Pennsylvania Roads - Old US 422

Old US 422, Ridge Pike/Germantown Pike


I start out heading west on Germantown Pike, which is the newer of the two US 422 alignments in Philadelphia. It's a charming, historic (at least to 1884 according to one bridge) and unique road as you can see. At one point, US 422 made it all the way to the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge via this alignment. The column and 1884 bridge plaque are visible on opposite sides of the second photo at Cresheim Valley Dr.

Looking east into Philly.


The old and new Turnpike trailblazers are both small, but only the new one would be called cutesy. The old ones are rare and bring me joy every time I happen upon a new one. The signal is at Crescent Ave., and this is it for Germantown Pike WB.


I-476 north of the PA Turnpike is the Northeast Extension of the PATP, which used to be PA 9. Most of the signs, such as those along I-276, have a good patching job done on them (those that have not been replaced), but this one's pretty bad. This sign is on the Norristown entrance (Exit 333) from Germantown Pike, and it's even worse than usual because the left roadway is actually to I-276 West, which has access to both directions of I-76.

Now switching over to Ridge Pike, original US 422, eastbound in Whitemarsh.


The best signs of the trip (in my opinion) are WB on Ridge, and my favorite is the white button copy gore sign with streaky, non-reflective background. Further to the east, as linked below, Ridge Pike becomes Ridge Avenue and has a lot of button copy. It ended at former US 309 in two different locations, Ridge Ave. at Lincoln Drive being the second. Further to the west, Germantown Pike comes into Ridge Pike in Collegeville, which is how US 422 ever ended up moving over to that other road.


A treat from Scott Colbert, Germantown Pike EB in Norristown. I rather prefer the old US shields to the new, incorrect PA shields. It also helps that there are two old PennDOT logos on the shields and arrows from back when they were the PA Dept. of Highways.


I didn't have time to get out and walk around to the other half of this sign, but it's clearly in the old fashion. It's on Ford St. a block south of Ridge Pike/Main St. in Norristown.


Germantown and Ridge Pikes come together in Collegeville and become Main St., and the next thing they do is cross the 19th-century Perkiomen (Creek) Bridge.

Onto current US 422
East on Ridge Ave/old US 422 to the Gustine Lake Interchange

Onto Butler Pike
Onto I-476
Onto US 202
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