U.S. Route 19 Truck (Pittsburgh)

U.S. Route 19 Truck (US 19 Truck) is a truck route of US 19 located in Western Pennsylvania in Greater Pittsburgh that has a length of 19.4 miles (31.2 km). It is a loop off US 19; the southern terminus located in Mt. Lebanon and the northern terminus in McCandless, connecting to US 19 at both ends. The route is notable for a large, unorthodox interchange with the Penn–Lincoln Parkway (Interstate 376 [I-376]/US 22/US 30) just west of the Fort Pitt Tunnel, where the route joins the parkway and forms several wrong-way concurrencies, including one with its own opposing directions.[2] North of Pittsburgh, US 19 Truck is called McKnight Road and south of Pittsburgh it carries West Liberty Avenue and Washington Road.

Truck plate.svg
U.S. Route 19 Truck marker
U.S. Route 19 Truck
Map
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 19
Maintained by PennDOT
Length19.4 mi[1] (31.2 km)
Major junctions
South end US 19 in Mt. Lebanon
Major intersections PA 51 in Pittsburgh

I-376 / US 22 / US 30 in Pittsburgh
I-279 in Pittsburgh
PA 65 in Pittsburgh
I-579 / PA 28 in Pittsburgh

I-279 in Pittsburgh
North end US 19 in McCandless Township
Location
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountiesAllegheny
Highway system

Route description

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Southern terminus to five-route concurrency

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Diagram showing the northbound/southbound US 19 Truck concurrency
  Northbound lanes
  Southbound lanes

US 19 Truck begins as US 19 enters Mt. Lebanon along Washington Road. US 19 branches northwest to skirt Mt. Lebanon and Dormont, following Cochran Road, while US 19 Truck stays on Washington Road and continues through the centers of those towns. As US 19 Truck enters the southern parts of Pittsburgh, its name becomes West Liberty Avenue as it passes through the Beechview neighborhood. At the south portal of the Liberty Tunnel, US 19 Truck interchanges with Pennsylvania Route 51 (PA 51; Saw Mill Run Boulevard) and joins it, following it north.

After 1.4 miles (2.3 km), US 19 Truck and PA 51 encounter the Penn–Lincoln Parkway, carrying I-376/US 22/US 30, at a complex, unorthodox interchange complex that stretches roughly half a mile (0.80 km) along the parkway and rests just south of the Fort Pitt Tunnel. Mainline US 19 also resides within this interchange, exiting the parkway and traveling north to join PA 51. Here, US 19 Truck joins the parkway.

Northbound US 19 Truck exits PA 51 at a left exit, turning toward the westbound parkway, which also contains a right-in/right-out ramp for Woodville Avenue. The ramp merges into the southbound US 19 mainline ramp, forming a wrong-way concurrency, but remains separated from the Penn–Lincoln Parkway via a Jersey barrier. The ramp travels for roughly half a mile (0.80 km) in this fashion before making a U-shaped curve. Before this ramp passes under the parkway, it merges with southbound US 19 Truck (which exits the Penn–Lincoln Parkway from the Fort Pitt Tunnel), forming a wrong-way concurrency with itself. Mainline US 19 separates after the underpass and travels southbound as Banksville Road, and the ramp (carrying north and south US 19 Truck) curves northward, joining with the northbound US 19 mainline. The ramp now merges into the Penn–Lincoln Parkway, forming four lanes of I-376/US 22/US 30/both directions of US 19 Truck/US 19. After a short stretch, southbound US 19 Truck exits south at the next ramp, removing one lane from the Parkway, and, after passing under PA 51, northbound mainline US 19 exits as well, also removing a lane. The Penn–Lincoln Parkway, now with both directions carrying I-376/US 22/US 30/US 19 Truck and in an orthodox orientation, enter the Fort Pitt Tunnel.

Fort Pitt Tunnel to I-279 Interchange

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After exiting the Fort Pitt Tunnel, US 19 Truck/I-376/US 22/US 30 cross the Monongahela River on the Fort Pitt Bridge, arriving on the Golden Triangle of Downtown Pittsburgh. The route meets the southern terminus of I-279 here, and I-376/US 22/US 30 head eastward, while US 19 Truck separates from them and joins I-279 on its northward trek. The two routes then cross the Allegheny River on the Fort Duquesne Bridge. North of the bridge, I-279 and US 19 Truck interchange with the southern terminus of PA 65 at exit 1C of I-279. Exit 1B is to PNC Park and exit 1C is for Acrisure Stadium. At exit 1D and 2A, I-279 southbound splits into high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes at the I-279 Interchange. The I-279 interchange involves the northern terminus of I-579 and the southern terminus of PA 28.

Exit 2 to northern terminus

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North of exit 2B, I-279 has HOV lanes and continues its concurrency with US 19 Truck toward the north. At exit 4, US 19 Truck splits from I-279 and US 19 Truck continues toward the north at-grade as McKnight Road, a frequently congested divided highway known locally as McNightmare Road.[3] In Ross Township, US 19 Truck interchanges with Babcock Boulevard and shifts toward the northwest. The remainder of the route widens to six lanes and heavily lined with shopping centers and large malls, including North Hills Village, Ross Park Mall, and McCandless Crossing. In McCandless, US 19 Truck interchanges with Ingomar Road. Northwest of Ingomar Road, US 19 Truck turns west, paralleling and crossing Pine Creek before it terminates (ends) at a partial Y interchange with US 19.[1]

History

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The roadway was signed as US 19 from 1941 to 1948. The route was signed in 1946 as a bypass route for trucks that were not allowed on US 19. In 1948, the southern terminus was moved from Banksville Road to its current location. In 1989, US 19 Truck's designation was moved to I-279 to form a complete US 19 Truck from Mt. Lebanon to Wexford after the parkway north was completed. In 1997, construction began on the interchange at the southern portal of the Liberty Tunnel and opened to traffic on November 20, 1999.[4]

Major intersections

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The entire route is in Allegheny County.

Locationmi[5]kmOld exitNew exitDestinationsNotes
Mt. Lebanon0.00.0   US 19 / Yellow Belt (Washington Road / Cochran Road) – Bethel ParkSouthern terminus
Dormont  Blue Belt (Potomac Avenue) – Green TreeSouthern end of concurrency with Blue Belt
  Blue Belt (Pioneer Avenue) – BrentwoodNorthern end of concurrency with Blue Belt
PittsburghBuses only (South Busway)Northbound exit and southbound entrance
 
 
PA 51 south (Saw Mill Run Boulevard) / Liberty Tunnel – Downtown, South Side, Uniontown
Interchange; southern end of concurrency with PA 51
 
 
Woodruff Street to PA 837 – Wabash Tunnel, Mount Washington
 
 
 
 
 
 
  I-376 west / US 22 west / US 30 west (Penn Lincoln Parkway) – Carnegie, Pittsburgh International Airport
 
 
 
 
US 19 north / PA 51 north (Saw Mill Run Boulevard) – West End Bridge, Downtown

 
 
US 19 south (Banksville Road) – Mt. Lebanon

Woodville Avenue – West End
Interchange; northern end of concurrency with PA 51; southern end of concurrency with I-376 / US 22 / US 30; exits 69A-C (I-376 / US 22 / US 30) (old exits 5A-C)
Fort Pitt Tunnel under Mount Washington
5C69C 
 
 
 
PA 837 north to PA 51 – West End
Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Monongahela RiverFort Pitt Bridge
Pittsburgh6B70ABoulevard of the Allies / Liberty Avenue – PPG ArenaNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
6C70BFort Duquesne Boulevard – Convention Center, Strip DistrictNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
6A 
 
 
 
 
 
I-376 east / US 22 east / US 30 east (Penn Lincoln Parkway) – Monroeville
 
 
I-279 begins
Northern end of concurrency with I-376 / US 22 / US 30; southern end of concurrency with I-279
6C1AFort Duquesne Boulevard – Convention Center, Strip DistrictSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
Allegheny RiverFort Duquesne Bridge
Pittsburgh7A1BNorth ShoreNo northbound entrance; access to Acrisure Stadium, PNC Park, and Carnegie Science Center
7B1C 
 
 
 
PA 65 north (Ohio River Boulevard) to US 19
Southern terminus of PA 65
9th StreetSouthbound left exit and northbound entrance
 
 
I-279 south
Southbound exit only
PPG ArenaSouthbound left exit and northbound entrance
7C1D 
 
PA 28 north / Chestnut Street / Ohio Street – Etna
Northbound exit and southbound entrance
8A2A 
 
I-579 south (Crosstown Boulevard) – Veterans Bridge
Southbound exit and northbound entrance; northern terminus of I-579
8B2B 
 
 
East Ohio Street to PA 28 north
Southbound exit and northbound entrance
93Hazlett StreetNorthbound exit and entrance
104East StreetSouthbound exit and entrance
 
 
 
 
I-279 north to I-79 – Erie
North end of concurrency with I-279; I-279 exit 4
 
 
I-279 south – Pittsburgh
Southbound left exit and northbound entrance
Evergreen Road – MillvaleNorthbound access via exit ramp
 
 
Nelson Run Road to Blue Belt
Interchange
Ross TownshipBabcock Boulevard – West View, MillvaleInterchange
McCandless  
 
 
 
Green Belt (Babcock Boulevard / Peebles Road) to PA 8 / PA 65 – Hampton Township, Emsworth
 
 
  Perrymont Road / Babcock Boulevard to US 19 – La Roche University, UPMC Passavant McCandless
  Cumberland Road – La Roche University, UPMC Passavant McCandless
  Yellow Belt (Ingomar Road) – North Park, Hampton, Franklin Park, IngomarInterchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance
 
 
 
Pine Creek Road to US 19 south / Rinaman Road
 
 
US 19 north (Perry Highway) – Wexford
Northern terminus; northbound exit and southbound entrance
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2007
  2. ^ Moraseski, Dan. "Map of the Parkway West & Saw Mill Run Boulevard Interchange and Quintuplex". Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  3. ^ Vernon, August. "Progressing Pittsburgh". Pittsburgh's Outdoor Murals and Art. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2023. McKnight Rd did not aquire [sic] the nickname 'McNightmare Rd' by mistake.
  4. ^ Kitsko, Jeffrey J. (April 18, 2020). "US 19 Auxiliary Routes". Pennsylvania Highways. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  5. ^ "overview of U.S. Route 19 Truck" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
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