Green Belt (Pittsburgh)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Along the Green Belt in Edgewood

The Green Belt is a highway in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's fourth "belt" in the Pittsburgh/Allegheny County Belt System, running a half-circumference of the city in 34 miles (55 km) through suburban communities in the northern and eastern sectors of the county.^[1] Unlike the Purple Belt, Blue Belt and Yellow Belt, it does not make a complete circumference. (However, this is due to geographic concerns rather than intersecting with other counties, as is the case with the Red Belt and the Orange Belt.) The belt was originally set up in the 1940s though the current route was finalized in the 1970s.

The current Green Belt runs from its western terminus at PA 65 in Emsworth, Pennsylvania to PA 148 (and the Yellow Belt, the only point where one belt ends at another) in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, going north as far as Hampton Township, Pennsylvania. In its path around the city, the belt crosses or joins PA 8, PA 28, PA 65, PA 130, PA 148, and PA 837. It also briefly joins US 19.

A portion of the Green Belt is also part of the only dual-belt stretch of the system with the Blue Belt. The two belts meet at PA 28 (Blue northbound, Green southbound) at the Highland Park Bridge. The dual route runs across the bridge, around the loop and at the intersection of Butler St./Allegheny River Blvd. and Washington Blvd. At this point, the belts split up with the Green Belt continuing straight on Allegheny River Blvd. (beginning of PA 130 East) and the Blue Belt continuing with a right hand turn onto Washington Blvd. (PA 8 South).

The Green Belt runs through many Pittsburgh neighborhoods. Its most notable destinations include Kennywood and the Pittsburgh Zoo.