Pennsylvania Route 320

Route map:
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Pennsylvania Route 320 marker

Pennsylvania Route 320

Map
Route information
Maintained by PennDOT and Lower Merion Township
Length18.832 mi[1] (30.307 km)
Major junctions
South end US 13 / PA 291 in Chester
Major intersections
North end PA 23 in Swedeland
Location
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountiesDelaware, Montgomery
Highway system
←
PA 319
→ PA 321

Pennsylvania Route 320 (PA 320) is a north–south

I-76 in Gulph Mills. PA 320 runs parallel to I-476
(Mid-County Expressway) for much of its length and crosses it four times. Even though there are no direct interchanges between I-476 and PA 320, several roads that intersect PA 320 provide access to I-476.

The southernmost part of PA 320 was built as part of the Providence Road in 1684. PA 320 was first designated by 1928 between US 13 (now US 13 Bus.) in Chester and PA 23 in

PA 123
, with PA 23 rerouted to replace the part of PA 320 from southeast of West Conshohocken to Bridgeport. The nearby I-476 opened in 1991, reducing traffic levels on PA 320.

Route description

PA 320 northbound past PA 420 in Springfield Township

The southern terminus of PA 320 is at

divided highway at the 15th Street intersection. The route narrows to two lanes and crosses the Ridley Creek, at which point it leaves Chester and enters Nether Providence Township. Here, the route becomes Providence Road and runs through suburban residential areas. PA 320 intersects the southern terminus of PA 252, at which point PA 252 continues north along Providence Road and PA 320 heads northeast on Chester Road.[2][3]

The route runs between homes to the southeast and the Springhaven Country Club to the northwest with one northbound lane and two southbound lanes. PA 320 becomes a three-lane road with a

exclave of Springfield Township, and I-476. The road curves north through areas of residences and businesses, crossing into the borough of Swarthmore at the Fairview Road intersection. Here, PA 320 becomes a two-lane road and passes through wooded areas of homes. The road heads between Swarthmore College to the west and commercial areas to the east and reaches a roundabout with Field House Lane/Rutgers Avenue before it passes under SEPTA's Media/Wawa Line at the Swarthmore station. The route runs through more of the college campus before heading back into wooded neighborhoods. PA 320 turns northwest onto Swarthmore Avenue for one block before turning north onto Cedar Lane and coming to an intersection with Baltimore Pike.[2][3]

PA 320 northbound in Broomall

Following this intersection, the route heads back into Springfield Township and becomes Sproul Road, widening into a four-lane divided highway and passing between the

Springfield Hospital and Springfield Golf and Country Club. PA 320 widens back to a four-lane divided highway and intersects the northern terminus of PA 420, at which point it heads into business areas. The route continues north to a diamond interchange with US 1.[2][3]

Past the US 1 interchange, PA 320 passes more commercial establishments and crosses into Marple Township, becoming a four-lane undivided road. The route passes over I-476 again and intersects Springfield Road immediately after that, at which point it becomes a five-lane road with a center left-turn lane and passes between a large cemetery to the west and Cardinal O'Hara High School and some woods to the east. The road becomes a four-lane divided highway as it runs past businesses along with some nearby residential areas. PA 320 curves northwest before turning northeast to remain along Sproul Road, with Springfield Road continuing to the northwest. The route heads north through residential areas as a two-lane undivided road before coming to an intersection with PA 3 in commercial areas in the community of Broomall. Past this intersection, PA 320 heads northeast past more homes, turning north to continue along Sproul Road. The road continues through wooded residential areas, crossing the Darby Creek into Haverford Township. The route continues through the corner of Haverford Township, intersecting the western terminus of Darby Road before it heads into Radnor Township.[2][3]

PA 320 northbound in Gulph Mills

PA 320 continues north through forested residential areas, passing to the east of Overbrook Golf Club and the

Lancaster Avenue) in the community of Villanova. Following this, PA 320 becomes North Spring Mill Road and runs between residential neighborhoods to the northwest and Villanova University to the southeast. The road passes over Amtrak's Keystone Corridor railroad line west of the Villanova station serving SEPTA's Paoli/Thorndale Line, with a right-in/right-out access point serving the university and the station, before running through more of the university campus.[2][3]

Upon crossing County Line Road, PA 320 enters

I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway). Here, the route immediately passes under the Norristown High Speed Line and I-76 before crossing Gulph Creek and running through wooded residential areas in the community of Gulph Mills as Holstein Road. PA 320 turns northeast onto Swedeland Road and heads through industrial areas, coming to its northern terminus at an intersection with PA 23 in the community of Swedeland near the Schuylkill River north of the borough of West Conshohocken.[2][4]

History

PA 320 northbound past I-76 in Gulph Mills

In 1683, the Court of

US 1 Bypass (US 1 Byp.) was designated concurrent with the route between US 1 (Baltimore Pike) and State Road.[8] By 1950, the PA 123 designation was removed along the road north of Gulph Mills.[9]

PA 320 northbound along Madison Street in Chester

PA 320 was extended north to

PA 23 Alt. and PA 23 along Montgomery Avenue and South Gulph Road. PA 23 replaced the former PA 320 designation from southeast of West Conshohocken to Bridgeport.[11] In the later part of the 20th century, PA 320 saw increasing traffic levels as it served as one of the main north–south routes through Delaware County. In 1991, the parallel I-476 (Mid-County Expressway) was opened to traffic after years of planning and construction, reducing traffic levels along PA 320.[12] In January 2020, a construction project began to reconstruct and realign PA 320 away from Hanging Rock in Upper Merion Township. Construction was completed in June 2022 at a cost of $9.2 million.[13]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
DelawareChester0.0000.000 US 13 / PA 291 (East 4th Street)Southern terminus
0.3350.539
US 13 Bus.
(9th Street)
0.5990.964
I-95
(Delaware Expressway)		Exit 6 on I-95
Nether Providence Township2.1803.508
 PA 252 north (Providence Road) – Media		Southern terminus of PA 252
Springfield Township6.2039.983
 PA 420 south (Woodland Avenue)		Northern terminus of PA 420
6.50910.475
I-476
Interchange
Upper Darby
I-476
Philadelphia
Exit 330 on I-76; no access to I-76 westbound
18.83230.307 PA 23 (River Road) – Bridgeport, ConshohockenNorthern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Bureau of Maintenance and Operations (January 2015). Roadway Management System Straight Line Diagrams (Report) (2015 ed.). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Google (May 7, 2013). "Pennsylvania Route 320" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-87530-777-0
    .
  4. ISBN 0-87530-775-2
    .
  5. ^ Proceedings of the Delaware County Historical Society. Vol. 1. Delaware County Historical Society. 1902. p. 54. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  6. Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1911. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on July 5, 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  7. ^ Pennsylvania Highway Map (Philadelphia Metro) (Map). Gulf Oil. 1928. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
  8. ^ Official Road Map of Pennsylvania (back) (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1940. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  9. ^ Official Road Map of Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1950. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  10. ^ Official Map of Pennsylvania (back) (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1960. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
  11. ^ Montgomery County (PDF) (Map) (Sheet 1 ed.). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1967. Retrieved January 27, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ Infield, Tom (December 19, 2011). "20 years later, they love their Blue Route". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  13. ^ "PennDOT Completes Route 320 (S. Gulph Road) Improvement Project, Reopens Highway at Hanging Rock in Upper Merion Township". Upper Merion Township. Retrieved October 16, 2022.

External links

KML file (edit • help)
Template:Attached KML/Pennsylvania Route 320
KML is from Wikidata
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pennsylvania Route 320.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pennsylvania_Route_320&oldid=1184642048"