Pittsburgh Spur - to Erie Safety Concerns

[samannesmith]

I've never ridden this route. Are there any road closures or rough sections I should be aware of?

I see that there is 7000 feet in elevation. We are splitting this trip over 3 days, doing about 50 miles a day. Staying in New Castle and Meadville then heading to Erie.

Any tips would be appreciated re: safety, road conditions, elevation grade.

[CMajernik]

Here are places on our website you should check before you go:
https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/map-updates-and-corrections/?routeAddendaaction=mucDisplay:main.results&id=697&mRoute=28&mSection=67#mucResults

In this topic area, search for Pittsburgh Spur and Underground Railroad and UGRR to see if anything pops up.

And here is a comment we received less than a month ago about SR 51 at McKees Rocks just north of Pittsburgh: "you all have an Underground Railroad Spur from downtown Pittsburgh to Erie. Coming out of Pittsburgh you all cross the McKees Rocks Bridge and have riders get on PA Rte 51… going north that is a very very dangerous route with cars parked half against buildings and half in the street, negating any possibility of a sidewalk… and even in the early morning the truck and car traffic is brutal."

We have not had the time yet to check this out, and we route cyclists off of SR 51 as much as possible. Unfortunately, that highway is the best choice of roads in that area to head north. And SR 65 on the east side of the Ohio River is a worse choice for heading north. This person mentions a high amount of traffic early which would be during commuting hours, so riding this mid-morning might be a better option. Make sure you ride defensively, and wear bright clothing so you are visible to vehicles.