Pennsylvania Route 563

PA Route 563 marker

PA Route 563
Route information
Maintained by PennDOT
Length: 21.151 mi[1] (34.039 km)
Existed: 1928[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: PA 63 in Upper Salford Township
  PA 313 in East Rockhill Township
North end: PA 412 in Nockamixon Township
Location
Counties: Bucks, Montgomery
Highway system
← PA 562PA 564 →

Pennsylvania Route 563 (PA 563) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route runs 21.1 mi (33.96 km) from PA 63 in Upper Salford Township northeast to PA 412 in Nockamixon Township. The road runs through mostly rural areas in the northern parts of Montgomery and Bucks counties. Along the way, the route passes through the northern part of Perkasie and forms a concurrency with PA 313 in East Rockhill Township. North of here, PA 563 runs through Nockamixon State Park, running to the north of Lake Nockamixon.

PA 563 was first created in 1928 to connect Bergey to Harrow, following its current alignment to PA 313 before continuing straight along Ridge Road and continuing to PA 412. By 1940, construction of the road into a state highway was completed. In the early 1970s, PA 563 was moved to its current alignment north of PA 313 as a result of the creation of Lake Nockamixon, which severed the original alignment.

Route description

PA 563 northbound in West Rockhill Township

PA 563 begins at an intersection with PA 63 in Upper Salford Township, Montgomery County and heads in an easterly direction on two-lane, undivided Ridge Road. The route passes through wooded areas with some homes, turning southeast at the Township Line Road intersection and forming the border between Salford Township to the northeast and Upper Salford Township to the southwest. PA 563 makes a northeast turn at the Barndt Road–Moyer Road junction, continuing northeast on Ridge Road into Salford Township.[3][4]

The road passes over the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-476) and PA 563 turns east and heads into the community of Tylersport, where it crosses Allentown Road. After leaving Tylersport, the route heads northeast into more rural areas.[3][4]

Upon crossing County Line Road, PA 563 enters West Rockhill Township in Bucks County and heads into a mix of farms and woods. After running to the southeast of James Memorial Park, the route intersects Lawn Avenue, which provides access to the PA 309 freeway at an interchange. PA 563 passes over the freeway a short distance after this intersection. The route continues east-northeast and crosses Bethlehem Pike and Old Bethlehem Pike in a commercial area. A short distance past the intersection with the latter, the road crosses into Perkasie and passes near residential neighborhoods, running along the top of a ridge. Farther to the northeast, PA 563 passes to the southeast of Pennridge Airport. At this point, the road continues into East Rockhill Township and heads through a mix of farmland, woodland, and a few residences.[3][5]

PA 563 comes to an intersection with PA 313, where it turns northwest to form a concurrency with that route on Dublin Pike, with Ridge Road continuing northeast. The two routes head through more rural land before PA 563 splits from PA 313 by turning northeast onto Mountain View Drive. Along this road, the route heads into forested areas with occasional homes and enters Nockamixon State Park, a park which contains Lake Nockamixon. Upon crossing the Tohickon Creek, the road continues into Haycock Township. In this area, PA 563 skits along the northwest edge of the state park. A short distance following the Deerwood Lane intersection, the road passes the main entrance to the park. PA 563 crosses an arm of the lake into Nockamixon Township. In this township, the route leaves the state park and passes through rural areas before ending at PA 412.[3][5]

History

When Pennsylvania first legislated routes in 1911, present-day PA 563 was not given a number.[6] In 1928, PA 563 was designated to run from PA 63 near Bergey northeast to PA 412 near Harrow, following its current alignment south of PA 313. From this point, it continued northeast on Ridge Road, passing near Weisel and eventually continuing northeast to Harrow. At this time, the route was unpaved.[2] By 1930, the route was paved south of PA 313. At this time, the sections of the route between Tylersport and southwest of Perkasie and north of PA 313 were under construction as state highways.[7] All of PA 563 was completed by 1940.[8]

In the 1960s, construction began to create Lake Nockamixon along the Tohickon Creek near PA 563 in northern Bucks County. The Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, Maurice K. Goddard, proposed the lake as part of a goal for every Pennsylvania resident to be within 25 miles (40 km) of a state park. Lake Nockamixon was intended to fill a gap in between the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas.[9] As a result of building the dam and creating the lake, the northernmost portion of PA 563 had to be relocated to a new alignment to the north of the planned lake as it would sever a portion of the route north of Kellers Church. Between 1970 and 1972, construction took place on the new alignment of the route. As a result, PA 563 was routed to follow PA 313 to get from Ridge Road to its new alignment.[9][10]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
MontgomeryUpper Salford Township0.0000.000 PA 63 (Sumneytown Pike) – Harleysville, Green Lane
BucksWest Rockhill Township7.33511.805 To PA 309 (Lawn Avenue) – Quakertown, Montgomeryville
East Rockhill Township12.20719.645 PA 313 east (Dublin Pike) – DublinSouthern terminus of concurrency
13.45921.660 PA 313 west (Dublin Pike) – QuakertownNorthern terminus of concurrency
Nockamixon Township21.15134.039 PA 412 (Durham Road) to PA 611 – Springtown, Harrow
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Bureau of Maintenance and Operations (January 2015). Roadway Management System Straight Line Diagrams (Report) (2015 ed.). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Pennsylvania Highway Map (Philadelphia Metro) (Map). Gulf Oil. 1928. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Google (February 15, 2011). "overview of Pennsylvania Route 563" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  4. 1 2 Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (Map) (18th ed.). 1"=2000'. ADC Map. 2006. ISBN 0-87530-775-2.
  5. 1 2 Bucks County, Pennsylvania (Map) (19th ed.). 1"=2000'. ADC Map. 2006. ISBN 0-87530-774-4.
  6. ↑ Map of Pennsylvania Showing State Highways (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1911. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  7. ↑ Tourist Map of Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1930. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  8. ↑ Official Road Map of Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1940. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  9. 1 2 "History of Lake Nockamixon". Pennridge School District. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  10. ↑ Pennsylvania (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Exxon. 1973.

Route map: Bing / Google

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