Pennsylvania Route 320

Pennsylvania Route 320 (PA 320) is a north–south state highway in southeastern Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the long route is at U.S. Route 13 (US 13)/ PA 291 in Chester. The northern terminus is at PA 23 in Swedeland. The route passes through suburban areas in Delaware and Montgomery counties to the west of Philadelphia, serving Swarthmore, Springfield, Broomall, Villanova, and Gulph Mills. PA 320 intersects many important highways including US 13 Business (US 13 Bus.) and Interstate 95 (I-95) in Chester, US 1 in Springfield, US 30 in Villanova, and I-76 in Gulph Mills. PA 320 runs parallel to I-476 (Mid-County Expressway) for much of its length and crosses it four times. Even though there are no direct interchanges between I-476 and PA 320, several roads that intersect PA 320 provide access to I-476.

The southernmost part of PA 320 was built as part of the Providence Road in 1684. PA 320 was first designated by 1928 between US 13 (now US 13 Bus.) in Chester and PA 23 in Lower Merion Township. PA 320 was extended south to PA 291 by 1940. The route was extended north to US 202 in Bridgeport via West Conshohocken by 1960. By 1967, the northern portion of the route was realigned to its current routing, replacing parts of PA 23 Alternate (PA 23 Alt.) and PA 23 and following part of former PA 123, with PA 23 rerouted to replace the part of PA 320 from southeast of West Conshohocken to Bridgeport. The nearby I-476 opened in 1991, reducing traffic levels on PA 320.

Route description

The southern terminus of PA 320 is at US 13/ PA 291 in the city of Chester in Delaware County. At this point, PA 320 follows the one-way pair of Madison Street northbound and Upland Street southbound, one block to the east. The streets head northwest through urban development, crossing under Amtrak's Northeast Corridor railroad line. The one-way pair crosses US 13 Bus. as it passes more urban rowhomes along with some grassy lots. PA 320 comes to an interchange with I-95 a block east of PA 352. This interchange has access to southbound I-95 and from northbound I-95 from both PA 320 and PA 352. Access to northbound I-95 and from southbound I-95 is provided by ramps connecting to Chestnut Street, with Chestnut Street and 12th Street providing access to PA 320 and PA 352. The route passes over CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision railroad line immediately after crossing over I-95. In the vicinity of the I-95 interchange, northbound PA 320 follows Madison Street to Providence Avenue while southbound PA 320 follows 14th Street, Walnut Street, 13th Street, Chestnut Street, and 12th Street to get from Providence Avenue to Upland Street. Past I-95, both directions of PA 320 continue north on four-lane undivided Providence Avenue. The road passes homes and businesses, running to the west of Widener University, with a brief stretch of divided highway at the 15th Street intersection. The route narrows to two lanes and crosses the Ridley Creek, at which point it leaves Chester and enters Nether Providence Township. Here, the route becomes Providence Road and runs through suburban residential areas. PA 320 intersects the southern terminus of PA 252, at which point PA 252 continues north along Providence Road and PA 320 heads northeast on Chester Road.

The route runs between homes to the southeast and the Springhaven Country Club to the northwest with one northbound lane and two southbound lanes. PA 320 becomes a three-lane road with a center left-turn lane and comes to a bridge over Crum Creek, where it enters a small exclave of Springfield Township, and I-476. The road curves north through areas of residences and businesses, crossing into the borough of Swarthmore at the Fairview Road intersection. Here, PA 320 becomes a two-lane road and passes through wooded areas of homes. The road heads between Swarthmore College to the west and commercial areas to the east and reaches a roundabout with Field House Lane/Rutgers Avenue before it passes under SEPTA's Media/Wawa Line at the Swarthmore station. The route runs through more of the college campus before heading back into wooded neighborhoods. PA 320 turns northwest onto Swarthmore Avenue for one block before turning north onto Cedar Lane and coming to an intersection with Baltimore Pike.

Following this intersection, the route heads back into Springfield Township and becomes Sproul Road, widening into a four-lane divided highway and passing between the Springfield Mall to the west and a residential neighborhood to the east. The route narrows back into a two-lane undivided road and comes to a bridge over SEPTA's Route 101 trolley line east of the Springfield Mall station. The road continues north through residential areas with some commercial development, passing to the east of Springfield Hospital and Springfield Golf and Country Club. PA 320 widens back to a four-lane divided highway and intersects the northern terminus of PA 420, at which point it heads into business areas. The route continues north to a diamond interchange with US 1.

Past the US 1 interchange, PA 320 passes more commercial establishments and crosses into Marple Township, becoming a four-lane undivided road. The route passes over I-476 again and intersects Springfield Road immediately after that, at which point it becomes a five-lane road with a center left-turn lane and passes between a large cemetery to the west and Cardinal O'Hara High School and some woods to the east. The road becomes a four-lane divided highway as it runs past businesses along with some nearby residential areas. PA 320 curves northwest before turning northeast to remain along Sproul Road, with Springfield Road continuing to the northwest. The route heads north through residential areas as a two-lane undivided road before coming to an intersection with PA 3 in commercial areas in the community of Broomall. Past this intersection, PA 320 heads northeast past more homes, turning north to continue along Sproul Road. The road continues through wooded residential areas, crossing the Darby Creek into Haverford Township

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