Allegheny County's Red Belt serves as a northern arc connecting communities between the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers along the northern-most reaches of the county. It is the shortest and most remote of the county's five belt routes.
For the entire photo set on flickr: head here.
The Route:
The Red Belt does not pass through any towns outside of a random crossroads. Its intersection with Interstate 79 in Warrendale has some commercial development, but that quickly transitioned to higher-end subdivisions on the edges of suburban Pittsburgh. East of the Treesdale golf community, the Red Belt returns to a completely rural setting until its final half mile into Tarentum.
Fortunately, the entirety of Red Belt was well-signed; I did not miss any turns during the 33-mile drive.
I suppose an argument can be made that you can use the Red Belt to avoid tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike between I-79 and PA 28. But why use the Red Belt when just to the north runs PA 228, and that road has been improved to four lanes from PA 8 to I-79.
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| The start of Allegheny County's Red Belt in Leetsdale. |
The Route:
The Red Belt begins at PA 65 in Leetsdale and, after winding through the community of Fair Oaks, begins a rural journey all the way to its eastern terminus in Tarentum. It is a quiet, meandering two-lane journey past country churches, farms, and a handful of larger subdivisions.
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| Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church - one of many rural churches found along the Red Belt. |
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| A faded American flag mural on a barn near Culmersville. |
The Red Belt does not pass through any towns outside of a random crossroads. Its intersection with Interstate 79 in Warrendale has some commercial development, but that quickly transitioned to higher-end subdivisions on the edges of suburban Pittsburgh. East of the Treesdale golf community, the Red Belt returns to a completely rural setting until its final half mile into Tarentum.
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| The Red Belt intersects with Saxonburg Boulevard in the patch community of Culmersville. |
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| The Eastern End of the Red Belt at Freeport Road. In the background, PA 366 crosses the Allegheny River via the Tarentum Bridge. |
Fortunately, the entirety of Red Belt was well-signed; I did not miss any turns during the 33-mile drive.
All photos taken by the post author - September 14, 2025.
Conclusion:
I was listening to the Pittsburgh Steelers playing the Seattle Seahawks during my drive that September afternoon. And I thought to myself, what was more pointless - the Red Belt or the Steelers defense that Sunday? The Red Belt really does not provide any value to a driver. It is slow - I do not believe I saw any speeds over 40 miles per hour. And to me, it didn't really connect to anything.
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| This is pretty much the entirety of the Red Belt. Quiet, rural, with a handful of subdivisions. |
I suppose an argument can be made that you can use the Red Belt to avoid tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike between I-79 and PA 28. But why use the Red Belt when just to the north runs PA 228, and that road has been improved to four lanes from PA 8 to I-79.
If Allegheny County wished to remove this route, I don't think anyone would notice.
The Blue Belt is all that remains for me to complete. The Blue Belt runs the closest to Downtown Pittsburgh - and it runs by Page's Dairy - so it already has that going for it.
Site Navigation:
Further Reading:
- Choose A Color And Buckle Up: Allegheny County's Belt System is Low Tech, But Navigable. ---Katie Blackley, WESA-FM
- Rainbow Connections ---Dawn Patton, Pittsburgh City Paper
- Over the rainbow and through Allegheny County on the belt system ---Sharon Eberson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sources & Links:
- Allegheny County Belt System @ pghbridges.com ---Bruce Cridlebaugh
- Allegheny County Belt System @ pahighways.com ---Jeff Kitsko
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