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Pennsylvania Route 115
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Pennsylvania Route 115
Pennsylvania Route 115 (PA 115) is a 35.7-mile-long (57.5 km) north–south state highway in eastern Pennsylvania. It stretches from U.S. Route 209 (US 209) in Brodheadsville, Monroe County, northwest to Interstate 81 (I-81) and PA 309 near Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County. PA 115 passes through rural areas along its route, intersecting PA 903 in Tunkhannock Township, I-80 and PA 940 in Tobyhanna Township, and I-476 (Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension) in Bear Creek Township. The road serves as a connector between the Pocono Mountains and the Wyoming Valley.
The road originated as the Sullivan Trail, a route that follows the path taken by General John Sullivan during his expedition in the American Revolutionary War. The Sullivan Trail later became known as the Easton and Wilkes-Barre Turnpike, a turnpike that connected Easton and Wilkes-Barre between 1815 and the 1850s. PA 115 was designated in 1928 to run from Montoursville east to Swiftwater; the route was designated PA 15 for a year prior to that. In 1935, the east end was realigned from Swiftwater to Saylorsburg. By 1937, the termini were moved from Montoursville to Mausdale and from Saylorsburg to Easton. PA 115 was extended west to Milton by 1950. The northern terminus was realigned to Hughesville by 1960, the same time a portion of the route from Saylorsburg to Wind Gap was relocated to a freeway alignment. PA 115's northern terminus was cut back to the Wilkes-Barre area in 1961. The southern terminus was rolled back to Brodheadsville by 1972. PA 115 has had its northern terminus in various locations in the Wilkes-Barre area from 1962 to 1990; finally being moved to its current location in 1991.
PA 115 begins at a roundabout with US 209 in the community of Brodheadsville in Chestnuthill Township, Monroe County, which is in the Pocono Mountains region. From this intersection, the route heads northwest as a two-lane undivided road, running through business areas and passing north of Pleasant Valley High School before continuing into a mix of farmland and woodland with some development. The road passes through the community of Effort and curves to the north. PA 115 briefly gains a center left-turn lane before it becomes a three-lane road with a second northbound lane and continues into forested areas with residential neighborhoods, turning to the northwest and entering Tunkhannock Township. The route narrows back to two lanes and runs through more dense forests. The road passes to the southwest of Pocono Raceway and gains a center left-turn lane before it curves more to the west and meets the northern terminus of PA 903. Past this intersection, the route narrows to two lanes and crosses Tunkhannock Creek. PA 115 heads northwest again through more forested areas with some development before crossing into Tobyhanna Township. Here, the route immediately reaches a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-80 at exit 284, at which point it widens into a four-lane divided highway. After the interchange, PA 115 narrows back into a two-lane undivided road and crosses Tobyhanna Creek. The route intersects PA 940 in the community of Blakeslee, at which point it passes a few businesses. Following this intersection, the road heads back through forests.
PA 115 crosses the Lehigh River into Buck Township in Luzerne County, where the name of the road becomes Buck Boulevard. The route passes through more dense forest, curving more to the west and entering Bear Creek Township in the community of Shades Glen. The road becomes Bear Creek Boulevard and continues west, entering the borough of Bear Creek Village. Here, PA 115 gains a center left-turn lane and heads through wooded areas of homes, passing to the south of Bear Creek Lake. The route heads northwest and becomes the border between Bear Creek Village to the northeast and Bear Creek Township to the southwest, with the turn lane disappearing and the road gaining a second southbound lane. The route fully enters Bear Creek Township again, where it turns back into a three-lane road with a center left-turn lane and passes near some residential neighborhoods, turning to the north.
PA 115 curves northwest and comes to a ramp that provides access to I-476 (Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension) at exit 105 (Wilkes-Barre interchange). The route becomes a wide two-lane road and runs parallel to I-476 to the west as it descends Wyoming Mountain. The road curves northeast, coming to a northbound pullover for overweight trucks, before a turn to the northwest, where it passes under I-476. PA 115 continues north through forests with some homes, coming to a northbound runaway truck ramp and passing through Llewellyns Corners. The route enters Plains Township and passes over the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad's Lehigh Division line as it comes to another northbound runaway truck ramp and winds through more dense forests as a four-lane divided highway. PA 115 turns to the west and passes south of commercial development before it comes to its northern terminus at a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-81 and PA 309 at exit 170 outside of the city of Wilkes-Barre. Past this interchange, the roadway continues west as a freeway called the North Cross Valley Expressway, which is part of PA 309.
The southern and northern portions of what became PA 115 from Easton to Wilkes-Barre was originally a pathway made by General John Sullivan and his forces in 1779 during the American Revolutionary War on their expedition from Easton to the Wyoming Valley. George Washington ordered Sullivan to march upstream the Susquehanna River to join General James Clinton's brigade at the Bradford County town of Tioga (now known as Athens). Soon after, Sullivan's army departed to Newtown, New York where they defeated the Iroquois and Cayuga Indians living in Western New York. His campaign was one of the most important military movements in the American Revolution. The southernmost segment of General Sullivan's path which became part of PA 115 centuries later from Knox Avenue in Easton to PA 512 in Wind Gap is currently designated as Sullivan Trail.
At the turn of the 19th century, the population and economy of Luzerne County continued to grow and there was a necessity for new roads to improve communication between distant settlements. Most of the early merchandise transportation in the area was done by Durham boats on the Lehigh and Susquehanna Rivers. This led Arnold Colt, a Luzerne County clerk, to construct a turnpike directly connecting the Wyoming and Lehigh Valleys on Sullivan's Trail. Colt then obtained a charter to incorporate the Easton and Wilkes-Barre Turnpike on February 11, 1803. The first 46 miles (74 km) of the turnpike from Wilkes-Barre to Wind Gap were finished by 1807. The road was completed by 1815 at a total expense of $75,000 (equivalent to $1.32 million in 2025).
They are building a plank road to Slocum Hollow [now Scranton] to get to a railroad and they say that a man can get from Wilkes-Barre to New York in a day. It is almost beyond my belief. I wonder what will become of the old turnpike there is no more use for the old man and the old road.
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Pennsylvania Route 115
Pennsylvania Route 115 (PA 115) is a 35.7-mile-long (57.5 km) north–south state highway in eastern Pennsylvania. It stretches from U.S. Route 209 (US 209) in Brodheadsville, Monroe County, northwest to Interstate 81 (I-81) and PA 309 near Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County. PA 115 passes through rural areas along its route, intersecting PA 903 in Tunkhannock Township, I-80 and PA 940 in Tobyhanna Township, and I-476 (Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension) in Bear Creek Township. The road serves as a connector between the Pocono Mountains and the Wyoming Valley.
The road originated as the Sullivan Trail, a route that follows the path taken by General John Sullivan during his expedition in the American Revolutionary War. The Sullivan Trail later became known as the Easton and Wilkes-Barre Turnpike, a turnpike that connected Easton and Wilkes-Barre between 1815 and the 1850s. PA 115 was designated in 1928 to run from Montoursville east to Swiftwater; the route was designated PA 15 for a year prior to that. In 1935, the east end was realigned from Swiftwater to Saylorsburg. By 1937, the termini were moved from Montoursville to Mausdale and from Saylorsburg to Easton. PA 115 was extended west to Milton by 1950. The northern terminus was realigned to Hughesville by 1960, the same time a portion of the route from Saylorsburg to Wind Gap was relocated to a freeway alignment. PA 115's northern terminus was cut back to the Wilkes-Barre area in 1961. The southern terminus was rolled back to Brodheadsville by 1972. PA 115 has had its northern terminus in various locations in the Wilkes-Barre area from 1962 to 1990; finally being moved to its current location in 1991.
PA 115 begins at a roundabout with US 209 in the community of Brodheadsville in Chestnuthill Township, Monroe County, which is in the Pocono Mountains region. From this intersection, the route heads northwest as a two-lane undivided road, running through business areas and passing north of Pleasant Valley High School before continuing into a mix of farmland and woodland with some development. The road passes through the community of Effort and curves to the north. PA 115 briefly gains a center left-turn lane before it becomes a three-lane road with a second northbound lane and continues into forested areas with residential neighborhoods, turning to the northwest and entering Tunkhannock Township. The route narrows back to two lanes and runs through more dense forests. The road passes to the southwest of Pocono Raceway and gains a center left-turn lane before it curves more to the west and meets the northern terminus of PA 903. Past this intersection, the route narrows to two lanes and crosses Tunkhannock Creek. PA 115 heads northwest again through more forested areas with some development before crossing into Tobyhanna Township. Here, the route immediately reaches a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-80 at exit 284, at which point it widens into a four-lane divided highway. After the interchange, PA 115 narrows back into a two-lane undivided road and crosses Tobyhanna Creek. The route intersects PA 940 in the community of Blakeslee, at which point it passes a few businesses. Following this intersection, the road heads back through forests.
PA 115 crosses the Lehigh River into Buck Township in Luzerne County, where the name of the road becomes Buck Boulevard. The route passes through more dense forest, curving more to the west and entering Bear Creek Township in the community of Shades Glen. The road becomes Bear Creek Boulevard and continues west, entering the borough of Bear Creek Village. Here, PA 115 gains a center left-turn lane and heads through wooded areas of homes, passing to the south of Bear Creek Lake. The route heads northwest and becomes the border between Bear Creek Village to the northeast and Bear Creek Township to the southwest, with the turn lane disappearing and the road gaining a second southbound lane. The route fully enters Bear Creek Township again, where it turns back into a three-lane road with a center left-turn lane and passes near some residential neighborhoods, turning to the north.
PA 115 curves northwest and comes to a ramp that provides access to I-476 (Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension) at exit 105 (Wilkes-Barre interchange). The route becomes a wide two-lane road and runs parallel to I-476 to the west as it descends Wyoming Mountain. The road curves northeast, coming to a northbound pullover for overweight trucks, before a turn to the northwest, where it passes under I-476. PA 115 continues north through forests with some homes, coming to a northbound runaway truck ramp and passing through Llewellyns Corners. The route enters Plains Township and passes over the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad's Lehigh Division line as it comes to another northbound runaway truck ramp and winds through more dense forests as a four-lane divided highway. PA 115 turns to the west and passes south of commercial development before it comes to its northern terminus at a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-81 and PA 309 at exit 170 outside of the city of Wilkes-Barre. Past this interchange, the roadway continues west as a freeway called the North Cross Valley Expressway, which is part of PA 309.
The southern and northern portions of what became PA 115 from Easton to Wilkes-Barre was originally a pathway made by General John Sullivan and his forces in 1779 during the American Revolutionary War on their expedition from Easton to the Wyoming Valley. George Washington ordered Sullivan to march upstream the Susquehanna River to join General James Clinton's brigade at the Bradford County town of Tioga (now known as Athens). Soon after, Sullivan's army departed to Newtown, New York where they defeated the Iroquois and Cayuga Indians living in Western New York. His campaign was one of the most important military movements in the American Revolution. The southernmost segment of General Sullivan's path which became part of PA 115 centuries later from Knox Avenue in Easton to PA 512 in Wind Gap is currently designated as Sullivan Trail.
At the turn of the 19th century, the population and economy of Luzerne County continued to grow and there was a necessity for new roads to improve communication between distant settlements. Most of the early merchandise transportation in the area was done by Durham boats on the Lehigh and Susquehanna Rivers. This led Arnold Colt, a Luzerne County clerk, to construct a turnpike directly connecting the Wyoming and Lehigh Valleys on Sullivan's Trail. Colt then obtained a charter to incorporate the Easton and Wilkes-Barre Turnpike on February 11, 1803. The first 46 miles (74 km) of the turnpike from Wilkes-Barre to Wind Gap were finished by 1807. The road was completed by 1815 at a total expense of $75,000 (equivalent to $1.32 million in 2025).
They are building a plank road to Slocum Hollow [now Scranton] to get to a railroad and they say that a man can get from Wilkes-Barre to New York in a day. It is almost beyond my belief. I wonder what will become of the old turnpike there is no more use for the old man and the old road.
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