In 1947, the section from Grove Road to New Park was paved.

In 1966, the western terminus was moved from Railroad to Sticks.

In 1941, the section from Myers Corner to Knight School Road was paved.

Resigned in 1963 from Maxatawny to Lynnport.  In 1995, moved onto Allemaengel Road from Lynnport to New Tripoli.

In 1968, the northern terminus was moved from Utahville to its current location.

In 1994, the southern terminus was extended one-quarter mile south to intersect I-99/US 220 at Exit 41.

Moved to its current route between Williamsburg and US 22 in 1946, from the former route from Williamsburg to Yellow Spring.

Signed in 1966 on its current alignment.

In 1956, construction on a new alignment from Keewaydin to Karthaus began.  In 1967, this alignment received the designation.

In 1970, the western terminus was moved from Clearfield to its current location.

In 1967, the southern terminus was moved from PA 64 in Salona to its current location.

In 1954, the northern terminus was moved from US 22/US 30 at Wilmot Street to Exit 2A.

In 1967, the interchange with PA 837 at the southern end of the Glenwood Bridge was completed.

A median was installed from Lebanon Church Road to Lewis Run Road in 1971.  Northern terminus moved in 1991 from Exit 2A of I-376 to its current location.

With the Boulevard of the Allies showing its age, and with it to become a detour route once the Fort Pitt rehabilitation project got underway, PennDOT decided it was time for a refurbished boulevard.  On May 6, 2001, Mascaro L.P. of Pittsburgh began the $10.4 million project to reconstruct the right outbound lane and four structures along the Boulevard of the Allies.  Once completed, a layer of Superpave Asphalt was laid down.  Hillside stabilization work was performed below Duquesne University, and a Rockfall Retaining System with additional slope protection netting was placed along the Penn-Lincoln Parkway below.  The project concluded in July 2002.

Also signed on Ridge Road and Ninth Street from the Delaware state line to US 13 in Chester in Delaware County, from 1935 to 1946.

In 1940, the sections between Jersey Mill and Cammal and Hilborn to Cedar Run were paved and paved north of Cammal in 1946.

The route was paved south of Slate Run in 1953, and improved north in 1954.  Also in 1954, it was improved from Cedar Run to the Tioga County line.

We've all see deer carcasses on the highway.  I mean how can you not see them?  Well in 1996, PennDOT workers didn't when they paved over one in Schuylkill County.  State transportation engineer for PennDOT District 5, Walter Bortree, said that it was a department crew, and not a contractor, that made the goof. “Yes, the operator should have seen the deer, and yes, it should have been removed. It should not have occurred. We made a mistake.”  He went on to add that the shoulder of the highway is normally swept before work is done and workers normally remove road kill.  Keither Billig, the mayor of nearby Bowmanstown, pointed out, “The deer was lying there dead for three to four weeks. You can’t miss it. It’s in a straight-away.”

In 1930, the route was paved from Homeville to Octararo and in 1932 from Octararo to PA 372.  In 1936, the northern terminus was moved from PA 372 to Lancaster and the southern terminus was moved from Russellville to its current location.

In 1968, the northern terminus was moved to its current location.  Before that, PA 896 used to end near the US 30/PA 462 interchange via Strasburg Pike.

Construction began in Fall 2008 on a bypass of Strasburg from southeast of the borough to Clover Avenue.  The new $8.3 million alignment opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 17, 2009 and removed the designation from East Main Street and North Decatur Street through the borough.

Even more improvements for the route were being laid out in the Route 896 Corridor Study which was recommended for adoption by the Lancaster County Transportation Technical Advisory Committee announced on February 16, 2010.  The initial improvements were promised a $1.46 million congressional earmark, and would cover the alignment from Strasburg to US 30.  Widening of the route in certain areas to accommodate left turn lanes, and new bridge over Pequea Creek, and a new traffic signal at Rockvale Road were recommended.  Additional improvements such as traffic signal timing improvements at Herr Road and adding one at North Star Road were proposed as well; however, no timetable for these improvements were laid out.