U.S. Route 13 in Pennsylvania - History

History

Prior to 1928, U.S. Route 13 was Pennsylvania Route 91 between the Delaware border and Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Route 32 from Philadelphia to Morrisville. In 1954, construction began on the limited-access portion of US 13 in Bucks County with the section from U.S. Route 1 to Tyburn Road opening in 1955 and the section from Tyburn Road to Tullytown opening in 1956. U.S. Route 13 was moved to this expressway from its former alignment which followed Bristol Pike between Tullytown and Morrisville.

At the time of its completion, this expressway was planned to be a part of Interstate 95, with the highway leaving its current alignment at Exit 40 (Pennsylvania Route 413) and following US 13 up to US 1, where it would head north into Trenton by way of the Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge. However, New Jersey officials opposed this plan, and I-95 was routed to cross the Delaware River on the Scudders Falls Bridge. In 1969, another plan was created to build a US 13 expressway that would provide a direct connection between I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 276). It would have run from Exit 40 of I-95, intersect the PA Turnpike, and head to the southern end of the completed US 13 expressway in Tullytown. It was eventually cancelled due to feared environmental impacts on Silver Lake Park.