U.S. 222

U.S. 222 extends north from U.S. 1 at Conowingo, Maryland to Lancaster and northeast to Reading and Allentown. The rural route runs through Quarryville in Lancaster County and continues north into Downtown Lancaster. U.S. 222 travels northeast from U.S. 30 (Lancaster Bypass) along a freeway to U.S. 422 along the West Shore Bypass in Reading. The route circumvents Reading along a series of expressways north to Ontelaunee Township.

Turning eastward, U.S. 222 heads into Richmond Township and a freeway bypass of Kutztown. The route returns to Kutztown Road east into Maxatawny Township. Approaching Trexlertown, U.S. 222 shifts onto a controlled access expressway to bypass the unincorporated community. The route concludes at I-78/PA 309 and PA 222 (Hamilton Boulevard) outside Allentown.

U.S. 222 Pennsylvania Guides

• North
• South
• U.S. 222 Business - Reading

Lancaster County

With planning starting in the 1950s, the freeway along U.S. 222 north from Lancaster to Reading opened in stages. Construction in Lancaster County was divided into four sections. The first segment opened three miles northward from U.S. 30 in 1970. The portion from Ephrata to the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Denver opened on November 22, 1973 at a cost of $6.1 million. Completed in Fall 1972, the six mile long stretch sat unused until completion of the interchange with Interstate 76.¹

Work on the three miles north from the PA Turnpike to the Berks County line occurred between Spring 1974 and 1978. It was anticipated that the link to Shillington would be complete by 1978 as well,¹ but that was delayed for nearly another 30 years.

Berks County

Costing $144 million overall,² construction for the final eight miles of freeway along U.S. 222 in Berks County, between Adamstown and Sinking Spring, was partitioned into three sections. Work on the $22.7 million Northern Section got underway in October 1998. A two mile section from U.S. 422 (Penn Avenue) at Wyomissing to PA 724 (Revere Boulevard) near Sinking Spring was finished in November 2000.^1,3

Work on the two mile long Central Section, from PA 724 (Revere Boulevard) to Lancaster Pike at Grings Hill Road west of Shillington, got underway in August 2001. The $45.7 million project was completed in November 2004. The Southern Section extended the freeway south from Grings Hill Road to PA 272/568 near Adamstown and the Lancaster County line. It was constructed from March 2003 to June 23, 2006 at a cost of $47.8 million.^1,3

scenes

Butter Road heads north from PA 23 (New Holland Pike) to a split diamond interchange with U.S. 222 in Manheim township. 09/18/04

An access road links Butter Road with PA 272 (Oregon Pike) along the west side of U.S. 222. The southbound entrance ramp to Lancaster departs from PA 272. 09/18/04

Butter Road continues north to the entrance ramp for U.S. 222 to Reading. 09/18/04

Photo Credits:

09/18/04 by AARoads

Connect with:
Interstate 76
Interstate 78
U.S. 30
U.S. 422
Route 272
Route 772

Page Updated 12-27-2020.