Pennsylvania Route 201

PA Route 201
Pennsylvania Route 201 highlighted in red.
Route information
Maintained by PennDOT
Length:	25 mi[1][2][3] (40 km)
Existed:	1964 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 119 / PA 711 / PA 711 Truck in Connellsville PA 819 at Vanderbilt
	PA 51 near Perryopolis I-70 in Rostraver Township PA 51 in Rostraver Township
North end:	PA 136 in Rostraver Township
Location
Counties:	Fayette, Westmoreland
Highway system
Roads in Pennsylvania Interstate • US • State • Legislative ← PA 199 US 202 →

Pennsylvania Route 201, designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation as State Route 201, is a 25-mile (40 km) long south-north state highway located in southeast Pennsylvania in the counties of Fayette and Westmoreland. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 119/PA 711 in Connellsville. The highway heads northwest and meets up with Pennsylvania Route 51 twice at two separate locations and Interstate 70 in Rostraver Township. The northern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 136 in Rostraver Township.

Route description

Fayette County

Pennsylvania Route 201 begins at a five-way intersection with US Route 119 and Pennsylvania Route 711 in Connellsville. PA 201 will be named Vanderbilt Road. There are trees separating the road from a neighborhood. On the other side of the road there is an old supermarket. Then, it passes over a creek and through some woods. Ahead, on the right, there is a building with three large solar panels. On your left will be Dunbar Township Elementary School, and followed by the Connellsville Alliance Church. Passing the school, on the same side of the road will be a huge strip of farmland. When meeting up with Adelaide Road, there will be no more houses until reaching the borough of Vanderbilt.

In Vanderbilt, there will be a fork in the road. To continue on PA 201, a left turn (south) will be needed. If someone would decide to turn right, then they would be driving on Pennsylvania Route 819. When meeting up with Liberty Street, a left turn must be made to stay on the road. Dickerson Run will be underneath the road. On the right will be a plethora of neighborhoods, whereas on the left there will be a large forest. After passing Nellie Road, the town will rapidly disappear, and the road name will switch to Flatwoods Road. There will be a house or two on both sides of the road until State Route 1010 will intersect. On the right will be the Church of Jesus Christ. Like before, there will be an occasional house or two on your right, but nothing but trees on your left. Soon will be an intersection with Town County Road, and on the right will be the Flatwoods Cemetery. On both sides of the road, there will be nothing until Cemetery Road, will be on your right, which is a mile northeast of where Town County Road is. Here the name will change to Fayette City Road, and ahead will be Pennsylvania Route 51.

When reaching Pennsylvania Route 51, PA 201 will pass under the two-lane divided highway. Also, there will be very few houses, because the area is mostly wooded. There will not be another road in sight until meeting up with Clark and Francis Roads a mile down the road. Here, the area will open up and there will be houses on both sides of the street as far as the eye can see. Ahead, the road will turn and there will be an entrance to Jefferson Drive, which links PA 201 up with the area of Redstone. When reaching Brownsville Road, there will be a small intersection. Here, the road will turn due north, and there will be increased woodlands. After a mile, Sicilytown Hill Road will be on the right and the road name will change to Second Street. On the left, the Monongahela River will come into view.

When reaching Fayette City, the road will bear right onto Main Street. If you were going south, the road would be a block west of the current location. After passing through the business district, both directions will once again meet up. The road name will change once again to Fayette Avenue, and it will open up into a two-lane highway. The Naomi Athletic Field will be on the left, and ahead will be another fork in the road. This is the southern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 906. Ahead on the left will be the Washington Township Veterans Park. On both sides of the road, there will be houses and soon there will be a forest, which seems to be a little strange because it is right in the middle of the town. You will enter into the town of Lynnwood. Here Fayette Avenue will split off from PA 201. The new name for the road is Washington Road. PA 201 will continue for half of a mile until entering into Westmoreland County.

Westmoreland County

Westmoreland County will begin as it passes through the area of Lynnwood. On the left will be the Belle Vernon Cemetery. Then, ahead the name of the town will switch to Pricedale. Ahead will be a massive shopping plaza. Right ahead of that is the intersection with Interstate 70. To go east, a turn must be made at the first available possibility. After passing under I 70, to go east, there will be signs to tell people where to turn to. Immediately after passing I 70, there will be an underpass as PA 201 will drive below a pair of railroad tracks. Then, there will be another fork in the road and you must turn right. The road name will change to Rostraver Road. There will be houses on each side of the road until you get to Iron City Hill Road. When you meet Fells Church Road, the road will turn right once again, and soon you will meet up with Pennsylvania Route 51.

There will be two chances to go onto PA 51. Each is a half of a mile apart. Ahead will be the Willowbrook Golf Course. There will be a neighborhood of the same houses on the right. Soon there will be a large neighborhood on your left and a forest on your right. After you pass Moores Road, there will not be a house in sight until you reach the northern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 201 at Pennsylvania Route 136 in West Newton.

History

In 1928, Pennsylvania Route 71^[4] was signed as the section from Interstate 70 South at the Donora/Monessen Interchange to the current northern terminus at Pennsylvania Route 136 in West Newton^[5][6][7]. Also at that time, the stretch of road south of Interstate 70 was known as Pennsylvania Route 711. Then in 1964, the entire route got the numbering of Pennsylvania Route 201.

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile	Destinations	Notes
Fayette	Connellsville	0.0 [1]	US 119 / PA 711 / PA 711 Truck	Southern terminus of PA 201.
	Vanderbilt	3.7	PA 819	Southern terminus of PA 819.
	Perry Township	10.6	PA 51
	Washington Township	16.7	PA 906	Southern terminus of PA 906.
Westmoreland	Rostraver Township	19.1	I-70	I-70 exits 43A and 43B.
		22.9	PA 51
		25.3	PA 136	Northern terminus of PA 201.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Google, Inc. Google Maps – PA 201 Overview (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=W+Crawford+Ave%2FPA-201&daddr=PA-201%2FRostraver+Rd+to:PA-201%2FRostraver+Rd+to:40.211163,-79.787436&hl=en&geocode=FdCZYgIdzmZB-w%3BFQlaZAId6Ks9-w%3BFTTzZAId1TE--w%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=15&via=1,2&sll=40.207984,-79.78426&sspn=0.014716,0.027637&ie=UTF8&ll=40.11799,-79.681091&spn=0.235765,0.4422&z=11. Retrieved 2008-12-19. 
2. ^ http://www.pahighways.com/state/PA201-250.html
3. ^ http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/may06/05-18SavingFuelPR.mspx
4. ^ http://www.pahighways.com/state/PA51-100.html#PA71
5. ^ ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/Statewide/Historic_OTMs/1930fr.pdf
6. ^ ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/Statewide/Historic_OTMs/1940fr.pdf
7. ^ ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/Statewide/Historic_OTMs/1970fr.pdf