# Pennsylvania Route 88

Pennsylvania Route 88 (PA 88) is a 68-mile-long (109 km) north–south state highway located in southwestern Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 119 (US 119) in Point Marion less than 2 miles (3 km) from the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border. The northern terminus is at PA 51 in Pittsburgh. PA 88 runs parallel to the Monongahela River for almost its entire length.
Signed in 1927, PA 88 is one of the oldest state highways in Pennsylvania. For a brief period between 1927 and 1928, the route followed the Perry Highway between Pittsburgh and Erie. In 1928, the Perry Highway became US 19.

## Route description

PA 88 begins in Point Marion at an intersection with US 119. PA 88 begins as Main Street then turns to the west crossing the Monongahela River into Greene County on the Albert Gallatin Memorial Bridge. After crossing the river, PA 88 turns to the north as it begins to parallel the Monongahela River to the east as well as railroad tracks to the west. After crossing the Dunkard Creek, PA 88 has entered the village of Poland Mines. In Monongahela Township, PA 88 intersects Pennsylvania Route 21. In the boro of Carmichaels, PA 88 is called Vine Street and crosses Muddy Creek. In Jefferson Township, PA 88 intersects the eastern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 188 southwest of Rices Landing.
After crossing the Tenmile Creek, PA 88 has entered Washington County as Front Street. PA 88 passes through the following villages: Milfred Terrace, Fredericktown Hill, North Fredericktown, Vesta Heights, and Vestaburg. In East Bethlehem Township and Centerville Boro. In Centerville Boro, PA 88 becomes Low Hill Rd. PA 88 has a snake like curve paralleling the Monongahela River. In Centerville Boro, PA 88 joins Pennsylvania Turnpike 43 for 2 miles (3.2 km) before leaving to join another concurrency with U.S. Route 40. East of PA 43, PA 88 leaves US 40 at a trumpet interchange in West Brownsville. North of the concurrency, PA 88 becomes a local road named California Road. In California, PA 88 becomes Wood Street then turns to the west and becomes 3rd Street. In Coal Center, PA 88 Highpoint Drive, then Spring Street, and then Highpoint Drive again. Passengers can see Turnpike 43 from PA 88 in Coal Center. As PA 88 begins to shift to the east, it enters the following boros: Elco, Roscoe, and Stockdale. As PA 88 enters these boros it becomes Highpoint Drive and Chester Avenue. North of Stockdale, PA 88 begins to turn to the north and becomes Main Street. In Speers as Pennsylvania Street, PA 88 interchanges Interstate 70 at exit 40 in a scaped shaped interchange with long ramps. In Charleroi and North Charleroi, PA 88 is called McKean Avenue. In Carroll Township, PA 88 is called Country Club Road and meets the southern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 837. In Monongahela, PA 88 begins a three route concurrency with Pennsylvania Route 136 and PA 837. Then PA 88/PA 136/PA 837 become Main Street and intersect the northern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 481. In the northern tip of Monongahela, PA 136 splits off from PA 88 and PA 837. As PA 88/PA 837 enter New Eagle, PA 837 splits from PA 88 then PA 88 becomes Union Street. In Union Township, PA 88 passes under Turnpike 43. In Finleyville, PA 88 becomes Sheridan Avenue. Finleyville is where the future Interstate 576 (Southern Beltway) will meet Turnpike 43. Then PA 88 re-enters Union Township passing several businesses and then becomes Library Road near the Allegheny County line.
The entire 8.5-mile (13.7 km) Allegheny County stretch of PA 88 is also designated as Library Road. Starting at the Washington/Allegheny County line where PA 88 becomes Library Road, PA 88 runs through South Park, Bethel Park, Castle Shannon, and the Overbrook neighborhood of Pittsburgh where PA 88/Library Rd. ends at an "Y" intersection with Pennsylvania Route 51/Saw Mill Run Blvd. Three of the six county's colored Belt Routes connect with and/or run along PA 88 (see below).

## History

PA 88 originally was planned to extend from Pittsburgh all the way north to Erie, along the highway that now largely follows US 19. US 19 was first proposed for this route in 1927, but the routing at the time was turned down. The route does appear as both PA 88 and US 19 on one 1928 map.
In the 1930s (most likely 1935 or 1936) PA 88 was extended north to New Castle. The route is not marked as PA 88 on the official 1930 map but is so marked on the 1940 map. The Pittsburgh-to-New Castle section was largely split off on July 15, 1960 to form Pennsylvania Route 65, in honor of the 65th Infantry Division of the United States Army during World War II. The 7.7 mile stretch of PA 88 from PA 65's current southern terminus at the West End Bridge to PA 88's current northern terminus was decommissioned. This designation change was made to reduce the number of concurrent routes in Pittsburgh. The changes took effect a few months later and signs were changed by spring 1961.

### Connections to PA 65

Nonetheless, PA 88's legacy still survives in its former northern sections. Of PA 88's five spur routes, PA 288 and PA 488 were branch routes off what is now US 19, while PA 288, PA 388, PA 488, and PA 588 now appear as spur routes of 65, but still retain the "88" base numbers. (PA 88 did retain PA 188 as a spur route.) In addition, a drive-in theater known as Spotlight 88 in North Sewickley Township retained its name after the route was rebadged as 65, and is still known by that name as its current incarnation as a flea market after the drive-in was destroyed by an F3 tornado on May 31, 1985.

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| Fayette | Point Marion | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 119 (Penn Street / North Main Street) – Morgantown | Southern terminus of PA 88 |
| Monongahela River | Monongahela River | 0.149– 0.291 | 0.240– 0.468 | Point Marion Bridge | Point Marion Bridge |
| Greene | Monongahela Township | 11.023 | 17.740 | PA 21 (Roy E. Furman Highway) – Waynesburg, Masontown | |
| Greene | Jefferson Township | 17.682 | 28.456 | PA 188 west (Jefferson Road) / SR 1008 (Ferncliff Road) – Waynesburg, Rices Landing, Crucible | Eastern terminus of PA 188 |
| Washington | Centerville | 27.316 | 43.961 | PA Turnpike 43 south / SR 2029 (Low Hill Road) – Uniontown, West Brownsville | Exit 28 (PA 43); southern terminus of PA 43 concurrency; E-ZPass or toll-by-plate on PA 43 |
| Washington | Centerville | 29.216 | 47.019 | US 40 west / PA Turnpike 43 north – Centerville, Washington, California | Exits 30A–B (PA 43); northern terminus of PA 43 concurrency; southern terminus of US 40 concurrency |
| Washington | West Brownsville | 30.690 | 49.391 | US 40 east – Uniontown | Interchange; northern terminus of US 40 concurrency |
| Washington | California | 33.172 | 53.385 | PA 88 Truck north (Malden Road) to I-70 / PA Turnpike 43 / Skyline Drive | Southern terminus of Truck PA 88 |
| Washington | California | 34.439 | 55.424 | PA 88 Truck south (3rd Street Extension) to PA Turnpike 43 | Northern terminus of Truck PA 88 |
| Washington | Speers | 42.234– 42.840 | 67.969– 68.944 | I-70 – Washington, Belle Vernon, New Stanton | Exit 40 (I-70) |
| Washington | Carroll Township | 46.974 | 75.597 | PA 837 north – Donora, Monessen | Southern terminus of PA 837 |
| Washington | Monongahela | 48.780 | 78.504 | PA 136 east (Monongahela City Bridge) | Southern terminus of PA 136 concurrency |
| Washington | Monongahela | 48.853 | 78.621 | PA 837 south (East Main Street) – Donora | Southern terminus of PA 837 concurrency |
| Washington | Monongahela | 49.121 | 79.053 | PA 481 south (Park Avenue) | Northern terminus of PA 481 |
| Washington | Monongahela | 50.194 | 80.779 | PA 136 west (Dry Run Road) to PA Turnpike 43 – Eighty Four | Northern terminus of PA 136 concurrency |
| Washington | New Eagle | 51.164 | 82.340 | PA 837 north (5th Street) – Elizabeth | Northern terminus of PA 837 concurrency |
| Allegheny | Bethel Park | 60.573 | 97.483 | Orange Belt begins (Clifton Road / SR 3004) – Upper Saint Clair, Pittsburgh International Airport | Southwestern terminus of Orange Belt |
| Allegheny | Bethel Park | 64.513 | 103.824 | Yellow Belt (Broughton Road / SR 2040) / Bethel Church Road | Southern terminus of Yellow Belt concurrency |
| Allegheny | Castle Shannon | 65.485 | 105.388 | Yellow Belt (Connor Road / SR 3038) to US 19 – Mount Lebanon, Bridgeville | Northern terminus of Yellow Belt concurrency |
| Allegheny | Pittsburgh | 67.716 | 108.978 | Blue Belt (McNeilly Road) | Southern terminus of Blue Belt concurrency |
| Allegheny | Pittsburgh | 68.244 | 109.828 | PA 51 / Blue Belt (Saw Mill Run Boulevard) – Downtown, Uniontown | Northern terminus of PA 88; northern terminus of concurrency with the Blue Belt |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus ||||||

## PA 88 Truck

Pennsylvania Route 88 Truck is a 2-mile-long (3.2 km) truck route in California, Pennsylvania. The route was created to allow access to the Pennsylvania Route 43 toll freeway and to allow large vehicles to avoid the large hill into the Monongahela Valley. The center of the route is at the PA 43 interchange, with a two-lane stretch providing access to California University of Pennsylvania and the surrounding business district, as well as connecting traffic with northbound Route 88; a four-lane stretch provides a more gradual ascent of the hill on Route 88 southbound.