Warren Street Bypass


The Warren Street Bypass is a limited-access bypass in Berks County, in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It carries Pennsylvania Route 12, U.S. Route 222, and US 422. The western terminus is at the US 222/US 422 split in Wyomissing. The eastern terminus of the bypass is at Hyde Park, where the road returns to grade level as PA 12. The bypass provides access to FirstEnergy Stadium via Centre Avenue.

Route description

US 222/422 segment

The Warren Street Bypass begins at the US 222/US 422 merge in Wyomissing. A few miles northeast of the US 422 interchange, the bypass meets State Hill Road and Paper Mill Road, the latter providing access to Berkshire Mall. About a half a mile east of Paper Mill Road, US 222 and US 422 both leave the Warren Street Bypass. Here, US 222 continues north toward Allentown while US 422 doubles back east, reentering Reading along the Benjamin Franklin Highway. The right-of-way of the US 222/US 422 freeway continues straight through the interchange, becoming PA 12 north of the exit.

PA 12 segment

Now carrying PA 12, the bypass interchanges with Pennsylvania Route 183 about east of the US 222/US 422 junction. East of PA 183, the bypass meets Pennsylvania Route 61, Centre Avenue, a north-south state highway originating in downtown Reading and providing access to FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Philadelphia Phillies' AA Minor league affiliate, the Reading Phillies. East of PA 61, the bypass meets U.S. Route 222 Business north of Reading. As implied by its business banner, US 222 Business reconnects with US 222 roughly four miles north of the PA 12/US 222 Business interchange.
The bypass continues east, interchanging with a pair of local streets before returning to grade level as PA 12 passes out of the Reading city limits. PA 12 continues eastward as a local road towards Pennsylvania Route 662 in the Ruscombmanor Township community of Pricetown.

History

The first section of the bypass was a section from U.S. Route 422 to the 5th Street Highway designated as U.S. Route 222. By 1978, the section east of 5th Street Highway was opened.
By 1999, US 222 was redesignated northwest of Reading and onto the US 422 section of the bypass. The PA 12 designation was given to the bypass east of US 222/US 422.

Exit list