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Penn Avenue is the chief thoroughfare approach to most of the hilltop country in Wilkins township, feeding it via the Greensburg Pike and another highway to the east. Its gradient is very bad. A new approach can be made to the high land on an easy gradient by branching to the north from the proposed Ardmore thoroughfare (Section 42 above) about 3,000 feet east of Franklin Avenue, crossing the mouth of the first valley and following up the side of the eastern valley to the hilltop roads.

As a further improvement, opening up this high land and connecting the important radial thoroughfares, this new street should be extended north along the hilltop to Frankstown Road.

44. Greensburg Pike. -- From the northwest the Greensburg Pike (or Penn Avenue) descends into Turtle Creek with many sharp angles and a very steep gradient. A new hillside street descending the west side of the hill, rounding the nose thereof, and thence extending northward down to the valley level at Turtle Creek, is not an impossible solution of the present difficulties.

45. Greensburg Pike South of Turtle Creek. -- South of Turtle Creek the Greensburg Pike again ascends the hill on a pretty steep gradient. In part at least this gradient can be improved by making the route somewhat more circuitous.

46. Streets Run. -- From the Glenwood bridge one thoroughfare, destined to be of importance, follows the valley of Streets Run to Miller's Grove, branching there into lines feeding Snowden, Jefferson and the southern portions of Baldwin and Mifflin townships. The street needs, in addition to widening, some re-alignment and regrading. At several points where it crosses the Run, the fords should be replaced by bridges.

47. Dravosburg and Mifflin township thoroughfares. -- Going south from the Glenwood bridge the first valley branching eastward from Streets Run leads to the high land at Lincoln Place. Irwin Street is the present thoroughfare in this valley, but towards its upper end it becomes rather steep for main thoroughfare purposes. The most feasible plan to reach the southern highlands of Mifflin township and to connect with Dravosburg and thence up the Monongahela, is probably to follow up the south fork of the Irwin Street valley, climbing gradually but steadily along the hillside, and reaching the high land above the head of Thompson Run. From this point branch roads can tap much of the hilltop

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Last modified on 22-Dec 1999
Design format: copyright 1997-1999 Bruce S. Cridlebaugh
Original document: Frederick Law Olmsted, 1910