Misplaced Pages

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114-792: Predating the Interstate and U.S. Highway Systems , the Skippack Pike , a modern section of the route, served as the primary connector between Philadelphia and the northwest suburbs. The Skippack Pike dates back to 1713 and was completed as a turnpike in 1855. Legislative Route 197 connected Reading to Philadelphia along the PA ;73 corridor in 1911. PA 73 was designated in 1928 to run from PA 23 near Blue Ball east to US 1 in Philadelphia, heading north to Reading and northeast to Oley before heading southeast to Philadelphia. The route

228-522: A concurrency or overlap. For example, I‑75 and I‑85 share the same roadway in Atlanta ; this 7.4-mile (11.9 km) section, called the Downtown Connector , is labeled both I‑75 and I‑85. Concurrencies between Interstate and US Highway numbers are also allowed in accordance with AASHTO policy, as long as the length of the concurrency is reasonable. In rare instances, two highway designations sharing

342-439: A concurrency , and the two routes follow Memorial Highway into Oley Township . The road heads through farms and woods before running past a few businesses in the community of Oley , bypassing the residential center of the community to the southwest. At the east end of Oley, PA 662 splits to the southeast at a roundabout and PA 73 continues east on West Philadelphia Avenue past residential development. The route heads into

456-637: A 28-year-old brevet lieutenant colonel, accompanied the trip "through darkest America with truck and tank," as he later described it. Some roads in the West were a "succession of dust, ruts, pits, and holes." As the landmark 1916 law expired, new legislation was passed—the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 (Phipps Act). This new road construction initiative once again provided for federal matching funds for road construction and improvement, $ 75 million allocated annually. Moreover, this new legislation for

570-456: A bridge over Norfolk Southern 's Evansville Industrial Track railroad line as it runs through agricultural areas with some homes. The route heads east-southeast and intersects US 222 in the community of Maiden Creek . PA 73 continues along Main Street and runs through residential areas in the community of Blandon , where it crosses Norfolk Southern's Reading Line at-grade. Past Blandon,

684-476: A change in the numbering system as a result of a new policy adopted in 1973. Previously, letter-suffixed numbers were used for long spurs off primary routes; for example, western I‑84 was I‑80N, as it went north from I‑80 . The new policy stated, "No new divided numbers (such as I-35W and I-35E , etc.) shall be adopted." The new policy also recommended that existing divided numbers be eliminated as quickly as possible; however, an I-35W and I-35E still exist in

798-508: A commercial area and continues through the community of Skippack , where it is lined with homes and businesses. The road passes through wooded areas and fields within Evansburg State Park , where it crosses Skippack Creek . The route continues past suburban residential development with some woods and fields as it enters Worcester Township and heads through the community of Cedars before it reaches an intersection with PA 363 in

912-519: A defeat at the Battle of Germantown on October 4, 1777 and had to encamp along the Skippack Pike until October 8. The Americans later marched east on the road while preparing for a counterattack at the Battle of White Marsh . The Skippack Turnpike Company was incorporated in 1845 to construct a turnpike from Whitemarsh to Skippack but the project was abandoned after several efforts. In 1853,

1026-712: A divided highway briefly as it has a diamond interchange with the PA ;309 freeway. PA 73 continues past homes as a two-lane undivided road and enters Cheltenham Township , where it runs to the northeast of Westminster Theological Seminary and a cemetery. The route crosses the Tacony Creek and passes to the northeast of Arcadia University before it comes to an intersection with PA 152 and crosses under Easton Road near Glenside . The route continues southeast through wooded residential neighborhoods in Wyncote , passing between

1140-516: A four-lane divided highway as it reaches a diamond interchange with PA 100 . Past this interchange, the route becomes a three-lane road with a center left-turn lane and passes a mix of homes and businesses in the community of Gilbertsville . PA 73 narrows to two lanes and continues to an intersection with Swamp Pike and Gilbertsville Road, at which point it turns east to remain along East Philadelphia Avenue and runs past residential subdivisions. The road enters New Hanover Township , where

1254-546: A junction with US 202 in commercial areas in the community of Center Square . The route continues through suburban residential areas with some businesses and runs through Blue Bell . PA 73 heads into Whitemarsh Township at the Butler Pike intersection in the community of Broad Axe and runs through a mix of fields and woods with some homes, passing under the Pennsylvania Turnpike ( I-276 ). The road crosses

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1368-514: A mix of farmland and woodland with some homes, crossing the Manatawny Creek before curving southeast and passing through the community of Pleasantville . The road leaves the Oley Valley region and enters Earl Township , running through forested areas with some fields and residences and passing through Shanesville. Past this, the route crosses Ironstone Creek twice and begins to run parallel to

1482-576: A numbering scheme in which primary Interstates are assigned one- or two-digit numbers, and shorter routes which branch off of longer ones are assigned three-digit numbers where the last two digits match the parent route. The Interstate Highway System is partially financed through the Highway Trust Fund , which itself is funded by a combination of a federal fuel tax and transfers from the Treasury's general fund. Though federal legislation initially banned

1596-402: A program of " urban renewal ". In the two decades following the 1956 Highway Act, the construction of the freeways displaced one million people, and as a result of the many freeway revolts during this era, several planned Interstates were abandoned or re-routed to avoid urban cores. Construction of the original Interstate Highway System was proclaimed complete in 1992, despite deviations from

1710-517: A ramp leading from northbound I-95 and from Wissinoming Street, which provides access to Cottman Avenue from a ramp from southbound I-95. PA 73 passes near urban homes and commercial development and comes to a ramp to northbound I-95 at the Princeton Avenue intersection. The route turns south onto New State Road, with State Road continuing southwest to provide access to southbound I-95, and passes under I-95 before it curves southwest to parallel

1824-540: A report called Toll Roads and Free Roads , "the first formal description of what became the Interstate Highway System" and, in 1944, the similarly themed Interregional Highways . The Interstate Highway System gained a champion in President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was influenced by his experiences as a young Army officer crossing the country in the 1919 Motor Transport Corps convoy that drove in part on

1938-521: A second charter was granted and the turnpike was completed in 1855 near Worcester Township. When the state began maintenance over roads via the Sproul Road Bill that was signed on May 31, 1911, the system did not include the direct Reading–Philadelphia routes that PA 73 and US 422 are today. PA 73 was adopted as Legislative Route 197, the main route that connected Philadelphia and its northwest suburbs. Legislative Routes paved

2052-409: A single digit prefixed to the two-digit number of its parent Interstate Highway. Spur routes deviate from their parent and do not return; these are given an odd first digit. Circumferential and radial loop routes return to the parent, and are given an even first digit. Unlike primary Interstates, three-digit Interstates are signed as either east–west or north–south, depending on the general orientation of

2166-642: A southwest-northeast alignment in the southern part of the township. At the 2000 census , there were 5,270 people, 1,994 households, and 1,529 families living in the township. The population density was 629.3 inhabitants per square mile (243.0/km ). There were 2,030 housing units at an average density of 242.4 per square mile (93.6/km ). The racial makeup of the township was 98.69% White, 0.19% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.34%. There were 1,994 households, 33.0% had children under

2280-769: A speed limit of 45 mph (70 km/h) because it is a parkway that consists of only one lane per side of the highway. On the other hand, Interstates 15, 80, 84, and 215 in Utah have speed limits as high as 70 mph (115 km/h) within the Wasatch Front , Cedar City , and St. George areas, and I-25 in New Mexico within the Santa Fe and Las Vegas areas along with I-20 in Texas along Odessa and Midland and I-29 in North Dakota along

2394-456: A speed limit of 80 mph (130 km/h). Other Interstates in Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming also have the same high speed limits. In some areas, speed limits on Interstates can be significantly lower in areas where they traverse significantly hazardous areas. The maximum speed limit on I-90 is 50 mph (80 km/h) in downtown Cleveland because of two sharp curves with

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2508-467: A suggested limit of 35 mph (55 km/h) in a heavily congested area; I-70 through Wheeling, West Virginia , has a maximum speed limit of 45 mph (70 km/h) through the Wheeling Tunnel and most of downtown Wheeling; and I-68 has a maximum speed limit of 40 mph (65 km/h) through Cumberland, Maryland , because of multiple hazards including sharp curves and narrow lanes through

2622-605: Is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania , United States. The population was 5,127 at the 2020 census . The Bahr Mill Complex and Nicholas Johnson Mill were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the township has a total area of 8.4 square miles (22 km ), all land. It is drained by the Schuylkill River via the Manatawny Creek and tributaries of

2736-534: Is also commonly believed the Interstate Highway System was built for the sole purpose of evacuating cities in the event of nuclear warfare . While military motivations were present, the primary motivations were civilian. The numbering scheme for the Interstate Highway System was developed in 1957 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The association's present numbering policy dates back to August 10, 1973. Within

2850-627: Is expected to begin in late 2020 or early 2021. In 2009, a roundabout was constructed at the intersection of PA 29 and PA 73 in Lower Frederick Township; crashes decreased at this junction after the roundabout opened. On March 29, 2019, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced plans to construct roundabouts at both intersections between PA 73 and PA 662 in Oley Township. Construction of

2964-525: Is to have the highway route extend from Tamaulipas , Mexico to Ontario , Canada. The planned I-11 will then bridge the Interstate gap between Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada , and thus form part of the CANAMEX Corridor (along with I-19 , and portions of I-10 and I-15 ) between Sonora , Mexico and Alberta , Canada. Political opposition from residents canceled many freeway projects around

3078-671: The Burholme neighborhood to the northeast and the Lawncrest neighborhood to the southwest. After crossing Algon Avenue, the route passes to the southwest of Northeast High School . PA 73 gains a center left-turn lane and crosses Castor Avenue near the Rhawnhurst neighborhood. The route continues past several shopping centers and intersects Bustleton Avenue, at which point it passes southwest of Roosevelt Mall . PA 73 comes to an interchange with US 1 ( Roosevelt Boulevard ), intersecting

3192-474: The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas, and an I-35W and I-35E that run through Minneapolis and Saint Paul , Minnesota, still exist. Additionally, due to Congressional requirements, three sections of I-69 in southern Texas will be divided into I-69W , I-69E , and I-69C (for Central). AASHTO policy allows dual numbering to provide continuity between major control points. This is referred to as

3306-538: The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 into law. Under the act, the federal government would pay for 90 percent of the cost of construction of Interstate Highways. Each Interstate Highway was required to be a freeway with at least four lanes and no at-grade crossings. The publication in 1955 of the General Location of National System of Interstate Highways , informally known as the Yellow Book , mapped out what became

3420-603: The Grand Forks area have higher speed limits of 75 mph (120 km/h). As one of the components of the National Highway System , Interstate Highways improve the mobility of military troops to and from airports, seaports, rail terminals, and other military bases. Interstate Highways also connect to other roads that are a part of the Strategic Highway Network , a system of roads identified as critical to

3534-515: The Lincoln Highway , the first road across America. He recalled that, "The old convoy had started me thinking about good two-lane highways... the wisdom of broader ribbons across our land." Eisenhower also gained an appreciation of the Reichsautobahn system, the first "national" implementation of modern Germany's Autobahn network, as a necessary component of a national defense system while he

Pennsylvania Route 73 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3648-682: The New Jersey state line, at which point Route 73 continues south into the borough of Palmyra, New Jersey . The Skippack Pike, a portion of PA 73 between Skippack and Bethlehem Pike in Whitemarsh, dates back to 1713, when settlers in Skippack petitioned Philadelphia officials for a road to their community for purposes of hauling grain to the mill in Whitemarsh. During the American Revolutionary War , George Washington 's army suffered

3762-704: The Pennsylvania General Assembly designated the portion of PA 73 between North Wales Road and Butler Pike in Whitpain Township as the POW/MIA Memorial Highway in honor of soldiers who are prisoner of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA). On November 26, 2008, a Pennsylvania General Assembly act designated the section of PA 73 along Cottman Avenue between Central Avenue and Algon Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia

3876-650: The Perkiomen Creek . The township's villages include Englesville (also in Montgomery County,) Gablesville, and New Berlinville. Colebrookdale Township surrounds the borough of Boyertown on three sides. As of 2020, there were 44.21 miles (71.15 km) of public roads in Colebrookdale Township, of which 10.70 miles (17.22 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 33.51 miles (53.93 km) were maintained by

3990-587: The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College to the north and Curtis Arboretum to the south before it comes to an intersection with Washington Lane. At this point, PA 73 turns northeast onto four-lane undivided Washington Lane and passes near more homes before coming to a bridge over Chelten Hills Drive, the Tacony Creek, and SEPTA 's Main Line . At the southern tip of the borough of Jenkintown ,

4104-458: The Ryers station in the Ryers neighborhood. PA 73 heads into Northeast Philadelphia and becomes a four-lane road as it runs through commercial areas, reaching a bridge over CSX's Trenton Subdivision railroad line. The route intersects Rising Sun Avenue and PA 232 (Oxford Avenue) at a junction locally known as Five Points. The road heads past a mix of homes and businesses, running between

4218-632: The Tacony neighborhood and passes more homes and businesses. The route runs to the southwest of St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls prior to the Torresdale Avenue intersection, where the route narrows to three lanes, with one eastbound lane and two westbound lanes. PA 73 enters industrial areas and crosses under Amtrak 's Northeast Corridor railroad line. The route splits from Cottman Avenue by turning southwest onto four-lane undivided State Road. At this intersection, Cottman Avenue has access from

4332-499: The US Department of Defense . The system has also been used to facilitate evacuations in the face of hurricanes and other natural disasters. An option for maximizing traffic throughput on a highway is to reverse the flow of traffic on one side of a divider so that all lanes become outbound lanes. This procedure, known as contraflow lane reversal , has been employed several times for hurricane evacuations. After public outcry regarding

4446-464: The US Highways , which increase from east to west and north to south). This numbering system usually holds true even if the local direction of the route does not match the compass directions. Numbers divisible by five are intended to be major arteries among the primary routes, carrying traffic long distances. Primary north–south Interstates increase in number from I-5 between Canada and Mexico along

4560-541: The West Coast to I‑95 between Canada and Miami, Florida along the East Coast . Major west–east arterial Interstates increase in number from I-10 between Santa Monica, California , and Jacksonville, Florida , to I-90 between Seattle, Washington , and Boston, Massachusetts , with two exceptions. There are no I-50 and I-60, as routes with those numbers would likely pass through states that currently have US Highways with

4674-554: The Wissahickon Creek in Fort Washington State Park before it comes to Bethlehem Pike in the community of Whitemarsh . PA 73 follows Bethlehem Pike south under Norfolk Southern's Morrisville Line and widens to a four-lane road. The route splits from Bethlehem Pike by heading southeast onto two-lane undivided Church Road, passing suburban neighborhoods and entering Springfield Township . The road widens into

Pennsylvania Route 73 - Misplaced Pages Continue

4788-653: The contiguous United States and has routes in Hawaii , Alaska , and Puerto Rico . In the 20th century, the United States Congress began funding roadways through the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , and started an effort to construct a national road grid with the passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 . In 1926, the United States Numbered Highway System was established, creating

4902-466: The 1930s, PA 383 was realigned off the present-day route west of Ontelanuee Drive, having been rerouted to head north on Ontelaunee Drive. By 1940, the entire length of PA 73 was paved. The route was realigned to follow Greenwood Avenue from Church Road to Jenkintown, where it turned southeast onto Township Line Road. Also in the 1930s, US 422/PA 73 was shifted to follow Mineral Spring Road between Reading and Mount Penn. In 1950, PA 73

5016-559: The Congress Hotel in Chicago. In the plan, Mehren proposed a 50,000-mile (80,000 km) system, consisting of five east–west routes and 10 north–south routes. The system would include two percent of all roads and would pass through every state at a cost of $ 25,000 per mile ($ 16,000/km), providing commercial as well as military transport benefits. In 1919, the US Army sent an expedition across

5130-506: The Interstate Highway System. Assisting in the planning was Charles Erwin Wilson , who was still head of General Motors when President Eisenhower selected him as Secretary of Defense in January 1953. Some sections of highways that became part of the Interstate Highway System actually began construction earlier. Three states have claimed the title of first Interstate Highway. Missouri claims that

5244-485: The Interstate Highway program. The Interstates of Alaska and Puerto Rico are numbered sequentially in order of funding without regard to the rules on odd and even numbers. They also carry the prefixes A and PR , respectively. However, these highways are signed according to their local designations, not their Interstate Highway numbers. Furthermore, these routes were neither planned according to nor constructed to

5358-656: The Perkiomen Trail and the Perkiomen Creek into Perkiomen Township . The road turns southeast through wooded areas on the east bank of the creek and crosses the East Branch Perkiomen Creek into Skippack Township . The route curves east away from the Perkiomen Creek and runs through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes to the north of State Correctional Institution – Phoenix , curving southeast. PA 73 comes to an intersection with PA 113 in

5472-566: The Police Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski Memorial Highway in honor of an officer of the Philadelphia Police Department who was killed in the line of duty; signs were installed in 2012. In 2009, a $ 212.3 million project began to reconstruct the interchange between PA 73 and I-95 as part of rebuilding the stretch of I-95 through Northeast Philadelphia. The first phase of the project relocated

5586-820: The US to determine the difficulties that military vehicles would have on a cross-country trip. Leaving from the Ellipse near the White House on July 7, the Motor Transport Corps convoy needed 62 days to drive 3,200 miles (5,100 km) on the Lincoln Highway to the Presidio of San Francisco along the Golden Gate . The convoy suffered many setbacks and problems on the route, such as poor-quality bridges, broken crankshafts, and engines clogged with desert sand. Dwight Eisenhower , then

5700-759: The United States, including: In addition to cancellations, removals of freeways are planned: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has defined a set of standards that all new Interstates must meet unless a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is obtained. One almost absolute standard is the controlled access nature of the roads. With few exceptions , traffic lights (and cross traffic in general) are limited to toll booths and ramp meters (metered flow control for lane merging during rush hour ). Being freeways , Interstate Highways usually have

5814-473: The act was signed, and paving started September 26, 1956. The state marked its portion of I-70 as the first project in the United States completed under the provisions of the new Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. The Pennsylvania Turnpike could also be considered one of the first Interstate Highways, and is nicknamed "Grandfather of the Interstate System". On October 1, 1940, 162 miles (261 km) of

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5928-481: The age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 19.6% of households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.03. The age distribution was 24.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% 65 or older. The median age

6042-458: The border between the borough of Schwenksville to the west and Lower Frederick Township to the east, running between wooded neighborhoods to the west and the Perkiomen Creek and Perkiomen Trail to the east. PA 29/PA 73 fully enters Schwenksville and runs past homes and businesses, turning to the southeast. At the south end of the borough, PA 73 splits from PA 29 by turning northeast onto Skippack Pike and immediately crossing

6156-488: The border between the city of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County to the northeast and Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County to the southwest, coming to the entrance to the Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus to the northeast of the road. The route passes between Burholme Park in Philadelphia and homes in Cheltenham Township. The road passes more homes and fully enters Philadelphia upon passing under SEPTA's Fox Chase Line south of

6270-434: The borough of Leesport . From this intersection, the route heads northeast on two-lane undivided Lake Shore Drive past a mix of farm fields and development, passing south of Schuylkill Valley High School. The road continues east into wooded areas and runs along the south shore of Lake Ontelaunee , where it crosses Maiden Creek at the dam that forms the lake. Past the lake, PA 73 enters Maidencreek Township and comes to

6384-440: The bridge, and signage was removed, eliminating the route. Interstate Highway System [REDACTED] The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways , commonly known as the Interstate Highway System , or the Eisenhower Interstate System , is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States . The system extends throughout

6498-399: The cancellation of the Somerset Freeway . This situation was remedied when the construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project started in 2010 and partially opened on September 22, 2018, which was already enough to fill the gap. However, I-70 remains discontinuous in Pennsylvania , because of the lack of a direct interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike at

6612-538: The city. In some locations, low speed limits are the result of lawsuits and resident demands; after holding up the completion of I-35E in St. Paul, Minnesota , for nearly 30 years in the courts, residents along the stretch of the freeway from the southern city limit to downtown successfully lobbied for a 45 mph (70 km/h) speed limit in addition to a prohibition on any vehicle weighing more than 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) gross vehicle weight . I-93 in Franconia Notch State Park in northern New Hampshire has

6726-401: The collection of tolls, some Interstate routes are toll roads , either because they were grandfathered into the system or because subsequent legislation has allowed for tolling of Interstates in some cases. As of 2022 , about one quarter of all vehicle miles driven in the country used the Interstate Highway System, which has a total length of 48,890 miles (78,680 km). In 2022 and 2023,

6840-495: The commercial downtown and intersects the eastern terminus of PA 562 at Reading Avenue, at which point it becomes East Philadelphia Avenue. The route crosses the Colebrookdale branch operated by the Colebrookdale Railroad at-grade north of the Boyertown station and continues past more residences in the eastern part of Boyertown. PA 73 crosses into Douglass Township in Montgomery County and continues along East Philadelphia Avenue into commercial areas, widening into

6954-417: The communities of Frederick and Obelisk . The route continues into Lower Frederick Township and passes through farmland with some development before it reaches a roundabout at PA 29 in the community of Zieglerville . Here, PA 73 turns southeast to join PA 29 on Gravel Pike, running through wooded areas with some homes and crossing Swamp Creek. The road becomes Main Street and heads south on

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7068-461: The community of McKinley before it heads along the township line again and runs near more homes in Elkins Park. The route gains a center left-turn lane and runs past residential and commercial development, passing to the northeast of Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Hospital – Elkins Park . At the Laurel Avenue intersection, PA 73 becomes Cottman Avenue and turns into a three-lane road with one eastbound lane and two westbound lane that forms

7182-424: The community of Worcester . Past this intersection, PA 73 runs through a mix of fields, woods, and homes and comes to a bridge under I-476 ( Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension ) immediately before it crosses North Wales Road into Whitpain Township in the community of Belfry . The road heads across CSX 's Stony Creek Branch railroad line at-grade and passes residential neighborhoods prior to reaching

7296-431: The construction and improvement of highways. The nation's revenue needs associated with World War I prevented any significant implementation of this policy, which expired in 1921. In December 1918, E. J. Mehren, a civil engineer and the editor of Engineering News-Record , presented his "A Suggested National Highway Policy and Plan" during a gathering of the State Highway Officials and Highway Industries Association at

7410-407: The contiguous United States, primary Interstates—also called main line Interstates or two-digit Interstates—are assigned numbers less than 100. While numerous exceptions do exist, there is a general scheme for numbering Interstates. Primary Interstates are assigned one- or two-digit numbers, while shorter routes (such as spurs, loops, and short connecting roads) are assigned three-digit numbers where

7524-403: The creek, which is located southwest of the road. PA 73 heads east and crosses into Colebrookdale Township , where it makes a turn to the south. The route runs through more rural areas with some homes and curves southeast near Gablesville. The road continues east into the borough of Boyertown , where it splits from Ironstone Creek, and becomes lined with homes. PA 73 heads southeast into

7638-567: The discontinuity, but they have been blocked by local opposition, fearing a loss of business. The Interstate Highway System has been expanded numerous times. The expansions have both created new designations and extended existing designations. For example, I-49 , added to the system in the 1980s as a freeway in Louisiana , was designated as an expansion corridor, and FHWA approved the expanded route north from Lafayette, Louisiana , to Kansas City, Missouri . The freeway exists today as separate completed segments, with segments under construction or in

7752-448: The dissemination of public information. As a result, the 2005 evacuation of New Orleans, Louisiana, prior to Hurricane Katrina ran much more smoothly. According to urban legend , early regulations required that one out of every five miles of the Interstate Highway System must be built straight and flat, so as to be usable by aircraft during times of war. There is no evidence of this rule being included in any Interstate legislation. It

7866-445: The eastern end of the concurrency near Breezewood . Traveling in either direction, I-70 traffic must exit the freeway and use a short stretch of US 30 (which includes a number of roadside services) to rejoin I-70. The interchange was not originally built because of a legacy federal funding rule, since relaxed, which restricted the use of federal funds to improve roads financed with tolls. Solutions have been proposed to eliminate

7980-450: The economy. Not just as a public works measure, but for future growth. Clay's committee proposed a 10-year, $ 100 billion program ($ 1.13 trillion in 2023), which would build 40,000 miles (64,000 km) of divided highways linking all American cities with a population of greater than 50,000. Eisenhower initially preferred a system consisting of toll roads , but Clay convinced Eisenhower that toll roads were not feasible outside of

8094-447: The enactment of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 . Unlike the earlier United States Numbered Highway System, the interstates were designed to be all freeways, with nationally unified standards for construction and signage. While some older freeways were adopted into the system, most of the routes were completely new. In dense urban areas, the choice of routing destroyed many well-established neighborhoods, often intentionally as part of

8208-488: The existing, largely non-freeway, United States Numbered Highways system. By the late 1930s, planning had expanded to a system of new superhighways. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Thomas MacDonald , chief at the Bureau of Public Roads, a hand-drawn map of the United States marked with eight superhighway corridors for study. In 1939, Bureau of Public Roads Division of Information chief Herbert S. Fairbank wrote

8322-426: The federal government, Interstate Highways are owned by the state in which they were built. With few exceptions , all Interstates must meet specific standards , such as having controlled access, physical barriers or median strips between lanes of oncoming traffic, breakdown lanes , avoiding at-grade intersections , no traffic lights , and complying with federal traffic sign specifications. Interstate Highways use

8436-411: The first national road numbering system for cross-country travel. The roads were state-funded and maintained, and there were few national standards for road design. United States Numbered Highways ranged from two-lane country roads to multi-lane freeways. After Dwight D. Eisenhower became president in 1953, his administration developed a proposal for an interstate highway system, eventually resulting in

8550-507: The first three contracts under the new program were signed in Missouri on August 2, 1956. The first contract signed was for upgrading a section of US Route 66 to what is now designated Interstate 44 . On August 13, 1956, work began on US 40 (now I-70) in St. Charles County. Kansas claims that it was the first to start paving after the act was signed. Preliminary construction had taken place before

8664-594: The first time sought to target these funds to the construction of a national road grid of interconnected "primary highways", setting up cooperation among the various state highway planning boards. The Bureau of Public Roads asked the Army to provide a list of roads that it considered necessary for national defense. In 1922, General John J. Pershing , former head of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during

8778-542: The highest speed limits in a given area. Speed limits are determined by individual states. From 1975 to 1986, the maximum speed limit on any highway in the United States was 55 miles per hour (90 km/h), in accordance with federal law. Typically, lower limits are established in Northeastern and coastal states, while higher speed limits are established in inland states west of the Mississippi River . For example,

8892-542: The highly populated coastal regions. In February 1955, Eisenhower forwarded Clay's proposal to Congress. The bill quickly won approval in the Senate, but House Democrats objected to the use of public bonds as the means to finance construction. Eisenhower and the House Democrats agreed to instead finance the system through the Highway Trust Fund , which itself would be funded by a gasoline tax. In June 1956, Eisenhower signed

9006-607: The highway now designated I‑70 and I‑76 opened between Irwin and Carlisle . The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania refers to the turnpike as the Granddaddy of the Pikes, a reference to turnpikes . Milestones in the construction of the Interstate Highway System include: The initial cost estimate for the system was $ 25 billion over 12 years; it ended up costing $ 114 billion (equivalent to $ 425 billion in 2006 or $ 618 billion in 2023 ) and took 35 years. The system

9120-454: The inefficiency of evacuating from southern Louisiana prior to Hurricane Georges ' landfall in September 1998, government officials looked towards contraflow to improve evacuation times. In Savannah, Georgia , and Charleston, South Carolina , in 1999, lanes of I-16 and I-26 were used in a contraflow configuration in anticipation of Hurricane Floyd with mixed results. In 2004, contraflow

9234-530: The interstate as a four-lane road through industrial areas. PA 73 reaches an interchange at Levick Street and the approach to the Tacony–Palmyra Bridge , at which point the route heads southeast onto the bridge over the Delaware River . The Tacony–Palmyra Bridge is a combination steel tied-arch bridge and drawbridge with one eastbound lane and two westbound lanes. PA 73 ends on the bridge at

9348-431: The last two digits match the parent route (thus, I-294 is a loop that connects at both ends to I-94 , while I-787 is a short spur route attached to I-87 ). In the numbering scheme for the primary routes, east–west highways are assigned even numbers and north–south highways are assigned odd numbers. Odd route numbers increase from west to east, and even-numbered routes increase from south to north (to avoid confusion with

9462-470: The local lanes at-grade and passing over the express lanes. Following this, the road continues into the residential Mayfair neighborhood as a four-lane undivided road. The route enters business areas and comes to an intersection with US 13 (Frankford Avenue). Past this, PA 73 continues southeast past more dense residential areas to the southwest of the Holmesburg neighborhood. The road heads into

9576-450: The mainline. Some auxiliary highways do not follow these guidelines, however. The Interstate Highway System also extends to Alaska , Hawaii , and Puerto Rico , even though they have no direct land connections to any other states or territories. However, their residents still pay federal fuel and tire taxes. The Interstates in Hawaii, all located on the most populous island of Oahu , carry

9690-737: The maximum speed limit is 75 mph (120 km/h) in northern Maine, varies between 50 and 70 mph (80 and 115 km/h) from southern Maine to New Jersey, and is 50 mph (80 km/h) in New York City and the District of Columbia. Currently, rural speed limits elsewhere generally range from 65 to 80 miles per hour (105 to 130 km/h). Several portions of various highways such as I-10 and I-20 in rural western Texas, I-80 in Nevada between Fernley and Winnemucca (except around Lovelock) and portions of I-15 , I-70 , I-80 , and I-84 in Utah have

9804-531: The name becomes Big Road, and passes through a mix of fields and woods with some development. In the community of Layfield , the route intersects PA 663 , with that route joining for a short concurrency and the road crossing Swamp Creek before PA 663 splits to the northeast. Following this, PA 73 runs southeast through farmland with some trees and homes, passing through New Hanover Square . The road crosses into Upper Frederick Township , where it heads through rural land with residences and runs through

9918-404: The number of fatalities on the Interstate Highway System amounted to more than 5,000 people annually, with nearly 5,600 fatalities in 2022. The United States government's efforts to construct a national network of highways began on an ad hoc basis with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , which provided $ 75 million over a five-year period for matching funds to the states for

10032-452: The official Interstate Highway standards . On one- or two-digit Interstates, the mile marker numbering almost always begins at the southern or western state line. If an Interstate originates within a state, the numbering begins from the location where the road begins in the south or west. As with all guidelines for Interstate routes, however, numerous exceptions exist. Colebrookdale Township, Pennsylvania Colebrookdale Township

10146-465: The original 1956 plan and several stretches that did not fully conform with federal standards . The construction of the Interstate Highway System cost approximately $ 114 billion (equivalent to $ 618 billion in 2023). The system has continued to expand and grow as additional federal funding has provided for new routes to be added, and many future Interstate Highways are currently either being planned or under construction. Though heavily funded by

10260-633: The planning phase between them. In 1966, the FHWA designated the entire Interstate Highway System as part of the larger Pan-American Highway System, and at least two proposed Interstate expansions were initiated to help trade with Canada and Mexico spurred by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Long-term plans for I-69 , which currently exists in several separate completed segments (the largest of which are in Indiana and Texas ),

10374-411: The prefix H . There are three one-digit routes in the state ( H-1 , H-2 , and H-3 ) and one auxiliary route ( H-201 ). These Interstates connect several military and naval bases together, as well as the important communities spread across Oahu, and especially within the urban core of Honolulu . Both Alaska and Puerto Rico also have public highways that receive 90 percent of their funding from

10488-470: The ramp to southbound I-95 from Princeton Avenue to Longshore Street, converted Princeton Avenue and Cottman Avenue to two-way traffic, reconstructed and widened State Road at the interchange, and added an on-ramp spur from Milnor Street to the ramp from Princeton Avenue to northbound I-95. On August 31, 2011, Cottman Avenue became a two-way road between Torresdale Avenue and State Road, carrying one eastbound lane and two westbound lanes. The first phase

10602-496: The remainder between Reading and Oley becoming unnumbered except along the concurrencies with US 222 and US 422 Bus. In the 1960s, PA 73 was rerouted at US 13 (Frankford Avenue) to follow Cottman Avenue, the one-way pair of Princeton Avenue eastbound and Cottman Avenue westbound past Torresdale Avenue, State Road, and New State Road to the Tacony–Palmyra Bridge. On November 24, 1998, an act of

10716-464: The remainder between Reading and Oley is now unnumbered. PA 73 was shifted to its current routing to the Tacony–Palmyra Bridge in the 1960s, having previously followed Frankford Avenue and Robbins and Levick streets on a one-way pair . PA 73 begins at an intersection with PA 61 in Ontelaunee Township , Berks County , to the north of the city of Reading and to the southeast of

10830-530: The remainder of the route between Blue Ball and Reading was under construction at this time. The route was also paved between Schwenksville and Skippack. Also, the current route between US 120 (now PA 61) in Leesport and US 22 (now US 222) in Maiden Creek became a paved extension of the former PA 383, which continued west from Leesport to PA 83 (now PA 183 ) near Leinbachs . In

10944-607: The road curves south into forested areas in the South Mountain range and enters Ruscombmanor Township as Blandon Road. The route turns southeast through wooded areas with some residential and commercial development and intersects PA 12 in Breezy Corner . PA 73 continues east through rural land in the Oley Valley region, where it reaches a roundabout with PA 662 . At this point, PA 662 joins PA 73 for

11058-672: The roundabouts, which cost $ 5.7 million, began in April ;2019. The roundabout at PA 73 and PA 662 on the eastern end of Oley opened on August 19, 2019 while the roundabout at PA 73 and PA 662 on the western end of Oley opened in November ;2019. Pennsylvania Route 73 Alternate Truck is a truck route bypassing a weight-restricted bridge over the East Branch Perkiomen Creek near Schwenksville. The route follows Plank Road and PA 29. It

11172-556: The route turns southeast onto four-lane undivided Township Line Road and forms the border between Abington Township to the northeast and Cheltenham Township to the southwest, passing south of high-rise apartment complexes and heading north of Salus University as it comes to an intersection with PA 611 ( Old York Road ). The road narrows to two lanes and continues past wooded residential development in Elkins Park . PA 73 fully enters Abington Township and passes some businesses in

11286-524: The route, without regard to the route number. For instance, I-190 in Massachusetts is labeled north–south, while I-195 in New Jersey is labeled east–west. Some looped Interstate routes use inner–outer directions instead of compass directions, when the use of compass directions would create ambiguity. Due to the large number of these routes, auxiliary route numbers may be repeated in different states along

11400-419: The same numbers, which is generally disallowed under highway administration guidelines. Several two-digit numbers are shared between unconnected road segments at opposite ends of the country for various reasons. Some such highways are incomplete Interstates (such as I-69 and I-74 ) and some just happen to share route designations (such as I-76 , I-84 , I‑86 , I-87 , and I-88 ). Some of these were due to

11514-503: The same roadway are signed as traveling in opposite directions; one such wrong-way concurrency is found between Wytheville and Fort Chiswell , Virginia, where I‑81 north and I‑77 south are equivalent (with that section of road traveling almost due east), as are I‑81 south and I‑77 north. Auxiliary Interstate Highways are circumferential, radial, or spur highways that principally serve urban areas . These types of Interstate Highways are given three-digit route numbers, which consist of

11628-408: The township. Pennsylvania Route 73 , Pennsylvania Route 100 and Pennsylvania Route 562 are the numbered highways serving Colebrookdale Township. PA 73 follows Philadelphia Avenue along a northwest-southeast alignment across the western and southern portions of the township. PA 100 follows a north-south alignment across the eastern part of the township. Finally, PA 562 follows Reading Avenue along

11742-490: The war, complied by submitting a detailed network of 20,000 miles (32,000 km) of interconnected primary highways—the so-called Pershing Map . A boom in road construction followed throughout the decade of the 1920s, with such projects as the New York parkway system constructed as part of a new national highway system. As automobile traffic increased, planners saw a need for such an interconnected national system to supplement

11856-882: The way for Pennsylvania's first Traffic Routes in 1924 and a new set of routes, including PA 73, that were added in the late 1920s. In the original 1928 routing, PA 73 ran between PA 23 near Blue Ball and US 1 (Roosevelt Boulevard) in Philadelphia. The route followed New Holland Road north through Bowmansville and Knauers to Reading, where it passed through the city along US 222 (Lancaster Avenue), Bingaman Street, Chestnut Street, and US 422 (Perkiomen Avenue). From Reading, PA 73 split from US 422 in Mount Penn and followed Carsonia Avenue and Friedensburg Road to Oley, where it picked up its current routing to Cheltenham Township. Here, PA 73 continued east along Church Road, Township Line Road, and Cottman Avenue to US 1. Upon being designated, PA 73

11970-475: Was also a PA 73 Alt. Truck for traffic from northbound PA 309 to access westbound PA 73, following PA 309 north from PA 73 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276) interchange, where it utilized the cloverleaf ramps to return to southbound PA 309 and head south to the PA 73 exit. PA 73 Alt. Truck was signed in 2013. As recently as 2019, weight restrictions were removed on

12084-483: Was completed in 2012. The second phase of the interchange reconstruction, which lasted from late 2012 to January 2018, reconstructed and widened I-95 in the vicinity of the PA 73 interchange, added improvements to surface streets crossing under I-95, and rebuilt the ramps from both directions of I-95 and the ramp to northbound I-95. The final phase of the project will build a ramp from Cottman Avenue to southbound I-95 and construct utility improvements; work on this phase

12198-541: Was employed ahead of Hurricane Charley in the Tampa, Florida area and on the Gulf Coast before the landfall of Hurricane Ivan ; however, evacuation times there were no better than previous evacuation operations. Engineers began to apply lessons learned from the analysis of prior contraflow operations, including limiting exits, removing troopers (to keep traffic flowing instead of having drivers stop for directions), and improving

12312-417: Was extended east to the Tacony–Palmyra Bridge after it opened in 1929. The portion of route between Leesport and Maiden Creek became the eastern part of PA 383 by 1930. PA 73 was shifted to its current alignment in eastern Montgomery County in the 1950s. The western terminus of PA 73 was realigned to Leesport by 1966; the former route between Blue Ball and Reading became PA 625 while most of

12426-580: Was formed in 2019. Pennsylvania Route 73 Alternate Truck were truck routes of PA 73 that bypassed a weight-restricted bridge over a branch of the Wissahickon Creek at the PA 309 interchange in Oreland , on which trucks over 36 tons and combination loads over 40 tons were prohibited. The eastbound alternate truck route followed PA 309 and Paper Mill Road. The westbound alternate truck route followed Paper Mill Road and Bethlehem Pike. There

12540-494: Was moved to a straighter alignment to the east of Oley. In the 1950s, PA 73 was routed onto the one-way pair of Robbins Street eastbound and Levick Street westbound between US 13 (Frankford Avenue) and the Tacony–Palmyra Bridge; the US ;422 concurrency was removed as well. Also, the route was realigned to use Washington Lane between Church Road and Township Line Road. Between Reading and Mount Penn, US 422/PA 73

12654-507: Was paved between south of Reading and Schwenksville and between Skippack and Philadelphia. After the Tacony–Palmyra Bridge was built in 1929, the eastern terminus was moved to its current location on the bridge at the New Jersey state line. It followed Cottman Avenue, US 13 (Frankford Avenue), and US 422 (Levick Street) to the bridge. By 1930, PA 73 was paved in the Bowmansville area and from south of Reading to south of Angelica;

12768-422: Was proclaimed complete in 1992, but two of the original Interstates— I-95 and I-70 —were not continuous: both of these discontinuities were due to local opposition, which blocked efforts to build the necessary connections to fully complete the system. I-95 was made a continuous freeway in 2018, and thus I-70 remains the only original Interstate with a discontinuity. I-95 was discontinuous in New Jersey because of

12882-494: Was serving as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II . In 1954, Eisenhower appointed General Lucius D. Clay to head a committee charged with proposing an interstate highway system plan. Summing up motivations for the construction of such a system, Clay stated, It was evident we needed better highways. We needed them for safety, to accommodate more automobiles. We needed them for defense purposes, if that should ever be necessary. And we needed them for

12996-672: Was shifted to the one-way pair of Perkiomen Avenue eastbound and Mineral Spring Road westbound while PA 73 was designated concurrent with westbound US 422 Alt. on Chestnut Street between Bingaman Street and US 422 in Reading. By 1966, PA 73 was realigned at Oley to follow its current alignment west to PA 61 in Leesport, replacing a portion of PA 383 between east of Leesport and Maiden Creek. The former alignment of PA 73 became PA 625 between PA 23 in Blue Ball and US 222 (now US 222 Bus. ) in Reading with most of

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