Three Mile Hill Explained

Three Mile Hill is a section of Pennsylvania Route 31 (PA 31) near Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, that connects Laurelville and Acme.[1]

Though the hill is only 2miles long, the steepness of the hill makes it "feel like [it is] 3spell=inNaNspell=in."[2] From base to summit, the elevation increases by 2000feet.

From its summit in Fayette County, the city of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County is clearly visible[3] despite the two being nearly 36miles from each other.[4]

Geography

Three Mile Hill is a part of Chestnut Ridge in the Allegheny Mountains.[5] The lanes on Three Mile Hill run east and west.[6]

The base of Three Mile Hill rests at the intersection of PA 31 and PA 982.[7] At the summit lies the intersection of Mountain Top Road and PA 31; the city of Pittsburgh is visible from this intersection. Due to its location, it is the only stretch of highway that directly connects Somerset County, Donegal Township and Mount Pleasant, making it the most effective route for trade with nearby businesses.

The hill's lanes of travel wind sharply, which have made Three Mile Hill the scene of several accidents in the early 20th century.[8] [9] [10] Often used by semi-trailer trucks, the steepness of Three Mile Hill, combined with the winding roads proved to be dangerous. In July 1954, a truck was involved in a wreck with five cars which killed two people and injured eight others because the Route 982 entrance was a blind spot and the truck lost control of its brakes.[11] [12] Incidents like these contributed to new warning signs to be placed at the top of the hill in August 1954; there is a stop sign for trucks as well as a decreased speed limit of 20mph.[1] There are also two runaway truck ramps in the event a vehicle were to lose control.

References

40.1328°N -79.4531°W

Notes and References

  1. News: New Warning Signs, Other Changes Alert Truckers on Big Hill . August 24, 1954 . 22 . The Daily Courier . Connellsville, Pennsylvania . Newspapers.com . June 29, 2024 .
  2. Web site: Stormwater Program . Mt. Pleasant Township . June 29, 2024 .
  3. News: Westmoreland 250: 10 things to see in the Mt. Pleasant area . Julia . Maruca . October 11, 2023 . TribLIVE.com . June 29, 2024 .
  4. Three Mile Hill, Acme, PA . https://earth.google.com/web/search/Three+Mile+Hill,+Acme,+PA/@40.4389069,-79.99214624,236.17170022a,2626.31200559d,35y,0h,0t,0r/data=CigiJgokCelmkcK0EURAEcpSuzW-D0RAGSfzWukK3FPAIYM84BpX3VPAOgMKATA . Google Earth . June 29, 2024 .
  5. Web site: Chestnut Ridge . April 1, 1991 . Geographic Names Information System . United State Geological Survey . June 29, 2024 .
  6. Three Mile Hill, Acme, PA . https://earth.google.com/web/search/Three+Mile+Hill,+Acme,+PA/@40.13098743,-79.45063474,607.75294324a,729.33290298d,35y,-68.76180534h,43.87074362t,360r/data=CoQBGloSVAolMHg4ODM1MmEzZmJmZDZkNDcxOjB4OGVmMTgwMDM1MDY3MzVlYhmcdXxqqxBEQCGNYhRfyNxTwCoZVGhyZWUgTWlsZSBIaWxsLCBBY21lLCBQQRgCIAEiJgokCRE-kQs4OURAEdC4xA8kN0RAGdo_0HVR_lPAIUOTEjCtAFTAOgMKATA . Google Earth . June 29, 2024 .
  7. Three Mile Hill, Acme, PA . https://earth.google.com/web/search/Three+Mile+Hill,+Acme,+PA/@40.14311622,-79.4845039,353.41601562a,0d,60y,283.43350223h,83.30241034t,0r/data=CoQBGloSVAolMHg4ODM1MmEzZmJmZDZkNDcxOjB4OGVmMTgwMDM1MDY3MzVlYhmcdXxqqxBEQCGNYhRfyNxTwCoZVGhyZWUgTWlsZSBIaWxsLCBBY21lLCBQQRgBIAEiJgokCRE-kQs4OURAEdC4xA8kN0RAGdo_0HVR_lPAIUOTEjCtAFTAIhoKFlRjWktlVlNzOV92OUJ4TVFHMXIwQncQAjoDCgEw . Google Earth . June 29, 2024 .
  8. News: Apr 20, 1940 . 5 . The Daily Courier . Connellsville, Pennsylvania . Newspapers.com . subscription . June 29, 2024 .
  9. News: Nov 21, 1940 . 13 . The Daily Courier . Connellsville, Pennsylvania . Newspapers.com . subscription . June 29, 2024 .
  10. News: Dec 29, 1950 . 1 . The Daily Courier . Connellsville, Pennsylvania . Newspapers.com . subscription . June 29, 2024 .
  11. News: Jul 09, 1954 . 3 . The Daily Courier . Connellsville, Pennsylvania . Newspapers.com . subscription . June 29, 2024 .
  12. News: Jul 27, 1954 . 13 . The Daily Courier . Connellsville, Pennsylvania . Newspapers.com . subscription . June 29, 2024 .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Three Mile Hill".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.