Pennsylvania Route 56

PA Route 56
Route information
Maintained by PennDOT
Length:	108 mi[1] (174 km)
Existed:	1928 – present
Major junctions
West end:	C.L. Schmitt Bridge in New Kensington
	US 422 near Indiana US 119 in Homer City US 22 in Armagh US 219 near Johnstown I-99 / US 220 near Bedford
East end:	US 30 near Bedford
Location
Counties:	Westmoreland, Armstrong, Indiana, Cambria, Somerset, Bedford
Highway system
Roads in Pennsylvania Interstate • US • State • Legislative ← PA 55 PA 57 →

Pennsylvania Route 56 is a major 99-mile (159 km) long state highway located in central Pennsylvania. Its western terminus is at the eastern approach to the C.L. Schmitt Bridge in New Kensington. Its eastern terminus is U.S. Route 30 west of Bedford.

Route description

Route 56 starts at an intersection with PA 366 in Arnold, PA. It then heads east into Westmoreland County, PA. While in Westmoreland County, it merges with PA 66. It then travels east and eventually merges with PA 156, crossing into Indiana County. At this point, it merges with U.S. Route 422 and heads toward Indiana, PA. In Indiana, U.S. Route 422 and PA 56 become a short freeway. At the U.S. 119 exit, PA 56 merges with U.S. Route 119, heading south. Route 56 breaks away from U.S. 119 outside of Indiana and continues east on a two-lane road. Approaching Armagh, PA, it crosses U.S. Route 22 at an interchange. The route then enters Westmoreland County again briefly, passing through its extreme northeastern corner. It is at this point, that Route 56 crosses through Seward, PA. A short time after passing through Seward, it crosses into Cambria County, PA. Continuing east, it travels along the southern side of the Conemaugh river through the beautiful Conemaugh Gap. It then emerges into the city of Johnstown, PA. Route 56 travels through the heart of the West End section of Johnstown on two-lane city streets. With the countless trucks traveling through the West End, a Route 56 bypass has been discussed for quite some time. However, very little progress on the topic has been made, and it is yet to be seen if it will ever become a reality. It then merges with PA Route 403 on Broad Street, a four-lane road containing many traffic signals. At the final signal, it breaks away from Route 403 and becomes a freeway entitled Johnstown Expressway. This expressway is actually a bypass constructed in the mid-1960s. The original route continued on city streets and crossed under U.S. Route 219 in Richland Township. Currently, Route 56 enters the four-lane expressway and meets U.S. Route 219 a short distance north from its original connection. It eventually exits U.S. 219 at Scalp Avenue, the original interchange, and continues east toward Windber, PA. The Route enters Somerset County at Windber. Once past Windber, Route 56 returns to two-lanes. It enters Bedford County at the top of Laurel Ridge at 2700 feet above sea level. The decent down the eastern slope contains a dangerous hairpin curve that has been the site of many accidents over the years. It then crosses Interstate 99 / U.S. Route 220 at an interchange near Cessna. After a short distance, Route 56 crosses over Interstate 99 / U.S. Route 220, then later passes under the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The route ends at a "T" intersection with U.S. Route 30 in Wolfsburg, west of Bedford and east of the Little Barn Discount Grocery.

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile	Destinations	Notes
Westmoreland	New Kensington	0.0	C.L. Schmitt Bridge	Western terminus, Bridge terminates onto Freeport Rd
		1.1	PA 366 south (Stevenson Boulevard)	West end of PA 366 concurrency
		1.3	PA 780 (Powers Drive)	Western terminus of PA 780
		2.0	PA 366 north (Stevenson Boulevard)	East end of PA 366 concurrency
	Allegheny Township	9.3	PA 356 north (Stevenson Boulevard)	West end of PA 356 concurrency
	Weinel Crossroads	9.9	PA 356 south	East end of PA 356 concurrency
	Vandergrift	13.5	PA 66 Alt. north (Beechers Court)	West end of PA 66 ALT concurrency, eastbound PA 56 only
Armstrong	North Vandergrift	14.1	PA 66 north / PA 66 Alt. south	West end of PA 66 concurrency, east end of PA 66 ALT concurrency
	Apollo	16.7	PA 66 south (1st Street)	East end of PA 66 concurrency
	Kiskiminetas Township	23.9	PA 156 south	West end of PA 156 concurrency
	South Bend Township	30.0	PA 210 north	Southern terminus of PA 210
Indiana	Shelocta	33.0	US 422 west / PA 156	West end of US 422 concurrency, east end of PA 156 concurrency, Northern terminus of PA 156
	Armstrong Township	38.0	US 422 Bus.	Western terminus of US 422 BUS, interchange
	White Township	40.3	PA 286	Interchange
		42.6	US 119 north / US 422 east	West end of US 119 concurrency, East end of US 422 concurrency, interchange
		42.9	US 422 Bus.	Eastern terminus of US 422 BUS, interchange
	Homer City	45.9	US 119 south	East end of US 119 concurrency, interchange
	Center Township	48.7	PA 954	Southern terminus of PA 954
	Brush Valley	51.4	PA 259 north	West end of PA 259 concurrency
		51.4	PA 259 south	East end of PA 259 concurrency
	Armagh	57.8	US 22	Interchange
	Robindale Heights	60.2	PA 711 north	West end of PA 711 concurrency
Westmoreland	Seward	60.8	PA 711 south	East end of PA 711 concurrency
Cambria	Johnstown	68.3	PA 403 north (Cooper Avenue)	West end of PA 403 concurrency
		70.1	PA 403 south (Menoher Boulevard)	East end of PA 403 concurrency
	Richland Township	75.6	US 219 north	West end of US 219 concurrency, interchange
		77.5	US 219 south	East end of US 219 concurrency, interchange
Somerset	Paint	80.0	PA 601 (Main Street)	Northern terminus of PA 601, interchange
	Windber	81.6	PA 160
Bedford	Pleasantville	96.6	PA 96
	Bedford Township	105	I-99 / US 220	Interstate 99 exit 3
		105	US 220 Bus.	Northern terminus of US 220 BUS
		108	US 30 (Lincoln Highway)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

PA 56 Truck

PA Route 56 Truck
Location:	New Kensington, Pennsylvania
Existed:	1980–present

Pennsylvania Route 56 Truck is a 2-mile (3.2 km) long truck route in the Pittsburgh industrial suburb of New Kensington, Pennsylvania. The route's western terminus also marks the end of its parent, as each formulate a different way of travel for those who have crossed the C.L. Schmitt Bridge. While Route 56 makes several turns as it passes through the stop light-filled center of the community, the truck route runs as the four-lane Industrial Boulevard along the Allegheny River, before turning back north as it is multiplexed with Pennsylvania Route 366.

References

1. ^ Google Maps Directions - Pennsylvania Route 56