Whitehall Township will hold a 75th anniversary celebration this year for MacArthur Road, known as the “Golden Strip” for its retail store prominence in the Lehigh Valley.

A committee has been busy for months preparing for the anniversary of the six-lane roadway, named after World War II General Douglas MacArthur, whose feats in the South Pacific Theater are legendary.

MacArthur never stepped foot in Whitehall.

It is hoped the events spanning six months will join the residential community and business sector. The celebration is set to begin April 13 and close, fittingly, Nov. 11, Veterans Day. A gala and fireworks display are planned highlights. The dates for those events will be announced.

The committee has designed a maroon and gold logo with the wording “pride, progress, patriotism.”

Before the roadway’s name change to MacArthur Road, the then two-lane road was called Seventh Street Pike, lined with an orchard and small stores. Two Guys from Harrison department store began the retail explosion on the roadway. MacArthur Road has now become home to retail giants, restaurants and a mix of small enterprises.

A sign on MacArthur Road across from Municipal Drive notes the highway also is called Battle of the Bulge Highway.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation still has the state road designated as Route 145.