The route becomes the border between the borough of Avonmore to the west and Bell Township to the east as it heads through a mix of farms and woods with some homes.

PA 156 fully enters Avonmore and heads into residential areas with a few businesses, merging north onto 2nd Street before turning east onto Westmoreland Avenue.

The road turns north to pass over Norfolk Southern's Conemaugh Line before curving northeast through more forests.

At this point, the route turns northeast to form a concurrency with PA 56, passing to the southeast of Shady Plain.

PA 56/PA 156 crosses Norfolk Southern's Keystone Power Plant Lead railroad line before heading across the Crooked Creek into the borough of Shelocta and passing homes and businesses as it comes to an intersection with US 422.