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U.S. Route 11 (US 11) roughly parallels Interstate 81 (I-81) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route runs from the Maryland state line in Antrim Township, Franklin County, northeast to the New York state line in Great Bend Township, Susquehanna County. US 11 serves Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton. Between Harrisburg and Scranton, US 11 follows the Susquehanna River, while I-81 follows a shorter route over the mountains further to the east.
US 11 highlighted in red | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained by PennDOT | ||||
Length | 248.4 mi (399.8 km) | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | ![]() | |||
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North end | ![]() | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Pennsylvania | |||
Counties | Franklin, Cumberland, Perry, Dauphin, Juniata, Snyder, Union, Northumberland, Montour, Columbia, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Wyoming, Susquehanna | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Route description
editUS 11 enters Pennsylvania parallel to I-81 south of Greencastle in Antrim Township, Franklin County. The two routes head to the northeast, running parallel to each other as they pass through Chambersburg, where they intersect US 30, Shippensburg, and Carlisle. Northeast of Carlisle in Middlesex Township, US 11 has interchanges with the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76), and then I-81 roughly one mile (1.6 km) later. The stretch of US 11 between I-76 and I-81 is known as the "Miracle Mile" since it contains plenty of traveler services including restaurants, gas stations, lodging, truck stops, and shops.[1] There is no direct interchange between the two Interstates, so travelers must use this stretch, or travel through downtown Carlisle, to get from one Interstate to the other.
US 11, now to the south of I-81, continues eastward into the western suburbs of Harrisburg as Carlisle Pike. This road serves a major arterial route in eastern Cumberland County. Rumored to have originally been a Native American trail, it is now a significant center of urban sprawl serving much of Harrisburg's western suburbs. The road passes through Middlesex Township, the small unincorporated village of New Kingstown, Silver Spring Township, and Hampden Township. Upon reaching Pennsylvania Route 581 (PA 581), US 11 splits from Carlisle Pike and runs concurrent with PA 581.
In Camp Hill, a close suburb of Harrisburg, US 11 stops paralleling I-81 and joins US 15 northward through the western suburbs of Harrisburg, crossing I-81 in this area. As the road exits the Harrisburg area, US 11 and US 15 begin to parallel the Susquehanna River as both head northward. They intersect US 22/US 322 near Duncannon and US 522 in Selinsgrove. The two routes remain overlapped to an intersection in Shamokin Dam, where US 15 branches off to the northwest, following the path of the West Branch Susquehanna River northward. US 11, in contrast, continues to parallel the main Susquehanna River, passing through municipalities such as Danville, Bloomsburg, and Berwick (where it crosses I-80) prior to reaching the Wilkes-Barre area.
North of Wilkes-Barre in Pittston, US 11 breaks from the Susquehanna River and begins to run parallel to I-81 once more. From Wilkes-Barre, the highway goes through nearby Scranton, becoming the North Scranton Expressway north of downtown. The North Scranton Expressway (officially the Congressman Joseph M. McDade Expressway) is a freeway north of downtown Scranton that carries US 11 and PA 307 north from the Mulberry Street Bridge over the Lackawanna River near downtown north to I-81, US 6, and US 6 Business. It carried unsigned State Route 3027 (SR 3027) until SR 0011 and SR 0307 were moved off their former routes to match the signed US 11 and PA 307 alignments (forming SR 6011 and SR 6307). SR 3027 still runs along Mulberry Street from Jefferson Avenue, where US 11 and PA 307 turn southwest, southeast to Harrison Avenue (SR 6011).
In the northwest corner of Scranton (referred to as the Notch), US 11 intersects US 6. US 6 joins US 11 westward to Factoryville, where US 11 separates from US 6 and resumes its northerly trek through Susquehanna County to the New York–Pennsylvania border in Great Bend Township. This stretch was originally built from 1918 to 1922 on the old route of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and is called the "Lackawanna Trail".[2] It parallels the current rail route between Scranton and Binghamton, New York, the Nicholson Cutoff, allowing views of the massive earthworks and the Tunkhannock Viaduct.
History
editPrior to 1941, US 11 followed Walnut Bottom Road between Shippensburg and Carlisle while PA 33 ran along the Governor Rittner Highway. In and around Harrisburg, the highway crossed the Susquehanna River to directly service the city using the Carlisle Pike, Market Street, and the Market Street Bridge, leaving north via a concurrency with US 22 (which at the time followed Front Street out of Harrisburg). A bypass route of US 11 also existed at the time in Lemoyne, which has since been superseded by US 11 proper between Market and Front streets.[3] In 1941, US 11 and PA 33 swapped alignments, with US 11 moving to Governor Rittner Highway and PA 33 moving to Walnut Bottom Road. Additionally, US 11 was rerouted to the west side of the river, bypassing Harrisburg entirely and replacing US 11 Bypass in Lemoyne.[4][5]
Prior to 1989, US 11 followed an older alignment bypassing downtown Scranton. From Pittston Avenue, US 11 turned right onto Moosic Street and climbed the hill. At Crown Avenue, it turned left, joining PA 307 which was coming from the opposite direction on Moosic Street. Together, they crossed the Harrison Avenue bridge and continued about a mile to Myrtle Street. PA 307 and US 11 turned right on Myrtle Street for one block then left on Wheeler Avenue. After entering the borough of Dunmore and crossing the old Erie Railroad tracks, the pair turned left on Cherry Street then bore right onto South Blakely Street, entering downtown Dunmore. They turned left onto Green Ridge Street, reentering Scranton in the Green Ridge section of the city. At the end of Green Ridge Street at North Scranton Junior High School, they turned right onto Main Avenue entering the Providence section of the city. After a half mile (0.80 km), they turned left onto West Market Street. PA 307 left US 11 by turning left onto Keyser Avenue. US 11 continued on West Market Street to Saltry Place, where it turned left for one block then right onto the North Scranton Expressway. From it, it joined its current alignment heading toward Clarks Summit. At one time, this final intersection with the expressway was a four-way traffic circle servicing Oak Street, Market Street, the Scranton Carbondale Highway (US 6), and Northern Boulevard (today's US 11).
Major intersections
editThis section is missing mileposts for junctions. |
County | Location[6] | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Franklin | Antrim Township | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 11 south (Pennsylvania Avenue) – Hagerstown | Continues into Maryland | |||
PA 163 west (Mason Dixon Road) to I-81 | Eastern terminus of PA 163 | |||||||
2.2 | 3.5 | I-81 – Hagerstown, Chambersburg | I-81 exit 3 | |||||
Greencastle | 5.0 | 8.0 | PA 16 (Buchanan Trail/West Baltimore Street) to I-81 – Mercersburg, Waynesboro | |||||
Guilford Township | 10.5 | 16.9 | PA 914 east (Swamp Fox Road) to I-81 | Western terminus of PA 914 | ||||
Chambersburg | 15.4 | 24.8 | PA 316 south (Wayne Street) to I-81 | Northern terminus of PA 316 | ||||
16.0 | 25.7 | US 30 east (Queen Street) to I-81 – Gettysburg | ||||||
US 30 west (Lincoln Way) – McConnellsburg | ||||||||
Greene Township | 19.7 | 31.7 | PA 433 north / PA 997 Truck north (Sunset Pike) – Pleasant Hall, Orrstown, Roxbury | Southern terminus of PA 433; south end of PA 997 Truck concurrency | ||||
21.0 | 33.8 | PA 997 (Cumberland Highway) to I-81 – Letterkenny Army Depot, Scotland | North end of PA 997 Truck concurrency | |||||
Cumberland | Shippensburg | 26.7 | 43.0 | PA 533 west (Morris Street) – Orrstown | South end of PA 533 concurrency | |||
PA 696 south (Fayette Street) to I-81 | South end of PA 696 concurrency | |||||||
26.9 | 43.3 | PA 696 north (Earl Street) | North end of PA 696 concurrency | |||||
Shippensburg Township | 28.0 | 45.1 | PA 174 east (Walnut Bottom Road) to I-81 | Western terminus of PA 174 | ||||
Southampton Township | 29.3 | 47.2 | PA 533 east – Newville | North end of PA 533 concurrency | ||||
Penn Township | 37.4 | 60.2 | PA 233 (Centerville Road) to I-81 – Newville | |||||
Carlisle | 44.9 | 72.3 | PA 465 (Allen Road) to I-81 – Plainfield, Mooredale | |||||
46.8 | 75.3 | PA 641 west (Orange Street) | South end of PA 641 concurrency | |||||
47.4 | 76.3 | PA 74 north (College Street) | South end of PA 74 concurrency | |||||
47.8 | 76.9 | PA 34 south (Hanover Street) to I-81 PA 74 south / PA 641 east (High Street) to I-81 | North end of PA 74/PA 641 concurrencies; south end of PA 34 concurrency | |||||
48.2 | 77.6 | PA 34 north (Spring Road) | North end of PA 34 concurrency | |||||
Middlesex Township | 50.7 | 81.6 | I-76 Toll / Penna Turnpike – Philadelphia, Pittsburgh | I-76 / Penna Turnpike exit 226 (Carlisle); E-ZPass or toll-by-plate | ||||
51.8 | 83.4 | I-81 – Chambersburg, Harrisburg | I-81 exit 52 | |||||
Silver Spring Township | 57.4 | 92.4 | PA 114 (New Willow Mill Road) to I-81 – Wertzville, Mechanicsburg | |||||
Hampden Township | 60.2 | 96.9 | South end of freeway | |||||
PA 581 west to I-81 – Carlisle | South end of PA 581 concurrency; PA 581 exit 3 | |||||||
Camp Hill | 61.7 | 99.3 | PA 641 – Mechanicsburg | PA 581 exit 4; southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||
62.7 | 100.9 | US 15 south – Gettysburg PA 581 east to I-83 – Harrisburg, York | South end of US 15 concurrency; north end of PA 581 concurrency; PA 581 exit 5 | |||||
North end of freeway | ||||||||
PA 641 west (Trindle Road) – Mechanicsburg | Eastern terminus of PA 641 | |||||||
Camp Hill–East Pennsboro Township line | M. Harvey Taylor Bridge – Harrisburg | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||||||
East Pennsboro Township | 67.5 | 108.6 | PA 944 west (State Street) | Eastern terminus of PA 944; no access from PA 944 to northbound US 11/US 15 | ||||
70.1 | 112.8 | I-81 (Capital Beltway) – Carlisle, Harrisburg | I-81 exit 65 | |||||
Perry | Marysville | 72.7 | 117.0 | PA 850 west (Valley Street) | Eastern terminus of PA 850 | |||
Penn Township | South end of freeway | |||||||
Penn Township–Duncannon line | 80.2 | 129.1 | PA 274 west – Duncannon | Eastern terminus of PA 274 | ||||
Dauphin | Reed Township | 83.0 | 133.6 | US 22 / US 322 – Harrisburg, Lewistown | ||||
Perry | Watts Township | North end of freeway | ||||||
Buffalo Township | 93.8 | 151.0 | PA 34 south (Hunters Valley Road) – Newport | Northern terminus of PA 34 | ||||
Liverpool | 95.6 | 153.9 | PA 17 west – Millerstown | Eastern terminus of PA 17 | ||||
Liverpool Township | 99.9 | 160.8 | PA 104 north – Middleburg | Southern terminus of PA 104 | ||||
Juniata |
No major junctions | |||||||
Snyder | Penn Township | South end of freeway | ||||||
113.0 | 181.9 | PA 35 south – Selinsgrove | Northern terminus of PA 35 | |||||
Monroe Township | 115.6 | 186.0 | US 522 south – Selinsgrove | Northern terminus of US 522 | ||||
North end of freeway | ||||||||
Shamokin Dam | 118.6 | 190.9 | PA 61 south / PA 147 south – Sunbury | Interchange; northern terminus of PA 61; south end of PA 147 concurrency | ||||
119.1 | 191.7 | US 15 north / PA 147 north – Lewisburg | North end of US 15/PA 147 concurrency | |||||
Union |
No major junctions | |||||||
Northumberland | Northumberland | 121.5 | 195.5 | PA 405 north (Duke Street) – Milton | South end of PA 405 concurrency | |||
121.7 | 195.9 | PA 405 south (King Street) – Sunbury | North end of PA 405 concurrency | |||||
Montour | Danville | 132.8 | 213.7 | PA 54 (Continental Boulevard) to I-80 – Washingtonville, Riverside | ||||
Columbia | Montour Township | 140.5 | 226.1 | PA 42 south (Rupert Drive) – Catawissa | Interchange; south end of PA 42 concurrency | |||
Bloomsburg | 140.8 | 226.6 | PA 42 north to I-80 – Millville, Buckhorn | Interchange; north end of PA 42 concurrency. Partially closed access to Bloomsburg Fair before the T intersection past the interchange. | ||||
142.4 | 229.2 | PA 487 north (Lightstreet Road) to I-80 – Lightstreet | South end of PA 487 concurrency | |||||
142.8 | 229.8 | PA 487 south (Poplar Street) – Catawissa | North end of PA 487 concurrency | |||||
South Centre Township | 148.5 | 239.0 | I-80 – Milton, Hazleton | I-80 exit 241 | ||||
Berwick | 153.9 | 247.7 | PA 93 north (Orange Street) – Orangeville | South end of PA 93 concurrency | ||||
154.6 | 248.8 | PA 93 south (Market Street) | North end of PA 93 concurrency | |||||
Luzerne | Salem Township–Shickshinny line | 164.6 | 264.9 | PA 239 south – Mocanaqua, Wapwallopen | South end of PA 239 concurrency | |||
Shickshinny | 165.2 | 265.9 | PA 239 north (Union Street) | North end of PA 239 concurrency | ||||
Plymouth Township | 173.9 | 279.9 | PA 29 north (Mill Street) – Silkworth | South end of PA 29 concurrency | ||||
175.3 | 282.1 | PA 29 south (South Cross Valley Expressway) to I-81 – Nanticoke, Wilkes-Barre | Interchange, north end of PA 29 concurrency | |||||
Kingston | 182.4 | 293.5 | PA 309 north (North Cross Valley Expressway) – Luzerne, Dallas | PA 309 exit 5; access to northbound PA 309 and access from southbound PA 309 | ||||
West Pittston | 188.6 | 303.5 | PA 92 north (Exeter Avenue) – Tunkhannock | Southern terminus of PA 92 | ||||
Pittston Township–Dupont line | 191.7 | 308.5 | To I-81 – Hughestown, Dupont | Interchange; access via Laurel Street/Main Street | ||||
Lackawanna | Moosic | PA 502 east to I-81 | Western terminus of PA 502 | |||||
194.1 | 312.4 | I-81 – Wilkes-Barre, Scranton | I-81 exit 180 | |||||
Scranton | 199.1 | 320.4 | PA 307 south (Moosic Street) | South end of PA 307 concurrency | ||||
199.1 | 320.4 | President Biden Expressway east to I-81 / I-84 / I-380 | Access from southbound US 11/PA 307 to eastbound President Biden Expressway and from westbound President Biden Expressway to northbound US 11/PA 307 | |||||
South end of freeway | ||||||||
200.0 | 321.9 | 7th Avenue / Providence Road | ||||||
200.7 | 323.0 | Main Avenue | ||||||
202.1 | 325.2 | PA 307 north (Keyser Avenue) | North end of PA 307 concurrency; access to Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour, McDade Park, and Anthracite Museum | |||||
203.0 | 326.7 | US 6 Bus. east to US 6 / I-81 – Dickson City | West end of US 6 Bus. | |||||
North end of freeway | ||||||||
South Abington Township | 205.2 | 330.2 | I-81 / US 6 east / I-476 south / Penna Turnpike NE Extension south – Binghamton, Wilkes-Barre | I-81 exit 194; I-476 / Penna Turnpike NE Extension exit 131 (Clarks Summit); northern terminus of I-476; south end of US 6 concurrency | ||||
206.5 | 332.3 | PA 407 north (South Abington Road) – Clarks Green | Southern terminus of PA 407 | |||||
Dalton | 210.4 | 338.6 | PA 632 east – Dalton | Interchange; western terminus of PA 632 | ||||
La Plume Township | 212.2 | 341.5 | PA 438 east | Western terminus of PA 438 | ||||
Wyoming | Factoryville–Clinton Township line | 214.2 | 344.7 | PA 107 east – Lake Sheridan, Fleetville | Western terminus of PA 107 | |||
Clinton Township | 214.8 | 345.7 | US 6 west (Grand Army of the Republic Highway) – Tunkhannock | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; north end of US 6 concurrency | ||||
Nicholson | 219.6 | 353.4 | PA 92 (State Street) | Interchange | ||||
Susquehanna | Hop Bottom | 225.6 | 363.1 | PA 167 north (Main Street) – Brooklyn, Montrose | Southern terminus of PA 167 | |||
Harford Township | 229.6 | 369.5 | PA 106 east to I-81 – Carbondale | Western terminus of PA 106 | ||||
229.9 | 370.0 | PA 547 east | Western terminus of PA 547 | |||||
New Milford Township | 238.3 | 383.5 | PA 706 west (Wyalusing Street) – Montrose | Eastern terminus of PA 706 | ||||
New Milford | 239.2 | 385.0 | PA 848 east (Harford Road) – Harford, Gibson | Western terminus of PA 848 | ||||
239.4 | 385.3 | PA 492 east (Jackson Street) to I-81 | Western terminus of PA 492 | |||||
Great Bend Township | 246.1 | 396.1 | PA 171 south (State Street) to I-81 – Susquehanna | Northern terminus of PA 171 | ||||
248.4 | 399.8 | US 11 north (Kirkwood Avenue) – Binghamton | Continues into New York | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
In popular culture
editRoute 11 in Pennsylvania is where Nan Adams has her tire blow-out in the "Twilight Zone" episode "The Hitch Hiker".
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Miracle Mile, Carlisle, PA". Central PA Magazine. May 2002. Archived from the original on December 10, 2007. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ Flanagan, Thomas F. Northern Electric Railway. p. 19. Ben Rohrbeck Traction Publications, 1980.
- ^ Official Road Map of Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1940. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
- ^ "Local Road Route Changes Affect Harrisburg Drivers". The Evening News. Harrisburg, PA. June 20, 1941. p. 18. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Official Road Map of Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1950. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ "Video Log". Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.