Pennsylvania Route 378
Encyclopedia
Pennsylvania Route 378 (designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
as SR 378) is a north-to-south road in Lehigh
and Northampton
counties. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 22 in Bethlehem and the portion north of the Lehigh River
is a freeway. The highway was once Interstate 378 but when Interstate 78 was rerouted from U.S. Route 22 to south of the city, the spur became disjointed from its parent. I-378 was downgraded to state route status. Surprisingly, the state did not remove the exit tabs for the freeway, making PA Route 378 one of only a few state freeways with exit numbers (another one is PA 309
in Wilkes-Barre.) The exit numbers also go in the wrong direction: Exit 3 is south of Exit 1, most likely due to the freeway being built when Pennsylvania still practiced sequential exit numbering.
It narrows to a city street on Bethlehem's South Side, crosses South Mountain to Lower Saucon Township, then proceeds to its southern terminus at PA 309 in Center Valley
. PA 378 was originally known as Pennsylvania Route 191
south of the river. Today, PA Route 378 is the only highway from US 22 to Center City, and a quick route for visitors traveling to the Sands Casino Resort on the city's South Side. In 2009, the portion north of the Lehigh River was named the Fred B. Rooney
Highway. Construction from West Broad Street to U.S Route 22 (Lehigh Valley Thruway) began in 1966 and finished in 1968. At that time, the segment received the Interstate 378 designation. It was changed to PA 378 in 1971 after I-378 was deleted. In 1974, the designation replaced Pennsylvania Route 191
from Center Valley
to Third Street in Bethlehem
.
in the community of Center Valley (part of Upper Saucon Township). The route heads northward, passing through the residential portions of Center Valley, paralleling the Old Bethlehem Pike. Soon, the southbound lanes follow fields and commercial buildings surround the northbound. After an intersection with Preston Lane, Route 378 turns to the northeast through more residential districts and continues its parallel of the nearby turnpike. The highway departs from the residential district and enters the Saucon Valley Country Club. At the intersection with Osgood Avenue, Route 378 turns to the northeast, crossing the Old Bethlehem Pike soon after. After crossing Saucon Valley Road, the highway leaves the residential area for a stretch of long fields and intersecting with the nearby Center Valley Parkway, an arterial boulevard. After that, the highway crosses under the four lanes of Interstate 78
and parallels the Old Philadelphia Pike into the community of Seidersville. Route 378 through Seidersville is very residential, heading northwestward as a four lane arterial known as Wyandotte Street until leaving the University Heights area near Holy Ghost Cemetery. Route 378 continues into the city of Bethlehem
, where it turns northward and is called Wyandotte Street. In the center of the city, Route 378 intersects with the western terminus of Route 412
(Broadway). Route 378 continues northward through Polanski Park and crosses a rail freight line before crossing the Lehigh River
on the Hill to Hill Bridge.
Route 378 heads northward along the Hill to Hill Bridge and crosses over West Lehigh Street and intersects with the off-ramp to Main Street in Bethlehem. There was formerly a ramp to 2nd Avenue, but that has been closed and is only used by pedestrians. After this interchange, Route 378 becomes a freeway and is named the Fred B. Rooney Highway. The highway continues northward, crossing under West Broad Street and only the southbound lanes interchange with North Street, which leads to Center City and Third Avenue. The freeway continues northward, crossing over and receiving an on-ramp from Union Boulevard and turning to the northwest, and interchanges with Eighth Avenue at Interchange 2E and Interchange 2W northbound. Route 378 turns westward through Bethlehem, paralleling Union Boulevard and crossing under Fourteenth Avenue. The route then turns northward, crossing under a rail line and Eaton Avenue and passing the Hal Fenicle Memorial Park. Route 378 continues northbound, interchanging with and crossing under Catasauqua Road. After passing southwestward of Lehigh Valley Hospital
at Muhlenberg, the freeway enters an interchange with U.S. Route 22
(the Lehigh Valley Thruway), Route 378 northbound traffic is directed onto U.S. Route 22 westbound.
, and Route 33
from Center Valley to the community of Bartonsville
, where Route 33 terminates. In 1961, Route 12 was decommissioned in favor of Route 191
, a 90 miles (144.8 km) long highway from Center Valley to the New York
state line on the Delaware River
. In 1974, however, as part of the decommissioning of Interstate 378, Route 191 had its southern terminus moved to U.S. Route 22 in Brodhead.
The current alignment of Route 378 was first constructed from West Broad Street in Bethlehem to the current interchange with the Lehigh Valley Thruway. As part of the Interstate Highway System
, the Lehigh Valley Thruway was cosigned as the alignment of Interstate 78. Upon completion of the freeway in 1968, the new highway was designated Interstate 378, a spur off of Interstate 78. However, in 1971, as Interstate 78 was realigned to a new bypass to the south of Bethlehem, Interstate 378 was decommissioned and replaced with the alignment of State Route 378.
Since completion, Route 378 has undergone little change, but the highway was undergone and is undergoing several rehabilitations. The Hill to Hill Bridge received a minor fire during reconstruction of the bridge, when a piece of equipment had its motor catch fire on April 13, 2009, when the bridge was undergoing re-painting. The bridge repainting was completed on May 15, 2009, after the closing of a bridge and was re-opened later due to rainfall in the area. On September 23, 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
announced plans and designs for an upgrade and redesign of Route 378 through Bethlehem at its interchange with West Third Street, although this has met public criticism. Part of the project, construction of a new ramp from Wyandotte Street to West Third Street, was completed in September 2011. Completion of the widening of West Third Street and Route 412 is expected to be completed later in 2011. The $5.1 million project will also include a widening of Route 412 between Exit 67 on Interstate 78 and Daly Avenue in Bethlehem to two lanes in each direction. On November 21, 2009, the project was given funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by president Barack Obama
in 2009. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation received $1 billion worth of funding from the act.
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 378) is a north-to-south road in Lehigh
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
-Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year....
and Northampton
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of...
counties. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 22 in Bethlehem and the portion north of the Lehigh River
Lehigh River
The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...
is a freeway. The highway was once Interstate 378 but when Interstate 78 was rerouted from U.S. Route 22 to south of the city, the spur became disjointed from its parent. I-378 was downgraded to state route status. Surprisingly, the state did not remove the exit tabs for the freeway, making PA Route 378 one of only a few state freeways with exit numbers (another one is PA 309
Pennsylvania Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309 is a major highway which runs for 134 miles through Pennsylvania in the United States. It connects Philadelphia and its northern suburbs to Allentown, Hazleton, and Wilkes-Barre. A limited-access highway portion of PA 309 in the Wilkes-Barre area is known as the North...
in Wilkes-Barre.) The exit numbers also go in the wrong direction: Exit 3 is south of Exit 1, most likely due to the freeway being built when Pennsylvania still practiced sequential exit numbering.
It narrows to a city street on Bethlehem's South Side, crosses South Mountain to Lower Saucon Township, then proceeds to its southern terminus at PA 309 in Center Valley
Center Valley, Pennsylvania
Center Valley is an unincorporated village one mile north of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 309 and Pennsylvania Route 378 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
. PA 378 was originally known as Pennsylvania Route 191
Pennsylvania Route 191
Pennsylvania Route 191 is a -long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route, a major non-freeway corridor connecting the Lehigh Valley to The Poconos in eastern Pennsylvania, is designated from U.S...
south of the river. Today, PA Route 378 is the only highway from US 22 to Center City, and a quick route for visitors traveling to the Sands Casino Resort on the city's South Side. In 2009, the portion north of the Lehigh River was named the Fred B. Rooney
Fred B. Rooney
Frederick Bernard Rooney, Jr. was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania....
Highway. Construction from West Broad Street to U.S Route 22 (Lehigh Valley Thruway) began in 1966 and finished in 1968. At that time, the segment received the Interstate 378 designation. It was changed to PA 378 in 1971 after I-378 was deleted. In 1974, the designation replaced Pennsylvania Route 191
Pennsylvania Route 191
Pennsylvania Route 191 is a -long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route, a major non-freeway corridor connecting the Lehigh Valley to The Poconos in eastern Pennsylvania, is designated from U.S...
from Center Valley
Center Valley, Pennsylvania
Center Valley is an unincorporated village one mile north of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 309 and Pennsylvania Route 378 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
to Third Street in Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
.
Route description
Route 378 begins at two separate intersections with Route 309Pennsylvania Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309 is a major highway which runs for 134 miles through Pennsylvania in the United States. It connects Philadelphia and its northern suburbs to Allentown, Hazleton, and Wilkes-Barre. A limited-access highway portion of PA 309 in the Wilkes-Barre area is known as the North...
in the community of Center Valley (part of Upper Saucon Township). The route heads northward, passing through the residential portions of Center Valley, paralleling the Old Bethlehem Pike. Soon, the southbound lanes follow fields and commercial buildings surround the northbound. After an intersection with Preston Lane, Route 378 turns to the northeast through more residential districts and continues its parallel of the nearby turnpike. The highway departs from the residential district and enters the Saucon Valley Country Club. At the intersection with Osgood Avenue, Route 378 turns to the northeast, crossing the Old Bethlehem Pike soon after. After crossing Saucon Valley Road, the highway leaves the residential area for a stretch of long fields and intersecting with the nearby Center Valley Parkway, an arterial boulevard. After that, the highway crosses under the four lanes of Interstate 78
Interstate 78 in Pennsylvania
Interstate 78 is an east–west route stretching from Union Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania to New York City. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, I-78 runs for about 77 miles in Pennsylvania, from the western terminus at Interstate 81 to New Jersey state line; I-78 continues into New...
and parallels the Old Philadelphia Pike into the community of Seidersville. Route 378 through Seidersville is very residential, heading northwestward as a four lane arterial known as Wyandotte Street until leaving the University Heights area near Holy Ghost Cemetery. Route 378 continues into the city of Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
, where it turns northward and is called Wyandotte Street. In the center of the city, Route 378 intersects with the western terminus of Route 412
Pennsylvania Route 412
Pennsylvania Route 412 is a long north–south state route located in Northampton and Bucks counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. Its southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 611 in the Nockamixon Township community of Harrow...
(Broadway). Route 378 continues northward through Polanski Park and crosses a rail freight line before crossing the Lehigh River
Lehigh River
The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...
on the Hill to Hill Bridge.
Route 378 heads northward along the Hill to Hill Bridge and crosses over West Lehigh Street and intersects with the off-ramp to Main Street in Bethlehem. There was formerly a ramp to 2nd Avenue, but that has been closed and is only used by pedestrians. After this interchange, Route 378 becomes a freeway and is named the Fred B. Rooney Highway. The highway continues northward, crossing under West Broad Street and only the southbound lanes interchange with North Street, which leads to Center City and Third Avenue. The freeway continues northward, crossing over and receiving an on-ramp from Union Boulevard and turning to the northwest, and interchanges with Eighth Avenue at Interchange 2E and Interchange 2W northbound. Route 378 turns westward through Bethlehem, paralleling Union Boulevard and crossing under Fourteenth Avenue. The route then turns northward, crossing under a rail line and Eaton Avenue and passing the Hal Fenicle Memorial Park. Route 378 continues northbound, interchanging with and crossing under Catasauqua Road. After passing southwestward of Lehigh Valley Hospital
Lehigh Valley Hospital
Lehigh Valley Hospital, based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is the largest hospital in the Lehigh Valley and the flagship hospital of the Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network .-Lehigh Valley Health Network:...
at Muhlenberg, the freeway enters an interchange with U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route 22 in Pennsylvania
U.S. Route 22 is an east–west route stretching from Cincinnati, Ohio in the west to Newark, New Jersey in the east. In Pennsylvania, the route runs for between the West Virginia state line at Washington County, where it is a limited-access expressway-grade route through the western suburbs...
(the Lehigh Valley Thruway), Route 378 northbound traffic is directed onto U.S. Route 22 westbound.
History
The at-grade portion of Route 378 south of Bethlehem was originally designated in the 1928 numbering as an alignment of Pennsylvania Route 12, a route crossing through Northampton and Monroe Counties. The alignment of Route 12 used the alignment of current-day Route 378, Route 512Pennsylvania Route 512
Pennsylvania Route 512 is a long state route in eastern Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 22 north of Bethlehem. The northern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 611 in Upper Mount Bethel Township.-Route description:...
, and Route 33
Pennsylvania Route 33
Pennsylvania Route 33 is a -long limited-access state highway in eastern Pennsylvania, United States. South of the US 22 interchange, the route is called the Gen. Anthony Clement McAuliffe 101st Airborne Memorial Highway....
from Center Valley to the community of Bartonsville
Bartonsville, Pennsylvania
Bartonsville is an unincorporated community in Hamilton, Pocono, and Stroud townships in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States.- History :...
, where Route 33 terminates. In 1961, Route 12 was decommissioned in favor of Route 191
Pennsylvania Route 191
Pennsylvania Route 191 is a -long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route, a major non-freeway corridor connecting the Lehigh Valley to The Poconos in eastern Pennsylvania, is designated from U.S...
, a 90 miles (144.8 km) long highway from Center Valley 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 on the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. In 1974, however, as part of the decommissioning of Interstate 378, Route 191 had its southern terminus moved to U.S. Route 22 in Brodhead.
The current alignment of Route 378 was first constructed from West Broad Street in Bethlehem to the current interchange with the Lehigh Valley Thruway. As part of the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
, the Lehigh Valley Thruway was cosigned as the alignment of Interstate 78. Upon completion of the freeway in 1968, the new highway was designated Interstate 378, a spur off of Interstate 78. However, in 1971, as Interstate 78 was realigned to a new bypass to the south of Bethlehem, Interstate 378 was decommissioned and replaced with the alignment of State Route 378.
Since completion, Route 378 has undergone little change, but the highway was undergone and is undergoing several rehabilitations. The Hill to Hill Bridge received a minor fire during reconstruction of the bridge, when a piece of equipment had its motor catch fire on April 13, 2009, when the bridge was undergoing re-painting. The bridge repainting was completed on May 15, 2009, after the closing of a bridge and was re-opened later due to rainfall in the area. On September 23, 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
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...
announced plans and designs for an upgrade and redesign of Route 378 through Bethlehem at its interchange with West Third Street, although this has met public criticism. Part of the project, construction of a new ramp from Wyandotte Street to West Third Street, was completed in September 2011. Completion of the widening of West Third Street and Route 412 is expected to be completed later in 2011. The $5.1 million project will also include a widening of Route 412 between Exit 67 on Interstate 78 and Daly Avenue in Bethlehem to two lanes in each direction. On November 21, 2009, the project was given funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by president Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in 2009. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation received $1 billion worth of funding from the act.
Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile | Exit Exit number An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore.... |
Intersections | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh Lehigh County, Pennsylvania -Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year.... |
Upper Saucon Township Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania Upper Saucon Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley.... |
0.0 | |||
| Northampton Northampton County, Pennsylvania As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of... |
Bethlehem Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,... |
5.7 | — Third Street | ||
| Lehigh Lehigh County, Pennsylvania -Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year.... |
South end of freeway section | ||||
| 6.1 | 4 | Main Street | Northbound exit only. | ||
| 6.5 | 3 | Center City (Third Avenue) | Southbound only. To Historic Bethlehem. | ||
| 6.6 | West Union Boulevard | Northbound entrance only. | |||
| 7.4 | 2 | Eighth Avenue | Signed as 2E and 2W Northbound. | ||
| 9.0 | 1 | Catasauqua Road | Southbound only. Access to Schoenersville Road | ||
| 9.4 | / Schoenersville Road | Access to Schoenersville Road via C/D road of US 22 east. | |||
See also
- Pennsylvania Route 581 - another state route with exit numbers.