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PA 54(E-W)/PA 61(S-N) Duplex

PA 54 and PA 61 join for about 1 mi in Ashland in Schuylkill County.

Timothy Reichard 8/13/01

These shields face downhill along the steep main street of Ashland. The two routes split at the top and bottom of the hill.

Timothy Reichard 1/10/03

At the top of the hill that is Ashland, PA 61 turns left to join PA 54.

Timothy Reichard 1/10/03

Looking west at the same location. PA 54 is SR 4028 instead of the typical SR 0054. This unusual numbering is a result of an earlier relocation of PA 54, which used to follow PA 61 further north to Strong (see Old PA 54/PA 61 below).

Timothy Reichard 1/10/03

Ashland is built on a long, steep hill, with PA 54/PA 61 running straight down it.

Timothy Reichard 8/13/01

Reassurance shields eastbound.

Timothy Reichard 1/10/03

At the bottom of the hill, PA 61 turns back to the south. PA 54 continues on as part of the historic PA 45 route to Easton.

OLD

Old PA 54(E-W)/PA 61(S-N) Duplex

At the eastern split of the current duplex, PA 61 heads northward and PA 54 continues straight ahead to the west. This routing was changed in the not-so-distant past when underground coal mine fires produced safety hazards for residents and motorists alike in Centralia. PA 54 used to follow PA 61 from Ashland to Centralia and Mount Carmel and to its current junction with PA 61 in Strong. The road just south of Centralia began to collapse in 1983 when the coal fires burned below it. PA 54/PA 61 was detoured until 1999, when PA 61 was reopened through the town and along a bypass (SR 2002) just south of the town. The little white signs along this route say SR 54 (except for the SR 2002 bypass), even though the route is now PA 61 only. Typically in PA, the lower-numbered route in a state routes multiplex appears on the little white signs. The PA 54 routing was changed to follow SRs and PA 54/PA 901 between Strong and Ashland.

Timothy Reichard 8/13/01

This view is of PA 42 southbound at its southern terminus in Centralia with PA 61/Old PA 54 at the stop sign. Photo shot 8/13/01.

Visit the PA 42 terminus page (from Adam Prince's Highway Beginnings and Endings in Pennsylvania) for more photodocumentation of this terminus.

Timothy Reichard 1/10/03

The current intersection of PA 54 and PA 61 in Strong. Before the rerouting around Centralia, PA 54 entered from the left and then turned left onto PA 61, joining it through Centralia to Ashland.

Terraserver Imagery

• Topo. 1969 · old PA 54/PA 61 duplex from Strong to Ashland before PA 54 relocation
• Topo. 1984 · old PA 54/PA 61 western split in Strong before PA 54 relocation
• Topo. 1987 · old PA 54/PA 61 duplex and PA 42 ST in Centralia, before PA 54 relocation and SR 2002 bypass of PA 61 through Byrnsville
• Topo. 1987 · PA 54/PA 61 duplex and eastern split in Ashland
• Aerial 1994 · PA 54 and PA 61 intersection in Strong, formerly old PA 54/PA 61 western split
• Aerial 1993 · PA 42 ST at PA 61 in Centralia
• Aerial 1993 · Dilapidated Old PA 61 and new PA 61/SR 2002 Byrnsville routing
• Aerial 1993 · current PA 54/PA 61 wastern split in Ashland
• Aerial 1993 · current PA 54/PA 61 eastern split in Ashland

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