Lancaster Turnpike
| Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike | |
|---|---|
| Lancaster Avenue | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by PennDOT | |
| Length: | 73.33 mi (118.01 km) Route to Columbia included (10.86 mi) |
| Existed: | 1792 (first used 1795) – present |
| Component highways: |
 US 30 from Lancaster to Sadsbury Township US 30 Bus. from Sadsbury Township to FrazerUS 30 from Frazer to PhiladelphiaSR 3012 and SR 3005 in Philadelphia |
| Major junctions | |
| West end: |
 PA 441 in Columbia |
| East end: | 34th Street in Philadelphia |
| Location | |
| Counties: | Lancaster, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia |
| Highway system | |
| Designated | November 20, 1999 |
PA 462 from Columbia to Lancaster
PA 23 in Lancaster
The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, first used in 1795, is the first long-distance paved road built in the United States, according to engineered plans and specifications. It links Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia at 34th Street, stretching for sixty-two miles. However, the western terminus was actually at the Susquehanna River in Columbia. The route is designated PA 462 from the western terminus to US 30, where that route takes over for the majority of the route. The US 30 designation ends at Girard Avenue in the Parkside neighborhood of Philadelphia, where State Route 3012 takes it from there to Belmont Avenue. At Belmont Avenue, State Route 3005 gets the designation from Belmont Avenue until the terminus at 34th Street.
It was the first turnpike of importance, and because the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania could not afford to pay for its construction, it was privately built by the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike Road Company. Credited as the country's first engineered road, its ground was broken in 1792. By the 1840s, the use of railroads and canals dealt a serious blow to the companies who specialized in the manufacture of wagons and coaches. During the next fifty years, the road suffered from lack of use and maintenance, but later saw recovery with the invention of the automobile.
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Wikipedia