Pennsylvania Route 28

Pennsylvania Route 28 is a state highway in western Pennsylvania running north–northeast from Pittsburgh to Brookville. The route serves as a regional connector between urban neighborhoods, suburban boroughs, and rural counties, linking with several major corridors and facilitating access to industrial sites, recreational areas, and municipal centers. It is maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and has undergone multiple upgrades since its 1920s designation.

Route description

The southern terminus begins near Point State Park and the convergence of the Allegheny River and Monongahela River, providing links to Interstate 279 and downtown Pittsburgh. Through the city the highway passes adjacent to Oakland institutions such as University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, then parallels the Allegheny River corridor northward toward the suburban boroughs of Shaler Township, Tarentum, and Brackenridge. The route transitions to a limited-access freeway north of the Heritage Valley area, interchanging with Pennsylvania Route 910 and U.S. Route 22 near the Kiskiminetas River crossing.

Continuing through Allegheny County and into Armstrong County, the highway serves the communities of Freeport and Kittanning, where it intersects U.S. Route 422 and provides access to regional attractions such as the Allegheny River Trail. Northbound, the road traverses parts of Indiana County near Indiana—home to Indiana University of Pennsylvania—before entering Jefferson County and terminating at U.S. Route 322 near Brookville. Along its length the corridor provides connections to freight terminals serving Conrail remnants and the Norfolk Southern Railway, and to recreational sites such as Cook Forest State Park.

History

The route was designated in the 1920s as part of Pennsylvania's renumbering contemporaneous with the establishment of the United States Numbered Highway System. Early alignments followed local roads linking Pittsburgh with northern market towns, passing through industrial communities associated with the Steel industry in Pittsburgh and coalfields tied to the coal industry. In the mid-20th century, planning tied the corridor to postwar suburbanization trends seen in Allegheny County and to interstate-era projects such as I-76 and I-79.

Significant upgrades in the 1960s–1980s converted portions to a four-lane divided highway and limited-access freeway segments, prompted by traffic demands related to commuter flows to Pittsburgh and industrial freight movements serving facilities tied to companies like U.S. Steel and regional manufacturing firms. Environmental reviews in the late 20th century addressed riverbank impacts along the Allegheny River and coordination with agencies such as the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and regional planning organizations including the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. More recent decades saw pavement rehabilitation projects and interchange reconstructions coordinated with federal programs administered by the Federal Highway Administration.

Major intersections

- Southern terminus: junction with I-279 / downtown Pittsburgh - Interchange with Pennsylvania Route 8 near northern Pittsburgh - Connection to Pennsylvania Route 910 in the northern suburbs - Junction with US 22 / near Kittanning - Intersection with US 422 at Kittanning - Interchange providing access to Pennsylvania Route 66 in Armstrong County - Crossing and access to Indiana area via local connectors to US 119 - Northern terminus: junction with US 322 near Brookville

Future and planned improvements

Planning documents from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and regional metropolitan planning organizations identify corridor-focused projects including interchange modernizations, pavement replacement, and safety improvements targeted at high-crash segments near suburban interchanges and river crossings. Proposed work aligns with federal funding programs administered by the Federal Highway Administration and state bridge programs addressing structures over tributaries of the Allegheny River. Local economic development initiatives involving Allegheny County and Jefferson County have prioritized access improvements to support industrial sites, logistics hubs tied to Norfolk Southern Railway, and tourism gateways to areas like Cook Forest State Park. Environmental permitting for future expansions will require coordination with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and regional conservation organizations.

Category:State highways in Pennsylvania