Pennsylvania Route 281

Pennsylvania Route 281 (PA 281) is a 45.8-mile-long (73.7 km) state highway located in Fayette and Somerset counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is the West Virginia state line near Markleysburg, where the road becomes West Virginia Route 26 (WV 26). The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 30 (US 30) in Stoystown.

Pennsylvania Route 281
Route information
Maintained by Henry Clay Township and PennDOT
Length45.8 mi[1][2] (73.7 km)
Existed1928–present
Major junctions
South end WV 26 at the West Virginia state line near Markleysburg
 
North end US 30 in Stoystown
Location
CountiesFayette, Somerset
Highway system
PA 280 PA 282

Route description

PA 281 begins at the West Virginia border in Henry Clay Township, Fayette County, where the road continues into that state as WV 26. From the state line, the route heads northeast on the township maintained,[2] two-lane undivided Bruceton Road, heading through wooded areas with some fields and homes. PA 281 curves to the east and crosses into the borough of Markleysburg, where state maintenance begins[1] and it heads into residential areas. PA 281 turns north-northeast onto Main Street where it passes more homes before heading back into Henry Clay Township and continues through woodland with a few small fields and residences. The route comes to an intersection with US 40 and turns east to form a short concurrency with that route on National Pike before turning north onto Mae West Road. PA 281 continues through rural areas with some homes, winding to the northeast before turning east.[3][4]

PA 281 south viewed from PA 31 east in Somerset

PA 281 crosses the Youghiogheny River into Addison Township in Somerset County and becomes an unnamed road, heading into the borough of Confluence and crossing the Casselman River. Here, the route comes to an intersection with PA 523. At this point, PA 281 turns north to form a concurrency with that route on Oden Street, passing residences. PA 523 ends at the point where PA 281 turns to the east onto Logan Place. The route heads past businesses before turning northeast onto Park Street and passing under CSX's Keystone Subdivision railroad line. The road turns east and crosses Laurel Hill Creek, passing between woods to the north and fields to the south as it enters Lower Turkeyfoot Township. A short distance later, PA 281 heads into the borough of Ursina and passes through residential areas with some fields and trees. The road curves northeast and heads back into Lower Turkeyfoot Township, becoming Kingwood Road and crossing Laurel Hill Creek again. The route winds through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes as it runs a short distance to the north of the CSX railroad line, passing through Brook. PA 281 continues into Upper Turkeyfoot Township and heads away from the railroad tracks, running through open agricultural areas with some woods and homes as it goes through Paddytown. The road curves more to the north and heads through more rural areas, passing through the residential community of Kingwood. The route continues northeast and heads into Middlecreek Township, curving north and intersecting PA 653 in New Lexington. At this point, PA 281 turns east to form a concurrency with PA 653, passing through more farmland on Kingwood Road. The road heads into wooded areas, crossing the Middle Creek into Milford Township and turning northeast. The two routes head into more agricultural land and cross into the borough of New Centerville, passing homes. PA 653 splits from PA 281 by turning south onto Bridge Street and PA 281 runs through more residential areas on New Centerville Road. The road curves north and heads back into Milford Township, running through open farmland. The route runs northeast through more agricultural areas with some trees and homes, crossing into Somerset Township.[3][5]

PA 281 continues through more rural areas, entering the borough of Somerset and becoming Tayman Avenue as it passes homes. At the Harrison Avenue intersection, PA 281 becomes a one-way pair concurrent with PA 31, heading east on Tayman Avenue northbound and west on West Main Street southbound, carrying two lanes in each direction. The one-way pairing becomes West Patriot Street northbound and West Main Street southbound as it heads into the commercial downtown of Somerset. PA 31/PA 281 intersect the southern terminus of PA 601, becoming East Patriot Street northbound and East Main Street southbound. PA 281 splits from PA 31 by turning north onto two-way, two-lane, undivided North Pleasant Avenue, passing between homes to the west and CSX's S&C Subdivision railroad line to the east. The route becomes the border between Somerset to the west and Somerset Township to the east, turning northeast onto Stoystown Road to fully enter Somerset Township and cross the railroad tracks (Pleasant Avenue continues north to provide direct access to PA 601 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike). The road passes through residential areas as it crosses under Interstate 70 (I-70)/I-76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike). PA 281 passes through farmland and woodland with some homes and businesses as it comes to an interchange with the US 219 freeway, becoming a divided highway at this point. Past this interchange, the road becomes undivided again and continues through more rural areas with residences, crossing the CSX line again. The route passes to the northwest of Somerset County Airport and runs through the residential community of Friedens. The road enters Quemahoning Township and runs through farmland with some woods and homes, turning north into more wooded areas and passing through Reading Mines. PA 281 continues north to its terminus at an interchange with US 30, where the road heads north into the borough of Stoystown as East Main Street.[3][5]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1][2]kmDestinationsNotes
FayetteHenry Clay Township0.0000.000 WV 26 south MorgantownContinuation beyond West Virginia state line
3.9766.399 US 40 west (National Pike) UniontownSouthern end of concurrency with US 40
4.2086.772 US 40 east (National Pike) CumberlandNorthern end of concurrency with US 40
SomersetConfluence11.89619.145 PA 523 south (Oden Street) / Casselman Street HarnedsvilleSouthern end of concurrency with PA 523
12.20919.648 PA 523 ends / Logan Place / Hugart StreetNorthern end of concurrency with PA 523; northern terminus of PA 523
Middlecreek Township25.04440.304 PA 653 west (Scullton Road) ConnellsvilleSouthern end of concurrency with PA 653
New Centerville27.83144.790 PA 653 east (Bridge Street) Garrett, RockwoodNorthern end of concurrency with PA 653
Somerset35.34856.887 PA 31 west (Harrison Avenue)Southern end of concurrency with PA 31 on one-way pairs
36.07358.054 PA 601 north (Center Avenue) to US 219Southern terminus of PA 601
36.35458.506 PA 31 east (East Main Street) to US 219 south BerlinNorthern end of concurrency with PA 31 on one-way pairs
36.60758.913 SR 4055 (Pleasant Avenue) to PA 601 / Penna Turnpike / Stoystown Road
38.346–
38.504
61.712–
61.966
US 219 Meyersdale, JohnstownInterchange
Stoystown45.735–
45.802
73.603–
73.711
US 30 (Lincoln Highway) to PA 403 north / East Main Street (SR 4028) Greensburg, Hooversville, BedfordNorthern terminus; interchange
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

  •  U.S. Roads portal
  •  Pennsylvania portal

References

  1. Bureau of Maintenance and Operations (January 2019). Roadway Management System Straight Line Diagrams (Report) (2019 ed.). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  2. Henry Clay Second Class Township, Fayette County (PDF) (Map). PennDOT. November 8, 2010. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  3. Google (September 14, 2011). "overview of Pennsylvania Route 281" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  4. Fayette County, Pennsylvania Highway Map (PDF) (Map). PennDOT. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 3, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  5. Somerset County, Pennsylvania Highway Map (PDF) (Map). PennDOT. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 16, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
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