Pennsylvania Turnpike
 Pennsylvania Turnpike | ||||||||||
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 Pennsylvania Turnpike mainline highlighted in green | ||||||||||
| Route information | ||||||||||
| Maintained by PTC | ||||||||||
| Length | 360.09 mi[4] (579.51 km) | |||||||||
| Existed | October 1, 1940[1][2]–present | |||||||||
| History | Section to Upper Merion Township completed on November 20, 1950, section to the Ohio State line completed December 1, 1954, section to the New Jersey state line completed on May 23, 1956;[3] Current road at Laurel Hill opened on October 30, 1964; current road at the Sideling Hill and Rays Hill opened November 26, 1968 | |||||||||
| Component highways |
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| Restrictions | No hazardous goods allowed in tunnels | |||||||||
| Major junctions | ||||||||||
| West end |
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| East end |
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| Location | ||||||||||
| Country | United States | |||||||||
| State | Pennsylvania | |||||||||
| Counties | Lawrence, Beaver, Butler, Allegheny, Westmoreland, Somerset, Bedford, Fulton, Huntingdon, Franklin, Cumberland, York, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lancaster, Berks, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks | |||||||||
| Highway system | ||||||||||
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| Designated | 1990[5] | |||||||||
The Pennsylvania Turnpike, sometimes shortened to Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike, is a controlled-access toll road which is operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in Pennsylvania. It runs for 360 miles (580 km) across the state, connecting Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and passes through four tunnels as it crosses the Appalachian Mountains. A component of the Interstate Highway System, it is part of Interstate 76 (I-76) between the Ohio state line and Valley Forge. I-70 runs concurrently with I-76 between New Stanton and Breezewood, Interstate 276 (I-276) between Valley Forge and Bristol Township, and I-95 from Bristol Township to the New Jersey state line.
The turnpike's western terminus is at the Ohio state line in Lawrence County, where it continues west as the Ohio Turnpike. The eastern terminus is the New Jersey state line at the Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge, which crosses the Delaware River in Bucks County. It continues east as the Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike. The turnpike has an all-electronic tolling system; tolls may be paid using E-ZPass or toll by plate, which uses automatic license plate recognition. Cash tolls were collected with a ticket and barrier toll system before they were phased out between 2016 and 2020. The turnpike has 15 service plazas, providing food and fuel to travelers.
The road was designed during the 1930s to improve automobile transportation across the Pennsylvania mountains, using seven tunnels built for the South Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1880s. It opened in 1940 between Irwin and Carlisle. The turnpike, an early long-distance limited-access U.S. highway, was a model for future limited-access toll roads and the Interstate Highway System. It was extended east to Valley Forge in 1950 and west to the Ohio state line in 1951. The road was extended east to the Delaware River in 1954, and construction began on its Northeast Extension. The mainline turnpike was finished in 1956 with the completion of the Delaware River Bridge.
An additional tube was bored at four of the two-lane tunnels during the 1960s, and the other three tunnels were bypassed; this made the entire mainline turnpike four lanes wide. Improvements continue to be made: rebuilding to meet modern standards, widening portions to six lanes, and adding interchanges. In 2018, an interchange project renumbered its easternmost three miles (4.8 km) from I-276 to I-95. Still considered part of the mainline turnpike, that section no longer has turnpike markers and uses I-95's mileposts and exit numbers.
Route description
[edit]The turnpike runs east to west across Pennsylvania, from the Ohio state line in Lawrence County east to the New Jersey state line in Bucks County. It passes through the Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia areas, farmland and woodland. The highway crosses the Appalachian Mountains in central Pennsylvania, passing through four tunnels. The PTC, created in 1937 to construct, finance, operate, and maintain the road, controls the highway.[6] The turnpike had 2015 annual average daily traffic ranging from a high of 120,000 vehicles (between the Norristown interchange and I-476) to a low of 12,000, between the Ohio state line and the interchange with I-79 and U.S. Route 19.[7]
It is part of the National Highway System,[8] a network of roads important to the U.S. economy, defense, and mobility.[9] The turnpike is a Blue Star Memorial Highway, honoring those who have served in the United States Armed Forces, and the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania has placed Blue Star Memorial Highway markers at its service plazas.[10][11] In addition to the east–west mainline, the PTC also operates the Northeast Extension (I-476), the Beaver Valley Expressway (I-376), the Mon–Fayette Expressway (PA 43), the Amos K. Hutchinson Bypass (PA 66), and the Southern Beltway (PA 576).[12]
Western Extension
[edit]
The turnpike begins at the Ohio state line in Lawrence County, where it continues west as the Ohio Turnpike. From the state line, the highway heads southeast as a four-lane freeway (I-76) through rural areas south of New Castle. A short distance from the Ohio line, the eastbound lanes pass the electronic Gateway toll gantry. The highway then reaches Beaver County and the first interchange with I-376 (the Beaver Valley Expressway) in Big Beaver.[13][14][15]
It then passes under Norfolk Southern's Koppel Secondary rail line before the exit for PA 18 near Homewood, crossing CSX's Pittsburgh Subdivision rail line, the Beaver River, and Norfolk Southern's Youngstown Line on the Beaver River Bridge.[6][13][14] The road enters Butler County and Cranberry Township,[15] where an interchange accesses I-79 and US 19. It continues through rural land and suburban development north of Pittsburgh into Allegheny County.[14][15]
The turnpike approaches the Warrendale toll gantry (where the closed toll system begins) and continues southeast, passing over the CSX P&W Subdivision rail line operated by the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad to an interchange with PA 8 in Hampton Township. The Allegheny Valley exit in Harmar Township accesses PA 28 via Freeport Road.[13][14] The road then heads south, with Canadian National's Bessemer Subdivision rail line parallel on the east, before crossing Norfolk Southern's Conemaugh Line, the Allegheny River, and the Allegheny Valley Railroad's Allegheny Subdivision line on the six-lane Allegheny River Turnpike Bridge.[13][14][16]
It returns to four lanes after the river crossing, passing through the Oakmont Country Club before a bridge over Canadian National's Bessemer Subdivision; rail tracks parallel the west side of the road before splitting further west. The highway heads southeast to Monroeville, an eastern suburb of Pittsburgh; an interchange with the eastern terminus of I-376 and US 22 (the Penn–Lincoln Parkway) accesses Pittsburgh.[13][14] It traverses eastern Allegheny County before entering Westmoreland County.[14][15] The turnpike then heads south and passes over Norfolk Southern's Pittsburgh Line before the exit for US 30 near Irwin.[13][14]
Original mainline
[edit]After the Irwin interchange, the turnpike widens to six lanes and heads into rural areas west of Greensburg. Curving southeast, it reaches New Stanton and an interchange for I-70, US 119, and the southern terminus of PA 66 (Amos K. Hutchinson Bypass). The road returns to four lanes there, and I-70 is concurrent with I-76. After New Stanton it passes over the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad's Radebaugh Subdivision line and winds southeast to the exit for PA 31 in Donegal, which accesses PA 711.[13][14] East of Donegal, the turnpike crosses Laurel Hill into Somerset County.[14][15]
It continues southeast to Somerset and an interchange with PA 601 accessing US 219 and Johnstown before crossing CSX's S&C Subdivision rail line. East of Somerset, the highway passes north of the Somerset Wind Farm before reaching Allegheny Mountain[13][14] and its tunnel.[6][13][14] The turnpike then winds down the mountain at a three-percent grade (its steepest)[14][17][18] into Bedford County through a valley.[15] In Bedford, an exit for US 220 Business (US 220 Bus.) accesses US 220, the southern terminus of I-99, and Altoona.[13][14]
It passes through the Narrows, a 650-foot-wide (200 m) gap in Evitts Mountain east of Bedford, with US 30 and the Raystown Branch Juniata River.[14][17] The turnpike winds through a valley south of the river before traversing Clear Ridge Cut near Everett.[13][14][19] In Breezewood, I-70 leaves the turnpike at an interchange with US 30 with some of the only traffic lights on an interstate highway.[13][14]
The turnpike then heads northeast across Rays Hill into Fulton County,[14][15] continuing east across Sideling Hill to an interchange with US 522 in Fort Littleton and paralleling US 522 before curving east into Huntingdon County.[14][15] It goes under Tuscarora Mountain through a tunnel into Franklin County,[6][14][15] curving northeast into a valley to the PA 75 exit in Willow Hill.[13][14]
The road then passes under Kittatinny Mountain through the Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel before entering the tunnel under Blue Mountain.[6][13][14] The turnpike heads northeast along the base of Blue Mountain to an exit for PA 997[13][14] and enters Cumberland County, heading east through the Cumberland Valley on a stretch known as "the straightaway".[14][15][20] It then reaches Carlisle and an interchange with US 11, accessing I-81.[13][14]
Philadelphia Extension
[edit]_just_west_of_Exit_320_in_Charlestown_Township,_Chester_County,_Pennsylvania.jpg)
The turnpike heads east through a mixture of rural land and suburban development approaching Harrisburg, passing over Norfolk Southern's Shippensburg Secondary rail line. In Upper Allen Township, the US 15 interchange accesses Gettysburg on the south and Harrisburg on the north. The road passes over Norfolk Southern's Lurgan Branch rail line before entering York County and the interchange with I-83 serving Harrisburg, its western suburbs, and York on the south.[13][14][15]
East of I-83, the turnpike widens to six lanes and crosses over Norfolk Southern's Port Road Branch rail line, the Susquehanna River, Amtrak's Keystone Corridor rail line, and Norfolk Southern's Royalton Branch rail line on the Susquehanna River Bridge. In Dauphin County, the road is a bypass south of Harrisburg.[14][15][21]
An interchange with the southern end of I-283 and the western end of PA 283 serves Harrisburg and its eastern suburbs in Lower Swatara Township; PTC headquarters are adjacent to the interchange. The road returns to four lanes through suburban development north of Middletown, passing over the Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad and Swatara Creek into rural areas.[13][14] and crossing a corner of Lebanon County before entering Lancaster County.[15]
The highway passes through Pennsylvania Dutch Country[22] to an interchange with PA 72, accessing Lebanon on the north and Lancaster on the south. It passes over an East Penn Railroad line in Denver before an indirect interchange with US 222, which serves Reading and Lancaster. The route continues into Berks County to an interchange with the southern terminus of I-176 (a freeway to Reading) and PA 10 in Morgantown which accesses PA 23.[13][14][15]
The turnpike enters Chester County, running southeast[13][14][15] to an exit for PA 100 north of Downingtown and the western suburbs of Philadelphia; an interchange with PA 29 is near Malvern.[13][14] In Montgomery County is the Valley Forge interchange in King of Prussia, where I-76 splits from the turnpike and heads southeast as the Schuylkill Expressway toward Philadelphia; this interchange accesses US 202 and US 422.[13][14][15]
Delaware River Extension
[edit] Interstate 276 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Upper Merion Township–Bristol Township |
| Length | 29.78 mi[23] (47.93 km) |
| Existed | 1964–present |
_just_east_of_Interstate_476_(Pennsylvania_Turnpike_Northeast_Extension)_in_Whitemarsh_Township,_Montgomery_County,_Pennsylvania.jpg)
At the Valley Forge interchange, the turnpike is designated I-276 and becomes a six-lane suburban commuter highway.[13][14][24] It crosses a bridge over SEPTA's Norristown High Speed Line and runs parallel to Norfolk Southern's Dale Secondary rail line, south of the road. The turnpike crosses Norfolk Southern's Harrisburg Line, the Schuylkill River, and SEPTA's Manayunk/Norristown Line on the Schuylkill River Bridge near Norristown. The road crosses the Schuylkill River Trail and Norfolk Southern's Morrisville Connecting Track on the Schuylkill River Bridge before the parallel Dale Secondary rail line runs south.[6][13][14]
In Plymouth Meeting, an interchange with Germantown Pike accesses Norristown before the Mid-County Interchange. This interchange connects to I-476, which runs south as the Mid-County Expressway (locally known as the Blue Route) and north as the Northeast Extension connecting the mainline to the Lehigh Valley and the Pocono Mountains.[13][14]
After the Mid-County Interchange, the mainline runs east through Philadelphia's northern suburbs. In Fort Washington, it passes over SEPTA's Lansdale/Doylestown Line before an interchange with PA 309. The road then parallels Norfolk Southern's Morrisville Line, a short distance south. One mile (1.6 km) later is a westbound exit and entrance for Virginia Drive. In Willow Grove, it reaches the PA 611 exit before crossing SEPTA's Warminster Line.[13][14] The turnpike continues through suburban areas, entering Bucks County and a bridge over Norfolk Southern's Morrisville Line[14][15] before crossing SEPTA's West Trenton Line. In Bensalem Township is a bridge over CSX's Trenton Subdivision rail line before an interchange with US 1, which accesses Philadelphia.[13][14]
The highway returns to four lanes before an eastbound exit and entrance for PA 132. It then reaches the east end of the closed toll system at the Neshaminy Falls toll gantry. The road reaches a partial interchange with I-95, where it crosses under I-295; I-295 access is from the westbound turnpike to southbound I-95 and from northbound I-95 to the eastbound turnpike. At this point, I-276 ends and the turnpike becomes part of I-95; signage indicates the westbound turnpike as a left exit from southbound I-95, using I-95 milepost exit number 40.[13][14]
After joining I-95, the remaining three miles (4.8 km) of road uses I-95's mileposts and exit numbers and is not signed as the Pennsylvania Turnpike (although it is still considered part of the mainline). The turnpike reaches its final interchange, accessing US 13 near Bristol. The road crosses an East Penn Railroad line before the westbound all-electronic Delaware River Bridge toll gantry.[13][14] It crosses the Delaware Canal and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor rail line before crossing the Delaware River into New Jersey on the Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge.[6][13][14] The Pennsylvania Turnpike ends and I-95 continues east (north) as the Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike, which connects to the mainline New Jersey Turnpike.[13][14][25]
Major bridges and tunnels
[edit].jpg)
The turnpike has several major bridges and tunnels. Four tunnels cross central Pennsylvania's Appalachian Mountains. The 6,070-foot (1,850 m) Allegheny Mountain Tunnel passes under Allegheny Mountain in Somerset County. The Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel runs beneath Tuscarora Mountain at the border of Huntingdon and Franklin counties, and is 5,236 feet (1,596 m) long. The Kittatinny Mountain and Blue Mountain tunnels are adjacent to each other in Franklin County and are 4,727 feet (1,441 m) and 4,339 feet (1,323 m) long, respectively.[6][13] The turnpike had also traveled through the Laurel Hill Tunnel, Sideling Hill Tunnel, and Rays Hill Tunnel; they were replaced during the 1960s, when traffic levels rendered their nonstandard design obsolete.
Five bridges carry the turnpike over major rivers. The 1,545-foot-long (471 m) Beaver River Bridge crosses the Beaver River in Beaver County, which is being replaced.[6][13] The highway crosses the Allegheny River in Allegheny County on the 2,350-foot-long (720 m) Allegheny River Turnpike Bridge, which replaced a 1951 deck truss bridge with the same name.[13][16] It crosses the Susquehanna River between York and Dauphin Counties on the 5,910-foot-long (1,800 m) Susquehanna River Bridge, which also replaced an early-1950s deck truss bridge.[13][21] The turnpike crosses the Schuylkill River on the 1,224-foot-long (373 m) Schuylkill River Bridge in Montgomery County, which was twinned in the 2000s. At the New Jersey state line in Bucks County, the highway is connected to the Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike by the 6,571-foot-long (2,003 m) Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge over the Delaware River.[6][13]
Tolls
[edit]
The turnpike uses all-electronic tolling, with toll by plate (which uses automatic license-plate recognition and mails a bill to the vehicle owner) or E-ZPass. Between the mainline Warrendale and Neshaminy Falls toll plazas and on the Northeast Extension from Mid-County to Wyoming Valley, tolls are based on distance traveled.[26] An eastbound mainline toll gantry is at Gateway (near the Ohio state line), and a westbound mainline toll gantry is at the Delaware River Bridge near the New Jersey state line; both charging a flat toll.[26][27] There is no toll between Gateway and Warrendale, and between Neshaminy Falls and the Delaware River Bridge.[26]
As of 2024[update], it costs $95.50 for a passenger vehicle to travel the length of the mainline turnpike between Warrendale and Neshaminy Falls using toll by plate and $47.30 using E-ZPass; the eastbound Gateway toll gantry charges $15.20 with toll by plate and $7.50 with E-ZPass for passenger vehicles, and the westbound Delaware River Bridge toll gantry charges $9.70 for toll by plate and $7.30 for E-ZPass.[26] The turnpike has raised tolls each January 1 since 2009 to fund mandated Act 44 annual payments to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).[28]
The turnpike commission paid PennDOT $450 million annually, of which $200 million went to non-turnpike highway projects and $250 million funded mass transit. As part of Act 89 (signed in 2013), annual payments to PennDOT would end after 2022 – 35 years earlier than the original Act 44 proposal. It was not known if the annual toll increases would continue after 2022. Act 89 redirected the $450 million annual payments to PennDOT to fund mass transit.[29] With the annual rise in tolls, traffic has been shifting from the turnpike to local roads.[30]
Until March 2020, the turnpike used a ticket system between the Warrendale and Neshaminy Falls toll plazas and on the Northeast Extension from Mid-County to Wyoming Valley.[31] Motorists received a ticket listing the toll for each exit; the ticket was surrendered when exiting, and the applicable toll was paid. If the ticket was lost, motorists were charged the maximum toll for that exit.[32] Cash, credit cards, and E-ZPass were accepted at toll plazas.[31]
In 2010, McCormick Taylor and Wilbur Smith Associates were hired to conduct a feasibility study on converting the road to electronic tolls.[33] On March 6, 2012, the turnpike commission announced that it was implementing the plan.[34] The turnpike commission projected that it would save $65 million annually in labor costs by eliminating toll collectors.[35] On January 3, 2016, electronic tolling was introduced at the westbound Delaware River Bridge mainline toll plaza, and the eastern terminus of the ticket system was moved from the Delaware River Bridge to Neshaminy Falls.[36] On October 27, 2019, electronic tolling was implemented at the eastbound Gateway mainline toll plaza.[37] Electronic tolling was originally scheduled to be implemented on the entire length of the turnpike in late 2021.[38]
In March 2020, the switch was made early as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[39] The electronic tolling system used toll booths at exits until mainline toll gantries between interchanges were built.[38][40] Mainline toll gantries are planned to be in operation by 2025 east of the Reading interchange and by late 2026 on the turnpike's west portion.[41][42] By 2020, about 86 percent of turnpike vehicles used E-ZPass for payment of tolls.[43]
Act 44 increases
[edit]The turnpike commission raised tolls by 25 percent on January 4, 2009, to fund road and mass-transit projects as mandated by Act 44.[28][44] The increase brought the rate to $0.074 per mile ($0.046/km) (equivalent to $0.1 per mile ($0.062/km) in 2023[45]).[46] An annual toll increase was planned.[44]
A three-percent toll increase went into effect on January 3, 2010, bringing the rate to $0.077 per mile ($0.048/km) (equivalent to $0.11/mi ($0.068/km) in 2023[45]).[47][48] The cash toll increased 10 percent on January 2, 2011, and E-ZPass tolls increased three percent.[49] The new toll rate was $0.085 per mile ($0.053/km) (equivalent to $0.11/mi ($0.068/km) in 2023[45]) with cash and $0.079 per mile ($0.049/km) (equivalent to $0.11/mi ($0.068/km) in 2023[45]) with E-ZPass.[45][50]
The turnpike commission initially planned to omit the toll amount from new tickets, and state auditor Jack Wagner wondered if the commission was trying to hide the increase.[49] The commission later decided to include the tolls on new tickets.[33]
Cash tolls increased 10 percent on January 1, 2012, and E-ZPass tolls were unchanged from the previous year.[51] The cash toll rate increased to $0.093 per mile ($0.058/km) (equivalent to $0.12/mi ($0.075/km) in 2023[45]).[52] Tolls for cash and E-ZPass customers increased each January for the next eight years.[53] Tolls will increase five percent in 2025, based on distance traveled as opposed to a flat rate; some drivers will see toll decreases.[54] They are expected to increase annually until at least 2050.[55]
An analysis by Australian insurance company Budget Direct found the Pennsylvania Turnpike the world's most expensive toll road.[56][57] Turnpike spokesperson Carl DeFebo disputed Budget Direct's claim, saying that the analysis looked at all of the turnpike's toll roads together; "Nobody would ever go south towards Pittsburgh, east towards Philadelphia, then north towards Scranton. That's a 400-plus mile trip", and turnpike tolls are comparable to other toll roads on a per-mile basis.[57]
Services
[edit]Emergency assistance and information
[edit]Motorists needing assistance can dial *11 on mobile phones. First-responder service is available to all turnpike users via the GEICO Safety Patrol program. The free program checks for disabled motorists, debris and accidents along the road, and provides assistance 24 hours daily year-round. Each patrol vehicle covers a 20-to-25-mile (32 to 40 km) stretch of the turnpike.[58][59] Towing service is available from authorized service stations near the highway,[60] and Pennsylvania State Police Troop T patrols the turnpike. The troop's headquarters is in Highspire, and its turnpike substations are grouped into two sections. The western section has substations in Gibsonia, New Stanton, Somerset and Everett; the eastern section has mainline substations in Newville, Bowmansville and King of Prussia, and at Pocono on the Northeast Extension.[61] The PTC broadcasts AM road, traffic, and weather conditions from highway advisory radio transmitters at each exit on 1640 kHz, with a range of approximately two miles (3.2 km).[62] The 511PA travel-information service provides alerts, an interactive map, weather information and traffic cameras to motorists, and variable-message signs located along the roadway provide information such as accidents, construction, weather, and traffic congestion.[63]
Service plazas
[edit]
The turnpike has 15 service plazas on the mainline and two on the Northeast Extension. Each plaza has several fast-food restaurants, a Sunoco gas station, and a 7-Eleven convenience store. Other amenities include ATMs, E-ZPass sales, free cellphone charging, Pennsylvania Lottery sales, picnic areas, restrooms, tourist information, Travel Board information centers, and Wi-Fi. The King of Prussia plaza has a welcome center, and the New Stanton and Sideling Hill plazas have seasonal farmers' markets. Several plazas offer E85 fuel, and New Stanton offers compressed natural gas; all have conventional gasoline and diesel fuel. Some plazas have electric vehicle charging stations. The Sunoco and 7-Eleven locations and the Subway at North Midway are operated by 7-Eleven, and the remaining restaurants and general upkeep are operated by Applegreen.[64] On November 26, 1968, the Sideling Hill Plaza, which serves both westbound and eastbound traffic, was opened as part of the Sideling Hill/Rays Hill Bypass, replacing the Cove Valley Travel plaza, which served only westbound traffic and needed to be closed due to being located on the section of road being bypassed.[65]
By 1946, a number of service plazas were expanded in order to accommodate booming popularity.[66]With the opening of the extensions between 1950 and 1954, larger and better-spaced plazas were constructed.[66] In 1955, Somerset Service Plaza was opened, with two dedicated buildings to serve both directions. It replaced the eastbound only New Baltimore Serivce Plaza.[67] In 1957, the eastbound only Laurel Hill Service Plaza, located to the west of the western end of the Laurel Hill Tunnel, was permanently closed.[65]
In 1978, as Howard Johnson's exclusive contract to provide food service was ending, the turnpike commission entertained bids;[68] Aramark was awarded a food-service contract at two plazas.[69] The turnpike was the first toll road in the U.S. to have more than one fast-food chain at its service plazas.[70] Gas stations were operated by Gulf Oil, Exxon, and ARCO.[69]
The Denver, Pleasant Valley, and Mechanicsburg plazas were closed in 1980.[71] That year, Hardee's opened restaurants at the service plazas to compete with Howard Johnson's.[72] The turnpike was the world's first road to offer fast food at its service plazas.[73]
The eastbound Path Valley plaza closed in 1983;[71] and Burger King and McDonald's restaurants opened on the turnpike,[70] reflecting increased demands for fast food.[73] Marriott Corporation purchased the remaining Howard Johnson's restaurants in 1987, and restaurants such as Roy Rogers and Bob's Big Boy opened.[74]
The Brandywine (later Peter J. Camiel) plaza was reconstructed in 1990, the first such project in turnpike history.[75] That year, Gulf Oil LP replaced the turnpike's Exxon stations.[76]
Sunoco took over gas-station operations in 1993, outbidding Shell US;[77] credit card-activated pumps, fax machines, ATMs, and informational lodging boards were added.[66] Two years later, a farmers market began at the Sideling Hill plaza.[78] In 2002, the Butler plaza was replaced by the Warrendale Toll Plaza.[79] Two years later, the Somerset Service Plaza was expanded.[66]
The eastbound-only Hempfield and South Neshaminy plazas were closed in 2007 for a six-lane widening and a new slip ramp, respectively.[80][81] The eastbound Zelienople plaza closed in 2008,[82] and the westbound North Neshaminy plaza closed two years later for future reconstruction.[81] Free Wi-Fi was introduced at all service plazas in 2013.[66]
In 2006, the PTC and HMSHost began a system-wide project to reconstruct or renovate all service plazas. The Oakmont Plum plaza was first (closing in 2006 and reopening the following year), and was followed by the reconstruction of the North Somerset and Sideling Hill plazas (2007–2008); New Stanton (2008–2009); King of Prussia (2009–2010); Lawn and Bowmansville (2010–2011); South Somerset, Blue Mountain, and Cumberland Valley (2011–2012); South Midway and Highspire (2012–2013); Peter J. Camiel (2013–2014); and Valley Forge and North Midway (2014–2015).[83]
The Art Sparks program began in 2017 as a partnership between the turnpike commission and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts to install public art created by local students in the Arts in Education residency program in service plazas along the turnpike over the next five years. The art consists of a mural reflecting a plaza's location. The first Art Sparks mural was unveiled at the Lawn service plaza in May of that year.[84][85] In April 2019, Sunoco/A-Plus locations began conversion to 7-Elevens as part of an agreement for 7-Eleven to take over Sunoco's company-owned convenience stores on the East Coast and in Texas; Sunoco continues to supply fuel.[86][87]
History
[edit]Before the turnpike
[edit]Native Americans traveled across the mountains on wilderness trails, and European settlers followed wagon roads to cross the state.[88] The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike opened between Lancaster and Philadelphia in 1794, the first successful turnpike in the United States. The road was paved with logs, an improvement on dirt trails.[89] In 1834, the Main Line of Public Works opened as a system of canals, railroads, and cable railways across Pennsylvania to compete with the Erie Canal in New York.[90]
The Pennsylvania Railroad was completed between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in 1854.[91] During the 1880s, the South Pennsylvania Railroad was proposed to compete with the Pennsylvania. It was backed by William Henry Vanderbilt, head of the New York Central Railroad (the Pennsylvania's chief rival). Andrew Carnegie also provided financial support, since he was unhappy with the Pennsylvania Railroad rates.[92] Construction began on the rival line in 1883, but stopped when the railroads reached an agreement two years later.[93][94] After construction halted, the only vestiges of the South Pennsylvania were nine tunnels, some roadbed, and piers for a bridge over the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg.[94]
To cross the Pennsylvania mountains by automobile, William Sutherland of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association and Victor Lecoq of the Pennsylvania State Planning Commission proposed a toll highway in 1934.[95][96] The highway would be a four-lane, limited-access road modeled on the German Autobahn and Connecticut's Merritt Parkway.[93][97][98] The turnpike could also be a defense road,[99] and construction costs could be reduced by using the abandoned South Pennsylvania Railroad tunnels.[95]
Sutherland and Lecoq introduced their turnpike idea to state legislator Cliff Patterson, who proposed a feasibility study on April 23, 1935. The proposal passed, and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) explored the possibility of building the road. Its study estimated a construction cost of $60 to $70 million (equivalent to between $1.05 billion and $1.22 billion in 2023[100]). Patterson introduced Bill 211 to the legislature, calling for the establishment of the PTC. The bill was signed into law by Governor George Howard Earle III on May 21, 1937,[95] and the first commissioners were appointed on June 4.[101] The highway was planned to run from US 30 in Irwin (east of Pittsburgh) east to US 11 in Middlesex (west of Harrisburg), a length of about 162 miles (261 km). It would pass through nine tunnels along the way.[102]
The road was planned to have four lanes and a median, with no grade steeper than three percent. Access to the highway would be controlled by entrance and exit ramps.[102] There would be no at-grade intersections, driveways, traffic lights, crosswalks, or at-grade railroad crossings.[103] Curves would be wide, and road signage large. The turnpike's right of way would be 200 feet (61 m); the road would be 24 feet (7.3 m) wide, with 10-foot (3.0 m) shoulders and a 10-foot (3.0 m) median. It would have two lanes through the tunnels, a 14-foot (4.3 m) clearance, and a 23-foot-wide (7.0 m) roadway.[102] The turnpike's design would be uniform.[103]
In February 1938, the commission began investigating proposals for $55 million in bonds to be issued for construction of the turnpike.[104] A month later, Van Ingen and Company purchased $60 million (equivalent to $1.02 billion in 2023[100]) in bonds which they offered to the public.[105] President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved a $24-million (equivalent to $408 million in 2023[100]) grant from the WPA in April 1938 for construction of the road, and the commonwealth contributed $29 million (equivalent to $492 million in 2023[100]) toward the project.[106]
The WPA grant received final approval,[107] but plans were still made to sell bonds; the first issue was planned for about $20 million (equivalent to $340 million in 2023[100]). The reduced bond issue was due to the WPA grant.[108]
In June, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) announced that it would lend the commission sufficient funds to build the road.[109] The RFC loan totaled $32 million (equivalent to $543 million in 2023[100]), with a $26 million (equivalent to $442 million in 2023[100]) grant from the Public Works Administration (PWA); this provided $58 million (equivalent to $985 million in 2023[100]) for the turnpike's construction, and highway tolls would repay the RFC.[110]
In October 1938, the turnpike commission agreed with the RFC and PWA that the RFC would purchase $35 million (equivalent to $594 million in 2023[100]) in bonds in addition to the PWA grant.[111] That month, a banking syndicate purchased the bond amount from the RFC.[112] The previous month, a proposal was rejected that would have built a railroad from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg along the former South Pennsylvania Railroad right of way which had been designated for the turnpike.[113]
The highway opened in 1940 between Irwin and Carlisle as the first long-distance controlled-access highway in the United States.[114] Other toll roads and the Interstate Highway System were then built.[115] The highway was extended east to Valley Forge in 1950, and west to the Ohio state line the following year.[116][117] It was routed east to the New Jersey state line (the Delaware River) in 1954; the Delaware River Bridge opened two years later, completing the turnpike.[118][3]
Design
[edit]
To build the turnpike, boring of the former railroad tunnels had to be completed. Since the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel bore was in poor condition, a new bore was drilled 85 feet (26 m) south of it.[119] The commission considered bypassing the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels, but the cost of a bypass was considered too high.[120] Crews used steam shovels to widen the tunnel portals,[119] and temporary railroad tracks transported construction equipment.[121] Concrete was used to line the tunnel portals.[122] The tunnels included ventilation ducts, drainage structures, sidewalks, lighting, and telephone and signal systems.[123] Lighting was installed on the roadway approaching the tunnel portals.[124]
The tunnels bored through the seven mountains, a total of 4.5 miles (7.2 km) in length, were Laurel Hill Tunnel, Allegheny Mountain Tunnel, Rays Hill Tunnel, Sideling Hill Tunnel, Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel, Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel, and Blue Mountain Tunnel; the turnpike became known as the "tunnel highway".[125]
A number of bridge designs were used to cross the highway, including the concrete arch bridge, the through plate girder bridge, and the concrete T-beam bridge.[126][127][128] Bridges used to carry the turnpike over other roads and streams included a concrete arch viaduct in New Stanton;[129] at 600 feet (180 m), it was the longest bridge on the original section of the turnpike.[130] Other turnpike bridges included plate girder bridges, such as the bridge over Dunnings Creek in the Bedford Narrows. Smaller concrete T-beam bridges were also built.[131][132] A total of 307 bridges were built along the original section of the turnpike.[130]
Eleven interchanges were built, most of which were trumpet interchanges where all ramps merge at the toll booths.[133][134] The New Stanton, Carlisle, and Middlesex interchanges did not follow this design, but only the New Station interchange was intended to be permanent.[133] Lighting was installed approaching interchanges, along with acceleration and deceleration lanes.[124] The road had guardrails consisting of steel panels attached to I-beams.[135] Large exit signs were used, and road signs had cat's-eye reflectors to increase visibility at night.[135][136] Billboards were prohibited.[137] In September 1940, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ruled that trucks and buses could use the highway.[138]
Since the turnpike's first section was built through a rural part of the state, food and gasoline were not readily available to motorists. Because of this, the commission decided to provide service plazas at 30-mile (48 km) intervals. The plazas would be made of native fieldstone, resembling Colonial-era architecture.[67][139] In 1940, Standard Oil of Pennsylvania received a contract for 10 Esso service stations along the turnpike.[140] Eight of the service plazas would consist of service stations and a restaurant, and the plazas at the halfway point (in Bedford) would be larger.[139][140] The South Midway service plaza (the largest) contained a dining room, lunch counter, lounge, and lodging for truckers; a tunnel connected it to the smaller North Midway plaza.[139][141] The remaining service plazas were smaller, with a lunch counter. Food service at the plazas was provided by Howard Johnson's. After World War II, the food facilities were enlarged;[141] service stations sold gasoline, repaired cars, and provided towing.[142]
Construction and opening
[edit]
Before the first-section groundbreaking, in 1937, the turnpike commission sent workers to assess the former railroad tunnels; in September of that year, a contract was awarded to drain water from them.[143] After this, workers cleared rock slides and vegetation from the tunnel portals before evaluating the nine tunnels' condition.[144][145] It was decided that six of the nine former South Pennsylvania Railroad tunnels could be used for the roadway. The Allegheny Mountain Tunnel was in too-poor condition for use, and the Quemahoning and Negro Mountain tunnels would be bypassed with rock cuts through the mountains.[145] The Quemahoning Tunnel had been completed and used by the Pittsburgh, Westmoreland and Somerset Railroad.[146]
The turnpike's groundbreaking ceremony was on October 27, 1938, near Carlisle, with commission chair Walter A. Jones thrusting the first shovel into the earth.[147] Construction was on a tight schedule because completion of the road was originally planned by May 1, 1940. After the groundbreaking, contracts for finishing the former South Pennsylvania Railroad tunnels, grading the turnpike's right of way, constructing bridges, and paving were issued.[18] By July 1939, the entire length of the turnpike was under contract.[103]
The first work to begin on the road was grading its right of way, which involved a great deal of earthwork due to the mountainous terrain.[147] The turnpike required the acquisition of homes, farms, and a coal mine by eminent domain.[103] A tunnel was originally planned across Clear Ridge near Everett, but the turnpike commission decided to build a cut into the ridge.[19] Building the cut involved bulldozers excavating the mountain and explosives blasting the rock.[148] Concrete culverts were built to carry streams and roads under the highway in the valley floor.[149] The Clear Ridge cut was 153 feet (47 m) deep (the deepest highway cut at the time), and was known as "Little Panama" after the Panama Canal.[130] West of Clear Ridge, cuts and fills were built for the turnpike to pass along the southern edge of Earlston.[150]
Considerable work was also involved in building the road up the three-percent grade at the east end of Allegheny Mountain, the turnpike's steepest grade.[151] The base of Evitts Mountain was blasted to carry the turnpike across Bedford Narrows with US 30, the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River, and a Pennsylvania Railroad branch line.[17] In New Baltimore, the turnpike commission had to purchase land from St. John's Church (which contained a cemetery); as part of the agreement, stairs were built on either side of the turnpike for access to the church.[152]
Paving began on August 31, 1939.[103] The road would have a concrete surface, poured directly onto the earth with no gravel roadbed.[153] Concrete batch plants were set up along the road to aid paving.[154] Interchange ramps were paved with asphalt.[132] The paving led to a delay in the projected opening of the highway; by October 1939, the completion date was postponed from May 1 to June 29, 1940 becausee paving could not be done in winter. The commission rushed the paving, attempting to increase the distance paved from one to five miles (1.6 to 8.0 km) a day.[123]
Completion was postponed until July 4, and again until late summer when rain delayed paving operations.[155] Paving concluded by the end of the summer, and on September 30 the turnpike commission announced that the road would open the following day.[18][156][157] Because of the short notice, no ribbon-cutting ceremony was held.[157]
On August 26, 1940, a preview of the highway was organized by commission chair Jones. It began the previous night with a banquet at the Hotel Hershey and proceeded west along the turnpike, stopping at the Clear Ridge cut before lunch at the Midway service plaza. The preview ended with dinner and entertainment at Pittsburgh's Duquesne Club.[156][158] That month, a military motorcade traveled portions of the turnpike.[159]
The roadway took 770,000 short tons (700 kt) of sand, 1,200,000 short tons (1,100 kt) of stone, 50,000 short tons (45 kt) of steel, and more than 300,000 short tons (270 kt) of cement to complete.[125] It was built at a cost of $370,000 per mile ($230,000/km) (equivalent to $6.3 million per mile ($2.5 million/km) in 2023[100]).[160] Eighteen thousand people worked on the turnpike, and 19 died during construction.[161]
When the highway was under construction, its proposed toll was $1.50 (equivalent to $26.00 in 2023[100]) for a one-way car trip; a round trip would cost $2.00 (equivalent to $34.00 in 2023[100]). Trucks would pay $10.00 (equivalent to $172.00 in 2023[100]) one way. Tolls would vary for motorists who did not travel the length of the turnpike.[123] When it opened in 1940, automobile tolls were set at $1.50 (equivalent to $26.00 in 2023[100]) one way and $2.25 (equivalent to $38.00 in 2023[100]) round trip. The tolls were to be used to pay off bonds to build the road and were to be removed when the bonds were paid.[124] However, tolls continue to be charged to finance improvements to the turnpike system.[162] The toll rate was about $0.01 per mile ($0.0062/km) (equivalent to $0.17 per mile ($0.11/km) in 2023[100]) when the turnpike opened. The ticket system was used to pay for tolls.[163] This toll rate remained the same for the turnpike's first 25 years; other toll roads (such as the New York State Thruway and the Ohio, Connecticut, and Massachusetts turnpikes) had a higher rate.[164]
The turnpike opened at midnight on October 1, 1940, between Irwin and Carlisle; the day before the opening, motorists lined up at the Irwin and Carlisle interchanges.[114] Homer D. Romberger, a feed and tallow driver from Carlisle, was the first motorist to enter the turnpike at Carlisle; Carl A. Boe of McKeesport was the first motorist to enter at Irwin.[165] Boe was flagged down by Frank Lorey and Dick Gangle, the turnpike's first hitchhikers.[166] On October 6 (the first Sunday after the turnpike's opening), traffic was congested at toll plazas, tunnels, and service plazas.[167]
During its first 15 days of operation, the road had over 150,000 vehicles.[168] By the end of its first year it earned $3 million (equivalent to $51.1 million in 2023[100]) in revenue from five million motorists, exceeding the $2.67 million (equivalent to $45.5 million in 2023[100]) needed for operation and bond payments.[169][170] With the onset of World War II, revenue declined due to tire and gas rationing;[171] after the war, traffic increased.[172]
The turnpike was the first long-distance, limited-access road in the United States.[115] A direct link between the mid-Atlantic and midwestern states, it reduced travel time between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg from nearly six hours to about 2+1⁄2.[124][173] Nicknamed "dream highway" and "the World's Greatest Highway" by the turnpike commission,[1][163] it was also known as "the Granddaddy of the Pikes".[174] Postcards and other souvenirs promoted the original stretch's seven tunnels through the Appalachians.[175]
The highway was considered a yardstick against which limited-access highway construction would be measured.[176] Commission chair Jones called for more limited-access roads to be built across the country for defense purposes,[169] and the turnpike was a model for a proposed national network of highways planned during World War II.[177] The turnpike led to the construction of other toll roads, such as the New Jersey Turnpike and (eventually) the Interstate Highway System,[115] and has been designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.[178]
1940s-1960s
[edit]
.jpg)
The turnpike had no speed limit when it opened except for the tunnels, which were limited to 35 miles per hour (56 km/h); some cars traveled as fast as 90 mph (140 km/h).[163] In 1941, speed limits of 70 mph (110 km/h) for cars and 50–65 mph (80–105 km/h) for trucks were enacted.[179] During World War II, the turnpike adopted the national speed limit of 35 mph (56 km/h);[1] after the war, the limit returned to 70 mph (110 km/h).[180]
Before the first section of the turnpike opened, the commission considered extending it east to Philadelphia primarily for defense purposes. The state legislature passed a 1939 bill allowing for an extension of the road to Philadelphia, which was signed into law by Governor Arthur James in 1940 as Act 11.[98][181] The extension was projected to cost between $50 and $60 million in 1941 (equivalent to between $799 million and $959 million in 2023[100]).[181] Funding for the Philadelphia extension was in place in 1948.[182] The turnpike commission offered $134 million (equivalent to $1.36 billion in 2023[100]) in bonds to pay for the extension in July of that year, which was projected to cost $87 million.[183] The Philadelphia extension would run from Carlisle east to US 202 in King of Prussia,[116][184] connecting to a state-maintained freeway which would continue to Center City Philadelphia.[185] Groundbreaking for the Philadelphia extension took place on September 28, 1948, in York County. Governor James H. Duff and commission chair Thomas J. Evans attended the ceremony.[186] The extension, similar to the original turnpike, would use air-entrained concrete poured on stone.[116][187] Transverse joints on the pavement were spaced at 46-foot (14 m) intervals, rather than the 77-foot (23 m) intervals on the original portion.[116] Because it crossed less-mountainous terrain, the extension required less earthwork than the original section.[188] Large bridges were built, including those crossing the Susquehanna River and Swatara Creek.[189][190] The Susquehanna River Bridge was built with a four-foot-raised (1.2 m) concrete median and no shoulders.[189] This extension of the turnpike would use the same style of overpasses as the original section, and the steel deck bridge was introduced.[191] The Carlisle interchange was closed, and the Middlesex interchange with US 11 was realigned and renamed the Carlisle interchange.[188] On February 1, 1950, the Gettysburg Pike Interchange opened.[66] The extension's completion was delayed by weather and a cement workers' strike; it was scheduled for October 1, 1950, the 10th anniversary of the opening of the first section.[192] On October 23, 1950, the Philadelphia extension was previewed in a ceremony by Governor Duff.[193] The extension opened to traffic on November 20, 1950; the governor and chair Evans cut the ribbon at the Valley Forge mainline toll plaza west of King of Prussia.[116][194] The speed limit between the Ohio state line and Breezewood was lowered to 60 mph (97 km/h) in September 1953 to reduce the number of accidents, but returned to 70 mph (110 km/h) when the measure was ineffective.[195][196]
In 1941, Governor James suggested building a western extension to Ohio.[181] That June, Act 54 was signed into law to build the extension.[179] The turnpike commission began looking into funding for this road in 1949, which would run from Irwin to the Ohio state line near Youngstown and bypass Pittsburgh.[197] That September, $77 million (equivalent to $781 million in 2023[100]) in bonds were sold to finance construction of the western extension.[198] Groundbreaking for the extension took place on October 24, 1949[199] at the Brush Creek viaduct in Irwin, with Governor Duff in attendance.[200] Like the Philadelphia extension, the western extension required the building of long bridges which included those crossing the Beaver and Allegheny Rivers.[201] Overpasses were steel- and through-plate girder bridges.[202] Concrete arch bridges were not used for overpasses, although they carried the turnpike over other roads.[203] On August 7, 1951, the section between the Irwin and Pittsburgh interchanges opened;[204] Ohio Governor Frank Lausche led a dedication ceremony on November 26 of that year.[205] The extension opened to the Gateway toll plaza, near the Ohio state line, on December 26, 1951.[117][206] The highway ended in a cornfield, and traffic followed a temporary ramp onto rural local roads until the connecting Ohio Turnpike was built.[117][205] The Beaver Valley Interchange opened on March 1, 1952.[66] On December 1, 1954, the Ohio Turnpike opened and the Pennsylvania Turnpike was extended to the Ohio state line.[207]
_just_east_of_the_exit_for_Interstate_476_(Allentown,_Chester)_in_Whitemarsh_Township,_Montgomery_County,_Pennsylvania.jpg)
In 1951, plans to extend the turnpike east to New Jersey at the Delaware River to the New Jersey Turnpike Connector were made.[208] Construction of the Delaware River extension was approved by Governor John S. Fine in May of that year.[209] A route bypassing Philadelphia was announced in 1952, crossing the Delaware on a bridge near Edgely and connecting to a branch of the New Jersey Turnpike.[210] That September, the turnpike commission announced that $65 million, equivalent to $599 million in 2023[100], in bonds would be issued to finance the project.[211] Work on the Delaware River extension began on November 20, 1952, and Governor Fine dug the first shovel into the earth at the groundbreaking ceremony.[212] As a result of the extension, the Valley Forge mainline toll plaza was moved east to the connection with the Schuylkill Expressway and became the Valley Forge Interchange toll plaza.[213] The Delaware River extension included a bridge over the Schuylkill River which was built to the same standards as the Susquehanna River Bridge.[214] The construction of the Delaware River bridge required an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution, which barred the state from forming compacts with other states. On August 23, 1954, the Delaware River Extension opened between King of Prussia and US 611 in Willow Grove.[215] the segment to the Fort Washington Interchange opened on September 20, to the Philadelphia Interchange on October 27,[66] and the remainder of the road to the Delaware Valley Interchange opened on November 17, 1954.[118]
In April 1954, $233 million (equivalent to $2.1 billion in 2023[100]) in bonds were issued to finance the building of the Delaware River Bridge and the Northeast Extension.[216] Groundbreaking for the Delaware River Bridge, connecting the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Turnpikes, took place on June 26, 1954, in Florence, New Jersey.[118] The steel arch bridge, which opened to traffic on May 23, 1956, was funded by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.[3][217] Pennsylvania Governor George M. Leader and New Jersey Governor Robert B. Meyner were present at the opening ceremony.[218] A mainline toll barrier was built west of the bridge, marking the eastern end of the ticket system.[219] A new, machine-based system was enacted later that year, allowing faster, more accurate tolls.[220] This bridge was originally six lanes wide. It had no median, but one was later installed and the bridge reduced to four lanes.[3] With the extensions and connecting turnpikes, the highway was envisioned as part of a system of toll roads stretching from Maine to Chicago.[221] When the Delaware River Bridge was completed in 1956, a motorist could drive from New York City to Indiana on limited-access toll roads.[219] That year, the speed limit on the turnpike was reduced to 65 mph (105 km/h) for cars, buses, and motorcycles; other vehicles were limited to 50 mph (80 km/h).[220] By 1957, it was possible to drive from New York City to Chicago without encountering a traffic signal.[222] On the turnpike extensions, the service plazas were less frequent, larger, and further from the road.[191] Gulf Oil operated service stations on the extensions, and Howard Johnson's provided food service in sit-down restaurants.[223][224]
_at_the_exit_for_Interstate_276_EAST_(TO_Interstate_476-Northeast_Extension,_Allentown,_New_Jersey)_in_Upper_Merion_Township,_Montgomery_County,_Pennsylvania.jpg)
In August 1957, the Bureau of Public Roads added the turnpike to the Interstate Highway System in accordance with recommendations by state highway departments to include toll roads in the system.[225] I-80 was planned to run along the turnpike from the Ohio state line to Harrisburg, and I-80S would continue east toward Philadelphia. I-70 was also planned to follow the turnpike between Pittsburgh and Breezewood.[226] At a June 26, 1958 meeting of the Route Numbering Subcommittee on the US Numbered System, it was decided to move the I-80 designation to an alignment further north; the highway from the Ohio state line to the Philadelphia area would become I-80S. I-70 was still designated on the turnpike between Pittsburgh and Breezewood. Between King of Prussia and Bristol, the turnpike was designated I-280.[227][228] With the creation of the Interstate Highway System, restaurants and gas stations were prohibited along interstate highways; the turnpike was grandfathered when it joined the system, allowing it to continue operating its service plazas.[229] That year, the turnpike commission began to install median barriers at curves and high-accident areas.[230] In July 1959, a minimum speed of 35 mph (56 km/h) was established.[231]
1960s–1990s
[edit]By the early 1950s, it was apparent that the original concrete driving surface was in poor shape due to excessive transverse-joint spacing and no gravel between earth and concrete. Because of this, a project began in summer 1954 to layer the original turnpike segment between Irwin and Carlisle with a 3-inch (7.6 cm) layer of asphalt. During the work, traffic was restricted to two lanes on one roadway while the other was surfaced.[232] The first stretch to be rehabilitated was the 21-mile (34 km) stretch east of the Sideling Hill Tunnel. Repaving the rest of the roadway was completed by September 8, 1962.[220]
.svg){kind=small} Interstate 280 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Upper Merion Township–Bristol Township |
| Length | 32.65 mi[23] (52.55 km) |
| Existed | 1958–February 1964 |
In April 1963, the state of Pennsylvania proposed renumbering I-80S as I-76 and I-280 aso I-276 because the spurs of I-80S did not connect to I-80 in northern Pennsylvania. The renumbering was approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on February 26, 1964. With the renumbering, the turnpike would carry I-80S between the Ohio state line and Pittsburgh, I-76 between Pittsburgh and King of Prussia, I-70 between New Stanton and Breezewood, and I-276 between King of Prussia and Bristol.
In October 1963, work began on a $1.6 million project to replace the New Stanton interchange. The old configuration, which had served US 119 and required left turns across traffic on grade-level ramps, resulted in the interchange becoming a chronic bottleneck. The new interchange would be a standard trumpet interchange serving a newly-built stretch of I-70. The ramps were opened to traffic on November 12, 1964, and the old ramps were closed.[233] Some of the old grounded ramps are still extant, though are only used for storage.[234] In September 1965, the minimum speed limit was raised to 40 mph (64 km/h).[235]
The median, initially thought to be wide enough, was considered obsolete by 1960. Because of this, 100 miles (160 km) worth of median barrier began to be constructed across the original turnpike and on the Ohio extension.[236] Work was completed in December 1965 at a cost of $5 million (equivalent to $36.9 million in 2023[100]).[6]
As traffic levels increased, bottlenecks at the two-lane tunnels of the original stretch became a problem. By the end of the 1950s, traffic jams formed at the tunnels (especially during the summer months).[237] In 1959, four senators urged state officials to work with the turnpike commission to study how to reduce the traffic jams.[238] That year, the commission began studies of resolving the traffic jams at the Laurel Hill and Allegheny Mountain tunnels; studies for the other tunnels followed.[239] After study, the turnpike commission planned to make the entire turnpike at least four lanes by adding a second tube at the tunnels or bypassing them.[120] The new and upgraded tunnel tubes would have white tiles, fluorescent lighting, and improved ventilation.[164] The turnpike commission announced plans to build a second bore at the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel and a four-lane bypass of the Laurel Hill Tunnel in 1960. The Laurel Hill bypass was planned because construction would be quicker (and traffic relieved cheaper) than boring another tunnel.[240] In June 1962, the commission approved the projects.[241]
That August, $21 million, equivalent to $162 million in 2023[100], in bonds were sold to finance the projects.[242] The Laurel Hill bypass was constructed as a deep cut to the north; the new section would have a wide median and truck-climbing lanes, and would require explosives to create a 145-foot-deep (44 m) cut into the mountain.[164][243] Groundbreaking for the new alignment took place on September 6, 1962,[244] the day that boring the second tube at the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel began.[243] The former South Pennsylvania Railroad tunnel was considered for reuse as a twin of the latter, but was rejected because of its poor condition.[245] The Laurel Hill bypass opened to traffic on October 30, 1964, at a cost of $7.5 million (equivalent to $56.3 million in 2023[100]).[164][243] On March 15, 1965, the new Allegany Mountain Tunnel opened to traffic and the original tube was closed for renovations. It reopened on August 25, 1966.[243][246] The construction of the second tube at Allegheny Mountain cost $12 million (equivalent to $86.1 million in 2023[100]).[164]
In 1969, $3.2 million worth of improvements were completed to the Ohio Extension. They included new ramps serving I-283 and PA 283 at Harrisburg East and widening the Gateway toll plaza from 8 to 10 collection lanes and the Pittsburgh interchanges to 10 lanes.[247]
Starting in 1953, it became apparent that the turnpike was prone to serious accidents. Because of this, the PTC began installing steel barriers at curves and high-accident areas in 1957.[220] By 1970, the entire roadway had barriers.[230]
With the Laurel Hill bypass opened and the twinned Allegheny Tunnel nearly complete, twinning or bypassing to the five other two-lane tunnels became a focus. In 1965, the turnpike commission announced plans to build second tubes at the Tuscarora, Kittatinny, and Blue Mountain tunnels in addition to a 13.5-mile (21.7 km) bypass of the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels.[248] A bypass of the tunnels was considered during the 1930s, but was determined to be too expensive.[120] An early-1960s study concluded that a bypass would be the best option to handle traffic at Rays Hill and Sideling Hill.[120][249] The bypass of the two tunnels would have a 36-foot-wide (11 m) median with a steel barrier.[65] The commission sold $77.5 million (equivalent to $556 million in 2023[100]) bonds in January 1966 to finance the project.[250] Construction of the bypass of the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels involved a cut across both hills.[251][252] The new alignment began at the Breezewood interchange, where a portion of the original turnpike was used to access US 30.[253] In building the cut across Rays Hill, part of US 30 had to be realigned.[251]
The cut over Sideling Hill passes over the Sideling Hill Tunnel.[252] The new alignment ends a short distance east of the Cove Valley service plaza on the original segment. The turnpike bypass of the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels opened on November 26, 1968.[120] When the highway was realigned to bypass the tunnels, the Cove Valley service plaza on the original section was replaced with the Sideling Hill service plaza (the only plaza on the mainline serving travelers in both directions).[65] After traffic was diverted to the new alignment, the former stretch passing through the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels became known as the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike. The turnpike commission continued to maintain the tunnels for a few years before abandoning them. The abandoned stretch deteriorated; signs and guardrails were removed, pavement began crumbling, trees grew in the median, and vandals and nature began taking over the tunnels. The turnpike commission still performed some maintenance on the abandoned stretch and used it to test pavement-marking equipment.[254]
In 2001, the turnpike commission turned over a significant portion of the abandoned section to the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy; bicycles and hikers could use the former roadway.[255] The abandoned stretch of the turnpike is the longest stretch of abandoned freeway in the United States.[120] Studies concluded that a parallel tunnel was the most economical option at the Tuscarora, Kittatinny, and Blue Mountain tunnels. Work on the new tube at the Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel began on April 11, 1966, and construction began at the Kittatinny and Blue Mountain tunnels a week later.[246] The parallel tubes at the three tunnels opened on November 26, 1968, and the original tubes were remodeled.[120] The new and remodeled tunnels had fluorescent lighting, white tile walls, and 13-foot-wide (4.0 m) lanes.[256] The portals of the new tunnels were designed to resemble the original tunnels. In October 1970, a new Breezewood interchange opened; the new exit (which used part of the original turnpike segment) replaced the existing Breezewood interchange, which had closed with the stretch of road in 1968.[233] That month, reconstruction of the original Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel was completed; work on refurbishing the original Kittatinny and Blue Mountain tunnels was finished on March 18, 1971.[257] With the completion of these projects, the mainline highway was at least four lanes wide and met interstate standards.[258]
In 1968, the turnpike commission proposed converting the section between Morgantown and the Delaware River Bridge from a ticket to a barrier system.[247] The project was canceled in 1971 due to a decline in revenue caused by the completion of I-80.[257]
.svg){kind=small} Interstate 80S | |
|---|---|
| Location | North Beaver Township–Upper Merion Township |
| Existed | 1958–October 1972 |
Ohio planned to eliminate I-80S in 1971, replacing it with a realigned I-76. Pennsylvania disagreed with the change, recommending that I-80S become I-376. Pennsylvania changed its mind, supporting Ohio's plan to renumber I-80S as I-76. In December of that year, the change was approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials;, I-76 would follow the turnpike between the Ohio state line and King of Prussia.[228] The change took effect on October 2, 1972.[259]
In 1969, the turnpike commission announced plans to widen the road. It proposed doubling the number of lanes from four to eight, and the Philadelphia-area portion would be 10 lanes wide. Cars and trucks would use separate roadways with this plan.[260] The commission had also proposed a new interchange with I-79 in Carpentertown. [261] The road would have had a 80-mile-per-hour (130 km/h) speed limit and holographic road signs. The widening would have kept much of the routing intact, but significant reconstruction was proposed between the Allegheny Mountain and Blue Mountain tunnels.[262] Because of the $1.1-billion (equivalent to $5.76 billion in 2023[100]) cost and the 1973 oil crisis which resulted in the imposition of a 55-mile-per-hour (89 km/h) speed limit, the plan was not implemented.[249]
By the 1970s, the turnpike's traffic volume began to decline because of the opening of I-80 (which provided a shorter route across northern Pennsylvania and the 1973 oil crisis, which led to a decline in long-distance travel.[263][264] With the passage of the 1974 National Maximum Speed Law, the speed limit on the turnpike was reduced to 55 mph (89 km/h).[265] Due to the widening and relocation of US 222 as a four-lane freeway, construction of a new Reading–Lancaster interchange was proposed in 1970;[247] it opened on April 10, 1974.[263]
During the late 1970s, the turnpike commission proposed truck-climbing lanes east of the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel near New Baltimore and near the Laurel Hill Bypass;[266] they were completed on December 2, 1981.[267] The project, which also involved the construction of 2.2 miles (3.5 km) of eastbound roadway and widening of the westbound roadway from two to three lanes, accompanied $70 million in expansions and renovations to the Irwin, New Stanton, Donegal, Somerset, and Carlisle interchanges.[66] On September 10, 1983, the Blue Mountain Interchange's 1940 toll plaza closed when the plaza was expanded.[268] The hexagonal booth was donated to the Smithsonian Institution.[269]
By the early 1980s, a significant portion of the Philadelphia Extension had become a bottleneck.[24] In 1983, funding was approved to widen the turnpike to six lanes between the Valley Forge and Philadelphia interchanges.[270] The project was put on hold because of disagreements between Governor Dick Thornburgh and members of the turnpike commission.[271][272] The Pennsylvania legislature approved the project in 1985, and the road would be widened between the Norristown and Philadelphia interchanges.[273][274] The widening began on March 10, 1986,[275] with improvements to the Fort Washington, Willow Grove, and Philadelphia interchanges completed later that year.[66] The rest of the widening was completed on November 23, 1987, with a ribbon-cutting at the Philadelphia interchange. The project cost $120 million (equivalent to $629 million in 2023[100]).[276]
Studies of eliminating toll takers began in 1982.[66] Following studies determining that they would reduce congestion, ticket machines replaced human workers on July 22, 1987.[277] I in 1988, tandem toll booths were added to the Valley Forge interchange plaza; tandem booths followed at the Willow Grove Interchange in 1989.[66]
The turnpike had a call box every mile (1.6 km) for its entire length.[278] Call boxes were installed between New Stanton and New Baltimore in December 1988, and call boxes were extended along the length of the highway the following year.[279]
Since the 1990s
[edit]
The turnpike commission celebrated the highway's 50th anniversary in October 1990. Over $300,000 (equivalent to $618,462 in 2023[100]) was spent to promote the turnpike with a videotape, souvenirs, and a private party attended by politicians and companies that work with the turnpike.[280]
An interchange to serve the New Cumberland Defense Depot, near Harrisburg, was planned in the late 1980s.[281] In September 1992, the turnpike commission scrapped the project.[282] Plans to build a replacement Plymouth Meeting interchange connecting the north end of I-476 (Mid-County Expressway) were also made during the late 1980s, and the turnpike commission approved a contract to build the interchange in March 1989.[283] The new ramps would replace the interchange, which had only served the south end of the Northeast Extension.[284] Construction was delayed when an unsuccessful bidder challenged the commission that June, saying that it violated female and minority contracting rules about the percentage of employees that were used for the project. [285] The contract was rebid in November 1989 after a Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruling.[286] The interchange between I-476 and the mainline was completed in November 1992, and the Northeast Extension ramps opened a month later;[287][288] a ribbon-cutting took place on December 15, 1992.[289]
An interchange was proposed with PA 743 between Elizabethtown and Hershey in 1990, but a 1993 study determined that it would not improve traffic flow on area roads.[290][291] In September 1990, replacement of the Morgantown interchange was completed. The new ramps served I-176, and the overhead lights at the new exit were considered a nuisance by nearby residents.[292][293] The speed limit was raised in 1995 to 65 mph (105 km/h) except for areas with a population greater than 50,000, which retained the 55-mile-per-hour (89 km/h) limit.[294]
Construction began in 1998 to improve the bridge over the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County. A bridge, wide enough to accommodate a future widening to six lanes, was built adjacent to the existing bridge and the project was completed in 2000.[295] In June 1998, the PTC began rebuilding the section between mileposts 94 and 99 near the Westmoreland-Somerset County line; work was completed in 2000.[66] The commission announced a gradual switch from sequential exit numbering to distance-based exit numbering in October 2000.[296][297] Work began on the new exit numbers in 2001.[298] That year, the PTC added amenities and toll lanes to the Gateway plaza.[66]
An electronic toll collection system was first proposed in 1990 in which a motorist would create an account, use an electronic device read from an electronic tollbooth, and be billed later.[299] E-ZPass, the multi-state electronic tolling system, was planned to go into effect by 1998.[300][301] In 1996, the turnpike commission considered adding slip ramps in the Philadelphia area for electronic toll collection.[302] Construction began on a westbound E-ZPass-only slip ramp at Virginia Drive (exit 340) in Fort Washington in early 2000;[303] it opened on December 2, 2000, at a cost $5.1 million, equivalent to $8.58 million in 2023[100].[304][303] That day, E-ZPass was introduced between Harrisburg West and the Delaware River Bridge.[304][305][303] By December 15, 2001, E-ZPass was in use on the entire turnpike.[306][307] On December 14, 2002, the system was introduced for commercial vehicles.[308]
Plans were made in 1993 to build an interchange between the turnpike and I-79 in Cranberry Township, Butler County,[309] and a contract was issued in November 1995.[310] In 1997, transportation officials agreed on the interchange's design.[311] The project included moving the west end of the ticket system to a new toll plaza in Warrendale. The interchange project was delayed by a dispute with Marshall and Pine townships in Allegheny County, who thought that it would cause noise, air, and light pollution.[312] Marshall Township eventually agreed to allow construction.[313] Groundbreaking for the new interchange was on February 22, 2002.[314] The westbound Butler service plaza was closed for replacement with the Warrendale toll plaza.[315] On June 1, 2003, the plaza opened; the Gateway toll plaza became a flat-rate plaza, and the exit toll plazas west of Warrendale closed.[316] The interchange between the turnpike and I-79, connecting to US 19, opened on November 12, 2003. The project cost $44 million (equivalent to $69.9 million in 2023[100]).[317] In June 2004, express E-ZPass lanes were completed at the Warrendale toll plaza which allowed motorists to travel through the plaza at highway speed.[318]
On November 25, 2004, turnpike management personnel began collecting flat-rate cash passenger tolls of $2 and commercial tolls of $15 with the ticketed system; E-ZPass users were charged the lesser amount of the toll or the flat rate.[319] The commission approved raising the speed limit to 65 mph (105 km/h) for the length of the turnpike, except tunnels, mainline toll plazas, and the winding portion near the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel which retained the 55-mile-per-hour (89 km/h) limit, in April 2005.[320]
The commission announced plans to build a wider, concrete segmental bridge over the Susquehanna River in 2000.[321] Work began on the six-lane bridge, which cost $150 million (equivalent to $232 million in 2023[100]), four years later. A ribbon-cutting was held for completion of the westbound bridge on May 16, 2007, and it opened to traffic the following day.[21][322] The eastbound bridge opened a month later.[323]
Proposals to widen the highway to six lanes between Downingtown and Valley Forge were made in 2004.[324] Three years later, the project's western terminus was scaled back from Downingtown to the proposed PA 29 slip ramp.[325] Plans for the widening were presented to the public in 2009.[326] Later that year, the widening was put on hold because of engineering problems;[327] it resumed in 2010.[328] Work was scheduled to begin in 2013, with completion in 2015.[329] In October 2012, the project was postponed a year because of delays in permit approvals.[330]
In December 2005, the turnpike commission announced plans to make the Gateway toll plaza an eastbound-only, express E-ZPass plaza the following year to reduce congestion.[331] The lanes opened in July 2007.[332] Also in December 2005, the commission began a Gettysburg Pike interchange project to widen the toll plaza, expand the utility building, and rebuild the roadway and associated structures (including replacing and rehabilitating bridges in the interchange and on the turnpike). The project was completed in October 2007 at a cost of $29 million.[66]
Plans were announced to build a new pair of bridges over the Allegheny River in 2005, replacing the existing deck truss bridge.[333] Work began in May 2007, and a dedication ceremony was held on October 23, 2009.[16] The bridges, which cost $194 million (equivalent to $268 million in 2023[100]), opened to traffic the following day and the old bridge was demolished on July 13, 2010.[334][335]
Work on the eastbound slip ramp at PA 132 (exit 352) in Bensalem Township began in 2009,[336] and it opened on November 22, 2010. The ramp, which cost $7.4 million (equivalent to $10.1 million in 2023[100]), accesses the eastbound turnpike and was built to improve access to Parx Casino and Racing.[337] All slip ramps were initially reserved for E-ZPass users, but opened to all traffic after the 2020 conversion to cashless tolling.[26] Other slip ramps were planned in the Philadelphia area at PA 29 near the Great Valley Corporate Center and at PA 252 in Valley Forge in the 1990s. Residents opposed the PA 29 (exit 320) ramp, fearing that it would impact the rural area.[338] In 1999, the commission canceled plans to build a slip ramp at PA 252 in favor of a ramp at PA 29.[339] It approved funding for the PA 29 ramp in 2002,[340] but the project was put on hold in 2009 because of engineering and design problems.[327] It was announced that the commission would approve construction of the slip ramp at PA 29 in August 2010, and construction began the following March.[341][342] The interchange, which accesses the turnpike in both directions, opened on December 11, 2012; Governor Tom Corbett cut the ribbon.[342][343]
Plans were made to widen the turnpike to six lanes between Irwin and New Stanton in 2005.[344] Work began in January 2006, adding a third lane in each direction, replacing several bridges, and realigning a portion of the turnpike, and was completed in November 2011.[345] As part of the project, the Hempfield service plaza was closed in January 2007.[80]
_just_west_of_Exit_340_in_Upper_Dublin_Township,_Montgomery_County,_Pennsylvania.jpg)
In November 2006, Governor Ed Rendell and former Pennsylvania House Speaker John Perzel suggested leasing the turnpike long-term to a private group to raise money to improve other infrastructure in the state. Such a lease was speculated to raise up to $30 billion (equivalent to $43.6 billion in 2023[100]) for the state.[346] In October 2007, 34 companies submitted 14 proposals to lease the turnpike.[347] On May 19, 2008, a $12.8-billion (equivalent to $18.1 billion in 2023[100]) proposal by Abertis, a Spain-based firm, and Citigroup in New York City to lease the turnpike was submitted.[348] The consortium withdrew the offer on September 30 of that year because it thought the proposal would not be approved by the state legislature.[349]
A study began in 1999 to widen the road to six lanes between Valley Forge and Norristown.[350] Work began on the widening in October 2004,[351] which was completed in November 2008 at a cost of $330 million (equivalent to $459 million in 2023[100]).[352] The speed limit was increased to 70 mph (110 km/h) between the Blue Mountain and Morgantown interchanges on July 22, 2014.[353]
On March 15, 2016, the PTC approved raising the speed limit on the remainder of the turnpike to 70 mph (110 km/h) except for sections posted with a 55-mile-per-hour (89 km/h) limit;[354][355] the speed limit increased to 70 mph (110 km/h) on the 65-mile-per-hour (105 km/h) sections of the road on May 3 of that year. It remains 55 mph (89 km/h) in construction zones, tunnels, mainline toll plazas, the winding portion near the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel, and the section between Bensalem and the Delaware River Bridge.[356][357][358]
In 2015, a pilot program began at exit 189 (Willow Hill) with automated payment machines which accept credit and debit cards.[359] In October of the following year, the turnpike began accepting credit cards as payment at all toll booths.[360]
The turnpike used traffic lights as feedback signals for E-ZPass users since it was launched in 2001. On March 17, 2017, the PTC announced that it would begin removing the feedback signals as part of upgrading toll equipment because they do not conform to federal signage guidelines.[361] In September 2017, the commission began removing turnpike call boxes due to increased mobile-phone use.[362]
_at_Exit_40_(Interstate_276_WEST-Pennsylvania_Turnpike,_Harrisburg)_in_Bristol_Township,_Bucks_County,_Pennsylvania.jpg)
As part of a 2016–2020 project to widen a section of the turnpike in Somerset and Bedford counties to six lanes, the commission announced in 2007 that the steps leading to St. John's Church in New Baltimore were a safety hazard and would be removed.[363][364] In September 2013, the PTC began a project to replace a number of bridges between mileposts 12 and 14. The project, competed in November 2017, allowed for future widening from four to six lanes. The first phase was competed in December 2022 and the PTC began the second phase: a six-lane replacement of the Beaver River Bridge and reconstruction of the Beaver Valley interchange from a trumpet to a nonstandard slip interchange. Work is expected to be competed in September 2027 at a cost of $292 million.[365] In 2019, the turnpike launched a smartphone app for paying tolls.[366] Construction to widen the section between mile markers 102 and 109 west of Somerset (with a couple small curve realignments) began in January 2021 and was substantially completed in August 2024.[367][368]
The reconstruction and widening project between the PA 29 and Valley Forge interchanges is being split into two phases: one between the PA 252 overpass and the Valley Forge interchange, and the other between the PA 29 interchange and the PA 252 overpass.[369] Construction began on September 27, 2021, with the new lanes opening to traffic in October 2024[370] and all work expected to be completed in May 2025.[371] Reconstruction and widening of the turnpike from the Downingtown interchange east to the Valley Hill Road overpass began in early 2023, with completion planned for 2027.[372]
Future
[edit]In 2013, Montgomery County officials announced they were considering more slip ramps along the turnpike to ease traffic congestion.[373] The Pennsylvania Turnpike Corridor Reinvestment Project was released in 2015, with plans to build additional interchanges along the turnpike in Montgomery County to revitalize adjacent business parks.[374] Proposed locations for new interchanges included PA 63 near Willow Grove, Henderson Road in Upper Merion Township, and Lafayette Street/Ridge Pike near Norristown and Plymouth Meeting. There were also plans to add eastbound ramps at the existing Virginia Drive interchange, ramps at the Valley Forge interchange to First Avenue and Moore Road in King of Prussia, a ramp at the Fort Washington interchange to Commerce Drive, and modernize the Willow Grove interchange.[375] Construction of the Lafayette Street extension began in 2013, and was completed the following year.[376] On January 7, 2015, the commission committed $45 million (equivalent to $56.6 million in 2023[100]) to building the interchange.[377] The commission's Fiscal Year 2017 Capital Plan included $66 million (equivalent to $80.7 million in 2023[100]) for the Lafayette Street interchange. The design phase began in 2017, with preliminary engineering in 2018 and 2019.[378] Construction of the Lafayette Street interchange is expected to begin in 2027 and be completed in 2029.[379] A slip ramp was planned in 2000 as part of a revitalization plan to connect Lafayette Street with the turnpike in Norristown.[380] The project would involve extending Lafayette Street to the new ramp.[381] The proposed slip ramp is projected to cost $160 million (equivalent to $269 million in 2023[100]). Montgomery County officials have proposed a surcharge for the new exit to help pay for the project.[382]
Plans for an interchange between the turnpike and I-95 in Bristol Township to connect portions of I-95 in Pennsylvania and the New Jersey Turnpike were proposed in 1978.[383][384] The roads did not have an interchange because earlier laws (since repealed) prohibited federal funds from being used to connect toll roads.[225] In 1982, the federal government mandated that the interchange be built in Pennsylvania.[385] A gap existed on I-95 because of the unbuilt Somerset Freeway segment in central New Jersey.[383] Under the plan, I-95 would be rerouted to follow the turnpike between the new interchange and the New Jersey state line;[386] the interchange would also be the new terminus of an extended I-295.[387][388] Area residents who thought the interchange would lead to a decline in their quality of life opposed the plan.[389] An environmental impact statement (EIS) was released in 2003.[390] The interchange received environmental approval in 2004, the preliminary design was completed in 2008, and the final design followed.[391][392][393] The project involved building a high-speed interchange between the roads. The turnpike commission will also widen the existing four-lane road to six lanes east of the Bensalem interchange. A new toll plaza was built east of the Street Road interchange at Neshaminy Falls to mark the eastern end of the ticket system consisting of high-speed E-ZPass lanes and ticket and cash booths, and the former Delaware River Bridge toll barrier was converted to a westbound all-electronic facility. A new bridge will be built over the Delaware River. Work on the project began in late 2010, and two bridges over the turnpike were replaced in 2011.[387]
Groundbreaking for the interchange with I-95 took place on July 30, 2013, with Governor Corbett in attendance.[394] Construction of the interchange's first stage began in late 2014.[395] Flyover ramps between northbound I-95 and the eastbound turnpike and between the westbound turnpike and southbound I-95 opened on September 22, 2018.[396] Work on the new mainline toll plaza and turnpike widening between I-95 and the Delaware River began in 2013 and was completed in 2016.[387] The connector was finished in 2018 and completed I-95, which runs from Florida north to Maine. Part of the Interstate Highway System, it serves over 110 million people in over 10 percent of the total US land area. Its development began as part of the Federal-Aid Highway Act in 1956.[397] I-95 was widened, and the exit 42 ramp to US 13 was converted to an at-grade intersection with tolls removed.[398] Long-term plans call for the construction of missing eleements between the turnpike, I-95 and I-295 and widening the turnpike between the Bensalem interchange and I-95. Plans have also been made for a six-lane replacement of the Delaware River Bridge, which is expected to begin construction in 2025 at the earliest.[399] The project's first stage, which includes the new toll plaza, widening and flyover ramps between I-95 and the turnpike, will cost $420 million. The flyover ramps are expected to cost $142.9 million, with $100 million from federal funds and the remainder from the turnpike commission. The PTC is borrowing money from foreign investors to fund the project, and the commission entered a partnership with the Delaware Valley Regional Center (DVRC) in 2014 to raise half the funds needed to construct the interchange. The EB-5 visa program will allow the commission, through the DVRC, to save about $35 million of traditional borrowing costs over five years.[400] The remaining stages of the project are unfunded, with a projected total cost of $1.1 billion.[395]
A 1996 study on improving the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel by building another tube or a bypass was made.[401][402] Based on the study, the commission planned to replace the deteriorating tunnel with a cut through the mountain.[402] The plans were put on hold in 2001 because it would cost $93.7 million (equivalent to $154 million in 2023[100]), and were revived in 2009.[403] The nearby Mountain Field and Stream Club prefers that the tunnels be improved or a new tube built rather than the bypass. The narrow Allegheny Mountain Tunnel is deteriorating, with disintegrating ceiling slabs and outdated lighting and ventilation.[404]
On October 22, 2013, the PTC announced plans to replace the tunnels (the older of which was 73 years old) with new tunnels or a bypass due to the age and condition of the 1940 tunnel and the need for additional capacity.[405] About 11 million vehicles use the tunnel every year.[406] On December 24, 2014, the PTC announced that it was going forward with plans to replace the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel. Six options are being considered, three of which would include bypasses via rock blasting (as was done with the Laurel Hill Tunnel); the other three would involve boring two new tunnels (presumably three lanes each) to accommodate the PTC's long-term plans to widen the mainline turnpike to six lanes except for the existing tunnels. If the PTC builds new tunnels, the existing Allegheny Mountain Tunnels would be shut down. Although the projected costs for a bypass would be less than half that of boring new tunnels and would require $3 million less for annual maintenance of each tunnel, the Mountain Field and Stream Club (a local hunting group which owns 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land around the tunnel) opposed the bypass options; the group had also opposed plans to replace the tunnels in 2001.[407] In February 2020, the PTC decided that the tunnel would be bypassed with a new road to the south. Such a plan is expected to be cheaper and have less environmental impact than a new tunnel. The project is under environmental review; design is expected to take three to four years, and construction will take another three years. The bypass will cost $332.4 million.[408]
The PTC voted on July 16, 2019, to allocate $30 million to its 10-Year Capital Plan for a new interchange from the turnpike to PA 130 in Penn Township, between exits 57 and 67.[409] A Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission study found that PA 130 would need to be widened to accommodate the additional traffic, costing about $38 million and bringing the total project cost to about $68 million.[410] The interchange would have cashless tolling, with E-ZPass or a camera system in which the turnpike would photograph a car's license plate and mail an invoice.[411]
The project would need coordination between the turnpike commission and PennDOT (which maintains PA 130),[412] and is supported by the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce.[413] On October 28, 2021, it was announced that design work on the interchange would begin; the interchange, between the turnpike and PA 130, is projected to be completed by 2038.[414]
On September 24, 2024, the PTC announced plans to widen the stretch between mileposts 160 and 163 from four to six lanes; this would also involve reconstruction of the Breezewood interchange to add a connection between the turnpike and I-70. The project is planned to begin its preliminary design phase in 2025, with construction underway by 2027.[415]
Exit list
[edit]| County | Location[416] | mi [14][417] | km | Old exit [418] | New exit [417] | Name[417] | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence | North Beaver Township | 0.00 | 0.00 | – | – |     I-76 west / Ohio Turnpike west – Ohio | Continuation into Ohio; western end of I-76 concurrency | |
| 1.43 | 2.30 | Gateway Toll Gantry (eastbound only; E-ZPass or toll-by-plate) | ||||||
| Beaver | Big Beaver | 10.70 | 17.22 | 1A | 10 | New Castle |    I-376 Toll / PA 351 – New Castle, Pittsburgh | PA 351 not signed; exit 26 on I-376 |
| 12.87 | 20.71 | 2 | 13 | Beaver Valley |  PA 18 – Ellwood City, Beaver Falls | |||
| Beaver River | 13.0– 13.3 | 20.9– 21.4 | Beaver River Bridge | |||||
| Butler | Cranberry Township | 28.47 | 45.82 | 3 | 28 | Cranberry |   I-79 / US 19 – Pittsburgh, Erie | Exit 77 on I-79; access to Old Economy Village State Historic Site; formerly called the Perry Highway Interchange[419] |
| Allegheny | Marshall Township | 31.00 | 49.89 | Warrendale Toll Gantry (western end of closed toll system) | ||||
| Hampton Township | 39.10 | 62.93 | 4 | 39 | Butler Valley |  PA 8 – Pittsburgh, Butler | Formerly called the North Pittsburgh Interchange[420] | |
| Harmar Township | 47.73 | 76.81 | 5 | 48 | Allegheny Valley |   To PA 28 – New Kensington, Pittsburgh | Access via Freeport Road | |
| Allegheny River | 47.8– 48.2 | 76.9– 77.6 | Allegheny River Bridge | |||||
| Plum | 49.30 | 79.34 | Oakmont Plum Service Plaza (eastbound) | |||||
| Monroeville | 56.44 | 90.83 | 6 | 57 | Pittsburgh |     I-376 west / US 22 / US 22 Bus. west / Orange Belt – Pittsburgh, Monroeville | Eastern terminus and exit 85 on I-376; US 22 Bus./Orange Belt not signed; access to North Shore Destinations | |
| Westmoreland | Penn Township | 62.84 | 101.13 | 62 | SR 130 |  PA 130 | Proposed interchange; construction expected to start in 2035[421] | |
| North Huntingdon Township | 67.22 | 108.18 | 1 7 | 67 | Irwin |  US 30 – Irwin, Greensburg, McKeesport | Signed for Greensburg eastbound, McKeesport westbound | |
| New Stanton | 75.39 | 121.33 | 2 8 | 75 | New Stanton |     I-70 west / US 119 / PA Turnpike 66 north – Greensburg, Wheeling, WV | Western end of I-70 concurrency; exit 58 on I-70; exit 0B on PA 66; access to Washington, PA, Columbus, OH, Connellsville, and Delmont | |
| Hempfield Township | 77.60 | 124.89 | New Stanton Service Plaza (westbound) | |||||
| Donegal Township | 90.69 | 145.95 | 3 9 | 91 | Donegal |   PA 31 to PA 711 – Ligonier, Uniontown | ||
| Somerset | Somerset | 109.91 | 176.88 | 4 10 | 110 | Somerset |  To US 219 – Somerset, Johnstown | Access via PA 281; access to Flight 93 National Memorial |
| Somerset Township | 112.30– 112.40 | 180.73– 180.89 | North Somerset Service Plaza (westbound) South Somerset Service Plaza (eastbound) | |||||
| Stonycreek–Allegheny township line | 122.7– 123.9 | 197.5– 199.4 | Allegheny Mountain Tunnel | |||||
| Bedford | Bedford Township | 145.50 | 234.16 | 5 11 | 146 | Bedford |     To I-99 north / US 220 – Bedford, Altoona | Access via US 220 Bus.; access to Blue Knob State Park, Shawnee State Park, and Cumberland, MD |
| 147.30 | 237.06 | North Midway Service Plaza (westbound) South Midway Service Plaza (eastbound) | ||||||
| East Providence Township | 161.50 | 259.91 | 6 12 | 161 | Breezewood |  I-70 east to US 30 – Everett, Baltimore | Eastern end of I-70 concurrency; Everett not signed eastbound | |
| Fulton | Taylor Township | 172.30 | 277.29 | Sideling Hill Service Plaza (both directions) | ||||
| Dublin Township | 179.44 | 288.78 | 7 13 | 180 | Fort Littleton |  US 522 – McConnellsburg, Mount Union | ||
| Huntingdon–Franklin county line | Dublin–Metal township line | 187.3– 188.3 | 301.4– 303.0 | Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel | ||||
| Franklin | Metal Township | 188.59 | 303.51 | 8 14 | 189 | Willow Hill |  PA 75 – Willow Hill, Fort Loudon | |
| Fannett–Lurgan township line | 198.5– 199.4 | 319.5– 320.9 | Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel | |||||
| Lurgan Township | 199.5– 200.3 | 321.1– 322.4 | Blue Mountain Tunnel | |||||
| 201.29 | 323.94 | 9 15 | 201 | Blue Mountain |  PA 997 – Shippensburg, Chambersburg | |||
| Cumberland | Hopewell Township | 202.50 | 325.89 | Blue Mountain Service Plaza (westbound) | ||||
| West Pennsboro Township | 219.10 | 352.61 | Cumberland Valley Service Plaza (eastbound) | |||||
| Middlesex Township | 226.54 | 364.58 | 11 16 | 226 | Carlisle |   US 11 to I-81 – Carlisle, Harrisburg, Chambersburg | Signed for Harrisburg eastbound, Chambersburg westbound; access to US Army War College and US Army Heritage Center; formerly called the Middlesex Interchange[420] | |
| Upper Allen Township | 236.22 | 380.16 | 17 | 236 | Gettysburg Pike |  US 15 – Gettysburg, Harrisburg | Access to Harrisburg State Capital | |
| York | Fairview Township | 241.87 | 389.25 | 18 | 242 | Harrisburg West |  I-83 – York, Baltimore, Harrisburg | Exit 39B on I-83; access to Harrisburg State Capital |
| Susquehanna River | 246.5– 247.3 | 396.7– 398.0 | Susquehanna River Bridge | |||||
| Dauphin | Lower Swatara Township | 247.38 | 398.12 | 19 | 247 | Harrisburg East |    I-283 north / PA 283 east – Harrisburg, Hershey | Southern terminus of I-283; western terminus of I-283; access to Harrisburg International Airport and Harrisburg State Capital |
| 249.70 | 401.85 | Highspire Service Plaza (eastbound) | ||||||
| Dauphin–Lebanon county line | Conewago–South Londonderry township line | 258.80 | 416.50 | Lawn Service Plaza (westbound) | ||||
| Lancaster | Rapho Township | 266.45 | 428.81 | 20 | 266 | Lebanon–Lancaster |  PA 72 – Lebanon, Lancaster | Access to Cornwall Iron Furnace State Historic Site and Hershey |
| East Cocalico Township | 286.09 | 460.42 | 21 | 286 | Reading |  To US 222 – Reading, Ephrata, Lancaster | Access via Colonel Howard Boulevard; signed for Ephrata eastbound, Lancaster westbound; access to Ephrata Cloister and Landis Valley Museum | |
| Brecknock Township | 289.90 | 466.55 | Bowmansville Service Plaza (eastbound) | |||||
| Berks | Caernarvon Township | 22 | – | Morgantown |  PA 10 – Morgantown, Reading | Replaced by newer exit in 1996 | ||
| 298.33 | 480.12 | 22 | 298 | Morgantown |   I-176 north to PA 10 / PA 23 – Morgantown, Reading | Southern terminus of I-176; access to Daniel Boone Homestead State Historical Site | ||
| Chester | Wallace Township | 304.80 | 490.53 | Peter J. Camiel Service Plaza (westbound) | ||||
| Uwchlan Township | 311.93 | 502.00 | 23 | 312 | Downingtown |  PA 100 – Pottstown, West Chester | Access to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site | |
| Charlestown–East Whiteland– Tredyffrin township tripoint | 319.33 | 513.91 | – | 320 | SR 29 |  PA 29 – Phoenixville, Malvern | ||
| Tredyffrin Township | 324.50 | 522.23 | Valley Forge Service Plaza (eastbound) | |||||
| Montgomery | Upper Merion Township | 326.62 | 525.64 | 24 | 326 | Valley Forge |   I-76 east to I-476 / US 202 – Philadelphia, Valley Forge  I-276 begins | Eastern end of I-76 concurrency; western terminus of I-276; access to Valley Forge National Historical Park |
| 328.40 | 528.51 | King of Prussia Service Plaza (westbound) | ||||||
| Schuylkill River | 331.7– 331.9 | 533.8– 534.1 | Schuylkill River Bridge | |||||
| Plymouth Township | 333.28 | 536.36 | 25 | 333 | Norristown |  I-476 south – Chester, Norristown | I-476/Chester not signed westbound; access to Norristown via Plymouth Road; exit 20 on I-476 | |
| 334.5 | 538.3 | – | – | I-476 north / Penna Turnpike NE Extension north – Allentown | Southern terminus of Penna Turnpike NE Extension | |||
| 25A | 20 | Mid-County | I-476 south – Chester | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; exit no. corresponds to I-476 | ||||
| Upper Dublin Township | 338.36 | 544.54 | 26 | 339 | Fort Washington |  PA 309 – Philadelphia, Ambler | Access to Hope Lodge State Historic Site | |
| 339.80 | 546.86 | 26A[303] | 340 | Virginia Drive | Virginia Drive | Westbound exit and entrance; no trucks | ||
| Upper Moreland Township | 342.91 | 551.86 | 27 | 343 | Willow Grove |  PA 611 – Doylestown, Jenkintown | Access to Graeme Park State Historic Site | |
| Bucks | Bensalem Township | 351.49 | 565.67 | 28 | 351 | Bensalem |   US 1 to I-95 south – Philadelphia, Trenton | I-95 not signed westbound; formerly called the Philadelphia Interchange[422] |
| 351.89 | 566.31 | – | 352 | Street Road |  PA 132 (Street Road) | Eastbound exit and entrance | ||
| 352.67 | 567.57 | Neshaminy Falls Toll Gantry (eastern end of closed toll system) | ||||||
| Bristol Township | 41.1 | 66.1 | – | 40 | I-95 south – Philadelphia I-276 ends | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; eastern terminus of I-276; western end of I-95 concurrency | ||
| 42.4 | 68.2 | 29 358 | 42 | Delaware Valley |  US 13 – Levittown, Bristol | |||
| Delaware River | 43.7 | 70.3 | Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge (westbound toll) | |||||
| – | – |   I-95 north / Pearl Harbor Extension east to N.J. Turnpike – New Jersey, New York | Continuation into New Jersey; eastern end of I-95 concurrency | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| ||||||||
See also
[edit]
References
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- ^ a b c d Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 116.
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- ^ Randolph, Deborah A. (October 18, 1978). "Howard Johnson's 38-Year Monopoly On Pennsylvania Turnpike Could End". The Wall Street Journal. p. 18.
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- ^ a b c d e Cupper (1990), p. 11.
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- ^ a b c Winfield, Robert (October 15, 1939). "Nation's Newest Super-Highway Is Rushed". The New York Times. p. 151.
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- ^ "First Link in Ohio Pike Is Opened to Motorists". The New York Times. December 2, 1954. p. 16.
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- ^ "Turnpike Extension Approved". The New York Times. May 24, 1951. p. 45.
- ^ "43-Mile Extension To Link Turnpikes". The New York Times. March 14, 1952. p. 25.
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- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 43.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 44.
- ^ "Bruce Harper's Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania Highways Site --".
- ^ "Midway Turnpike Service Plazas". July 17, 2018.
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- ^ Nussbaum, Paul (October 13, 1984). "Larson Vows To Fight Plan For Turnpike". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. B04.
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- ^ Metz, Gretchen (December 14, 2007). "Slip ramp designs ready - $75 million project is slow to start because DEP must approve permits". Daily Local News. West Chester, Pennsylvania. pp. 9, 11.
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- ^ a b Metz, Gretchen (March 25, 2011). "Route 29 slip ramp hailed as boon for Chester County". The Mercury. Pottstown, Pennsylvania. p. 5.
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- ^ "$330 million expansion project in southeastern Pa". La Voz. West Reading, Pennsylvania. December 11, 2008. p. 4.
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- ^ a b McCrary, Lacy (February 9, 1998). "Legislators Push For Pa. Turnpike-I-95 Interchange". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. B01.
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- ^ a b c "Construction". PA Turnpike / I-95 Interchange Project. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ Nadeau, Gregory G. (May 20, 2015). "FHWA to AASHTO I-95 Designation" (PDF). Letter to Bud Wright. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 9, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
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- ^ "Section E".
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- ^ "PA Turnpike Commission Plans Cashless Tolling Interchange for SR 130 in Westmoreland County". Senator Kim Ward. July 16, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
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- ^ "Where We Stand". Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce | Greensburg, PA. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
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- ^ a b "Article clipped from Gettysburg Compiler". Gettysburg Compiler. April 1950. p. 2.
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External links
[edit]
- Official site
- Pennsylvania Highways: Pennsylvania Turnpike
- The Pennsylvania Turnpike @ Pennsylvania Road Photos
- Pennsylvania Roads - I-76 - Pennsylvania Turnpike
- Pennsylvania Roads - I-76 - Abandoned Tpk.
- Information About the Abandoned Sections of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
- Pennsylvania Roads - I-276 - Pennsylvania Turnpike
- The Pennsylvania Turnpike A History Archived June 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- Pennsylvania @ AARoads - Interstate 76
- Pennsylvania @ AARoads - Interstate 276 / Pennsylvania Turnpike
- Pennsylvania @ AARoads - Interstate 95
- Interstate Guide – I-276
- I-276 on Kurumi.com
- The Roads of Metro Philadelphia: Pennsylvania Turnpike - Delaware River Extension (I-276)
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- Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
- Interstate 70
- Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey)
- Interstate 95
- Lincoln Highway
- Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks
- Interstate Highways in Pennsylvania
- Toll roads in Pennsylvania
- Tolled sections of Interstate Highways
- Transportation in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Beaver County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Bedford County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Berks County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Butler County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Franklin County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Fulton County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Somerset County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
- Transportation in York County, Pennsylvania
- U.S. Route 30