On February 16, 2021, the Federal Highway Administration and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway’s official designation as a National Scenic Byway!

The Byway’s managing entity, the Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway Commission (BVSBC), released a statement shortly after thanking those who supported the efforts to achieve this honorable recognition. This included member townships, cultural and scenic attractions along the Byway, PennDOT, Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Planning Commissions throughout the region, and the Delaware Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway.

Efforts to initiate the Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway began in 2002, when a diverse group of community leaders, stakeholders, and byway enthusiasts recognized the richness of resources, the uniqueness of the landscape, and the potential of the area to qualify for a scenic byway destination.

This new milestone opens many doors to help achieve the Byway’s goals and vision, which states the following: “The Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway will continue to be a place with a deep and varied history recognizable in the landscape and intertwined with a distinctive natural environment and pastoral scenic vistas–vibrant threads which together make a rich tapestry for the use and enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.”

The Byway begins at Rodney Square in Wilmington, Delaware, and heads north to the Pennsylvania border. It then splits, with one section coming up Route 52 and the other coming up Creek Road. The byway follows those two roads up to Lenape Road, where it then makes a figure-eight loop up to Strasburg Road at the edge of the West Chester Borough. In all, it covers about 25 miles of Pennsylvania roadways.

To learn more about the Brandywine Scenic Byway and its national recognition, visit https://chaddsfordlive.com/2021/02/23/brandywine-valley-scenic-byway-now-national/.