Pennsylvania Route 563

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Pennsylvania Route 563

Route information
Maintained by PennDOT
Length21.151 mi[1] (34.039 km)
Existed1928[2]–present
NHSPA 313 concurrency[3]
Major junctions
South end PA 63 in Upper Salford Township
Major intersections PA 313 in East Rockhill Township
North end PA 412 in Nockamixon Township
Location
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountiesMontgomery, Bucks
Highway system
← PA 562→ PA 564

Pennsylvania Route 563 (PA 563) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route runs 21.15 mi (34.04 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, heading to the northwest 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 Salford 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 along Ridge Road into Salford Township.[4][5]

The road passes over the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension (Interstate 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.[4][5]

PA 563 northbound in East Rockhill Township

Upon crossing County Line Road in the community of Naceville, 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 and passing through the community of Almont, the route intersects Lawn Avenue, which provides access to the PA 309 freeway at a diamond interchange. PA 563 passes over PA 309 a short distance after this intersection. The route continues east-northeast and crosses Bethlehem Pike and Old Bethlehem Pike in a commercial area in the community of White Horse. At the intersection with the latter, the road crosses into East Rockhill Township before it enters the borough of 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.[4][6]

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, crossing Threemile Run, 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 skirts 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 heads through the community of Haycock Run and crosses an arm of the lake formed by Haycock Creek into Nockamixon Township. In this township, the route leaves the state park and passes through rural areas before ending at PA 412.[4][6]

PA 563 is part of the National Highway System along the PA 313 concurrency in East Rockhill Township.[3]

History

PA 563 southbound in Nockamixon State Park in Haycock Township

When Pennsylvania first legislated routes in 1911, present-day PA 563 was not given a number.[7] 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.[8] All of PA 563 was completed by 1940.[9]

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.[10] 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.[10][11]

Major intersections

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

References

  1. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Pennsylvania Highway Map (Philadelphia Metro) (Map). Gulf Oil. 1928. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
  3. ^ a b National Highway System: Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. March 25, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d Google (February 15, 2011). "overview of Pennsylvania Route 563" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  5. ^ a b Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (Map) (18th ed.). 1"=2000'. ADC Map. 2006. ISBN 0-87530-775-2.
  6. ^ a b Bucks County, Pennsylvania (Map) (19th ed.). 1"=2000'. ADC Map. 2006. ISBN 0-87530-774-4.
  7. ^ Map of Pennsylvania Showing State Highways (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1911. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  8. ^ Tourist Map of Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1930. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  9. ^ Official Road Map of Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1940. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  10. ^ a b "History of Lake Nockamixon". Pennridge School District. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  11. ^ Pennsylvania (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Exxon. 1973.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pennsylvania Route 563.
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