Pennsylvania Route 171
Encyclopedia
Pennsylvania Route 171 (also designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
as SR 0171) is a 40.15 miles (64.6 km) long north–south state highway
located in northeast Pennsylvania
. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 6 Business in Carbondale
. The northern terminus is officially located at the southbound on-ramp to Interstate 81 in Great Bend
; however, signage for PA 171 is present at an intersection with U.S. Route 11, 250 feet (76.2 m) to the west of I-81.
PA 171, at its southern end, was once part of the Providence and Carbondale Turnpike, which ran along US 6 BUS from Dickson City
to Carbondale and PA 171 from Carbondale to Forest City
. The turnpike, chartered in 1851, ran from Scranton
until being abandoned in 1889. In 1911, after the Sproul Road Bill was signed, a large segment of PA 171 was designated as Legislative Route 10. This was its designation for several years, and in 1928, the mass amount of state highways in Pennsylvania were designated.
In the 1928 renumbering, the alignments of PA 171 were designated as Pennsylvania Route 70, Pennsylvania Route 602, and Pennsylvania Route 692, which stretched the highway from U.S. Route 6
/U.S. Route 106 in Carbondale to the New York
state line at Hallstead
. In 1946, PA 692 and PA 602 were later removed from the state system and replaced by an extended PA 70. In 1961, PA 70 was renumbered as PA 171 to prevent duplication with Interstate 70
.
Pennsylvania Traffic Route 171 begins at an intersection with U.S. Route 6 Business in the eastern part of Carbondale
. The route progresses northward, along Belmont Street, passing several homes for several blocks. At an intersection with Spencer Street, the highway leaves downtown Carbondale and enters Fell Township
, a nearby community. There, PA 171 changes names to Main Street, passing more residential homes and local businesses, until entering the community of Simpson. At Reservoir Street, PA 171 turns northward and leaves Simpson. After an intersection with Owego Street, PA 171 leaves Fell Township and becomes parallel to the Owego Turnpike through a residential community surrounded by forests.
After about a mile, PA 171 turns away from the residential and commercial buildings and winds through the local woodlands. This scenery continues for several miles, passing by a reservoir. After an intersection with Buffalo Road, the road turns to the northeast. After the turn, PA 171 enters the community of Richmondale. In Richmondale, the highway heads eastward,the development of the scenery around the highway once again. After leaving Richmondale, the highway enters Vandling
, where the highway becomes highly developed. After an intersection with Clinton Street, Route 171 leaves Vandling and crosses into Susquehanna County
, where the highway enters Forest City
.
PA 171 continues into Forest City, where it curves along as Main Street, and enters downtown. In downtown Forest City, the highway is squeezed to two local lanes and PA 171 intersects with Pennsylvania Route 247
, which heads eastward. However, PA 247 westbound becomes concurrent with PA 171 through downtown Forest City, and the highway eventually splits off westbound, while PA 171 continues north through the northern ends of Forest City. The route bends around for a while in Forest City, where at an intersection with Cemetery Road, the route leaves the community.
, which straddles the Wayne County
border. The route, at that point, changes names to Stillwater Road, parallelling Old Logging Road 296 until approaching Stillwater Lake
, where the logging road merges back into the highway. PA 171 parallels the shores of Stillwater Lake and passes the Stillwater Dam, maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. While PA 171 continues to follow the lake, it enters the community of Union Dale
.
PA 171 enters Union Dale, leaving forests that it was following. The route intersects and parallels Mausoleum Road, which heads through a cemetery in southern Union Dale. After an intersection with Asley Drive, Stillwater Lake ends, and the community enters the center of Union Dale. The center consists of an intersection with Skyline Drive, and PA 171 leaves. The highway continues out of Union Dale, winding its way to the north. PA 171 continues running as Stillwater Road into the deep forests which break up soon after.
A short distance later, PA 171 becomes slightly developed, entering the small community of Herrick Center. There, the highway intersects with the eastern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 374
and the western terminus of Pennsylvania Route 371
, also known as the Great Bend Turnpike. The route leaves Herrick Center and heads northward through rural parts of Susquehanna County.
's western terminus is located.
The route passes through East Ararat, leaving soon after. After that, PA 171 begins to progress through the rural areas once again, paralleling a short distance of PA 370. After an intersection with Borden Hollow Road, the highway progresses through a deep area of forests. The route passes Dunn Pond, where it bends to the northwest, entering Ararat Township. Along this stretch, PA 171 passes to the north of the community of Ararat. The route continues for several miles, and after turning to the east, the highway enters the community of Thompson
.
Into the community of Thompson, PA 171 becomes known as Jackson Street and heads through a moderately developed region. The route, at an intersection with Main Street, leaves Jackson and continues northward. After the intersection with Erie Avenue, PA 171 leaves Thompson. A short distance later, the highway continues northward through deep forests and rural farms before continuing into Thompson Township. After that the road starts winding its way northward, it returns to the unpopulated area and intersects with local roads.
This pattern continues for several miles, with PA 171 passing a large pond and deep forests. At the intersection with Comforts Pond Road and Bethels Hill Road, the highway becomes slightly developed. This quickly reverts back to the undeveloped rural farms, which follow PA 171 along its trip to the northwest. A short distance later, the highway becomes surrounded by forests once again, beginning to wind its way as the Belmont Turnpike. The forests quickly ends, and the surroundings become highly developed as the community enters Lanesboro
.
After entering Lanesboro, PA 171 becomes highly developed and continues as Belmont Turnpike until the intersection with Main Street, where the highway turns to the southwest. The route heads along Main Street, progressing along the developed parts of the Susquehanna River
, and enters the community of Susquehanna Depot
. In Susquehanna Depot, PA 171 runs along East Main Street through the eastern segment of the community. Near the dead-end Jackson Street, the highway turns to the south, intersecting with Pennsylvania Route 92
. From there, the two highways are concurrent.
PA 92 and PA 171 head along Main Street, passing some local businesses and residences before crossing the Susquehanna River on the Susquehanna County Veterans Memorial Bridge. After crossing the bridge, PA 171 and PA 92 split onto State Street and River Street respectively. PA 171 continues westward, paralleling High Street, which merges in along the shores of the Susquehanna. Soon after the intersection with High Street, PA 171 progresses westward leaving Susquehanna Depot soon after.
The highway continues on its southwest progression, with the trees surrounding dissipating. After that, both the river and the highway pass to the north of Island Plain. There, the routes curve to the northwest once again, becoming more developed and now following a railroad line in the area. The route makes a curve to the west, progressing through a short development of residential homes. After that, the highway enters Great Bend
and heads to the southwest. The designation terminates at Interchange 230 along Interstate 81
in downtown Great Bend, but signage exists at the intersection with U.S. Route 11
in Great Bend.
, following much of U.S. Route 6
and U.S. Route 106 (current day U.S. Route 6 Business) through many of the communities in the area: Dickson City
, Jermyn
, and Carbondale, before turning onto current day PA 171. There, the turnpike followed the alignment through Carbondale, Fell Township, Vandling and into Forest City, where it ended, 20 miles (32.2 km) from Scranton. This tolled turnpike provided the main highway through many of the communities, including the towns along PA 171, until on December 7, 1889, when local citizens tore down the abandoned tollbooths in Blakely
. Originally, the turnpike was chartered by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1851, and remained strong until 1889, the year the tollbooths were torn down. After that the turnpike was abandoned, with control of the turnpike's alignment turned over Lackawanna County for future maintenance.
In 1897, the portion of PA 171 along Main Street in Susquehanna Depot was paved. The project to pave the main highway cost $10,000 (1897 USD) with funds split equally between the borough of Susquehanna Depot, the local businesses, and the nearby Erie Railroad
.
) in New Milford Township
to the New York
state line, where it follows current day PA 92's alignment. When the mass state highway numbering in Pennsylvania occurred in 1928, the alignment of PA 171 was designted as Pennsylvania Route 70 from U.S. Route 6
in Carbondale to Oakland at Pennsylvania Route 92
, from there to U.S. Route 11 in Great Bend, it was designated as Pennsylvania Route 692, and from U.S. Route 11 to the New York state line at Hallstead, it was designated as Pennsylvania Route 602.
The alignment of PA 70 was under construction in 1929 from the Thompson Township line to Lanesboro. It was completed the next year, when the Pennsylvania Department of Highways paved the highway from Herrick Center to Thompson and Stack Road to the Harmony Township line. These three routes remained intact (in terms of alignment) for eighteen years, until 1946, when PA 692 and PA 602 were removed from the state highway system in favor of extending PA 70 to the north to Hallstead. The route, PA 70, remained intact for another seventeen years, when in 1961, Interstate 70
was already commissioned, and PA 70 was decommissioned. The PA 70 designation was renumbered to PA 171 to prevent duplication.
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Barry Schoch Presently, PennDOT supports over of state roads and highways, about 25,000...
as SR 0171) is a 40.15 miles (64.6 km) long north–south state highway
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
located in northeast Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 6 Business in Carbondale
Carbondale, Pennsylvania
Carbondale is a city in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carbondale is located approximately 15 miles due northeast of the city of Scranton in Northeastern Pennsylvania...
. The northern terminus is officially located at the southbound on-ramp to Interstate 81 in Great Bend
Great Bend, Pennsylvania
Great Bend is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States, 39 miles north of Scranton. The population was 700 at the 2000 census. Great Bend sits along the Susquehanna River, less than two miles from the New York State border. Located directly off Interstate 81, tourism is a...
; however, signage for PA 171 is present at an intersection with U.S. Route 11, 250 feet (76.2 m) to the west of I-81.
PA 171, at its southern end, was once part of the Providence and Carbondale Turnpike, which ran along US 6 BUS from Dickson City
Dickson City, Pennsylvania
Dickson City is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, north of Scranton. Coal mining had been an important industry in the past. Some of the population totals follow: in 1900, 4,948; in 1910, 9,331; in 1920, 11,049; and in 1940, 11,548...
to Carbondale and PA 171 from Carbondale to Forest City
Forest City, Pennsylvania
Forest City is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Forest City is situated at the corner of Susquehanna County, Lackawanna County and Wayne County, Pennsylvania and is designated by a marker which is located in the Forest City Industrial Park....
. The turnpike, chartered in 1851, ran from Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
until being abandoned in 1889. In 1911, after the Sproul Road Bill was signed, a large segment of PA 171 was designated as Legislative Route 10. This was its designation for several years, and in 1928, the mass amount of state highways in Pennsylvania were designated.
In the 1928 renumbering, the alignments of PA 171 were designated as Pennsylvania Route 70, Pennsylvania Route 602, and Pennsylvania Route 692, which stretched the highway from U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
/U.S. Route 106 in Carbondale to the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state line at Hallstead
Hallstead, Pennsylvania
Hallstead is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,216 at the 2000 census. Hallstead was founded in 1787 and was named in honor of William F...
. In 1946, PA 692 and PA 602 were later removed from the state system and replaced by an extended PA 70. In 1961, PA 70 was renumbered as PA 171 to prevent duplication with Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
.
Carbondale and Forest City
Carbondale, Pennsylvania
Carbondale is a city in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carbondale is located approximately 15 miles due northeast of the city of Scranton in Northeastern Pennsylvania...
. The route progresses northward, along Belmont Street, passing several homes for several blocks. At an intersection with Spencer Street, the highway leaves downtown Carbondale and enters Fell Township
Fell Township, Pennsylvania
Fell Township is a township in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,178 at the 2010 census.-Pattern of Settlement:...
, a nearby community. There, PA 171 changes names to Main Street, passing more residential homes and local businesses, until entering the community of Simpson. At Reservoir Street, PA 171 turns northward and leaves Simpson. After an intersection with Owego Street, PA 171 leaves Fell Township and becomes parallel to the Owego Turnpike through a residential community surrounded by forests.
After about a mile, PA 171 turns away from the residential and commercial buildings and winds through the local woodlands. This scenery continues for several miles, passing by a reservoir. After an intersection with Buffalo Road, the road turns to the northeast. After the turn, PA 171 enters the community of Richmondale. In Richmondale, the highway heads eastward,the development of the scenery around the highway once again. After leaving Richmondale, the highway enters Vandling
Vandling, Pennsylvania
Vandling is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 751 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Vandling is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of...
, where the highway becomes highly developed. After an intersection with Clinton Street, Route 171 leaves Vandling and crosses into Susquehanna County
Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,238 people, 16,529 households, and 11,785 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 21,829 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, where the highway enters Forest City
Forest City, Pennsylvania
Forest City is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Forest City is situated at the corner of Susquehanna County, Lackawanna County and Wayne County, Pennsylvania and is designated by a marker which is located in the Forest City Industrial Park....
.
Pennsylvania Route 247
Pennsylvania Route 247 is an 50 mile long state highway located in Lackawanna, Susquehanna, and Wayne counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at I 84 in Mount Cobb. The northern terminus is at PA 370 in Preston Park, Pennsylvania....
, which heads eastward. However, PA 247 westbound becomes concurrent with PA 171 through downtown Forest City, and the highway eventually splits off westbound, while PA 171 continues north through the northern ends of Forest City. The route bends around for a while in Forest City, where at an intersection with Cemetery Road, the route leaves the community.
Union Dale and Herrick Center
North of Forest City, PA 171 heads north for several miles through deep forests. After a while, PA 171 crosses over the Lackawanna RiverLackawanna River
The Lackawanna River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It flows through a region of the northern Pocono Mountains that was once a center of anthracite coal mining in the United States...
, which straddles the Wayne County
Wayne County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,722 people, 18,350 households, and 12,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 65 people per square mile . There were 30,593 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...
border. The route, at that point, changes names to Stillwater Road, parallelling Old Logging Road 296 until approaching Stillwater Lake
Stillwater Lake (Pennsylvania)
Stillwater Lake is a reservoir that covers approximately . The lake is located in Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania at an elevation of . Feed by Dotter's Run, Hawkeye Run, Pocono Summit Creek, and several underground springs, the lake flows out to Lake Naomi via Tunkhannock Creek. There are several...
, where the logging road merges back into the highway. PA 171 parallels the shores of Stillwater Lake and passes the Stillwater Dam, maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. While PA 171 continues to follow the lake, it enters the community of Union Dale
Union Dale, Pennsylvania
Union Dale is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 368 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Union Dale is located at ....
.
A short distance later, PA 171 becomes slightly developed, entering the small community of Herrick Center. There, the highway intersects with the eastern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 374
Pennsylvania Route 374
Pennsylvania Route 374 is an long state highway located in Susquehanna county in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at PA 92 in Glenwood. The eastern terminus is at PA 171/PA 371 near Union Dale....
and the western terminus of Pennsylvania Route 371
Pennsylvania Route 371
Pennsylvania Route 371 is a 23.45-mile long state highway located in Susquehanna and Wayne Counties. The western terminus is at Route 171 / Route 374 near the community of Union Dale in Herrick Center...
, also known as the Great Bend Turnpike. The route leaves Herrick Center and heads northward through rural parts of Susquehanna County.
Thompson and Lanesboro
After leaving Herrick Center and PA 371/374, PA 171 progresses through Susquehanna County, leaving Stillwater Road. The route continues through the rural parts of Susquehanna County. After a break in a patch of trees, PA 171 intersects with Township Road 592, beginning a wind along the Wayne County border. The township road parallels for sometime, and the highways eventually enters the small community of Burnwood, where the highway becomes slightly developed. North of Burnwood, the route continues northward, entering the community of East Ararat, where Pennsylvania Route 370Pennsylvania Route 370
Pennsylvania Route 370 is an long state highway located in Susquehanna and Wayne counties in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at Route 171 in East Ararat. The eastern terminus is at Route 191 in Buckingham Township near Hancock, New York...
's western terminus is located.
The route passes through East Ararat, leaving soon after. After that, PA 171 begins to progress through the rural areas once again, paralleling a short distance of PA 370. After an intersection with Borden Hollow Road, the highway progresses through a deep area of forests. The route passes Dunn Pond, where it bends to the northwest, entering Ararat Township. Along this stretch, PA 171 passes to the north of the community of Ararat. The route continues for several miles, and after turning to the east, the highway enters the community of Thompson
Thompson, Pennsylvania
Thompson is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 299 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Thompson is located at ....
.
Into the community of Thompson, PA 171 becomes known as Jackson Street and heads through a moderately developed region. The route, at an intersection with Main Street, leaves Jackson and continues northward. After the intersection with Erie Avenue, PA 171 leaves Thompson. A short distance later, the highway continues northward through deep forests and rural farms before continuing into Thompson Township. After that the road starts winding its way northward, it returns to the unpopulated area and intersects with local roads.
This pattern continues for several miles, with PA 171 passing a large pond and deep forests. At the intersection with Comforts Pond Road and Bethels Hill Road, the highway becomes slightly developed. This quickly reverts back to the undeveloped rural farms, which follow PA 171 along its trip to the northwest. A short distance later, the highway becomes surrounded by forests once again, beginning to wind its way as the Belmont Turnpike. The forests quickly ends, and the surroundings become highly developed as the community enters Lanesboro
Lanesboro, Pennsylvania
Lanesboro is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 588 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lanesboro is located at ....
.
Susquehanna Depot and Oakland
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
, and enters the community of Susquehanna Depot
Susquehanna Depot, Pennsylvania
Susquehanna Depot, often referred to simply as Susquehanna, is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, located on the Susquehanna River southeast of Binghamton, New York. In the past, railroad locomotives and railroad cars were made here. It is also known for its Pennsylvania Bluestone...
. In Susquehanna Depot, PA 171 runs along East Main Street through the eastern segment of the community. Near the dead-end Jackson Street, the highway turns to the south, intersecting with Pennsylvania Route 92
Pennsylvania Route 92
Pennsylvania Route 92 is a long north–south state highway located in northeast Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 11 in West Pittston. The northern terminus is at the New York-Pennsylvania border in Oakland Township, where PA 92 continues northward as New York...
. From there, the two highways are concurrent.
PA 92 and PA 171 head along Main Street, passing some local businesses and residences before crossing the Susquehanna River on the Susquehanna County Veterans Memorial Bridge. After crossing the bridge, PA 171 and PA 92 split onto State Street and River Street respectively. PA 171 continues westward, paralleling High Street, which merges in along the shores of the Susquehanna. Soon after the intersection with High Street, PA 171 progresses westward leaving Susquehanna Depot soon after.
Hickory Grove, Island Plain and Great Bend
After leaving Susquehanna Depot and Oakland Township, PA 171 heads on a westward progression along the Susquehanna River. To the south of the highway is the river, to the north of the highway is residential homes and deep forests behind those. After the intersection with Towner Road, PA 171 enters the small community of Hickory Grove, where the route and river makes a curve to the southwest, still paralleling each other. PA 171 quickly leaves Hickory Grove and enters another set of deep forests which separate the highway and the river.The highway continues on its southwest progression, with the trees surrounding dissipating. After that, both the river and the highway pass to the north of Island Plain. There, the routes curve to the northwest once again, becoming more developed and now following a railroad line in the area. The route makes a curve to the west, progressing through a short development of residential homes. After that, the highway enters Great Bend
Great Bend, Pennsylvania
Great Bend is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States, 39 miles north of Scranton. The population was 700 at the 2000 census. Great Bend sits along the Susquehanna River, less than two miles from the New York State border. Located directly off Interstate 81, tourism is a...
and heads to the southwest. The designation terminates at Interchange 230 along Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
in downtown Great Bend, but signage exists at the intersection with U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11 is a north–south United States highway extending 1,645 miles across the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 90 in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Orleans, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at the United...
in Great Bend.
Pre-designation turnpikes
A short segment of PA 171, from Carbondale to the community of Forest City, was part of the Providence and Carbondale Turnpike, which went from the city of Scranton, PennsylvaniaScranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, following much of U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
and U.S. Route 106 (current day U.S. Route 6 Business) through many of the communities in the area: Dickson City
Dickson City, Pennsylvania
Dickson City is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, north of Scranton. Coal mining had been an important industry in the past. Some of the population totals follow: in 1900, 4,948; in 1910, 9,331; in 1920, 11,049; and in 1940, 11,548...
, Jermyn
Jermyn, Pennsylvania
Jermyn, known as "The Birthplace of First Aid in America," is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, on the Lackawanna River, northeast of Scranton. A productive anthracite coal field was in the region in 1900 when 2,567 people lived here. In 1910, 3,158 residents of Jermyn were tallied...
, and Carbondale, before turning onto current day PA 171. There, the turnpike followed the alignment through Carbondale, Fell Township, Vandling and into Forest City, where it ended, 20 miles (32.2 km) from Scranton. This tolled turnpike provided the main highway through many of the communities, including the towns along PA 171, until on December 7, 1889, when local citizens tore down the abandoned tollbooths in Blakely
Blakely, Pennsylvania
Blakely is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,564 at the 2010 census. Its only village is Peckville, PA.-Geography:Blakely is located at ....
. Originally, the turnpike was chartered by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1851, and remained strong until 1889, the year the tollbooths were torn down. After that the turnpike was abandoned, with control of the turnpike's alignment turned over Lackawanna County for future maintenance.
In 1897, the portion of PA 171 along Main Street in Susquehanna Depot was paved. The project to pave the main highway cost $10,000 (1897 USD) with funds split equally between the borough of Susquehanna Depot, the local businesses, and the nearby Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
.
Designation
The original route designation that follows current-day PA 171 was a part of Legislative Route 10, which ran from an intersection with Legislative Route 9 (currently an intersection with Pennsylvania Route 706Pennsylvania Route 706
Pennsylvania Route 706 is a long state highway in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 6 in Wyalusing, and the eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 11 in Milford.- Major intersections :- History :...
) in New Milford Township
New Milford Township, Pennsylvania
New Milford Township is a township in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,859 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
to the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state line, where it follows current day PA 92's alignment. When the mass state highway numbering in Pennsylvania occurred in 1928, the alignment of PA 171 was designted as Pennsylvania Route 70 from U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
in Carbondale to Oakland at Pennsylvania Route 92
Pennsylvania Route 92
Pennsylvania Route 92 is a long north–south state highway located in northeast Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 11 in West Pittston. The northern terminus is at the New York-Pennsylvania border in Oakland Township, where PA 92 continues northward as New York...
, from there to U.S. Route 11 in Great Bend, it was designated as Pennsylvania Route 692, and from U.S. Route 11 to the New York state line at Hallstead, it was designated as Pennsylvania Route 602.
The alignment of PA 70 was under construction in 1929 from the Thompson Township line to Lanesboro. It was completed the next year, when the Pennsylvania Department of Highways paved the highway from Herrick Center to Thompson and Stack Road to the Harmony Township line. These three routes remained intact (in terms of alignment) for eighteen years, until 1946, when PA 692 and PA 602 were removed from the state highway system in favor of extending PA 70 to the north to Hallstead. The route, PA 70, remained intact for another seventeen years, when in 1961, Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
was already commissioned, and PA 70 was decommissioned. The PA 70 designation was renumbered to PA 171 to prevent duplication.