Pennsylvania Route 42 (PA 42) is a state route that is located in central Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is situated at PA 61 in Centralia. The northern terminus is located at U.S. Route 220 (US 220) in Laporte.
This route heads north through Columbia County and passes through Catawissa before it crosses the Susquehanna River to Bloomsburg. In Bloomsburg, PA 42 forms a concurrency with US 11 and has an interchange with Interstate 80 (I-80). Past Bloomsburg, the route continues north through Millville and runs through the eastern part of Lycoming County. PA 42 heads into Sullivan County and runs concurrent with US 220 between Beech Glen and Muncy Valley before it loops west through Eagles Mere and reaches its terminus in Laporte.
PA 42 was originally designated in 1927 to run from US 1 in Oxford north to the New York border in South Waverly. When first designated, the route ran concurrent with US 120 (now PA 61) between Reading and Centralia and US 220 between Laporte and South Waverly.
In 1928, the concurrencies with US 120 and US 220 were removed, splitting PA 42 into two sections. The southern section ran from the Maryland border south of Chrome north to US 222 (now US 222 Bus.) in Reading while the northern section ran from US 120 (now PA 61) in Centralia north to US 220 in Laporte. In 1935, the portion of PA 42 between Oxford and Reading was replaced by US 122 (now PA 10), with the northern terminus of the southern section cut back to US 1 in Barnsley. The southern section of PA 42 was decommissioned in the 1940s, with PA 272 replacing the portion between the Maryland border and Chrome.
Route description
Columbia County
thumb|right|PA 42 northbound past PA 254 in Millville
PA 42 begins at an intersection with PA 61 in the borough of Centralia in Columbia County, which has largely been abandoned because of the Centralia mine fire. From PA 61, the route heads north on two-lane undivided Locust Avenue. The road passes through abandoned areas of the town which have been overgrown with trees.
The route turns east and crosses into Conyngham Township, becoming South Main Street and heading into forested areas. PA 42 widens to a four-lane road and heads to the northwest, passing through the residential community of Aristes, where it narrows back to two lanes.
The road crosses the Catawissa Creek into the borough of Catawissa and becomes Mill Street, heading northwest into residential areas. PA 42 splits from PA 487 by heading west-northwest on Main Street, heading through the commercial downtown of Catawissa. The road crosses Norfolk Southern's Sunbury Line before heading across the Susquehanna River, at which point the road becomes Rupert Drive and heads into Montour Township. Here, the route turns north and crosses the North Shore Railroad. PA 42 runs through wooded areas immediately to the west of the railroad tracks with the Susquehanna River a short distance to the east. The road turns north-northwest away from the railroad tracks and heads through the residential community of Rupert. The route passes through more woodland with some homes before reaching an interchange with US 11.
PA 42 heads into Davidson Township in Sullivan County, turning to the north and passing through wooded areas with some fields and homes. The road curves to the northwest as it heads through forests, turning to the west and coming to an intersection with US 220 in Beech Glen. At this point, the route turns north to form a concurrency with US 220 on the Appalachian Throughway, heading through a mix of farmland and woodland with a few residences. The road crosses the Muncy Creek and PA 42 splits from US 220 in Muncy Valley by heading northwest on an unnamed road. The route runs north through forested areas, crossing the Trout Run into Shrewsbury Township. The road heads northwest before turning to the north, continuing through dense forests. PA 42 passes through wooded areas with a few homes, curving more to the northeast and becoming Eagles Mere Avenue. The road turns to the east and enters the borough of Eagles Mere, passing through residential areas to the south of Eagles Mere Lake. The route heads back into Shrewsbury Township and becomes unnamed again, winding east through more dense forests. PA 42 heads into Laporte Township and turns to the northeast, passing to the west of Celestial Lake. The road turns to the east and continues through forested areas with some homes, heading into the borough of Laporte. Here, PA 42 becomes Main Street and passes homes with a few businesses, heading to the north of the Sullivan County Courthouse, before ending at another intersection with US 220.
History
thumb|right|Southern terminus of PA 42 in Centralia at PA 61 in 2002
Following the passage of the Sproul Road Bill in 1911, what would become PA 42 was designated as Legislative Route 274 between Oxford and Reading, Legislative Route 160 between Reading and Hamburg, Legislative Route 141 between Hamburg and Schuylkill Haven, Legislative Route 140 between Schuylkill Haven and Pottsville, Legislative Route 161 between Pottsvile and Centralia, Legislative Route 183 between Centralia and Bloomsburg, Legislative Route 239 between Bloomsburg and Unityville, Legislative Route 17 between Laporte and Towanda, and Legislative Route 287 between Towanda and South Waverly. By 1926, the entire length of Legislative Route 274 was paved except between Compass and south of Honey Brook and Honey Brook and Morgantown. With the creation of the U.S. Highway System in 1926, the road between Reading and Centralia was designated as part of US 120, a route that ran from Philadelphia northwest to Erie, while the road between Laporte and South Waverly was designated as part of US 711, a route that ran from Northumberland north to South Waverly. At this time, the entire length of US 120 between US 22 in Reading and Centralia was paved while all of US 711 between Laporte and South Waverly was paved except for the stretch between Ringdale and New Albany. In 1927, PA 42 was designated to run from US 1/PA 12 (now PA 472) in Oxford north to the New York border in South Waverly. The route headed north Reading and ran concurrent with US 120 from Reading to Centralia. From Centralia, PA 42 headed north to Laporte and ran concurrent with US 220 (which replaced US 711) from Laporte to South Waverly.
In 1928, PA 42 was removed from its concurrencies with US 120 (now PA 61) between Reading and Centralia and US 220 between Laporte and South Waverly, splitting the route into two sections. The southern section of PA 42 ran from the Maryland border south of Chrome north to US 222/PA 73 (now US 222 Bus.) in Reading while the northern section of PA 42 ran from US 120 (now PA 61) in Centralia north to US 220 in Laporte. At this time, the entire length of the southern section of PA 42 was paved. The northern section of PA 42 was paved between Centralia and Aristes, from the south end of the US 11 concurrency in Bloomsburg to short distance north of Bloomsburg, between Millville and Iola, and between the south end of the US 220 concurrency in Beech Glen and Eagles Mere, while the route was under construction between Catawissa and US 11 in Bloomsburg and between Mordansville and Millville. By 1930, PA 42 was paved between Little Mountain and US 11 in Bloomsburg and between Mordansville and Millville.
In May 1935, the section of PA 42 between Oxford and Reading was replaced by US 122 (now PA 10). As a result, the northern terminus of the southern section of PA 42 was cut back to US 1 (Baltimore Pike) in Barnsley, having been removed from a concurrency with US 1 along Baltimore Pike between Barnsley and Oxford. The southern section of PA 42 was decommissioned in the 1940s, with the portion between the Maryland border and Chrome replaced by an extended PA 272 while the section between Chrome and Barnsley is now Barnsley Road. By 1950, the entire length of PA 42 was paved. In the 1950s, PA 42 was upgraded to a multilane road between Centralia and Aristes. PA 42 was widened to a divided highway between the south end of the US 11 concurrency and the I-80 interchange in Bloomsburg in the 1960s.