North end: PA 72 in Lebanon | Length 38.01 km | |
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South end: PA 441 in Conoy Township Counties Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania | ||
Pennsylvania Route 241 (PA 241) is a 23.6-mile-long (38.0 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route runs from PA 441 in Conoy Township, Lancaster County northeast to PA 72 in the city of Lebanon in Lebanon County. The route heads east from PA 441 to Elizabethtown, where it runs concurrent with both PA 230 and PA 743. PA 241 continues into Lebanon County and intersects PA 341 and PA 117 in Colebrook. The route heads northeast and forms a concurrency with U.S. Route 322 (US 322) before heading to Lebanon.
Contents
Map of PA-241, Pennsylvania, USA
The route follows part of Legislative Route 280, which was designated in 1911. PA 241 was designated in 1928 to run from PA 441 in Marietta north to PA 72 in Lebanon, heading north to Maytown and west to Bainbridge before continuing northeast along its current alignment. The southern terminus was cut back to PA 340 (now PA 743) in Maytown in the 1930s, with the route south of there replaced by PA 340. The northern terminus was cut back slightly in the 1950s following a rerouting of PA 72. By 1962, the south end of PA 241 was moved to its current location.
Route description
PA 241 begins at an intersection with PA 441 north of the community of Bainbridge in Conoy Township, Lancaster County, heading northeast on two-lane undivided Bainbridge Road. The road heads through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes, crossing into West Donegal Township. The route continues through agricultural areas before it passes to the east of a housing development. PA 241 heads into the borough of Elizabethtown and becomes West Bainbridge Street, soon turning northwest onto Masonic Drive. The route heads through commercial areas a short distance to the southwest of Amtrak's Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line. PA 241 turns north onto West High Street and passes under the Amtrak line to the west of Elizabethtown Station. The road curves northeast through residential areas before it comes to an intersection with PA 230/PA 743 in the commercial downtown. Here, PA 241 turns north to form a concurrency with PA 230 and PA 743 on North Market Street. The road leaves the downtown and enters residential areas, with PA 241 and PA 743 splitting from PA 230 by briefly heading northeast on Linden Avenue. PA 241 and PA 743 turn north onto North Hanover Street a short distance later, passing a mix of homes and businesses as it crosses into Mount Joy Township and becomes Hershey Road. PA 241 splits from PA 743 by heading northeast onto Mt. Gretna Road, heading through wooded residential areas before coming to a bridge over the PA 283 freeway. The road continues through rural residential areas with woods to the northwest and farms to the southeast before winding north through forests. The route curves northeast and runs through a mix of farm fields and woods with some homes, passing through the community of Bellaire.
PA 241 enters South Londonderry Township in Lebanon County, where the name changes to Elizabethtown Road. The road continues northeast through farmland with some homes and comes to a bridge under the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76). The route runs through a mix of farms and woods, passing through the residential community of Lawn. PA 241 continues through rural areas and reaches a junction with the eastern terminus of PA 341. Here, the route runs through a mix of fields, woods, and homes before it comes to an intersection with PA 117 in the community of Colebrook. At this point, PA 241 turns north for a concurrency with PA 117 along Mt. Wilson Road, and the two routes head northwest through farm fields. PA 117 splits to the west and PA 241 continues northeast through forested areas with some homes, crossing into South Annville Township. The road passes to the south of an industrial complex before it continues through forests, curving to the north. The route heads east and enters the agricultural Lebanon Valley, where it turns to the north. The road continues through farmland with some homes before it reaches a junction with US 322 near Fontana. Here, PA 241 turns east for a concurrency with US 322 along Horseshoe Pike, soon intersecting the southern terminus of PA 934. The road continues east through agricultural areas, entering West Cornwall Township, before PA 241 splits from US 322 by turning north onto Colebrook Road. The route enters North Cornwall Township and curves northeast as it continues through farmland with some residential development. The road winds northeast through rural land and passes through the community of Rocherty before it runs through a mix of farms and residential and commercial development. The route continues past homes and crosses into the city of Lebanon, where it becomes city-maintained. A short distance later, PA 241 reaches its northern terminus at an intersection with PA 72.
History
When routes were legislated in Pennsylvania in 1911, the current routing of PA 241 was designated as part of Legislative Route 280, which continued southeast from Bainbridge to Columbia. By 1926, the roadway between Elizabethtown and Lebanon was paved while the road southwest from Elizabethtown to Bainbridge was unpaved. PA 241 was designated in 1928 to run from PA 441 in Marietta north to PA 72 in Lebanon. The route followed Maytown Road north to Maytown, Stackstown Road west to Bainbridge, and PA 441 northwest before it continued northeast along its current alignment to Lebanon and north along Quentin Road to end at PA 72 at Cornwall Road. The entire length of route was paved by 1930. In the 1930s, the southern terminus of PA 241 was cut back to PA 340 (now PA 743) in Maytown, with PA 340 replacing the route between Marietta and Maytown. The northern terminus was moved to its current location in the 1950s following the rerouting of PA 72 to Quentin Road. The southern terminus of the route was cut back to its current location at PA 441 near Bainbridge by 1962.