Auxiliary Routes

Signed in 1954 on the original US 611 alignment between Portland and Delaware Water Gap.  The reason for the creation of the route was due to construction of the Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge and Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge, both of which opened in December 1953 by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.  New Jersey desired to connect both with a four-lane, divided highway which eventually would become part of Interstate 80, unlike the route between the two Pennsylvania boroughs which did not lend itself to extensive improvements due to topography.  Alternate US 611 would act as the "free route," while US 611 would become the "toll route."  The American Association of State Highway Officials' US Route Numbering Committee approved the shift of US 611 into New Jersey and the creation of Alternate US 611 at their December 8, 1952 meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, with the Executive Committee following suit with their approval at their meeting the following day.

Also in 1954, the route was widened between Slateford and Delaware Water Gap.

The Department of Highways applied to AASHO on July 31, 1962 to extend US 611 to the Ninth Street interchange on the newly opened Interstate 80, and to extend Alternate US 611 over the vacated route between Delaware Water Gap and that interchange.  They applied again on August 9, but with a caveat that once more of the Interstate was completed, US 611 (and all auxiliary routes) would be decommissioned entirely.  The Department of Highways applied yet again on October 15, but this time, US 611 would be placed on Interstate 80 from New Jersey to the Scotrun interchange while Alternate US 611 would replace US 611 between Delaware Water Gap and the Scotrun interchange.  AASHO approved the move of US 611, but the Alternate US 611 extension was denied by both the US Route Numbering Committee on December 1, 1962 and the Executive Committee the following day.  While denying the extension, the Executive Committee recommended that a business route be used for the entire corridor rather than extending the alternate route, and if that was agreeable, the Department of Highways should submit an application for their meeting in Summer 1963.

On Valentine's Day 1963, the Department of Highways pushed the extension once again, citing several reasons such as the toll bridges on the main route, interest in the route from the rash of letters received due to knocked down signs which made motorists pay a double toll, as well as a plan to move US 611 to what would become the PA 33 corridor which would eliminate the need for Alternate US 611.  A. E. Johnson, Executive Secretary of the American Association of State Highway Officials wrote to the members of the US Route Numbering Committee on May 17, 1963 that the application be reconsidered at their June 18 meeting which they denied along with the Executive Committee the following day.  However, the Department of Highways seemed unfazed by the decision and went ahead with the extension of Alternate US 611 anyway.  What would end up being the first, and final, change to the northern terminus took place in 1963 when it was moved from US 611 in Delaware Water Gap to US 611 in Scotrun.  The designation was extended over US 611's former alignment as that route had been moved onto the recently completed Interstate 80, which it followed from New Jersey to the Tannersville interchange.

Alternate US 611's fate would be sealed on September 23, 1964, when the State Highway Department of New Jersey petitioned the American Association of State Highway Officials to delete US 611 in the Garden State and have it moved back to the western shore of the Delaware River between Portland and Delaware Water Gap.  The Pennsylvania Department of Highways followed suit with their paperwork on October 14, just six days shy of the October 20 deadline to make the agenda for AASHO's meetings on December 5 and 6.  They gave three reasons for the change:  elimination of the needless Interstate 80/US 611 multiplex, provide a traffic route for the highly commercialized Pocono resort area, and to avoid directing traffic over toll bridges at Portland and Delaware Water Gap.  Many motorists objected to having to pay tolls to follow US 611 when a shorter, toll-free route was available.  The US Route Numbering Committee approved the applications on December 5, and the AASHO Executive Committee doing the same a day later.

US 611 moved back to its previous alignment and once again became an intrastate route in 1965.  Harold Kresge, administrative officer for the Pennsylvania Department of Highways District 5 said the sign changes would be complete by April 1 of that year.