End of historic US highway 309

Note: since I don't have access to a comprehensive collection of historical road atlases, much of the info on this page is based on the research of Robert Droz and Jeff Kitsko. Photo credits: Chris Elbert; Cameron Kaiser; Steven Nelson

US 309 was among the original US routes of 1926. At the time its north end was in Wilkes-Barre PA. There, it came into town via Hazle Street, ending at US 11 (which was routed along Main Street at the time):

Automobile Blue Book, c. 1929

The shot below is looking south on Main:

Nelson, Sep. 2007

US 309 began to the left on Hazle. But in just a few years, the north end of US 309 was extended to Waverly NY. From Wilkes-Barre it went north to Tunkhannock via what is today PA hwy. 309. There it was co-signed with US 6 to Towanda, then with US 220 to Waverly (you can view photos from there on this page). In 1964, US 309's multiplexes with US 6 and US 220 were eliminated, so that its northern terminus was in Tunkhannock. The photo below is looking east on Business US 6:

Kaiser, July 2006

Until about 2000, this was mainline US 6. To the right at the signal is PA 29, but that used to be the north beginning of US 309.

As for the south end: in 1926, US 309 came into Philadelphia via Stenton Avenue, ending at Broad Street (which carried US 611):

Elbert, July 2006

Downtown Philadelphia is about seven miles to the right on Broad. Stenton is no longer a state highway, but Broad is PA hwy. 611, the number for which is obviously a nod to historic US 611. Street signs at this intersection include the PA 611 marker...

Elbert, July 2006

...but compare that to the "US 611" marker on Broad Street signs about six miles to the south:

Elbert, July 2006

Anyway, in 1930 US 309 was changed such that it stayed on the Bethlehem Pike, ending at Germantown Avenue, which was US 422 at the time. Five years later, it changed again, extended to Alt US 422, which was routed along Ridge Avenue. US 309 was extended east on Germantown with US 422, then south on Allens Lane, and south on Lincoln Drive, ending at Ridge. That was the case for about 20 years (you can view photos from both locations on this page). But then in 1954 the south end of US 309 was changed one more time: instead of turning south off Germantown via Allens Ln, US 309 went north from Germantown on Willow Grove Avenue, then east on Stenton, where it returned to its original terminus at Broad (photos above). The US 309 designation was retired four years later, but today's PA 309 remains, serving more or less the same corridor.