Pennsylvania Route 56
# Pennsylvania Route 56

Pennsylvania Route 56 (PA 56) is a 108-mile-long (174 km) state highway that is located in west central Pennsylvania in the United States.

Its western terminus is situated at the eastern end of the C.L. Schmitt Bridge in New Kensington. Its eastern terminus is located on U.S. Route 30 (US 30) west of Bedford.

## Route description

PA 56 starts at the intersection of Industrial Boulevard and 9th Street in New Kensington, Westmoreland County; this is also the eastern end of the C.L. Schmitt Bridge, across the Allegheny River from the PA 28 freeway. In New Kensington, PA 56 first heads south along Industrial Boulevard before turning east onto 7th Street where it first encounters a short city-maintained section of road before transitioning back to state maintenance. In the east part of New Kensington, it has a concurrency with PA 366 before entering the city of Lower Burrell. Also in Westmoreland County, it has concurrencies with PA 356 and PA 66 Alternate.

After crossing the Kiskiminetas River, PA 56 merges with PA 66 for a short distance in Armstrong County. It then travels east and eventually merges with PA 156, crossing into Indiana County. At this point, it merges with US 422 and heads toward Indiana. In Indiana, US 422 and PA 56 become a short freeway. At the U.S. 119 exit, PA 56 merges with US 119, heading south.

PA 56 ends its concurrency with US 119 in Homer City and continues east on a two-lane road. Approaching Armagh, it crosses US 22 at an interchange. The route then enters Westmoreland County again briefly, passing through its extreme northeastern corner. It is at this point, that PA 56 crosses through Seward. A short time after passing through Seward, it crosses into Cambria County. Continuing east, it travels along the southern side of the Conemaugh River through the Conemaugh Gap. It then emerges into the city of Johnstown.

PA 56 travels through the heart of the West End section of Johnstown on two-lane city streets. It then merges with PA 403 on Broad Street, a four-lane road containing many traffic signals. At the final signal, it breaks away from PA 403 and becomes a freeway entitled Johnstown Expressway. PA 56 enters the four-lane expressway and meets US 219. It eventually exits US 219 at Scalp Avenue, the original interchange, and continues east toward Windber.

The route enters Somerset County at Windber. Once past Windber, 56 returns to two lanes. It enters Bedford County at the top of Laurel Ridge at 2,700 feet (820 m) above sea level. The descent down the eastern slope contains a dangerous hairpin curve that has been the site of many accidents over the years.

It then crosses Interstate 99 (I-99) US 220 at an interchange near Cessna. After a short distance, PA 56 crosses over I-99 and US 220, then later passes under the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76 and I-70). The route ends at a T intersection with US 30 in Wolfsburg, west of Bedford.

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Westmoreland | New Kensington | 0.000 | 0.000 | Orange Belt west (C.L. Schmitt Bridge) / Industrial Boulevard / 9th Street | Western terminus; west end of Orange Belt concurrency |
| Westmoreland | New Kensington | 0.223 | 0.359 | PA 56 Truck east / Orange Belt (Industrial Boulevard) | Western terminus of PA 56 Truck; east end of Orange Belt concurrency |
| Westmoreland | New Kensington | 0.864 | 1.390 | PA 366 south / PA 56 Truck west (Stevenson Boulevard) / 7th Street | West end of PA 366 concurrency; eastern terminus of PA 56 Truck |
| Westmoreland | New Kensington | 0.999 | 1.608 | PA 780 east (Powers Drive) – Penn State New Kensington | Western terminus of PA 780 |
| Westmoreland | New Kensington | 1.552– 1.839 | 2.498– 2.960 | PA 366 north (Tarentum Bridge Road) – Tarentum | Trumpet interchange; east end of PA 366 concurrency |
| Westmoreland | Allegheny Township | 9.081 | 14.614 | PA 356 north – Freeport | West end of PA 356 concurrency |
| Westmoreland | Allegheny Township | 9.612 | 15.469 | PA 356 south – North Washington | East end of PA 356 concurrency |
| Westmoreland | Vandergrift | 13.277 | 21.367 | PA 66 Alt. south (Washington Avenue) | West end of PA 66 Alt. concurrency; eastbound PA 56 only |
| Armstrong | North Vandergrift | 13.831 | 22.259 | PA 66 north – Lincoln Street, Leechburg PA 66 Alt. north (First Street) – Kittanning | West end of PA 66 concurrency; east end of PA 66 Alt. concurrency |
| Armstrong | Apollo | 16.403 | 26.398 | PA 66 south (1st Street) – Greensburg | East end of PA 66 concurrency |
| Armstrong | Kiskiminetas Township | 23.693 | 38.130 | PA 156 south – Avonmore, Maysville | West end of PA 156 concurrency |
| Armstrong | South Bend Township | 29.823 | 47.995 | PA 210 north – Elderton | Southern terminus of PA 210 |
| Indiana | Shelocta | 32.801 | 52.788 | US 422 west – Kittanning PA 156 ends | West end of US 422 concurrency; east end of PA 156 concurrency; Northern terminus of PA 156 |
| Indiana | Armstrong Township | 37.694 | 60.663 | West end of freeway | West end of freeway |
| Indiana | Armstrong Township | 37.694– 38.048 | 60.663– 61.232 | US 422 Bus. east (Philadelphia Street) | Western terminus of US 422 Bus.; interchange |
| Indiana | White Township | 39.879– 40.360 | 64.179– 64.953 | PA 286 (Oakland Avenue) / PA 286 Truck begins | Western terminus of PA 286 Truck; to Indiana University of Pennsylvania; diamond interchange |
| Indiana | White Township | 42.295– 42.729 | 68.067– 68.766 | US 119 north / PA 286 Truck north / US 422 east – Punxsutawney, Ebensburg | West end of US 119 concurrency; east end of US 422 / PA 286 Truck concurrencies; cloverleaf interchange |
| Indiana | White Township | 43.064– 43.402 | 69.305– 69.849 | US 422 Bus. west (Wayne Avenue) – Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Eastern terminus of US 422 Bus.; trumpet interchange |
| Indiana | White Township | 44.004 | 70.818 | East end of freeway | East end of freeway |
| Indiana | Homer City | 45.872 | 73.824 | US 119 south / SR 3056 (Ridge Avenue) | East end of US 119 concurrency |
| Indiana | Center Township | 48.690 | 78.359 | PA 954 north | Southern terminus of PA 954 |
| Indiana | Brush Valley Township | 51.397 | 82.715 | PA 259 north (Yellow Creek Park Road) / Valley View Road – Nolo | West end of PA 259 concurrency |
| Indiana | Brush Valley Township | 51.453 | 82.806 | PA 259 south | East end of PA 259 concurrency |
| Indiana | Armagh | 57.571– 57.704 | 92.652– 92.866 | US 22 (William Penn Highway) – Blairsville, Ebensburg | Partial cloverleaf interchange |
| Indiana | East Wheatfield Township | 60.058 | 96.654 | PA 711 north (Charles Road) / SR 2008 (Power Plant Road) | West end of PA 711 concurrency |
| Westmoreland | Seward | 60.695 | 97.679 | PA 711 south – New Florence | East end of PA 711 concurrency |
| Cambria | Johnstown | 68.104 | 109.603 | PA 403 north (Cooper Avenue) | West end of PA 403 concurrency |
| Cambria | Johnstown | 69.942 | 112.561 | PA 403 south (Napoleon Street) | East end of PA 403 concurrency |
| Cambria | Johnstown | 69.942 | 112.561 | West end of freeway | West end of freeway |
| Cambria | Johnstown | 70.826 | 113.983 | To PA 271 / PA 403 south (Bedford Street) | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; partial diamond interchange |
| Cambria | Johnstown | 71.854– 71.931 | 115.638– 115.762 | Geistown, Dale | Eastbound entrance and exit; access via Bedford Street |
| Cambria | Johnstown | 72.156– 72.437 | 116.124– 116.576 | Widman Street | Diamond interchange |
| Cambria | Richland Township | 74.215– 74.595 | 119.437– 120.049 | Walters Avenue | Partial cloverleaf interchange |
| Cambria | Richland Township | 75.285– 75.558 | 121.159– 121.599 | US 219 north – Ebensburg | West end of US 219 concurrency; trumpet interchange |
| Cambria | Richland Township | 76.289– 76.601 | 122.775– 123.277 | PA 756 – Elton, Geistown | Diamond interchange |
| Cambria | Richland Township | 77.021– 77.296 | 123.953– 124.396 | US 219 south (Scalp Avenue West) / SR 3016 – Somerset | East end of US 219 concurrency; partial cloverleaf interchange |
| Cambria | Richland Township | 77.231 | 124.291 | East end of freeway | East end of freeway |
| Somerset | Paint | 79.425– 79.629 | 127.822– 128.150 | PA 601 / SR 4051 (Main Street) – Scalp Level, Paint | Northern terminus of PA 601; partial cloverleaf interchange |
| Somerset | Windber | 81.106 | 130.527 | PA 160 (Pomroy Drive / 21st Street) – Windber, Central City | |
| Bedford | Pleasantville | 96.147 | 154.734 | PA 96 (Cortland Road / King St. Clair Road) – Schellsburg, Weyant, Blue Knob State Park | |
| Bedford | Bedford Township | 104.007– 104.198 | 167.383– 167.690 | I-99 / US 220 to Penna Turnpike – Bedford, Altoona | Interstate 99 exit 3; diamond interchange |
| Bedford | Bedford Township | 104.743 | 168.568 | US 220 Bus. to I-76 / Penna Turnpike – Bedford, Bedford County Airport | Northern terminus of US 220 Bus. |
| Bedford | Bedford Township | 108.055 | 173.898 | US 30 (Lincoln Highway) – Bedford, Schellsburg | Eastern terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access ||||||

## PA 56 Truck

### Current

Pennsylvania Route 56 Truck is a 2-mile-long (3.2 km) truck route in the Pittsburgh industrial suburb of New Kensington, Pennsylvania. The route's western terminus also marks the end of its parent, as each formulate a different way of travel for those who have crossed the C.L. Schmitt Bridge. While Route 56 makes several turns as it passes through the stop light-filled center of the community, the truck route runs as the four-lane Industrial Boulevard along the Allegheny River, before turning back north as it is multiplexed with Pennsylvania Route 366.

### Former

Pennsylvania Route 56 Truck was an east-west truck route bypassing a weight-restricted bridge over Little Brush Creek in Brush Valley, on which trucks over 29 tons and combination loads over 40 tons were prohibited. It was formed and established in 2013 and it used to follow US 119 and US 22. As of October 2015, the "Truck PA 56" signs were removed off of US 22 and US 119.

