Pennsylvania Route 287 (PA 287) is a state highway in the Tioga Valley of Pennsylvania, United States. PA 287 runs from an intersection with U.S. Route 220 (US 220) in the community of Larrys Creek in Piatt Township, Lycoming County, north to an intersection with PA 49 just south of the New York state line in Lawrenceville, Tioga County. The route follows Larrys Creek through several isolated communities, including Salladasburg and English Center, before working its way towards Hoytville, where it meets PA 414. The route ends up in Wellsboro, where it meets US 6, and reaches Tioga.
The alignment of PA 287 has been successor to a set of plank roads from Larrys Creek to Lawrenceville. The southern plank road, known as the Larrys Creek Plank Road, dates back to 1850 as short highway from Larrys Creek to Salladasburg, and was completely gone by 1900. The second part followed the Tioga and Lawrenceville Plank Road, which although is named from Tioga to Lawrenceville, went from Wellsboro to Tioga. The portion to Lawrenceville was never constructed. The route also followed several postal routes in the area. In 1911, the Sproul Road Bill was passed, and PA 287 became segments of Legislative Route 22, Legislative Route 106, and Legislative Route 353. In 1924, the northernmost portion was designated Route 4 and the Susquehanna Trail. This was changed to part of US 220 in 1926.
In 1928, US 111 was designated, and along with Pennsylvania Route 84, consisted of the alignment of PA 287. US 111 was redesignated as part of US 15. The highway was redesignated as PA 287 in 1961 when PA 84 was decommissioned in favor of Interstate 84 (I-84). The route was extended from Tioga to Lawrenceville in 2008, when the construction of US 15 was finished to the New York state line, and PA 287 was extended to PA 49.
History Old roads
Much of the current-day alignment for PA 287 has been constructed through many different post, plank and turnpike roads in Lycoming and Tioga counties. The earliest known plank road in the area of the current day highway dates back to 1810, when a mail postal route was created along current day PA 287 from Wellsboro to Willardsburg (later known as Tioga). The mail was delivered once a week on horseback for several years, with the service discontinued in 1818. That year, the service was changed to a semi-weekly service for delivery two times a week on horseback. In 1824, this service was also discontinued when the mail route began to be used by coaches three times a week. This service was used and then decommissioned by 1835, when a new system, which stretched from Wellsboro and past Willardsburg to the community of Lawrenceville, was established.
This route followed the alignment of PA 287, making stops in Middlebury Center, Holliday, Willardsburg and Mitchell's Creek before ending in Lawrenceville. This mail route was truncated back to Willardsburg in 1840, when the nearby Corning and Blossburg Railroad was completed. The stagecoach lines started working along the three-day process for about ten years, when the nearby Tioga and Wellsboro Plank Road was completed, which made stagecoaches run daily. Along with numerous competition, the service was discontinued in 1872, when the Lawrenceville and Wellsboro Railroad was completed. At that time, the stagecoach lines has ceased operation. By 1883, the only piece of mail routes in the area of Tioga County was a piece near Middlebury Center, but was not as large as the process once was.
Although the Corning and Blossburg Railroad had served as a good travel connection between Wellsboro and Lawrenceville (the Tioga Valley), several communities in the Crooked Creek Valley felt they were not well accommodated. At that time, in locations where railroads were not a feasible option, the construction of plank roads became a highly popular option. In 1848, the Pennsylvania State Legislature approved and chartered construction of a brand new plank road in the valley, to be called the Tioga and Elmira Plank Road, following the alignments of current-day PA 287, PA 328 and New York State Route 328 to Elmira, New York. Construction was unable to start in 1848, so a supplement to the charter was amended on April 5, 1849, which extended the work period to continue until 1856. Yet another supplement was added in 1850, when the Tioga and Lawrenceville Plank Road was chartered on May 14.
This new plank road also had the ability to extend their plank road down to Wellsboro, which repealed the acts of 1848 and 1849. The plank road was contracted and completed in a timely fashion down to Wellsboro from Tioga. In 1851, the plank road was complete from Wellsboro to Tioga, and the thoroughfare became highly used by people transporting lumber, agriculture and merchandise. This helped farmers and producers in the communities of Middlebury Center, Holliday and Delmar (now the area of Wellsboro Junction). The plank road would eventually get worn out from use, and the route was eventually changed from a plank road to a high use turnpike. The long piece of plank road, created in the original charter from Tioga to Lawrenceville, was never constructed.
The southernmost portion of PA 287 was the location of a third plank road, this time beginning at the mouth of Larrys Creek in the eponymous community to the current day location of English Center. The road was first considered during the early 19th century; James Williamson, a strong local entrepreneur lived in these areas and it is assumed that the road builders in this area of Lycoming County were in favor of his suggestions. On May 8, 1850, the Pennsylvania State Legislature chartered a brand new plank road along the riverbank of Larrys Creek. The stock of the plank road was 20 shares of $40.00 (1850 USD). Williamson himself was awarded the job as contractor, and in 1850, using full advantage of woodsmen who were unemployed, low wages, and wasted hemlock log trees, began construction.
By 1851, the plank road had been constructed all the way to the community of Salladasburg. With the -wide plank road came several tollhouses along the entire route to pay charge for using the roadway. A movable barrier was also installed, so people could not gain access without payment. The plank road was finished and prospered for many years. The common transport on the road was bark and hides, along with hauling leather over to the Larrys Creek Railroad. On June 1, 1889, a major flood hit the area around the plank road, and when things were all said and done, it had experienced extensive damage. In places where damage had occurred, the road was replaced by graded dirt roads. In 1900, the remains of the plank road remained only from Salladasburg to the Larrys Creek Railroad Station. Later that year, a petition was raised to make this remaining piece of road free to access. The case was closed in support of the motion and the plank road company shut down forever.
Designation of PA 84
On May 31, 1911, the state of Pennsylvania signed the Sproul Road Bill, which started a drastic state takeover of highways around the commonwealth. Originally, only several routes were assigned around the state. The bill had approved a road from Wellsboro to the New York state line, which was designated as Legislative Route 22. At the time, this was the only state-maintained portion of PA 287 that was in use. By 1915, more of PA 287 was taken over by the state, with the portion from the current-day intersection with PA 414 in Morris Township to the intersection with PA 660 in Wellsboro becoming designated as Legislative Route 106, where it reached Legislative Route 22 and 21. In 1916, the portion from Legislative Route 23 (now the intersection with US 220) in Larrys Creek to the community of Brookside was taken over as Legislative Route 353.
The designations remained in place until 1924, when actual route designations were assigned in the commonwealth. The part that was later made as part of US 15, which was then changed to an alignment of Route 287, was designated as PA 4 (over the Susquehanna Trail). The route received another designation in 1926, upon the creation of United States Highways across the country. The portion from Tioga to an intersection with the current day US 15 was designated as part of US 220.
This remained in place for only two years, and when the Pennsylvania Department of Highways redesignated highways across the entire commonwealth, the alignment of the US 220 portion was redesignated as US 111, while the entire alignment of PA 287 from the Larrys Creek to Tioga was redesignated as PA 84. The entire alignment of PA 84 consisted of an intersection with US 220 in Larrys Creek to US 111 in Tioga, where the highway terminated. In 1930, the concurrent piece of Legislative Route 4 was decommissioned, and the alignment of the highway remained as US 111. The portion from Tioga north remained as US 111 until 1936, when the highway was renumbered to US 15.
In that time, several intersections along PA 287 tied in with several former state highways. During the 1928 numbering, the intersection with PA 414 in Hoytville was designated as PA 893, a local intersection in Antrim was designated as PA 961, and the intersection in Somers Lane was designated as PA 826. The routes were decommissioned in 1955, 1946, and 1941 respectively. After 1946, when a mass decommissioning of state highways occurred, PA 84 remained in place for another 15 years, when the plans arose for I-84, which duplicated the state highway. Because of this duplication, PA 84 was reassigned as PA 287.
US 15 conversion
During the 1960s, plans developed to widen US 15 for safety precautions. Construction progressed fast, reaching the Lycoming County line in 1968. At the time, PA 287 terminated at an intersection with US 15 at the Hammond Reservoir. Ten years later, US 15 was completed up to Tioga, and that year, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation extended PA 287 to the new interchange. At that point, US 15 followed the northernmost alignment of PA 287 to Lawrenceville. This interchange was completed in late 2000 with an opening ceremony by then-governor Tom Ridge.
With the proposal for the brand new I-99 following US 15's alignment, construction was upgraded once again, and a new alignment for US 15 was started in 2005. The alignment was constructed for the final from Tioga to the state line. With the alignment's completion, US 15 was realigned onto the newly opened freeway on October 1, 2008. The entire project cost $102 million (2008 USD), including one new interchange and the completion of the PA 287 interchange in Tioga.
Route description
Lycoming County PA 287 begins at an interchange with westbound US 220 in the Piatt Township community of Larrys Creek. The route heads north, following a former plank road through the rural areas to the west of Williamsport. After a while, the roadway becomes moderately developed, following residential houses for a short distance. The route enters the community of Larrysville, where the route turns to the northwest through a line of forests. PA 287 intersects with Zinck Road, where the roadway becomes highly developed, following the route past residential homes and a large factory. The route crosses through a small patch of forests and enters Mifflin Township, where it intersects with PA 973. PA 973 becomes concurrent with PA 287 here, entering the community of Salladasburg, where the two highways fork. PA 287 continues northward on the right-of-way, while PA 973 heads to the northeast along Main Street. At an intersection with Dochter Street, a connector to PA 973, PA 287 turns to the northwest and leaves Salladasburg.