Route 23

PA 23 stretches across southeastern Pennsylvania from PA 441 at Marietta to U.S. 1 along the Philadelphia and Montgomery County line. The state route connects Lancaster with New Holland, Morgantown, Bridgeport and Conshohocken.

Pennsylvania Route 23 Guides

East - 8 photos

West - 28 photos

A new alignment for PA 23 opened to traffic on November 20, 1992 from central Lancaster to U.S. 30. Measuring 1.5 miles in length, the four lane controlled access arterial links the couplet of Chestnut and Walnut Streets by Grofftown Road with the Lancaster Bypass. This included a bridge over the Conestoga River and a parclo interchange with the freeway along U.S. 30. The exchange included provisions for the unconstructed expressway alignment for PA 23, the "Goat Path Expressway," from Lancaster east to New Holland and Morgantown.

Ground broke on the $28.3 million project in October 1990.¹ It was initially slated to open in August 1992, but was delayed due to a community issue concerning Grofftown Road being converted to one-way traffic to prohibit it from being used as a shortcut to the new roadway.² Grofftown Road now dead ends just ahead of the northward turn of PA 23 from Chestnut Street to Walnut Street. PA 23 previously followed New Holland Avenue southwest from U.S. 30 to Walnut Street outside Downtown Lancaster.

Goat Path Expressway / Schuylkill Parkway

Constructed in the 1970s in conjunction with the Norristown to Phoenixville expressway project, Schuylkill Parkway constitutes an abandoned highway southwest of Norristown. The four lane expressway stems west from U.S. 202 to a grade separation with PA 23 (Valley Forge Road), with only a section of the eastbound roadway used as part of the connection from U.S. 202 south to PA 23 (Valley Forge Road).

Schuylkill Parkway was planned as the easternmost segment of a longer freeway for PA 23 between Norristown and Lancaster. A longer section of abandoned expressway remains paralleling PA 23 east of Lancaster and south of Leola. The incomplete highway is known as the "Goat Path Expressway" due to the right of way being leased to local farmers. A number of bridges and overpasses were constructed for the expressway and grading for a diamond interchange with PA 772 was also completed.

scenes

Exit ramps connect I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) and I-476 (Mid County Expressway) with Matsonford Road (SR 3016) east to PA 23 (Front Street) in the borough of West Conshohocken.
January 2000

Schuylkill Parkway

An abandoned section of Schuylkill Parkway extends west from U.S. 202 south along the Dannehower Bridge to an overpass for PA 23 (Valley Forge Road).
08/15/04

The west end of the roadways constructed for Schuylkill Parkway below PA 23 (Valley Forge Road).
08/15/04

An exit ramp connects U.S. 202 south from the Dannehower Bridge with PA 23 east along Schuylkill Parkway. The westbound roadway is unused.
08/15/04

Schuylkill Parkway west of the U-turn ramp connecting U.S. 202 south with PA 23 east into Bridgeport.
08/15/04

08/15/04

Schuylkill Parkway passes below U.S. 202 (Bridgeport Bypass) and an unused ramp to the Dannehower Bridge northbound.
08/15/04

08/15/04

PA 23 (Valley Forge Road) ties into Schuylkill Parkway at an intersection adjacent to the Dannehower Bridge. PA 23 follows the remainder of Schuylkill Parkway east to 4th Street at U.S. 202 (Dekalb Street) northbound.
08/15/04

References:

1. "State, local officials open new Route 23." Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA), November 21, 1992.
2. "Opening of new Rt. 23 delayed until November." Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA), September 29, 1992.

Connect with:

Interstate 76

Interstate 176

Interstate 476

U.S. 1

U.S. 30

U.S. 202

Route 10

Route 82

Page Updated Saturday January 02, 2021.