This 2004 photo shows the southbound PA 100 Expressway spur from the US 202 Expressway to downtown West Chester. During the 1960's and 1970's, the state planned to extend the PA 100 Expressway north to the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) and possibly beyond. (Photo by Alex Nitzman, aaroads.com.)

Known locally as Pottstown Pike, PA 100 serves as an important north-south artery through Chester, Montgomery and Berks counties. Through Exton, PA 100 becomes a four-lane divided highway, and from Pottstown north to New Berlinville, the route becomes a partially controlled-access highway with some grade-separated interchanges. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) owns right-of-way through this area to convert the existing at-grade intersections into diamond interchanges.

A NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY THROUGH CHESTER COUNTY? In the 1960's, the Pennsylvania Department of Highways proposed an extension of the PA 100 Expressway south to US 202 in West Chester. Although no definite alignment had been decided upon, the PA 100 Expressway would have paralleled the existing route just to the east, continuing south across the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76, at EXIT 312) and the Exton Bypass (US 30) before connecting to the existing controlled-access spur to US 202.

Despite growing congestion along the PA 100 corridor, particularly along the section from the Exton Bypass north to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, PennDOT currently has no plans to construct the PA 100 Expressway.

FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE EXISTING ROUTE: According to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, PennDOT is planning improvements on PA 100 north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. These improvements are as follows:

• In Eagle, PennDOT is proposing a two-lane bypass east of the existing PA 100 bypass. The $3 million project is currently in the final design stage.
  

• Moving north into Ludwig's Corner, PennDOT is planning to add two lanes around the east side of town. This would result in four through-lanes: the new lanes would be northbound, while the existing lanes would be southbound. The $4 million project is currently in the preliminary design stage.
  

To accommodate through traffic in the PA 100 corridor, and to fill in a gap in the regional expressway grid, the PA 100 Expressway should be constructed as a four-lane route from the US 202 Expressway spur north to the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76).

SOURCES: 1985 Regional Transportation Plan, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (1969); Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; Transportation Management Association of Chester County; Len Pundt.

• PA 100 shield by Ralph Herman.
  

PA 100 EXPRESSWAY LINKS:

• PA 100 (Jeff Kitsko)
  
• PA 100 (Alex Nitzman)
  
• PA 100 Traffic Counts (Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission)
  

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