U.S. Route 220
 U.S. Route 220 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Route information | |
| Auxiliary route ofUS 20 | |
| Length | 678 mi[citation needed](1,091 km) |
| Existed | November 11, 1926[1]–present |
| Major junctions | |
| South end |  US 1inRockingham, NC |
| |
| North end |    I-86/NY 17/Southern Tier Expresswayat the PA-NY state line inSouth Waverly, PA |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | North Carolina,Virginia,West Virginia,Maryland,Pennsylvania |
| Highway system | |
U.S. Route 220(US 220) is a spur route ofUS 20.It runs in a north–south layout in the easternUnited States,unlike its parent route as well as conventionally even-numbered highways, which run east-west. US 220 extends for 678 miles (1,091 km) from an intersection withUS 1inRockingham, North Carolina,to its interchange with theSouthern Tier Expressway(Interstate 86andNew York State Route 17) inSouth Waverly, Pennsylvania.Some sections of the route are part of theAppalachian Development Highway System'sCorridor Oas well asI-73inNorth Carolina.US 220 is designated as a spur route of US 20 but the route does not intersect US 20 or connect to other spurs of US 20.
US 220 was assigned in 1926 as part of the establishment of theU.S. Highway System.At the time, it extended fromCumberland, Maryland,to theNew York–Pennsylvania borderatLawrenceville, Pennsylvania.One year later, US 220 was realigned north ofWilliamsport, Pennsylvania,to connect to the New York state line atSouth Waverly;this supplanted most of what was originally designatedU.S. Route 711.US 220 was extended south throughVirginiaby 1935 and to its current southern terminus by 1941.
Route description
[edit]| mi[citation needed] | km | |
|---|---|---|
| NC | 123.4 | 198.6 |
| VA | 185.96 | 299.27 |
| WV | 93 | 150 |
| MD | 27.30 | 43.94 |
| PA | 248 | 399 |
| Total | 677.66 | 1090.81 |
North Carolina
[edit]US 220 begins at an at-grade interchange withUS 1(South Hancock Street) southwest ofRockinghamand northeast of US 1's grade-separated interchange withUS 74(futureI-74). Most of US 220 in North Carolina is a four-lanedivided highway,and it is afreewaybetweenI-85and US 1 andUS 421in southernGreensboro.From Rockingham, US 220 travels north throughRichmond CountytoEllerbe,where US 220 begins to follow a newly constructed four-lane bypass. This section of the route isco-designatedas I-74 andI-73.The old US 220 alignment, signed as US 220 Alternate, passes through the towns of Ellerbe andNormanwhile the new highway goes around the communities.
The two highways continue in close proximity throughMontgomeryandRandolphcounties, serving the towns ofCandor,Biscoe,Star,andSeagrove.US 220 Alternate rejoins its parent near theNorth Carolina Zoo,at which point the old path of US 220 continues intoAsheboroandRandlemanas US 220 Business. The US 220 freeway, meanwhile, skirts the west side of both cities and proceeds toLevel Cross,a small community south of theGuilford Countyline. The business route merges back into the mainline here, and US 220 travels alone into Guilford County.
OutsideGreensboro,US 220 intersectsI-85andUS 421(theGreensboro Urban Loop) before intersectingI-85 Businessand eventually merging withI-40in the city. US 220 exits I-40 3 miles (4.8 km) later, followingUS 29andUS 70onto O'Henry Boulevard. The three routes separate northeast of the city center, with US 220 continuing west onWendover Avenuealong the northern edge of downtown Greensboro. It eventually exits onto Battleground Avenue, which takes the route north out of Greensboro and intoSummerfieldandRockingham County.Another business route splits off US 220 nearMadisonto serve both Madison andMayodan,which US 220 itself bypasses to the east. It returns to US 220 north ofStoneville,the last major community along the route before it crosses intoVirginia.
Virginia
[edit]US 220 enters the state from the south just south ofMartinsville.It uses freeway spurs to bypass Martinsville andRocky Mount.US 220 in Virginia is a divided four-lane highway with a 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) speed limit for most of the distance between Martinsville andRoanoke.US 220 is a winding road in several stretches, and there have been many accidents. There is also a sharp speed decrease inBoones Mill,giving the town a reputation as aspeed trap.[citation needed]The proposed I-73 would generally parallel US 220 between Greensboro, North Carolina, andRoanoke,though funds have not been allocated for the project and some local residents prefer efforts to fix US 220.[citation needed]It is co-signed withI-581from downtown Roanoke toI-81north of the city.
The route continues along I-81 northbound untilDaleville,at an interchange with US 220 Alternate. US 220 leaves the freeway and once again becomes a four-lane road throughFincastlechanging to an upgraded two-lane road atEagle Rockuntil just outside Iron Gate, continuing on an old two-lane road until it joins up withI-64westbound untilCovington.From there, it continues on a primarily two-lane mountainous path until it reaches theWest Virginiastate line.
West Virginia
[edit]
The highway enters West Virginia 2 miles (3 km) south ofHarperinPendleton County.From the state line, US 220 parallels theSouth Branch Potomac Riveras it progresses northward. 13 miles (21 km) north of Harper, US 220 passes throughFranklin,where it intersects withUS 33.The route crosses intoGrant Countyapproximately 17 miles (27 km) north of Franklin.
Within Grant County, US 220 intersects the concurrent routes ofWest Virginia Route 28(WV 28) andWest Virginia Route 55inPetersburg.The two state highways join US 220 eastward intoHardy County.WV 28 and WV 55 remain concurrent toMoorefield,where WV 55 splits from US 220 and WV 28. North of Moorefield, US 220 and WV 28 intersectsUS 48.US 220 and WV 28 remain concurrent intoHampshire County,where US 220 and WV 28 meetUS 50inJunction.WV 28 departs US 220, following US 50 to the east, while US 220 joins US 50 westward intoMineral County.This stretch of US 220 is known as theNorthwestern Turnpike.
At the top ofKnobly Mountainnorthwest ofRidgeville,US 220 splits from US 50 and resumes a northerly alignment as it descends into theNew Creek Valley.It is known as Cut Off Road south ofWV 972and New Creek Drive from there toKeyser,the county seat of Mineral County, where it becomes known as Mineral Street. In the center of the city, located 7 miles (11 km) north of US 50, US 220 intersectsWV 46.At the northern edge of Keyser, US 220 crosses theNorth Branch Potomac Rivervia Memorial Bridge, leaving West Virginia and enteringMaryland.
Maryland
[edit]US 220 enters Maryland atMcCoole,Allegany County,and becomes known as McMullen Highway. In McCoole, US 220 intersects the eastern terminus ofMaryland Route 135(MD 135). Past MD 135, US 220 turns to the northeast, paralleling the North Branch of thePotomac Riverto the east. 12 miles (19 km) into Maryland, with West Virginia visible to the right, US 220 intersects the western terminus ofMD 956,a connector to a secondary state highway in West Virginia. Continuing north in the river valley, US 220 entersCresaptown,where US 220 intersects with the east end ofMD 53.4 miles (6 km) north of Cresaptown, US 220 joins withI-68andUS 40,known as the National Freeway west ofCumberlandand the Baltimore Pike east of the city.
The three routes head acrossWills Creekand through Cumberland to exit 46, US 220 turns north again onto an upgraded roadway opened to traffic on September 18, 2000. The highway heads north for a few miles before crossing theMason–Dixon LineintoPennsylvania.The section of US 220 between I-68 andI-80nearBellefonte, Pennsylvania,is designated asCorridor Oby theAppalachian Development Highway System.
Pennsylvania
[edit]
After crossing the state line from Maryland, US 220 runs north throughBedford Countyas Cumberland Road toBedford,where it divides intoUS 220 Business,which enters the town of Bedford, and the main branch, which joins the southern terminus ofI-99at an interchange with thePennsylvania Turnpike(I-70andI-76). I-99 heads north along US 220, and the resultingoverlapduplex continues northeast along the west side ofDunningandBrushmountains. The freeway continues intoBlair County,where it serves the towns ofAltoonaandTyrone.I-99 and US 220 soon enterCentre Countyin the vicinity ofPort Matilda.Here,US 322joins the alignment and all three routes continue eastward for 12 miles (19 km) toState College.
North of State College, US 322 diverges eastward at theMount Nittany Interchangewhile US 220 and I-99 continue northward towardPleasant Gap.The concurrency travels pastBellefonteto I-80, where I-99 currently ends. All of I-99 is known as theBud ShusterHighway, named for the U.S. Representative who championed the I-99 designation. US 220 follows I-80 eastward for 11 miles (18 km) toClinton Countybefore exiting northward as a recently upgraded, short section ofsuper-twolimited-access highway before once again becoming a limited-access expressway traveling through the east side ofLock Haven.Past Lock Haven, US 220 runs alongside the west branch of theSusquehanna River,becoming an at-grade road north of Jersey Shore for 6.2 miles until it reaches W Fourth St south of Williamsport. It finally becomes a freeway once again atWilliamsportas it joinsI-180,here an east–west highway, andUS 15.
I-180 and US 220 head through the center of the city, briefly overlapping withUS 15in the downtown district, before splitting near Halls Station. The Interstate Highway turns to the south, following the Susquehanna River towardMuncywhile US 220 exits the expressway onto a two-lane road that first travels east toHughesville,a borough based around US 220's junction withPennsylvania Route 405(PA 405). US 220 heads generally northeastward from Hughesville, passing throughLaporteon its way toDushore.It is here that the route changes directions for the final time, assuming a northerly alignment that it largely follows for the remainder of its routing. A short section of super-two limited-access freeway is used to bypassTowanda,a borough 16 miles (26 km) north of Dushore on the banks of the main Susquehanna River. One interchange along this stretch links US 220 toUS 6.
Past Towanda, US 220 continues on a northerly path, paralleling the Susquehanna River to the borough ofAthens.Here, US 220 becomes a freeway for the final time at an exit withPA 199,the main north–south highway through the neighboring boroughs of Athens,Sayre,andSouth Waverly.US 220 bypasses all three to the west, proceeding toward theNew York state line.Route 220 actually crosses the border at Southern Tier Expressway but ends immediately after at an intersection with Tioga County Road 60, Broad Street, and ending at Chemung Street in Waverly NY, no more than 200 feet (61 m) into the state of New York.
History
[edit]Origins
[edit]US 220 was assigned as part of the establishment of theU.S. Highway Systemon November 11, 1926. The route began atUS 40inCumberland, Maryland,and followed its modern corridor northeast toWilliamsport, Pennsylvania.The highway turned north here, proceeding northward along the currentUS 15corridor to its end at theNew York–Pennsylvania borderinLawrenceville.US 220 did not directly connect toUS 20,its implied parent; instead, the connection was intended to be made viaUS 120,a route extending fromPhiladelphiato US 20 inErie.As originally planned, US 120 and US 220 wouldoverlapbetweenLock Haven, Pennsylvania,and Williamsport. East of Williamsport, the modern US 220 corridor was served by US 120 from Williamsport toMuncyand US 711 between Muncy and the New York state line atSouth Waverly.[1]When US 120 was signed in 1927, it was altered to run only fromReadingtoRidgway,isolating both US 120 and US 220 from US 20.[citation needed]
In early 1927,[citation needed]US 220 absorbed the Muncy–South Waverly section of US 711,[2]which had continued south from Muncy to meetUS 11inNorthumberland, Pennsylvania.From Williamsport to Muncy, US 220 utilized what had been planned as US 120.[1]Former US 220 from Williamsport north to the state line at Lawrenceville became part of an extension ofUS 111,which was also assigned to the piece of old US 711 south of Muncy.[2]Most of this alignment of US 220 followed previously unnumbered roads, save for two areas in the vicinity ofBald EagleandWilliamsport, Pennsylvania,where it followed short pieces ofPA 5andPA 4,respectively.[3][4]Both routes were assigned in 1924.[5]
Extensions and truncations
[edit]The largely intrastate route was significantly extended over the course of the next decade. It was extended past Cumberland to theVirginiastate line by 1930,[6]through Virginia to theNorth Carolinastate line by 1935,[7]and finally toUS 1inRockingham, North Carolina,by 1941.[8]In Virginia, US 220 replaced the piece ofSR 18north ofCovington,all of SR 12 (Clifton Forgeto near Roanoke),[citation needed]and all of US 311 in Virginia,[9]originally designated in 1926 to run fromUS 11inRoanokesouth alongSR 33toNorth Carolina.[1][10]
US 220 was extended into New York—albeit for only a half-mile (0.8 km)—by 1948. At the time, the route followed Keystone Avenue throughSayreto South Waverly, where it turned onto Bradford Street. The highway turned again after three blocks, proceeding north on Pennsylvania Avenue to the state line and into the adjacent village ofWaverly, New York.US 220 ended five blocks into New York at an intersection with Chemung Street, then part ofNY 17.[11][12]
When the Southern Tier Expressway was built, Chemung Street became a section ofNY 17Cas NY 17 was moved onto the freeway. NY 17C was truncated to a junction withNY 34several blocks to the east in the late 2000s, leaving US 220 isolated from the rest of New York's numbered route system. In 2017, theAmerican Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials(AASHTO) approved a request by New York and Pennsylvania to delete US 220 north of I-86/NY 17.[13]
Realignments
[edit]Pennsylvania
[edit]The Athens–Sayre Bypass, alimited-access highwaybypassing theboroughsofAthensand Sayre, was completed in 1973.[citation needed]US 220 was realigned to follow the new highway, which began southwest of Athens and ended at a junction with Chemung Street less than 0.1 miles (0.16 km) north of the state line. Most of US 220's former alignment becamePA 199;however, the northernmost part of PA 199 was assigned to an alternate alignment to the east on Mohawk and Spring streets, both of which were already state-maintained. The Pennsylvania Avenue (former US 220) state line crossing was dismantled as part of theSouthern Tier Expressway's construction.[14][15]
US 220 originally continued northeast ofPort Matilda,along the at-grade Appalachian Thruway to an interchange withI-80nearMilesburg.US 220 was realigned onto US 322 and a limited-access highway running fromState CollegetoBellefonteon May 30, 2003, at which point the previous route via Milesburg was redesignated as US 220 Alternate.[16]The latter route was extended toTyronewhen US 220 was moved onto a new section of I-99 from Tyrone to Port Matilda in 2008.[17]In the future, US 220 and I-99 will form a 135-mile (217 km) concurrency throughout much of central Pennsylvania, from the interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Bedford to the intersection with US 15 at Williamsport. I-99 will leave US 220 here to follow US 15 north toCorning, New York.
Other areas
[edit]The southern terminus of US 220 in Rockingham was originally at the intersection of East Broad and Hancock streets (US 1 andUS 74), where a sign said "US 220 Ends Here". From here, US 220 went north on current US 74 Business, Old Ellerbe Road and Billy Covington Road before rejoining its current alignment north of the city. The four-lane portion of US 220 between Ellerbe and Rockingham roads was completed in two sections; the northern one, ending at the north end of Billy Covington Road, was finished first in the 1960s. Some of the old alignment is still visible at the north end of Billy Covington Road.
Parts of US 220 in Virginia south of Roanoke follow what used to be called the Carolina Road or the Great Road. These roads, stretching from the current dayPhiladelphiaarea to what is nowAtlanta(southern end of theAppalachian Mountains), were mostly roads built over old Indian trails. Another branch went west from present day Roanoke toCumberland Gap.Parts of this road inHenry Countyare now known as the Old Stage Road. It crossed the Smith River just north of the current US 220 crossing. From Henry County the road crossed theMayo Riverand headed towardsWinston-Salem, North Carolina.The Mayo River crossing is still visible. InMartinsville, Virginia,US 220 originally passed through downtown Martinsville on West Church Street and Starling Avenue. It was moved onto the newly built Memorial Boulevard the late 1940s and onto a new bypass aroundCollinsvilleand Martinsville in the mid-1970s. The alignment through Collinsville and Martinsviile remains signed as Business US-220.
In the vicinity ofCumberland, Maryland,US 220 originally proceeded into the city limits on Greene Street. It crossedWills Creekvia Baltimore Street before connecting to Mechanic Street. From Mechanic Street to the city limits, traffic was split between two parallel one-way streets, with northbound traffic carried by Frederick Street and southbound traffic carried by a narrower Bedford Street until the streets merged as Bedford Road, now unsignedMD 807,north of the city. The highway continued on a northeasterly track to connect to Pennsylvania at theMason–Dixon Line.
Major intersections
[edit]- North Carolina
- US 1inRockingham
I-73/I-74south-southwest ofEllerbe.I-73/US 220 travels concurrently to south ofGreensboro.I-74/US 220 travels concurrently toRandleman.
US 64inAsheboro
I-73/I-85/US 421south of Greensboro
US 29/US 70in Greensboro
I-40in Greensboro. The highways travel concurrently through Greensboro.- US 29/US 70in Greensboro. The highways travel concurrently through Greensboro.
US 158east-northeast ofStokesdale
US 311inMadison.The highways travel concurrently toMayodan.- Virginia
US 58south ofMartinsville.The highways travel concurrently toHorse Pasture.
I-581inRoanoke.The highways travel concurrently toHollins.
US 460in Roanoke
I-81/I-581in Hollins. I-81/US 220 travels concurrently to north ofCloverdale
I-81/US 11north of Cloverdale. US 11/US 220 travels concurrently for approximately 0.2 miles (0.32 km).
I-64/US 60inCliftondale Park.I-64/US 220 travels concurrently toMallow.US 60/US 220 travels concurrently toCovington.
US 250inMonterey- West Virginia
US 33inFranklin.The highways travel concurrently to north of Franklin.
US 48inMoorefield
US 50inJunction.The highways travel concurrently to southeast ofNew Creek.- Maryland
I-68/US 40inCumberland.The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Cumberland.- Pennsylvania
US 30nearBedford
I-99near Bedford. The highways travel concurrently to nearBellefonte
US 22inDuncansville
US 322nearPort Matilda.The highways travel concurrently toState College.
I-80near Bellefonte. I-80/US 220 travels concurrently to east ofMackeyville.
I-180/US 15inWilliamsport.I-180/US 220 travels concurrently to southwest ofPennsdale.US 15/US 220 travels concurrently through Williamsport.
US 6nearTowanda- I-86/NY 17/Southern Tier ExpresswayinSouth Waverly
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^abcdBureau of Public Roads&American Association of State Highway Officials(November 11, 1926).United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials(Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC:United States Geological Survey.OCLC32889555.RetrievedNovember 7,2013– viaWikimedia Commons.
- ^abTourist Map of Pennsylvania(PDF)(Map).Pennsylvania Department of Highways.1930.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas (western Pennsylvania)(Map).Rand McNally and Company.1926.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.
- ^Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas (eastern Pennsylvania)(Map). Rand McNally and Company. 1926.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.
- ^Weingroff, Richard (April 7, 2011)."U.S. 22 – The William Penn Highway".Highway History.Federal Highway Administration.Pennsylvania's Named Highways.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.
- ^Map of Maryland Showing State Road System: State Aid Roads and Improved County Road Connections(Map) (1930 ed.). Maryland Geological Survey.
- ^State Highway Commission of Virginia (August 17, 1935)."Minutes of Meeting"(PDF)(Report). Richmond: Commonwealth of Virginia.:"Route 220, Henry County"[dead link]
- ^North Carolina and South Carolina with Pictorial Guide(Map). Cartography byGeneral Drafting.Esso.1941.
- ^Automobile Blue Book.Vol. 3. Automobile Blue Book, Inc. 1929. p. 61.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.
- ^Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas (western Mid-Atlantic region)(Map). Rand McNally and Company. 1926.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.
- ^Pennsylvania (Bradford Co.) – Sayre Quadrangle(Map). 1:62,500. 15-Minute Series.United States Geological Survey.1948.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.
- ^Waverly Quadrangle – New York–Pennsylvania(JPG)(Map). 1:62,500. 15-Minute Series. United States Geological Survey. 1954.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.
- ^"Special Committee on U. S. Route Numbering Meeting Minutes"(PDF).AASHTO. May 23, 2017.
- ^General Highway Map – Bradford County, Pennsylvania(PDF)(Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1964.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^General Highway Map – Bradford County, Pennsylvania(PDF)(Map).Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.1978.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^"Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering to the Standing Committee on Highways"(PDF).American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. May 31, 2003. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on February 4, 2007.RetrievedJuly 18,2010.
- ^Bock, Greg (November 25, 2008)."Long road for I-99 comes to end".Altoona Mirror.RetrievedJuly 18,2010.
- ^Rand McNally (2014).The Road Atlas(Walmart ed.). Chicago: Rand McNally. pp. 46, 74, 86–88, 106, 112.ISBN978-0-528-00771-2.
External links
[edit]
| Browse numbered routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
← NC 218 | NC | → US 221 | ||
← US 219 | WV | → WV 230 | ||
| ←US 219 | MD | → MD 221 | ||
| ←US 219 | PA | → PA 221 | ||
