Pennsylvania Route 252
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by PennDOT | ||||
| Length: | 19.880 mi[1] (31.994 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: |
 PA 320 near Chester | |||
 US 1 in Upper Providence Township PA 3 in Newtown Square US 30 in Paoli US 202 near Berwyn | ||||
| North end: |
 PA 23 in Valley Forge | |||
| Location | ||||
| Counties: | Delaware, Chester, Montgomery | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Pennsylvania Route 252 (PA 252) is a north–south route that connects PA 320 in Nether Providence Township at its southern terminus to PA 23 in Valley Forge at its northern terminus. The route runs through various townships and boroughs in Delaware and Chester, and Montgomery counties, including Nether Providence Township, Media, Upper Providence Township, Marple Township, Newtown Township, Easttown Township, Tredyffrin Township, and Upper Merion Township. The route intersects many roads including U.S. Route 1 (US 1) north of Media, PA 3 in Newtown Square, US 30 in Paoli, and US 202 in Tredyffrin Township.
The southernmost part of PA 252 was originally built as part of the Providence Road in 1684. PA 252 was designated by 1928 to run from PA 320 north of Chester north to US 122/PA 52 (now US 202) in King of Prussia. By 1960, the northern terminus was moved to PA 23 in King of Prussia. PA 252 was realigned to head to its current northern terminus at Valley Forge by 1970, running along a concurrency with US 202 (removed by 1980) for a distance north of Paoli and replacing a part of PA 83 in the Valley Forge area.
Route description
Delaware County
PA 252 begins at an intersection with PA 320 north of Chester in Nether Providence Township, Delaware County, heading north-northwest on two-lane undivided Providence Road. The road passes through wooded suburban residential neighborhoods, running to the west of Springhaven Country Club. The route heads into the community of Wallingford, where it comes to a bridge over SEPTA's Media/Elwyn Line. PA 252 continues north and enters Media, where it heads into commercial areas and intersects Baltimore Avenue. A block further north, the route intersects State Street at the point SEPTA's Route 101 trolley line crosses the road at the Providence Road station. The road continues through residential areas in the eastern part of Media. PA 252 leaves Media for Upper Providence Township and continues past homes with some businesses. The route widens to a four-lane divided highway as it comes to an interchange with the US 1 freeway bypass of Media. Past this interchange, PA 252 becomes a three-lane undivided road with one northbound lane and two southbound lanes, passing to the west of Rose Tree Park.[2][3]
The route splits from Providence Road by curving north onto two-lane Palmers Mill Road, running through wooded residential areas. The road crosses the Crum Creek on the dam that forms Springton Reservoir to the west, at which point it enters Marple Township. Past the reservoir, Palmers Mill Road turns to the east and PA 252 continues north on Newtown Street Road, running past more homes. The road passes to the west of Delaware County Community College before it heads into Newtown Township at the Media Line Road intersection. The route continues north through wooded suburban development. PA 252 turns northwest and heads through commercial areas as it comes to an intersection with PA 3 in the community of Newtown Square. Past this intersection, the road widens into a four-lane divided highway and passes more businesses before heading between a business campus to the west and residential areas to the east. The route curves north before heading northwest between fields and woods to the west and more homes to the east. PA 252 passes to the southwest of Aronomink Golf Club before coming to an interchange with St. Davids Road and Newtown Street Road. Here, the name of the route changes to Darby Paoli Road and narrows into a two-lane undivided road as it passes near wooded residential neighborhoods to the northeast.[2][3]
Chester and Montgomery counties
At the intersection with White Horse Road, PA 252 enters Easttown Township in Chester County and continues northwest through wooded areas of homes. The road passes to the east of Waynesborough Country Club before it comes to an intersection with Darby Road/Sugartown Road. At this intersection, the name of the route becomes Leopard Road and it passes more wooded development, crossing into Tredyffrin Township. PA 252 curves north and becomes a four-lane road, heading into commercial areas and coming to an intersection with US 30 in the community of Paoli. Past this intersection, the road becomes Bear Hill Road and immediately passes under Amtrak's Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line. The route passes homes and narrows back to two lanes before heading into forested areas. PA 252 widens back into a four-lane divided highway and comes to a bridge over Norfolk Southern's Dale Secondary, curving northeast. The road passes southeast of a residential neighborhood before it comes to an intersection with Swedesford Road/Howellville Road.[2][4]
At this point, the name of the route becomes Swedesford Road and it heads past business parks as a four-lane undivided road. The lanes of PA 252 split as it comes to a partial interchange with the US 202 freeway to the north, with access between northbound PA 252 and northbound US 202 and southbound US 202 and southbound PA 252. Following this, the route heads east-northeast as a two-lane undivided road, passing between the US 202 freeway to the north and businesses to the south. PA 252 curves east and turns northwest onto Valley Forge Road, immediately interchanging with US 202. The route continues through suburban neighborhoods before coming to a bridge over the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76). At this point, the road enters Valley Forge National Historical Park. PA 252 passes through fields within the park, turning west onto Valley Creek Road at the Baptist Road intersection.[2][4] Upon intersecting Yellow Springs Road just east of the Knox Covered Bridge over the Valley Creek, the route turns north and enters Upper Merion Township in Montgomery County and winds north through forested areas along the east bank of the creek. PA 252 comes to its northern terminus at an intersection with PA 23 near the community of Valley Forge.[2][5]
History
In 1683, the Court of Chester County (which then included present-day Delaware County) approved the construction of "Providence Great Road", which included the route of present-day PA 252 from the southern terminus to north of Media. The road was built to provide access to Chester from the north. The Providence Road was said to have been completed in 1684.[6] When Pennsylvania first legislated routes in 1911, what would become PA 252 was designated as Legislative Route 144, running between Media and King of Prussia. At this time, the entire route was unpaved.[7] PA 252 was designated by 1928 to run from PA 320 north of Chester north to US 122/PA 52 (now US 202) in King of Prussia, following its current alignment north to Wyola, where it turned northeast and intersected US 30 in Wayne before continuing north to King of Prussia. Between Wyola and King of Prussia, PA 252 followed what is now unnumbered portions of St. Davids Road, Brooke Road, Wayne Avenue, Radnor Road, Croton Road, and King of Prussia Road. At this time, the entire route was paved. By 1928, the current alignment of PA 252 was an unnumbered road between Wyola and Paoli, a part of US 122 between Paoli and Valley Forge Road, and a part of PA 83 north of there.[8]
The northern terminus of PA 252 was moved to PA 23 (Gulph Road) along Croton Road in King of Prussia by 1960 after the original alignment to US 202 along King of Prussia Road was severed by the construction of I-80S/PA 43 (Schuylkill Expressway, now I-76).[9] By 1970, PA 252 was realigned to its current northern terminus at PA 23 near Valley Forge along its current alignment, running concurrent with US 202 between Paoli and the southern interchange with the US 202 freeway and replacing the PA 83 designation along Valley Forge Road and Valley Creek Road. Also by this time, the route was widened into a divided highway between Newtown Square and Wyola.[10] By 1980, the US 202 concurrency was removed from PA 252.[11]
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Nether Providence Township | 0.000 | 0.000 | PA 320 (Chester Road) – Chester, Swarthmore | |
| Upper Providence Township | 4.249 | 6.838 | US 1 (Media Bypass) – Lima, Springfield | Interchange | |
| Newtown Township | 7.978 | 12.839 | PA 3 (West Chester Pike) – West Chester, Broomall | ||
| 9.734 | 15.665 | St. Davids Road / Newtown Street Road | Interchange | ||
| Chester | Tredyffrin Township | 13.817 | 22.236 | US 30 (Lancaster Avenue) – Paoli, Malvern, Berwyn | |
| 15.944 | 25.659 | US 202 north – King of Prussia | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 17.159 | 27.615 | US 202 – King of Prussia, West Chester | Interchange | ||
| Montgomery | Upper Merion Township | 19.880 | 31.994 | PA 23 (Valley Forge Road) – Phoenixville, King of Prussia | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
PA 252 Alternate Truck
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| Location: | Upper Providence Township – Newtown Square, Pennsylvania |
| Length: | 3.2 mi[12] (5.1 km) |
| Existed: | 2013–present |
Pennsylvania Route 252 Alternate Truck is a truck route around a weight-restricted bridge over the Crum Creek at the Springton Reservoir in Marple Township, on which trucks over 34 tons and combination loads over 40 tons are prohibited. The truck route follows Providence Road and PA 3 between Upper Providence Township and Newtown Square. It was signed in 2013.[12][13]
See also
- U.S. Roads portal
- Pennsylvania portal
References
- 1 2 Bureau of Maintenance and Operations (January 2015). Roadway Management System Straight Line Diagrams (Report) (2015 ed.). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- Delaware County (PDF)
- Chester County (PDF)
- Montgomery County (PDF)
- 1 2 3 4 5 Google (January 10, 2014). "overview of Pennsylvania Route 252" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- 1 2 Metro Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Map) (19th ed.). 1"=2000'. ADC Map. 2006. ISBN 978-0-87530-777-0.
- 1 2 Chester County, Pennsylvania (Map) (17th ed.). 1"=2000'. ADC Map. 2006. ISBN 0-87530-778-7.
- ↑ Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (Map) (18th ed.). 1"=2000'. ADC Map. 2006. ISBN 0-87530-775-2.
- ↑ Proceedings of the Delaware County Historical Society 1. Delaware County Historical Society. 1902. p. 54. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ↑ Map of Pennsylvania Showing State Highways (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1911. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ↑ Pennsylvania Highway Map (Philadelphia Metro) (Map). Gulf Oil. 1928. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
- ↑ Official Map of Pennsylvania (back) (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1960. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
- ↑ Official Map of Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1970. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
- ↑ Pennsylvania Official Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. 1980. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- 1 2 Google (December 18, 2014). "overview of Pennsylvania Route 252 Alternate Truck" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ↑ "Risk-Based Bridge Postings - State and Local Bridges" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. October 8, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
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