One of the smaller routes in the Commonwealth, US 13 still manages to play an important role in the transportation system of southeastern Pennsylvania.  The early route traversed Chester before entering Philadelphia on Woodland Avenue, 38th Street, Chestnut Street, Broad Street, Roosevelt Boulevard, Robbins Street, and Frankford Avenue before leaving the city limits.  In 1935, the route was changed to follow 44th Street, Powelton Avenue, 31st Street (northbound), 32nd Street (southbound), and Spring Garden Street to bypass Center City.  In Tacony, the designation was moved from Robbins Street to Levick Street.  In 1938, the highway was widened from Chester to Philadelphia and Philadelphia to Bridgewater.

Widening work continued in the 1940s with the section from the Delaware state line to Chester widened in the first year of that decade.  In 1946, the highway was widened from Bridgewater to Bristol.  In 1948, the highway was widened from Bristol to Wheat Sheaf.

The first major change of the 1950s took place in 1954 when the designation was moved onto 32nd Street, Zoological Avenue, Girard Avenue, 33rd Street, Ridge Avenue, and Hunting Park Avenue.  While in Tacony, the designation returned to Robbins Street for northbound traffic and southbound remained on Levick Street.  Also that year, construction began on the expressway from Tullytown to US 1.  The first section opened from Tyburn Road to US 1 in 1955 and the remaining section from Tullytown to Tyburn Road opened the following year.  With the expressway opened, the US 13 designation was removed from Old Bristol Pike.

Yet another designation change took place in Philadelphia in 1958, when northbound traffic was signed on 43rd Street between Baltimore Avenue and Powelton Avenue while southbound remained on 44th Street.  Even a name change took place with Zoological Avenue changed to 34th Street.  A median was installed from PA 413 to Tullytown in 1958 as well.  In 1963, a median was installed at the interchange with PA 132.  In 1967, the designation was moved to Church Lane between Yeadon and Fernwood then on Baltimore Avenue to Whitby Avenue where it was signed previously.

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission announced in 1969 plans to extend the expressway section of US 13 from Levittown to I-95 at the PA 413 interchange.  The $12.5 million, 6.9 mile section of the expressway was projected to be completed by 1975.  In 1977, PennDOT began studies of the extension, which was an early proposal to provide a direct connection between I-276 and I-95.  The Department of Transportation abandoned the project due to potential environmental impacts to Delhass Woods and a section of Silver Lake Park.

The only change that took place along the alignment in the 1970s was the extension of the designation up Baltimore Avenue and 38th Street to Powelton Avenue.

With time taking its toll on the expressway from Tullytown to US 1, PennDOT began an improvement project on March 31, 2003 on that section.  The project included repairing the concrete surface, reconstructing shoulders, diamond grinding the new concrete roadway, and installing new guide rail, and pavement markings.  Also, 27 ramps at the Old Bristol Pike, Mill Creek Road, Penn Valley Road, Tyburn Road, Lower Morrisville Road/Newbold Road, and US 1 interchanges were improved and bridges over Mill Creek Road, Penn Valley Road, a branch of Rock Run, Tyburn Rod, and Lower Morrisville Road/Newbold Road were rehabilitated.  The $11.7 million project finished in October 2004.

Not traffic, but rather heat took its toll on US 13 on the night of July 6, 2010.  With temperatures reaching into the mid-90s, the right of the northbound lanes buckled near Levittown.  PennDOT made emergency repairs and reopened the lane on July 8 due to the heat making the asphalt set up longer.

Links:
Exit Guide
US 13 Pictures
US 13 Auxiliary Routes
Terminus of US 13 - Dale Sanderson
US 13 Expressway - Steve Anderson
US 13 Pictures - Andy Field/Alex Nitzman
US 13 Pictures - Steve Alpert
US 13 Photos - Valerie Deane
US Route 13 - David Golub

INFORMATION

Southern Entrance:	Delaware state line in Marcus Hook
Northern Terminus:	US 1 in Morrisville
Length:	51.14 miles
National Highway System:	Entire length
Names:	Tenth Street, Post Road, Fourth Street, Ninth Street, Chester Pike, MacDade Boulevard, Church Lane, Baltimore Avenue, 38th Street, Girard Avenue, 33rd Street, Ridge Avenue, Hunting Park Avenue, Roosevelt Boulevard, Robbins Street, Levick Street, Frankford Avenue, Bristol Pike, and Paper Street
SR Designations:	0013 0001:  PA 611 to Levick Street
Counties:	Delaware, Philadelphia, and Bucks
Expressway:	Tullytown to US 1
Multiplexed Routes:	PA 291:  Business US 13 to PA 291 PA 3:  Walnut Street to Market Street US 1:  Hunting Park Avenue to Levick Street
Former Designations:	PA 12 (1925 - 1928): Church Lane to 38th Street PA 1 (1925 - 1930):  West Allegheny Avenue to Levick Street PA 91 (1927 - 1928):  Delaware state line to Church Lane PA 32 (1927 - 1928):  Roosevelt Boulevard to Levittown Parkway
Former LR Designations:	132:  Delaware state line to Business US 13 542:  Business US 13 to PA 291 542 Spur:  PA 291 to Business US 13 180:  Business US 13 to Church Lane in Yeadon 23604:  MacDade Boulevard in Yeadon to East Baltimore Avenue in East Landsdowne 130:  Church Lane to the Philadelphia County line 67283:  Delaware County line to 38th Street 67278:  Baltimore Avenue to Haverford Avenue 67030:  Haverford Avenue to 34th Street and 33rd Street to Hunting Park Avenue 67301:  34th Street to 33rd Street 67333:  Girard Avenue to Ridge Avenue 67286:  Ridge Avenue to Roosevelt Boulevard 67009:  Hunting Park Avenue to Levick Street 67322:  Roosevelt Boulevard to Robbins Street 67327:  Robbins Street to Frankford Avenue (northbound) 67020:  Frankford Avenue to Roosevelt Boulevard (southbound) and Robbins Street to the Bucks County line 150:  Philadelphia County line to Old Bristol Pike 778:  Old Bristol Pike to US 1
BicyclePA Route:	Delaware state line to PA 291 Linden Avenue to PA 413