Pennsylvania Roads - PA 33




SB approaching the newly extended end of PA 33. It ended at US 22 for many, many years, even after the new I-78 bypass of the Allentown-Bethlehem area, and only within this decade (2002) did the contentious extension of 33 get built. It had been intended to curve westward, perhaps providing some of the function that I-78 now does, and at one point was even proposed to connect all the way to Philadelphia and PA 63's Woodhaven Boulevard. Once the extension opened, contractors installed new BGS's pointing the way to I-78, all with the state name squeezed into the top. I could have told them that the numerals need to be a little lower on state-name shields (and the one shield needs to be closer to its direction). As a final note on these photos, PA 33 does not end at milepost 0, why I can't imagine, because as I said it was intended at various times to continue to various places, and besides, all the milemarkers are brand-new. After the END sign, each ramp to or from each direction of I-78 has its own mileposting scheme.


The new roadway is obvious from the air, transitioning from the dark asphalt at the bottom of the screen (which had been stubs for so many years) to concrete, through the new interchanges, to I-78 beyond the clouds.


Embossed truck route signs probably date from when PA 33 was temporarily completed in 1972. This is off the northbound exit, just east of where the shield atop this page can be found (it's on Country Club Road SB at Hecktown Rd.).


At the northern end of the PA 33 freeway. There are a number of colored detours along the length of I-80, with colors repeated, so there must be a lot of traffic issues to match.


Errors leaving a shopping center on the other side of the PA 611 interchange. Unlike some US 611 shields, these are certainly not original or intentional.

Onto I-78
Onto I-80
Onto PA 611
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