Pennsylvania Roads - Old US 1, Baltimore Pike

Old US 1, Baltimore Pike

Photos progress southward because I did.

One photo from north of Philadelphia, this is on Old Lincoln Highway in Middletown, dead-ending where it's cut off by the modern US 1 freeway and a railroad at Neshaminy Creek.

Baltimore Ave. WB (old US 1 SB) from US 13, through Lansdowne. US 1 now uses City Ave. to the north, and has for many decades, starting as Bypass 1 with the regular route still on Baltimore Ave.

Speaking of US 13, there is no PA 13. This was a 2005 detour of terrible failure.

Matching SB and NB keystones at the town line by Darby Creek.

On the NB side as I exit Clifton Heights. It must serve some nefarious second purpose, because most coat stores don't have 80-foot tall concrete towers attached.

Enamel street signs at PA 82 in Kennett Square.

SB in Avondale with PA 41 NB (Pennsylvania Ave.). Old US 1 turns left on State St., but of course old 1 isn't signed. (Even State St. is only half-signed anymore.)

All SB. LR is Legislative Route, a former internal designation for many routes through Pennsylvania. The system of LRs dates back to 1911, well before a comprehensive state highway numbering plan was adopted. Ultimately, LRs were extended from the initial system into the 3-digit range. I couldn't tell you whether US 1 was LR 131 before it moved onto the Oxford Bypass or whether that number was assigned to the Baltimore Pike after 1 left, because there's no trace of LR 131 except on this one post. And to think I just took it because it looked like an intriguing street sign.

The lantern is in the middle of an intersection where PA 472 turns to enter/leave Oxford. Old US 1 is downtown.

Old US 1 NB at a dead end inside the Herr's factory complex at US 1 and PA 272, and old US 1 NB at a dead end inside the Herr's factory complex. What, do they look different? The first is on Old Baltimore Pike and the second is on Baltimore Pike. In other words, there's an old alignment (which runs by the factory) and an old old alignment (which is just to the west). The Citgo factory is on the main part of old 1 just north of 272.

If you poke around a bit, plastic pylons are hardly a roadblock. These photos start to head south on Baltimore Pike, which is now part of Herr's parking lot until the stop sign.

Down to the end of the road where modern US 1 now runs over it just before the Maryland border. An old US 1 milemarker from the 1950s (plus or minus a decade) hangs upside-down at the dead end.

Back north on Baltimore Pike up to the Herr's factory. In the second photo, a road veers off to the left as if it were an old alignment. Guess what?

Old Baltimore Pike SB past Park Rd. to where it meets the newer old road. Old Baltimore Pike was US 1 for a handful of years before Baltimore Pike took over until 1970. Notice the single-slab concrete construction, the oldest type as compared to the twin-slab construction of the newer Pike, poking through the asphalt.

Ridge Rd. WB at Nottingham Drive, proving that US 1 didn't just go straight into its current alignment to the border. Instead, it curved west on Ridge then back south in a straight line to the border.

The same curve facing north.

Nottingham Dr. curves west away from old US 1, but you can see the path going straight toward the divided highway and then across to Sylmar Rd. Follow along at the link below.

Current US 1 (south of Philadelphia)

Into Maryland on old US 1 (Sylmar Rd.)
Onto US 13
Onto PA 82
Onto PA 41
Onto PA 841
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