U.S. Route 22

U.S. Route 22
Length:	647.45 mi[1][2] (1,041.97 km)
Formed:	1926
West end:	US 27 / US 42 / US 52 / US 127 / OH 3 / OH 264 in Cincinnati
Major junctions:	I-70 near Zanesville, OH I-77 near Cambridge, OH I-79 near Pittsburgh, PA I-76 / Penna. Tpk. in Monroeville, PA I-99 / US 220 near Altoona, PA US 522 between Mount Union, PA and Lewistown, PA US 322 between Lewistown, PA and Harrisburg, PA I-81 / I-83 near Harrisburg, PA I-78 in Lebanon County, PA I-476 near Allentown, PA I-287 in Bridgewater, NJ
East end:	I-78 / US 1-9 / Route 21 in Newark, NJ
United States Numbered Highways List – Bannered – Divided – Replaced

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 US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at U.S. Route 1/9 near the Newark Liberty International Airport.^[3] US 22 also carries the names of the William Penn Highway throughout most of Pennsylvania. In southwest Ohio, it overlaps with Ohio State Route 3 and is familiarly known as the 3C Highway, "22 and 3", and Montgomery Road.

A section of US 22 between New Alexandria at U.S. Route 119 and Harrisburg at Interstate 81 has been designated a part of Corridor M of the Appalachian Development Highway System.

Route description

Ohio

In Ohio, US 22 between Zanesville and Lancaster roughly follows the route of Zane's Trace, an early pioneer road blazed by Colonel Ebenezer Zane beginning in 1796. From Cincinnati to Washington Court House, US 22 roughly follows the historic 3C Highway which connected Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. This section is also contiguous with Ohio State Route 3. Both US 22 and State Route 3 end in downtown Cincinnati; officially, US 22 Eastbound begins on Central Avenue (U.S. Routes 27 Northbound/52 Westbound/127 Northbound) at 5th Street, then proceeds north, turning east onto 7th Street, while U.S. 22 Westbound follows 9th Street and ends at Central Avenue^[4] (signage designating the end occurs much sooner, approaching Elm Street, U.S. Route 42 Northbound^[5]).

West Virginia

Known as the Robert C. Byrd Expressway, the expressway passes for approximately five miles within the state of West Virginia, through or bordering the city of Weirton for its entire length, from the Pennsylvania state line on the east to the Ohio River and Steubenville, Ohio on the west.

The former route of US 22, now signed mostly as County Route 507, is still a major route through major business districts of Weirton. It includes Pennsylvania Avenue from the Pennsylvania state line west to its intersection with Main Street. Main Street, which is also part of West Virginia Route 2, carries old Route 22 south and west of that intersection to the Ohio River, where motorists can cross the Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Ohio River. The Fort Steuben Bridge, which carried US 22 across the Ohio River until the construction of the Veterans Memorial Bridge, was permanently closed on January 8, 2009.^[6]

Pennsylvania

Parts of U.S. 22 are still 2 lanes, such at this one just west of Nanty-Glo, Pennsylvania.

US 22 enters Pennsylvania as a limited-access highway connecting Weirton, WV and Steubenville, OH with Pittsburgh. Through much of the Pittsburgh area, it multiplexes with Interstate 376 and US 30. US 30 merges with US 22 near Imperial and Pittsburgh International Airport, and both highways then merge with Interstate 376 in Robinson Township. Together, these three highways form a busy, limited-access multiplex through the city of Pittsburgh. US 30 then splits from Interstate 376 and US 22 in North Braddock, and Interstate 376 ends at the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76) in Monroeville. East of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, US 22 continues east as a primary arterial highway with at-grade crossings, but remains a major thoroughfare between Pittsburgh and major population centers in central Pennsylvania, such as Johnstown, Altoona, State College and Huntingdon.

US 22 between eight miles (13 km) east of Interstate 81 to Allentown is concurrent with Interstate 78. Former highway alignments of US 22 that parallel this section are collectively known as the "Hex Highway", so called because of the Berks County-based Pennsylvania Dutch families that hang hex signs on their barns.

US 22 in eastern Pennsylvania is a four lane limited-access expressway between Easton and Interstate 78 to the west; it is dually designated with the Lehigh Valley Thruway in Allentown. The original designation for this expressway was to be Interstate 78, but local opposition to a freeway in Phillipsburg, along with substandard conditions at Easton, forced federal highway officials to relocate Interstate 78 south of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and Phillipsburg. It then crosses the Delaware River on the Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge.

New Jersey

US 22 westbound at Springfield Road in Union

U.S. Route 22 in New Jersey predates, and was largely replaced by, Interstate 78 as it was built between 1956 and 1989^[7], and shares designation with I-78 from exit 3 to exit 18. US 22 was an expressway in some segments, including the area around Perryville and Clinton. It connects Phillipsburg with Newark in New Jersey.

US 22 has one major interchange besides I-78, that being Interstate 287, although it is not a full interchange, with missing movements on US 22 eastbound and I-287 southbound (US 22 eastbound to I-287 northbound and I-287 southbound to US 22 westbound).

History

US 22 is one of the original U.S. Routes, though in the 1925 plan it was to terminate in Cleveland, Ohio, entering Ohio on modern U.S. Route 422. In the finalized 1926 plan, it followed the current course to U.S. Route 40, where it ended. In 1932, it had been extended to Cincinnati as it is currently, replacing Ohio State Route 10 and following preexisting State Route 3.^[8][9]

See also

Related U.S. Routes

• U.S. Route 122
• U.S. Route 222
• U.S. Route 322
• U.S. Route 422
• U.S. Route 522
• U.S. Route 622

References

External links

Speed Limits for Route 22

• Speed Limits for Route 22 Alt

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Lists		U.S. Routes - Bannered - Divided - Bypassed - Portal

Browse numbered routes
< SR 21	OH		US 23 >
< PA 21	PA		PA 23 >
< Route 21	NJ		Route 23 >