Map of easternPennsylvania with PA Route 29 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byPennDOT | ||||
| Length | 118.239 mi[1] (190.287 km) | |||
| Existed | 1928[2]–present | |||
| Southern section | ||||
| Length | 43.454 mi[1] (69.932 km) | |||
| South end | ||||
| Major intersections |
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| North end | ||||
| Northern section | ||||
| Length | 74.785 mi[1] (120.355 km) | |||
| South end | ||||
| Major intersections |
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| North end | ||||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Pennsylvania | |||
| Counties | Chester,Montgomery,Berks,Lehigh;Luzerne,Wyoming,Susquehanna | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Pennsylvania Route 29 (PA 29) is a 118-mile-long (190 km) north–southstate highway that runs through most of easternPennsylvania.
The route currently has a southern and northern segment. The southern segment runs fromU.S. Route 30 (US 30) nearMalvern north toInterstate 78 (I-78)/PA 309 nearAllentown. The northern segment runs fromI-81 inAshley north to theNew York state line near Brookdale, Pennsylvania, where the road becomesNew York State Route 7 (NY 7). The southernmost 5 miles (8.0 km) of PA 29's northern segment is a freeway known as theSouth Cross Valley Expressway. The route was continuous until May 9, 1966, when PA 29 was split into the two segments that exist today.

The southern section of PA 29 begins at an intersection withUS 30 (Lancaster Avenue) nearMalvern inEast Whiteland Township,Chester County, heading north on six-lanedivided South Morehall Road. The road passes businesses, office parks, and a shopping center, curving northwest and crossing theChester Valley Trail as it narrows to four lanes. The road comes to an intersection with Matthews Road, which provides access to and fromUS 202 northbound. Just before the road crosses a bridge over the US 202 freeway, an entrance ramp from US 202 south intersects with PA 29 south. The route passes to the west of thePenn State Great Valley university campus as it reaches the Swedesford Road intersection, which provides access to remaining movements to and from US 202. Following the intersection, the route becomes North Morehall Road, heading to the west ofGreat Valley Corporate Center. PA 29 runs through wooded areas, crossingValley Creek before curving north and passing through more of the Great Valley Corporate Center. The road runs between a quarry to the west and a lake and residential development to the east before it comes to a ramp providing access to thePennsylvania Turnpike (I-76). Past here, the route becomes undivided near more commercial development, crossing intoCharlestown Township and then curving northwest, passing under the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and crossing an abandoned railroad line before enteringDevault.[3][4]
At this point, PA 29 turns north onto a two-lane undivided State Road and runs through wooded areas with the abandoned railroad parallel to the east. The road curves northwest and passes to the west of a quarry before continuing through forests. The route turns north and passes through Aldham before it makes a curve to the northeast and crossesPickering Creek. PA 29 passes under the abandoned railroad line and entersSchuylkill Township, heading through a mix of woods and fields with some homes parallel to the creek. The road turns east and then northeast, heading away from Pickering Creek and continuing into suburban residential development. The route becomes the border betweenPhoenixville to the northwest and Schuylkill Township to the southeast before fully entering Phoenixville as Main Street, passing homes. PA 29 heads to the east of Phoenixville Hospital before it comes to an intersection withPA 23, at which point Main Street splits to the north and PA 29 continues northeast along Manavon Street. The route continues through residential areas, turning north onto Starr Street. PA 29 heads north into the commercial downtown of Phoenixville, where it turns east onto Bridge Street. The route continues east and is joined by theSchuylkill River Trail from the west, passing underNorfolk Southern'sHarrisburg Line north of the formerPhoenixville station before it comes to theMont Clare Bridge over theSchuylkill River.[3][4]

Upon crossing the Schuylkill River, PA 29 entersUpper Providence Township inMontgomery County and heads northeast as Phoenixville-Collegeville Road, crossing the Schuylkill River Trail, which splits to the east, and heading intoMont Clare. The road runs past a mix of homes and businesses, passing under an abandoned railroad line. The route continues through residential areas before heading into a mix of fields and woods with some homes. PA 29 passes a golf course and residential developments as it becomes South Collegeville Road, heading near business parks and widening to four lanes. The road becomes a divided highway and comes to an interchange with theUS 422 freeway. Past this interchange, the route becomes a six-lane divided highway and runs between theProvidence Town Center shopping center to the northwest and office parks to the southeast. PA 29 narrows to a two-lane undivided road and passes to the southeast of residential development, heading throughYerkes. The road runs through wooded areas before it heads near businesses and entersCollegeville, where it gains a second northbound lane and becomes 2nd Avenue. The route curves east and crosses thePerkiomen Trail before heading past a shopping center to the north and homes to the south. The road narrows to two lanes and turns north, heading past more businesses and widening to a four-lane divided highway as it comes to an intersection withEast Main Street. Here, PA 29 crosses East Main Street and curves northeast before it heads north along two-lane undivided 1st Avenue, running along the west bank of thePerkiomen Creek. The road runs near some commercial development before it continues through wooded areas between the Perkiomen Trail to the west and the creek to the east, crossing the trail again.[3][5]
The route leaves Collegeville forPerkiomen Township and becomes Gravel Pike, running through wooded areas with some residential development to the west of the Perkiomen Trail and the Perkiomen Creek. InRahns, PA 29 comes to an intersection withPA 113. Past this junction, the road runs through more woodland with some residential and commercial development west of the creek, passing east of Perkiomen Valley High School and heading throughGraterford. The route continues north alongside Perkiomen Creek and bends northwest, coming to an intersection withPA 73. At this point, PA 29 begins aconcurrency with PA 73 and the two routes head intoSchwenskville on Main Street, heading past homes and businesses and curving to the north. Farther north, the road becomes the border between Schwenksville to the west andLower Frederick Township to the east, running between wooded neighborhoods to the west and the Perkiomen Creek and Perkiomen Trail to the east. The two routes crossSwamp Creek to fully enter Lower Frederick Township and become Gravel Pike, running through wooded areas with some homes. InZieglerville, PA 73 splits from PA 29 at aroundabout by heading west.[3][5]

From here, PA 29 continues north along Gravel Pike through a mix of farmland and woodland with a few homes and businesses. Farther north, the road entersUpper Frederick Township and runs through wooded areas with some fields and homes. The route curves northeast and crosses the Perkiomen Creek intoMarlborough Township, where it passes throughPerkiomenville and crosses the Perkiomen Trail again. PA 29 curves northwest and heads through forests along the east bank of the creek. The road makes a turn to the east and passes to the south of Knight Lake within Upper Perkiomen Valley County Park, heading intoGreen Lane. Here, the route turns north and runs past a mix of homes and businesses, coming to an intersection with the western terminus ofPA 63. Past this intersection, PA 29 bends to the northwest past more development before it turns west and runs through wooded areas on the border between Marlborough Township to the north and Green Lane to the south. The road turns north and fully enters Marlborough Township, heading through wooded areas with some homes to the east of Green Lane Reservoir Park.[3][5]
The route heads into a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes and entersUpper Hanover Township. Farther north, PA 29 crosses intoRed Hill and becomes Main Street, lined with homes. The road continues past residences with a few businesses and bends to the north-northwest. The route entersPennsburg and runs past more homes and commercial development. PA 29 reaches the commercial center of Pennsburg, where it comes to an intersection withPA 663. Past this intersection, the road runs past homes and a few businesses, continuing intoEast Greenville. In East Greenville, the route continues through residential areas. PA 29 leaves East Greenville for Upper Hanover Township and becomes Gravel Pike, passing between a shopping center to the southwest and farmland to the northeast. The road continues northwest through a mix of farm fields and residences, with industrial areas to the southwest. The route heads into forested areas with some development and passes under anEast Penn Railroad line. PA 29 runs to the north of Perkiomen Creek before it runs past homes and a few businesses inPalm. The road continues northwest into farmland with some homes.[3][5]

PA 29 entersHereford Township inBerks County and runs past homes with some farms and woods inChapel, curving to the north. The road runs through agricultural areas with some development and turns northwest, coming to an intersection withPA 100 in Hereford Township. At this point, PA 29 turns north for a concurrency with PA 100 on Chestnut Street, and the two routes head north into woodland with some fields and residences.[3][6]
PA 29/PA 100 crosses intoUpper Milford Township inLehigh County, which is in theLehigh Valley, curving northeast through wooded areas with some farmland and development in theSouth Mountain range. The road turns north nearOld Zionsville before it passes throughShimerville. PA 100 splits from PA 29 by turning northwest onto North Kings Highway, withPA 100 Truck heading north along PA 29.[3][7]
Past PA 100, PA 29/PA 100 Truck continue along Chestnut Street through wooded areas with some residential and commercial development. The road curves northeast and heads near homes, with PA 100 Truck splitting to the west to follow Buckeye Road. PA 29 continues past commercial development before it comes to a bridge over Norfolk Southern'sReading Line and curves to the east-northeast near homes and businesses. The road passes under thePennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, also known asI-476, and passes intoEmmaus, where the highway is lined with businesses. PA 29 veers northwest ontoCedar Crest Boulevard, where its passes through residential areas southwest ofEmmaus High School, and then heads through a section of Upper Milford Township prior to becoming the border betweenLower Macungie Township to the west and Emmaus to the east and curving to the north.
The road then fully enters Lower Macungie Township and crossesLittle Lehigh Creek, passing through a mix of fields, woods, and homes and running to the west of Lehigh Country Club. PA 29 crosses intoSalisbury Township and widens into a four-lane road that passes betweenLehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest to the west and an office park to the east. The route becomes a divided highway and comes to an interchange withI-78/PA 309, where the southern section of PA 29 ends and Cedar Crest Boulevard becomes SR 1019, continuing north towardAllentown.[3][7]

The northern section of PA 29 begins at atrumpet interchange withI-81 south ofAshley inHanover Township,Luzerne County, heading west on the South Cross Valley Expressway, a four-lanefreeway. The route passes through wooded areas with some nearby development, coming to an interchange with Main Street that provides access to Ashley to the northeast andSugar Notch to the southwest. Following this interchange, the freeway heads through a corner of Sugar Notch before crossing back into Hanover Township and passing near several warehouses and some homes. PA 29 reaches adiamond interchange with South Main Street that servesWilkes-Barre to the northeast andAlden to the southwest. The route bends west-southwest into wooded areas, curving to the northeast as it heads east ofNanticoke.
The freeway comes to an interchange with Sans Souci Parkway, which heads west to Nanticoke and northeast to Wilkes-Barre. Following this, PA 29 passes over Norfolk Southern'sSunbury Line before it comes to a bridge over theSusquehanna River, at which point it crosses intoPlymouth Township. Here, the route comes to the end of the South Cross Valley Expressway at a trumpet interchange with a two-way road carrying the northbound direction ofUS 11; the southbound direction of US 11 bypasses the interchange to the north.[8][9]
At this point, PA 29 heads west concurrent with the northbound direction of US 11 on a divided highway with one northbound lane and two southbound lanes, heading through wooded areas to the north of the Susquehanna River. The southbound direction of US 11 merges in and US 11/PA 29 continue west as two-lane undivided East Poplar Street through woods before heading past homes and businesses inWest Nanticoke, gaining acenter left-turn lane. The name changes to Allen Street before the roadway curves northwest. The road crossesHarveys Creek before PA 29 splits from US 11 by turning north-northeast onto two-lane South Mill Street, running past more development to the west of the creek. The route becomes North Mill Street before it leaves West Nanticoke and becomes an unnamed road, winding northeast through a section of thePinchot State Forest, alongside Harveys Creek and between Shickshinny Mountain to the west and Larksville Mountain to the east. The road crosses to the east side of the creek and winds north through more forest, crossing intoJackson Township. At this point, the route enters theBack Mountain region of Luzerne County. PA 29 curves to the northwest and leaves the state forest, passing through Ceasetown and heading west through more forested land. The road crosses Harveys Creek and heads to the south ofPikes Creek Reservoir, where it passes through a small corner of Plymouth Township before enteringLehman Township. The route continues through wooded areas with some homes before it curves northwest and runs throughSilkworth, where it passes southwest of Lake Silkworth. PA 29 turns to the north and runs through more forests with some fields and comes, crossing intoLake Township and coming to an intersection withPA 118 inPikes Creek. Past this intersection, the road runs through more woodland with some fields and homes, turning to the west. The route makes a sharp curve to the north and runs through more rural land with some development, winding to the northeast and passing through Ruggles Corners as it runs to the southeast ofNorth Mountain.[8][9]
PA 29 entersNoxen Township inWyoming County and continues northeast through a mix of fields and woods with some homes, coming to an intersection with the northern terminus ofPA 415 in Ruggles Corners. Here, the route turns northwest and runs through forests with some homes, curving to the north. The road bends northeast and then east, heading intoNoxen. Here, PA 29 curves north and turns east, continuing past homes. The route crossesBowman Creek and heads into farmland with some homes, enteringMonroe Township and bending to the northeast. The road passes over the creek again and continues toBowman Creek, where it curves north and reaches an intersection with the northern terminus of PA 309. At this point, PA 29 heads northwest and crosses Bowman Creek, running through forested areas with a few homes to the west of the creek. The route curves northeast and continues alongside Bowman Creek, passing through Evans Falls. The road runs through forests with some fields and homes, enteringEaton Township and reaching a junction with the western terminus ofPA 292. Following this, PA 29 continues through rural land, turning north and briefly becoming a four-lane divided highway. The route becomes a two-lane undivided road again and crosses Bowman Creek on atruss bridge, passing to the east of Seneca Trail County Park. The road continues north-northeast through a mix of farms and woods east of the creek, passing through Rosengrant and turning to the northeast. PA 29 crosses Bowman Creek again and continues through rural areas with some development, turning to the north. The route gains a center left-turn lane and becomes Hunter Highway, passing businesses as it heads to the west ofSkyhaven Airport. Farther north, the road loses the center turn lane.[8][10]
PA 29 crosses the Susquehanna River intoTunkhannock and becomes Bridge Street, crossing theReading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad's Susquehanna Branch line and coming to an intersection withUS 6. From here, the route runs past businesses and reaches a junction withUS 6 Bus. in the commercial downtown of Tunkhannock. The road continues north-northeast through residential areas with a few businesses. PA 29 leaves Tunkhannock forTunkhannock Township and becomes an unnamed road, heading north through a mix of farmland and woodland with some residences and commercial development. The road continues through wooded areas with some fields and homes, passing to the west of Lake Carey and heading intoLemon Township. The route heads to the east of Stevens Lake and runs through farms and woods, passing through Lemon. The road passes through more rural land and crossesMeshoppen Creek before running to the west of Avery.[8][10]

PA 29 continues intoSpringville Township inSusquehanna County and heads north-northeast through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes, passing throughSpringville. The road continues through rural land with some natural gas wells and crosses intoDimock Township, passing through Tyler. The route runs through farmland with some woods, homes, and natural gas wells and turns to the north, heading throughDimock. PA 29 runs through a mix of fields and woods with some development, enteringBridgewater Township. The road passes to the west ofHusky Haven Airport and runs past homes and businesses inSouth Montrose. The route continues north-northeast through rural areas before it bends northeast and then northwest as it runs through woodland with some nearby homes. PA 29 entersMontrose and becomes South Main Street, running through residential areas. The route curves northeast and runs past businesses before reaching an intersection withPA 167/PA 706 in the downtown area of Montrose. Here, PA 29 turns southeast to join PA 167/PA 706 on Church Street. The road passes more homes, turning northeast and becoming Grow Avenue. The three routes head into commercial areas and crosses back into Bridgewater Township, becoming an unnamed road.[8][11]
PA 29 splits from PA 167/PA 706 by heading north on an unnamed road, passing to the west of Lake Montrose. The road continues through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes, crossing intoFranklin Township and bending to the north-northeast. The route winds north through more rural areas and becomes parallel toSnake Creek, which is to the east of the road. PA 29 runs through wooded areas with some fields and residences, passing through Franklin Forks. The road continues north and entersLiberty Township, where it becomes Snake Creek Road and bends north-northeast, running through Lawsville Center. The route runs through forests with some farm fields and residences to the west of Snake Creek and heads through Brookdale. The northern section of PA 29 reaches its northern terminus at theNew York state line, where the road continues into that state asNY 7.[8][11]

PA 29 was created and first signed in 1928. During this time, construction began on the segment betweenTunkhannock north toSpringville. The following year, in 1929, the stretch between Tunkhannock and Lemon, midway Tunkhannock and Springville, opened to traffic. Lemon to Springville opened the following year, in 1930.
In 1934, work started on the section between US 6 in Tunkhannock and Franklin Forks, located midway between Montrose and the state border. The construction was complete by the following year. In 1936, two major sections of the route, stretching between Evans Falls to Rosengrants, near Tunkhannock, and from Franklin Forks to the state line, were paved. A subsequent project united PA 29 into a single route, completing the road fromHazleton to Tunkhannock. PA 29 and PA 113 switched alignments between Phoenixville and Rahns in 1937, with PA 29 now following its present alignment between those two places.[12][13] Two years later, the section from Rosengrants to Tunkhannock was paved. In 1940, the section between Bowmans Creek and Evans Falls was paved.
In 1946, the route underwent its first realignment when PA 29 was routed to its current position between West Nanticoke and Silkworth, shifting the route from Cragle Hill Road and Swamp Road toUS 11 fromShickshinny to West Nanticoke. This routing replacedPennsylvania Route 139. The route was split on May 9, 1966, by eliminating the section between US 309 in Allentown and US 11 in West Nanticoke, removing a number of overlaps that linked the two segments. The former alignment of PA 29 became solely US 309 (now PA 309) between Allentown andSchnecksville, newly-designatedPA 873 between Schnecksville andLehigh Gap, newly-designatedPA 248 between Lehigh Gap andWeissport, solelyUS 209 between Weissport andNesquehoning, an extension ofPA 93 between Nesquehoning andNescopeck, an extension ofPA 239 between Nescopeck and Shickshinny, and solely US 11 between Shickshinny and West Nanticoke.[14][15]

In 1969, construction began on the South Cross Valley Expressway betweenSugar Notch and theNanticoke interchange. The expressway was extended to I-81 in 1971 and opened in 1972.
Prior to construction of the US 202 expressway in 1970, PA 29 travelled entirely on Phoenixville Pike between Phoenixville and West Chester. PA 29 entered West Chester on Goshen Road and Marshall Street, ending at PA 100 (High Street) in town. When the US 202 expressway was built, PA 29 was rerouted onto Morehall Road at Devault and ran south to junction US 202 and then end at US 30.[2]
In 1978, PA 29 was re-signed to the northern segment of the route after 12 years of not having a designation. The southern terminus was moved from West Nanticoke to the current end at I-81 exit 164 inAshley. Plans to extend the South Cross Valley Expressway were announced in 2009 but have not yet commenced.
In 1996, plans were made by thePennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) to construct E-ZPass-only slip ramps connecting the Pennsylvania Turnpike to PA 29 near Devault. Construction of the ramps were seen as necessary in order to provide a turnpike connection to the nearby Great Valley Corporate Center, along with traffic relief to the area of suburban Chester County that lies within the 14-mile stretch of the turnpike between the Downingtown and Valley Forge interchanges. The slip ramps initially faced opposition from local residents, as they voiced concern as to the potential implications a turnpike connection would have on traffic in the area.[16] Funding for the PA 29 slip ramp was approved in 2002,[17] but due to environmental concerns, design issues, and continued opposition, construction did not begin until March 2011.[17][18] The interchange officially opened to the public on December 11, 2012.[19] Following the turnpike's switch totoll-by-plate electronic toll collection in 2020, the interchange is no longer E-ZPass only, and is now open to non-E-ZPass tagholders.
In 2009, a roundabout was constructed at the intersection of PA 29 and PA 73 in Lower Frederick Township, which resulted in a decrease in crashes at the junction following its opening.[20]
In November 2020, a portion of PA 29 in Collegeville was realigned to directly cross East Main Street from 2nd Avenue to 1st Avenue, as the previous alignment had no direct connection between 2nd Avenue and 1st Avenue, forcing PA 29 drivers onto East Main Street for about 200 feet (61 m).[21]
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester | East Whiteland Township | 0.000 | 0.000 | Southern terminus | |||
| 0.422 | 0.679 | ||||||
| 0.513 | 0.826 | Interchange; southbound entrance only | |||||
| 0.656 | 1.056 | ||||||
| 1.984 | 3.193 | Exit 320 on I-76 / Penna Turnpike | |||||
| Phoenixville | 6.717 | 10.810 | |||||
| Schuylkill River | 7.693 | 12.381 | Mont Clare Bridge | ||||
| Montgomery | Upper Providence Township | 10.112– 10.128 | 16.274– 16.299 | Interchange | |||
| Perkiomen Township | 14.342 | 23.081 | |||||
| Schwenksville | 17.333 | 27.895 | Southern end of PA 73 concurrency | ||||
| Lower Frederick Township | 19.584 | 31.517 | Roundabout; northern end of PA 73 concurrency | ||||
| Green Lane | 24.342 | 39.175 | Western terminus of PA 63 | ||||
| Pennsburg | 28.918 | 46.539 | |||||
| Berks | Hereford Township | 33.761 | 54.333 | Southern end of PA 100 concurrency | |||
| Lehigh | Upper Milford Township | 37.833 | 60.886 | Northern end of PA 100 concurrency; southern terminus of PA 100 Truck | |||
| 39.376 | 63.370 | Northern end of PA 100 Truck concurrency | |||||
| Salisbury Township | 43.454 | 69.932 | Northern terminus; exit 55 on I-78 | ||||
| Gap in route | |||||||
| Luzerne | Hanover Township | 0.000 | 0.000 | Southern end of freeway section | |||
| Southern terminus; exit 164 on I-81 | |||||||
| Sugar Notch | 0.642 | 1.033 | 1 | Sugar Notch,Ashley | Access via Main Street | ||
| Hanover Township | 1.999 | 3.217 | 2 | Wilkes-Barre,Alden | Access via South Valley Parkway; signed as exits 2A (Wilkes-Barre) and 2B (Alden) northbound | ||
| 4.131 | 6.648 | 3 | Nanticoke,Wilkes-Barre | Access via Sans Souci Parkway; access toLuzerne County Community College | |||
| Plymouth Township | 4.866 | 7.831 | Southern end of US 11 concurrency | ||||
| 4.866 | 7.831 | Northern end of freeway section | |||||
| 6.396 | 10.293 | Northern end of US 11 concurrency | |||||
| Lake Township | 16.947 | 27.274 | |||||
| Wyoming | Noxen Township | 24.844 | 39.983 | Northern terminus of PA 415 | |||
| Monroe Township | 30.511 | 49.103 | Northern terminus of PA 309 | ||||
| Eaton Township | 34.111 | 54.896 | Western terminus of PA 292 | ||||
| Tunkhannock | 39.982 | 64.345 | |||||
| 40.104 | 64.541 | ||||||
| Susquehanna | Montrose | 61.505 | 98.983 | Southern end of PA 167/PA 706 concurrency | |||
| Bridgewater Township | 62.691 | 100.891 | Northern end of PA 167/PA 706 concurrency | ||||
| Liberty Township | 74.785 | 120.355 | Continuation intoNew York | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||||
| Location | Upper Providence Township |
|---|---|
Pennsylvania Route 29 Truck signs are used to direct motorists from Egypt Road at theUS 422 interchange to PA 29 inUpper Providence Township inMontgomery County. Trucks are not allowed to make the sharp right turn from westbound Egypt Road to northbound PA 29 and must use Black Rock Road to access PA 29 north. Trucks heading to southbound PA 29 may access it from Egypt Road.[22][23]
| Location | Lehigh County |
|---|---|
| Length | 11.2 mi[24] (18.0 km) |
Pennsylvania Route 29 Truck is atruck route around a weight-restricted bridge overNorfolk Southern'sReading Line inUpper Milford Township inLehigh County, on which trucks over 30 tons and combination loads over 40 tons are prohibited. The route follows Buckeye Road and Chestnut Street (running concurrent withPA 100 Truck),PA 100, Weilers Road, Hamilton Boulevard, and Lower Macungie Road. It was signed in 2013.[24][25]