* Warren County, Georgia
* Warren County, Illinois
* Warren County ...
, the road is oriented in a north-south direction, which is reflected in its guide signs, despite the national route’s east-west direction. The route passes through the
Allegheny Islands Wilderness
The Allegheny River Islands Wilderness is located in the Allegheny National Forest. It comprises seven islands in the Allegheny River, totaling . All are alluvial origin. The islands are located between Buckaloons Recreation Area and Tionesta, ...
, crosses the river again via the Irvine Bridge, and subsequently joins 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 ...
via a
trumpet interchange
In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, using ...
to form part of the freeway bypass of
Warren
A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...
, which was constructed in 1969. The routes divide near the city center, and US 62 follows a narrow path of city streets in the old city core before becoming a four–lane highway north of the town. The highway becomes a two–lane road again as it heads toward the New York boundary.
History
US 62 was designated in Pennsylvania in 1932, replacing PA 65 between the Ohio border near Sharon and Franklin, PA 8 between Franklin and Oil City, PA 57 between Oil City and Fryburg, and
PA 66
Pennsylvania Route 66 (PA 66) is a state highway in Western Pennsylvania. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 119 (US 119) just east of Interstate 70 (I-70) near New Stanton. Its northern terminus is at US 6 in Kane.
The southernmost ...
between Fryburg and the New York border. Signs were installed by June 1 of that year.
[ ]
Major intersections
See also
*
*
References
External links
Pennsylvania Highways: US 62Pennsylvania Roads – US 62
{{state detail page browse, type=US, route=62, state=Pennsylvania, stateafter=New York, statebefore=Ohio
Transportation in Forest County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Mercer County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Venango County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Warren County, Pennsylvania
63
Pennsylvania