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]
By 1946, a number of service plazas were expanded in order to accommodate booming popularity.[65] With the opening of the extensions between 1950 and 1956, larger and better-spaced plazas were constructed.[65] In 1957, the Laurel Hill and New Baltimore Plazas were closed.[65] The Sideling Hill plaza opened in 1968, replacing the Cove Valley plaza.[66] In 1978, as Howard Johnson's exclusive contract to provide food service was ending, the turnpike commission entertained bids;[67] Aramark was awarded a food-service contract at two plazas.[68] The turnpike was the first toll road in the U.S. to have more than one fast-food chain at its service plazas.[69] Gas stations were operated by Gulf Oil, Exxon, and ARCO.[68]
The Denver, Pleasant Valley, and Mechanicsburg plazas were closed in 1980.[70] That year, Hardee's opened restaurants at the service plazas to compete with Howard Johnson's.[71] The turnpike was the world's first road to offer fast food at its service plazas.[72]
The eastbound Path Valley plaza closed in 1983;[70] and Burger King and McDonald's restaurants opened on the turnpike,[69] reflecting increased demands for fast food.[72] Marriott Corporation purchased the remaining Howard Johnson's restaurants in 1987, and restaurants such as Roy Rogers and Bob's Big Boy opened.[73]
The Brandywine (later Peter J. Camiel) plaza was reconstructed in 1990, the first such project in turnpike history.[74] That year, Gulf Oil LP replaced the turnpike's Exxon stations.[75]
Sunoco took over gas-station operations in 1993, outbidding Shell US;[76] credit card-activated pumps, fax machines, ATMs, and informational lodging boards were added.[65] Two years later, a farmers market began at the Sideling Hill plaza.[77] In 2002, the Butler plaza was replaced by the Warrendale Toll Plaza.[78] Two years later, the Somerset Service Plaza was expanded.[65]
The eastbound-only Hempfield and South Neshaminy plazas were closed in 2007 for a six-lane widening and a new slip ramp, respectively.[79][80] The eastbound Zelienople plaza closed in 2008,[81] and the westbound North Neshaminy plaza closed two years later for future reconstruction.[80] Free Wi-Fi was introduced at all service plazas in 2013.[65]
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).[82]
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.[83][84] 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.[85][86]
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.[87] 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.[88] 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.[89]
The Pennsylvania Railroad was completed between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in 1854.[90] 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.[91] Construction began on the rival line in 1883, but stopped when the railroads reached an agreement two years later.[92][93] 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.[93]
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.[94][95] The highway would be a four-lane, limited-access road modeled on the German Autobahn and Connecticut's Merritt Parkway.[92][96][97] The turnpike could also be a defense road,[98] and construction costs could be reduced by using the abandoned South Pennsylvania Railroad tunnels.[94]
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[99]). 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,[94] and the first commissioners were appointed on June 4.[100] 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.[101]
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.[101] There would be no at-grade intersections, driveways, traffic lights, crosswalks, or at-grade railroad crossings.[102] 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.[101] The turnpike's design would be uniform.[102]
In February 1938, the commission began investigating proposals for $55 million in bonds to be issued for construction of the turnpike.[103] A month later, Van Ingen and Company purchased $60 million (equivalent to $1.02 billion in 2023[99]) in bonds which they offered to the public.[104] President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved a $24-million (equivalent to $408 million in 2023[99]) grant from the WPA in April 1938 for construction of the road, and the commonwealth contributed $29 million (equivalent to $492 million in 2023[99]) toward the project.[105]
The WPA grant received final approval,[106] but plans were still made to sell bonds; the first issue was planned for about $20 million (equivalent to $340 million in 2023[99]). The reduced bond issue was due to the WPA grant.[107]
In June, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) announced that it would lend the commission sufficient funds to build the road.[108] The RFC loan totaled $32 million (equivalent to $543 million in 2023[99]), with a $26 million (equivalent to $442 million in 2023[99]) grant from the Public Works Administration (PWA); this provided $58 million (equivalent to $985 million in 2023[99]) for the turnpike's construction, and highway tolls would repay the RFC.[109]
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[99]) in bonds in addition to the PWA grant.[110] That month, a banking syndicate purchased the bond amount from the RFC.[111] 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.[112]
The highway opened in 1940 between Irwin and Carlisle as the first long-distance controlled-access highway in the United States.[113] Other toll roads and the Interstate Highway System were then built.[114] The highway was extended east to Valley Forge in 1950, and west to the Ohio state line the following year.[115][116] 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.[117][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) to the south.[118] The commission considered bypassing the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels, but the cost of a bypass was considered too high.[119] Crews used steam shovels to widen the tunnels' portals,[118] and temporary railroad tracks transported construction equipment in and out.[120] Concrete was used in lining the tunnel portals.[121] The tunnels included ventilation ducts, drainage structures, sidewalks, lighting, telephone, and signal systems.[122] Lighting was installed along the roadway approaching the tunnel portals.[123]
The tunnels bored through the seven mountains totaled 4.5 miles (7.2 km). The tunnels were Laurel Hill Tunnel, Allegheny Mountain Tunnel, Rays Hill Tunnel, Sideling Hill Tunnel, Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel, Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel, and Blue Mountain Tunnel, and the road became known as the "tunnel highway".[124]
Many bridge designs were used for roads over the highway, including the concrete arch bridge, the through plate girder bridge, and the concrete T-beam bridge.[125][126][127] Bridges used to carry the turnpike over other roads and streams included a concrete arch viaduct in New Stanton.[128] At 600 feet (180 m), the New Stanton viaduct was the longest bridge along the original section of the turnpike.[129] 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.[130][131] A total of 307 bridges were constructed along the original section of the turnpike.[129]
Eleven interchanges were built along the turnpike, most of which were trumpet interchanges in which all ramps merge at the toll booths.[132][133] Only the New Stanton, Carlisle, and Middlesex interchanges did not follow this design, of which only the New Station interchange was intended to be permanent.[132] Lighting was installed approaching interchanges, along with acceleration and deceleration lanes.[123] The road also featured guardrails, consisting of steel panels attached to I-beams.[134] Large exit signs were used and road signs had cat's-eye reflectors to increase visibility at night.[134][135] Billboards were prohibited.[136] In September 1940, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ruled that trucks and buses would be allowed to use the highway.[137]
Since the first section of the highway 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 constructed of native fieldstone, resembling Colonial-era architecture.[138][139] In 1940, Standard Oil of Pennsylvania was awarded a contract for 10 Esso service stations along the turnpike.[140] Eight of the service plazas would consist of service stations and a restaurant, while 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 service.[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 the tunnels.[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 a 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 Pennsylvania Turnpike groundbreaking was held on October 27, 1938, near Carlisle; Commission Chair Walter A. Jones thrust the first shovel into the earth.[147] Turnpike 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 awarded.[18] By July 1939, the entire length of the turnpike was under contract.[102]
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] Building the highway required the acquisition of homes, farms, and a coal mine by eminent domain.[102] 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.[129] 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 roadway up the three-percent grade at the east end of Allegheny Mountain, the steepest grade the turnpike traversed.[151] The base of Evitts Mountain was blasted to carry the turnpike across Bedford Narrows along 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, stairways were built on either side of the turnpike to provide access to the church.[152]
Paving began on August 31, 1939.[102] The roadway would have a concrete surface, and concrete was poured directly onto the earth with no gravel roadbed.[153] Concrete batch plants were set up along the road to aid in paving.[154] Interchange ramps were paved with asphalt.[131] The paving operations led to a delay in the projected opening of the highway; by October 1939, the completion date was pushed back from May 1 to June 29, 1940, since paving could not be done during the 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.[122]
Completion was postponed to July 4, before being again postponed to late summer 1940 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 on October 1, 1940.[18][156][157] Since the turnpike was opened on 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 the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh.[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.[124] 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[99]).[160] A total of 18,000 men worked on the turnpike; 19 died during its construction.[161]
When the highway was under construction in 1939, its proposed toll was $1.50 (equivalent to $26.00 in 2023[99]) for a one-way car trip; a round trip would cost $2.00 (equivalent to $34.00 in 2023[99]). Trucks would pay $10.00 (equivalent to $172.00 in 2023[99]) one way. Varying tolls would be charged for motorists who did not travel the length of the turnpike.[122] Upon its opening in 1940, automobile tolls were set at $1.50 (equivalent to $26.00 in 2023[99]) one way and $2.25 (equivalent to $38.00 in 2023[99]) 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.[123] 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[99]) 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 Pennsylvania 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.[113] Homer D. Romberger, a feed and tallow driver from Carlisle, became the first motorist to enter the turnpike at Carlisle, and Carl A. Boe of McKeesport became the first motorist to enter at Irwin.[165] Boe was flagged down by Frank Lorey and Dick Gangle, the first hitchhikers along the turnpike.[166] On October 6 (the first Sunday after the turnpike's opening), traffic was heavy, with congestion at toll plazas, tunnels, and service plazas.[167]
During its first 15 days of operation, the road saw over 150,000 vehicles.[168] By the end of its first year, the road earned $3 million (equivalent to $51.1 million in 2023[99]) in revenue from five million motorists, exceeding the $2.67 million (equivalent to $45.5 million in 2023[99]) 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 again increased.[172]
When it opened, the turnpike became the first long-distance limited-access road in the United States.[114] It provided a direct link between the Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states and cut travel time between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg from nearly 6 to about 2.5 hours.[123][173] The road was given the nicknames "dream highway" and "the World's Greatest Highway" by the turnpike commission[1][163] and 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 by 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 Pennsylvania Turnpike led to the construction of other toll roads, such as the New Jersey Turnpike and (eventually) the Interstate Highway System.[114] It 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 enforced speed limit when it opened except for the tunnels, which had a 35-mile-per-hour (56 km/h) speed limit. Some drivers traveled as fast as 90 mph (140 km/h) on the road.[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 Pennsylvania Turnpike opened, the commission considered extending it east to Philadelphia, primarily for defense purposes. In 1939, the state legislature passed a bill allowing for an extension of the road to Philadelphia, which was signed into law by Governor Arthur James in 1940 as Act 11.[97][181] The extension was projected to cost between $50 and $60 million in 1941 (equivalent to between $799 million and $959 million in 2023[99]).[181] Funding for the Philadelphia extension was in place in 1948.[182] In July 1948, the turnpike commission offered $134 million (equivalent to $1.36 billion in 2023[99]) in bonds to pay for the extension, which was projected to cost $87 million.[183] The Philadelphia extension was to run from Carlisle east to US 202 in King of Prussia.[115][184] From there, the extension would connect to a state-maintained freeway that 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 would look similar to the original section of the turnpike but would use air-entrained concrete poured onto stone.[115][187] Transverse joints on the pavement were spaced at 46-foot (14 m) intervals rather than the 77-foot (23 m) ones on the original portion.[115] Because it traversed through less mountainous terrain, the extension did not require as much earthwork as the original section.[188] It required the construction of large bridges, including those that cross the Susquehanna River and the Swatara Creek.[189][190] To save money, the Susquehanna River Bridge was constructed 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; the steel deck bridge was also introduced.[191] With the construction of the Philadelphia extension, the Carlisle interchange was closed and the Middlesex interchange with US 11 was realigned to allow for the new extension; it was renamed to the Carlisle interchange.[188] On February 1, 1950, the Gettysburg Pike Interchange was opened.[65] The extension's completion was delayed by weather and a cement workers' strike; it was to have been finished by 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 led 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 to the west of King of Prussia.[115][194]
In September 1953, the speed limit on the portion of the highway between the Ohio state line and Breezewood was lowered to 60 mph (97 km/h) to reduce the number of accidents but returned to 70 mph (110 km/h) when the measure proved 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] In 1949, the turnpike commission began looking into funding for this road, which would run from Irwin to the Ohio state line near Youngstown, Ohio, bypassing Pittsburgh to the north.[197] That September, $77 million (equivalent to $781 million in 2023[99]) in bonds were sold to finance construction of the western extension.[198] Groundbreaking for the extension took place on October 24, 1949.[199] It was scheduled to take place 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, including those that cross the Beaver River and the Allegheny River.[201] The overpasses along the road consisted of steel girder bridges and through plate girder bridges.[202] Unlike the other segments, the concrete arch bridge was not used for overpasses, although it was used to carry the turnpike over other roads.[203] On August 7, 1951, the roadway opened between the Irwin and Pittsburgh interchanges.[204] Ohio Governor Frank Lausche led a dedication ceremony on November 26, 1951.[205] The extension opened to the Gateway toll plaza near the Ohio state line on December 26, 1951.[116][206] At the time, the highway ended in a cornfield. Traffic followed a temporary ramp onto rural local roads until the connecting Ohio Turnpike could be built.[116][205] On March 1, 1952, the Beaver Valley Interchange was opened to traffic.[65] On December 1, 1954, the Ohio Turnpike opened, and with it came an extension of the highway to the Ohio state line,[207] at this point the temporary ramps onto the local roads were closed.
_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 connect with the New Jersey Turnpike Connector were made.[208] The construction of the Delaware River extension was approved by Governor John S. Fine in May of that year.[209] A route for the extension, which would bypass Philadelphia to the north, was announced in 1952. It would cross the Delaware River on a bridge north of Bristol near Edgely, where it would connect to a branch of the New Jersey Turnpike.[210] That September, the turnpike commission announced $65 million, equivalent to $599 million in 2023[99], in bonds would be issued to finance the project.[211] Work on the Delaware River extension began on November 20, 1952; Governor Fine dug the first shovel into the earth at the groundbreaking ceremony.[212] As a result of building the extension, the Valley Forge mainline toll plaza was located farther east at the connection to the Schuylkill Expressway and would then become the Valley Forge interchange toll plaza.[213] The Delaware River extension included a bridge over the Schuylkill River that 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 Interchage opened on September 20, to the Philadelphia Interchange on October 27,[65]the remainder of the road to the Delaware Valley Interchange opened on November 17, 1954.[117]
In April 1954, $233 million (equivalent to $2.1 billion in 2023[99]) 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 Turnpike to the New Jersey Turnpike took place on June 26, 1954, in Florence, New Jersey.[117] The steel arch bridge, which opened to traffic on May 23, 1956, was funded jointly 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 to the west of the bridge, marking the eastern end of the ticket system.[219] Later that year, a new, machine based system was enacted for paying tickets, allowing for faster, more accurate fares than before.[220] This bridge was originally six lanes wide. It contained no median, but one was later installed, and the bridge was reduced to four lanes.[3] With the construction of the extensions and connecting turnpikes, the highway was envisioned to be a 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 same year, the speed limit on the turnpike was reduced to 65 mph (105 km/h) for cars, buses, and motorcycles, with other vehicles 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 roadway to the Interstate Highway System upon the recommendations of various 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 while I-80S would continue eastward toward Philadelphia. I-70 was also planned to follow the turnpike between Pittsburgh and Breezewood.[226] At a meeting of the Route Numbering Subcommittee on the US Numbered System on June 26, 1958, it was decided to move the I-80 designation to an alignment further north while the highway between the Ohio state line and 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. However, when it joined the system, the turnpike was grandfathered, allowing it to continue operating its service plazas.[229] That same 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. This was caused by excessive transverse-joint spacing and the lack of gravel between earth and concrete. Because of this, a project began in the summer of 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 across 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 to I-76 and I-280 to 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 this 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 having become a chronic bottleneck. The new interchange would be a standard trumpet interchange, and serve a newly built stretch of I-70. The ramps were opened to traffic on November 12, 1964, at which point the old ramps closed permanently.[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 roadway's median, while 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, as well as the Ohio extension.[236] Work was completed in December 1965 at a cost of $5 million (equivalent to $36.9 million in 2023[99]).[6]
As traffic levels increased, bottlenecks at the two-lane tunnels on the original stretch became a major problem. By the end of the 1950s, traffic jams formed at the tunnels, especially during the summer months in the middle of the year.[237] In 1959, four senators urged state officials to work with the turnpike commission to study ways to reduce the traffic jams.[238] The same year, the commission began studies aimed at resolving the traffic jams at the Laurel Hill and Allegheny Mountain tunnels; studies for the other tunnels followed.[239] At the conclusion of the studies, the turnpike commission planned to make the entire turnpike at least four lanes by either adding a second tube at the tunnels or bypassing them.[119] The new and upgraded tunnel tubes would feature white tiles, fluorescent lighting, and upgraded 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. A Laurel Hill bypass was planned because construction would be quicker and traffic relieved cheaper than it would by boring another tunnel.[240] In June 1962, the commission approved these two projects.[241]
That August, $21 million, equivalent to $162 million in 2023[99], in bonds were sold to finance the two projects.[242] The Laurel Hill bypass was constructed as a deep cut to the north; the new section would feature a wide median and truck climbing lanes. It would require use of 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 same day boring the second tube at Allegheny Mountain Tunnel also began.[243] The former South Pennsylvania Railroad tunnel was considered for reuse as a twin of the latter but was again 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[99]).[164][243] On March 15, 1965, the new Allegany Mountain Tunnel opened to traffic, after which the original tube was closed to allow renovations to be made. 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[99]).[164]
In 1969, $3.2 million worth of improvements were completed to the Ohio Extension. These included building new ramps serving I-283 and PA 283 at Harrisburg East, in addition to widening the gateway toll plaza from 8 to 10 collection lanes the and 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 installed.[230]
With the Laurel Hill bypass opened and the twined Allegheny Tunnel nearly complete, twinning or bypassing to the five other two lane tunnels became the 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 these two tunnels was considered in the 1930s but, at the time, was determined to be too expensive.[119] An early 1960s study concluded that a bypass would be the best option to handle traffic at Rays Hill and Sideling Hill.[119][249] This bypass of the two tunnels would have a 36-foot-wide (11 m) median with a steel barrier.[66] The commission sold $77.5 million (equivalent to $556 million in 2023[99]) in bonds in January 1966 to finance this project.[250] Construction of the bypass of the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels involved building 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, a portion 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 Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels opened to traffic on November 26, 1968.[119] When the highway was realigned to bypass the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels, the Cove Valley service plaza on the original section was closed and replaced with the Sideling Hill service plaza (the only service plaza on the main turnpike serving travelers in both directions).[66] After traffic was diverted to the new alignment, the former stretch of roadway 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 but eventually abandoned them. The abandoned stretch deteriorated; signs and guardrails were removed, pavement started 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 for testing 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.[119] Meanwhile, 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, while construction began at the Kittatinny and Blue Mountain tunnels a week later.[246] The parallel tubes at these three tunnels would open on November 26, 1968. The original tubes were subsequently remodeled.[119] Both the new and remodeled tunnels would have fluorescent lighting, white tile walls, and 13-foot-wide (4.0 m) lanes.[256] The portals of the new tunnels were designed to resemble those of the original tunnels. In October 1970, a new Breezewood interchange was opened, the new exit, which utilized part of the original turnpike segment, replaced the preexisting Breezewood interchange, which had closed alongside the stretch of road in 1968.[233] That same 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 entire length of the mainline highway was at least four lanes wide, thus upgrading it to the greater interstate standards.[258]
In 1968, the turnpike commission proposed converting the section of the road 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 |
In 1971, the state of Ohio made plans to eliminate I-80S, replacing it with a realigned I-76. The state of Pennsylvania disagreed with the change and recommended that I-80S become I-376 instead. The Pennsylvania government later changed its mind and supported 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. As a result, I-76 would follow the turnpike between the Ohio state line and King of Prussia.[228] This change took effect on October 2, 1972.[259]
In 1969, the turnpike commission announced plans to widen the turnpike. It proposed doubling the number of lanes from four to eight; the portion in the Philadelphia area was to be 10 lanes wide. Cars and trucks would be carried on separate roadways under this plan.[260] They had also proposed a new interchange with I-79 in Carpenter town. [261] The roadway would also have had a 80-mile-per-hour (130 km/h) speed limit and holographic road signs. This 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[99]) cost and the 1973 oil crisis that resulted in the imposition of a 55-mile-per-hour (89 km/h) speed limit, this plan was not implemented.[249]
By the 1970s, the Pennsylvania Turnpike started to see a decline in the volume of traffic because of the opening of I-80, which provided a shorter route across the northern part of the state, 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 to a new four-lane freeway, construction of a new Reading–Lancaster Interchange was proposed in 1970, it would replace the existing one.[247] This was opened on April 10, 1974,[263] at which point the original Reading interchange was closed.
In the late 1970s, the turnpike commission proposed constructing truck climbing lanes east of the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel near New Baltimore and near the Laurel Hill Bypass.[266] These were completed on December 2, 1981.[267] The project, which also involved the construction of 2.2 miles (3.5 km) worth of eastbound roadway and widening of the westbound roadway from two to three lane. This came alongside $70 million worth of expansions and renovations to the Irwin, New Stanton, Donegal, Somerset, and Carlisle interchanges.[65]
On September 10, 1983, the Blue Mountain Interchange's old toll plaza, the last one which dated back to 1940, was closed when the plaza was expanded from a two lane plaza.[268] The old hexagon shaped booth was donated to the Smithsonian Institution.[269]
By the early 1980s, a significant portion of the Philadelphia Extension had become a congested bottleneck.[24] In 1983, funding was approved to widen the turnpike to six lanes between the Valley Forge and Philadelphia interchanges.[270] This planned project was put on hold because of disagreements between Governor Dick Thornburgh and the turnpike commission members and differences between the commissioners.[271][272] The Pennsylvania Legislature approved the project in 1985; the road would be widened between the Norristown and Philadelphia interchanges.[273][274] Construction on the widening began on March 10, 1986,[275] with improvements to the Fort Washington, Willow Grove, and Philadelphia interchanges completed later that year.[65] The rest of the widening was completed on November 23, 1987, with a ribbon-cutting at the Philadelphia interchange. The widening project cost $120 million (equivalent to $629 million in 2023[99]).[276]
Studies to eliminate toll takers for handing out tickets began in 1982.[65] Following the studies determining they would reduce congestion, ticket machines replaced human workers on July 22, 1987.[277] Following this, in 1988, tandem toll booths were added to the Valley Forge interchange plaza, with tandem booths following at the Willow Grove Interchange in 1989.[65]
The turnpike formerly had a call box every mile (1.6 km) for its entire length.[278] Call boxes were first installed between New Stanton and New Baltimore in December 1988, and, in 1989, call boxes were extended along the length of the highway.[279]
1990s–present
[edit]
The turnpike commission celebrated the highway's 50th anniversary in October of 1990. Over $300,000 (equivalent to $618,462 in 2023[99]) was spent to promote the turnpike through various means including a videotape, souvenirs, and a private party attended by politicians and companies that work with the turnpike.[280]
Concurrent with construction of the Beaver Valley Expressway, the New Castle Interchange was also built to serve it. This, alongside the section of that roadway from US 422 to PA 51, was opened to traffic on November 8, 1991.[281]
A new interchange to serve the New Cumberland Defense Depot near Harrisburg was planned in the late 1980s.[282] In September 1992, the turnpike commission scrapped the project because it would instead build a connector road to the depot between PA 114 and Old York Road that would parallel the turnpike.[283]
Plans to build a replacement Plymouth Meeting interchange connecting to the north end of I-476 (Mid-County Expressway) was mad in the late 1980s, the turnpike commission approved a contract to build the interchange in March 1989.[284] The new ramps would replace the preexisting Plymouth Meeting interchange, which had only served the south end of the Northeast Extension.[285] That June, a losing bidder decided to challenge the turnpike commission, saying it violated female and minority contracting rules regarding the percentage of these employees that were used for the project. Under this rule, bidders were supposed to have at least 12 percent of contracts to minority-owned companies and at least four percent to female-owned companies. The losing bidder had 12.4 percent of the contracts to minority companies and 4.2 percent to female-owned companies while the winning bidder had 6.1 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively. The turnpike commission decided to rebid the contract but was sued by the original contractor. This dispute delayed the construction of the interchange.[286] The contract was rebid in November 1989 after the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania permitted it.[287] The interchange between I-476 and the turnpike mainline was completed in November 1992; the ramps to the Northeast Extension opened a month later.[288][289] An official ribbon-cutting took place on December 15, 1992.[290]
In 1990, an interchange was proposed with PA 743 between Elizabethtown and Hershey, but a study in 1993 determined that it would not improve traffic flow on area roads.[291][292]
In 1995 the speed limit was raised to 65 mph (105 km/h), except for urban areas with a population greater than 50,000; the latter retained the 55-mile-per-hour (89 km/h) speed limit.[293]
In September 1990, a replacement of the Morgantown interchange was competed. The new ramps served I-176, unlike the old configuration, which had served PA 10, the latter was then closed to through traffic. The overhead lights at the new exit were considered a nuisance by residents who lived near it.[294][295] It would not be until 1996 that the connecting link with I-176 opened to traffic, however.
In early 1999, the PTC began printing coupons on the back of toll receipts, primarily for use by business owners.[65]
Construction began in 1998 to improve the bridge over the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County. The work involved building a new bridge adjacent to the existing bridge; the new bridge was wide enough to accommodate a future widening to six lanes. This project was completed in 2000.[296]
In October 2000, the turnpike commission announced the road would be switching from sequential exit numbering to distance-based exit numbering. At first, both exit numbers would exist, but the old numbers would be phased out later.[297][298] Work began on posting the new exit numbers in 2001.[299]
In June 1998, the PTC began rebuilding the section of roadway between mileposts 94 and 99 near the Westmoreland/Somerset County line at the cost of $24 million. Work was completed in 2000.[65]
In 2001, the PTC rebuilt the Gateway toll plaza to add modern amenities and more toll lanes.[65]
An electronic toll collection system was first proposed in 1990 where a motorist would create an account and use an electronic device which would be read from an electronic tollbooth; the motorist would be billed later.[300] The multi-state electronic tolling system E-ZPass was planned to go into effect by 1998;[301][302] Additionally, in 1996, the turnpike commission considered adding slip ramps in the Philadelphia area in which electronic toll collection technology would be used.[303] Construction began on a westbound E-ZPass-only slip ramp at Virginia Drive (exit 340) in Fort Washington in early 2000;[304] it opened on December 2, 2000, having cost $5.1 million, equivalent to $8.58 million in 2023[99].[305][304] That same day, E-ZPass debuted on the turnpike between Harrisburg West and the Delaware River Bridge.[305][306][304] By December 15, 2001, E-ZPass could be used on the entire length of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.[307][308] on December 14, 2002, the system was introduced to commercial vehicles.[309]
Plans were made in 1993 to build a direct interchange between the turnpike and I-79 in Cranberry Township, Butler County.[310] A contract was awarded to build this interchange in November 1995.[311] In 1997, transportation officials agreed upon a design for the interchange.[312] The project also included moving the western 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 wanted to prevent construction of the toll plaza as they thought it would cause noise, air, and light pollution.[313] Marshall Township eventually agreed to allow the toll plaza be built.[314] Groundbreaking for the new interchange took place on February 22, 2002.[315] The westbound Butler service plaza was closed because the Warrendale toll plaza was to be located at its site.[316] On June 1, 2003, the plaza opened and the Gateway toll plaza became a flat-rate toll plaza, while all the exit toll plazas west of Warrendale closed.[317] The direct 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[99]).[318] In June 2004, the Express E-ZPass lanes were competed at the Warrendale toll plaza, which allowed motorists to travel through the toll plaza at highway speeds.[319]
Beginning November 25, 2004, turnpike management personnel collected flat-rate cash passenger tolls of $2 and commercial tolls of $15 on the ticketed system, while E-ZPass customers were charged the lesser amount of the toll or the flat rate.[320]
In April 2005, the turnpike commission approved raising the speed limit to 65 mph (105 km/h) for the entire length of the turnpike, excluding tunnels, mainline toll plazas, and the winding portion near the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel, which retained the 55-mile-per-hour (89 km/h) limit.[321]
In 2000, the turnpike commission announced plans to build a new bridge, a segmental concrete bridge wider than the original, over the Susquehanna River.[322] In 2004, work began on building the new, six-lane bridge which cost $150 million (equivalent to $232 million in 2023[99]). On May 16, 2007, a ribbon-cutting took place to mark the completion of the westbound direction of the bridge, which opened to traffic the following day.[21][323] The eastbound direction of the bridge opened a month later.[324] In 2004, proposals to widen the highway to six lanes between Downingtown and Valley Forge were made.[325] In 2007, the western terminus of the widening project was scaled back from Downingtown to the proposed PA 29 slip ramp.[326] Plans for the widening were presented to the public in 2009.[327] Later that year, the widening was put on hold because of engineering problems.[328] The widening plans resumed in 2010.[329] Work was due to begin in 2013, with completion in 2015.[330] In October 2012, the project was postponed a year because of delays in the approval of permits.[331]
In December 2005, the turnpike commission announced plans to rebuild the Gateway toll plaza into an eastbound-only, express E-ZPass plaza. This project, which would begin in 2006, in 2006 in order to reduce congestion.[332] The Express E-ZPass lanes at Gateway opened in July 2007.[333]
In December 2005, the PTC began a prudent to improve the Gettysburg Pike interchange. It involved widening the toll plaza, expanding the utility building, rebuilding the roadway, and associated structures including replacement and rehabilitating bridges within the interchange and on the Turnpike. The project was completed in October 2007 at the cost of $29 million.[65]
Plans were announced to build a new pair of bridges over the Allegheny River in 2005, hitch would replace the existing deck truss bridge.[334] 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[99]), opened to traffic the following day, and the old bridge was demolished on July 13, 2010.[335][336]
Work on the eastbound slip ramp at PA 132 (exit 352) in Bensalem Township began in 2009;[337] the ramp opened on November 22, 2010. This slip ramp, which cost $7.4 million (equivalent to $10.1 million in 2023[99]), has access to and from the eastbound direction of the turnpike and was built to provide improved access to Parx Casino and Racing.[338] While all slip ramps were initially reserved for E-ZPass users, they opened to all traffic following the conversion of the turnpike to cashless tolling in 2020.[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 it would spoil the rural area.[339] In 1999, the turnpike commission canceled plans to build a slip ramp at PA 252 and instead focused on building one at PA 29.[340] The turnpike commission approved funding for the PA 29 ramp in 2002,[341] but the project was put on hold in 2009 because of engineering and design problems in widening the adjacent portion of the turnpike.[328] It was announced that the turnpike commission would approve construction of the slip ramp at PA 29 in August 2010, and construction began in March 2011.[342][343] The interchange, which has access to and from both directions of the turnpike, opened on December 11, 2012; Governor Tom Corbett cut the ribbon.[343][344]
Plans were made to widen the highway to six lanes between Irwin and New Stanton in 2005.[345] Work on the project began in January 2006; it added a third lane in each direction, replaced several bridges, and realigned a portion of the turnpike and was completed in November 2011.[346] As part of the project, in January 2007, the Hempfield service plaza was permanently closed.[79]
_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 raised the idea of leasing the turnpike longterm 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[99]) for the state.[347] In October 2007, 34 companies submitted 14 proposals to lease the turnpike.[348] On May 19, 2008, a record $12.8-billion (equivalent to $18.1 billion in 2023[99]) proposal by Abertis, a Spain-based firm, and Citigroup in New York City to lease the turnpike was submitted.[349] The consortium withdrew the offer on September 30, 2008, as they reasoned the proposal would not be approved in the state legislature.[350]
A study began in 1999 to widen the road to six lanes between Valley Forge and Norristown.[351] In October 2004, work began on widening this stretch of road,[352] which was completed in November 2008 at a cost of $330 million (equivalent to $459 million in 2023[99]).[353]
On July 22, 2014, the speed limit increased to 70 mph (110 km/h) between the Blue Mountain and Morgantown interchanges.[354]
On March 15, 2016, the PTC approved raising the speed limit on the remainder of the turnpike to 70 mph (110 km/h), excluding sections that are posted with a 55-mile-per-hour (89 km/h) speed limit.[355][356] On May 3, 2016, the speed limit increased to 70 mph (110 km/h) on the 65-mile-per-hour (105 km/h) sections of the toll road. The speed limit remains 55 mph (89 km/h) at construction zones, the tunnels, mainline toll plazas, the winding portion near the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel, and the section between Bensalem and the Delaware River Bridge.[357][358][359]
In 2015, a pilot program started at exit 189 (Willow Hill) that used automated payment machines that accept credit and debit cards.[360] In October 2016, the turnpike began accepting credit cards as payment at all cash toll booths.[361]
The Pennsylvania Turnpike used traffic lights as feedback signals for E-ZPass users since it was launched on the roadway in 2001. On March 17, 2017, the PTC announced that they would begin removing the feedback signals as part of upgrading the toll equipment; the feedback signals were removed because they do not conform to federal signage guidelines.[362]
In September 2017, the turnpike commission began removing the call boxes due to increased mobile phone usage making the call boxes obsolete.[363]
_at_Exit_40_(Interstate_276_WEST-Pennsylvania_Turnpike,_Harrisburg)_in_Bristol_Township,_Bucks_County,_Pennsylvania.jpg)
In 2019, the turnpike launched a smartphone app for paying tolls.[364]
In 2007, as part of a project to widen a section of the turnpike in Somerset and Bedford counties to six lanes that will last from 2016 to 2020, the turnpike commission announced that it would remove the steps leading to St. John's Church in New Baltimore because they are a safety hazard.[365][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]
In September 2013, the PTC began a minor project to replace many of the bridges between mileposts 12 and 14. This project, competed in November 2017, allowed for a future widening from four to six lanes. With the first phase competed, in December 2022, the PTC began the second phase, which would construct a six lane replacement of the Beaver River Bridge, as well as reconstruction of the Beaver Valley interchange form a full trumpet into a nonstandard slip interchange. Work is expected to be competed in September 2027, at the total cost of $292 million.[369]
The reconstruction and widening project between the PA 29 and Valley Forge interchanges is being split into two phases, one running between the PA 252 overpass and the Valley Forge interchange and the other between the PA 29 interchange and the PA 252 overpass.[370] Construction on reconstructing and widening the section between the PA 252 overpass and the Valley Forge interchange began on September 27, 2021, with the new lanes opening to traffic in October 2024,[371] and all work expected to be completed in May 2025.[372] In early 2023, construction began on reconstructing and widening the turnpike from the Downingtown interchange east to the Valley Hill Road overpass, with completion planned for 2027.[373]
Future
[edit]In 2013, Montgomery County officials announced they were considering adding more slip ramps along the turnpike to ease traffic congestion.[374] The Pennsylvania Turnpike Corridor Reinvestment Project was released in 2015, with the project planning to construct additional interchanges along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Montgomery County in order to revitalize business parks adjacent to the roadway.[375] Proposed locations for new interchanges include PA 63 near Willow Grove, Henderson Road in Upper Merion Township, and Lafayette Street/Ridge Pike near Norristown and Plymouth Meeting. In addition, there are plans to add eastbound ramps at the existing Virginia Drive interchange, add additional ramps at the Valley Forge interchange connecting to First Avenue and Moore Road in King of Prussia, add an additional ramp at the Fort Washington interchange connecting to Commerce Drive, and modernize the Willow Grove interchange.[376] Construction of the extension of Lafayette Street began in 2013 and was completed in 2014.[377] On January 7, 2015, the turnpike commission committed $45 million (equivalent to $56.6 million in 2023[99]) to building this interchange.[378] The turnpike commission's Fiscal Year 2017 Capital Plan included $66 million (equivalent to $80.7 million in 2023[99]) for the interchange at Lafayette Street. The design phase of the interchange began in 2017, with preliminary engineering taking place in 2018 and 2019.[379] Construction of the interchange with Lafayette Street is expected to begin in 2027 and be completed in 2029.[380] A slip ramp was also planned in 2000 as part of a revitalization plan to connect to Lafayette Street with the turnpike in Norristown.[381] The project would involve extending Lafayette Street to the new ramp.[382] This proposed slip ramp is projected to cost $160 million (equivalent to $269 million in 2023[99]). Montgomery County officials have proposed a surcharge for the new exit in to help pay for the project.[383] Work on engineering and environmental approval for the extension of Lafayette Street occurred in 2008, and acquisition of land began in 2011.
Plans to build a direct interchange between the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-95 in Bristol Township to allow a connection between the portions of I-95 in Pennsylvania and along the New Jersey Turnpike were first proposed in 1978.[384][385] The two roads did not have an interchange because earlier laws—since repealed—prohibited federal funds from being used to build connections to toll roads.[225] In 1982, the federal government mandated that the interchange be built in Pennsylvania.[386] A gap existed in I-95 because of the unbuilt Somerset Freeway segment in central New Jersey.[384] Under the plan, I-95 would be rerouted to follow the turnpike between the new interchange and the New Jersey state line.[387] In addition, the interchange would serve as the new terminus of an extended I-295.[388][389] The area's residents, who thought the interchange would lead to a decline in their quality of life, opposed this plan.[390] An environmental impact statement (EIS) was released in 2003.[391] The interchange received environmental approval in 2004, the preliminary design was completed in 2008, and the final design followed.[392][393][394] The project involved building a high-speed interchange between the two roadways. 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 that consists of high-speed E-ZPass lanes along with ticket and cash booths, and the former Delaware River Bridge toll barrier was converted to a westbound all-electronic facility. A new bridge will also be built over the Delaware River. Work on the project began in late 2010; the replacement of two bridges over the turnpike was completed in 2011.[388]
Groundbreaking for the interchange with I-95 took place on July 30, 2013, with Governor Corbett in attendance.[395] Construction of the first stage of the interchange began in late 2014.[396] The flyover ramps between northbound I-95 and the eastbound turnpike and between the westbound turnpike and southbound I-95 opened on September 22, 2018.[397] Work on the new mainline toll plaza and widening of the turnpike between I-95 and the Delaware River also began in 2013, with completion in 2016.[388] The connector was finished in 2018 and completed I-95, which runs from Florida north to Maine. That highway is part of the Interstate Highway System and serves over 110 million people in over 10 percent of the total US land area. The development began as part of the Federal-Aid Highway Act in 1956.[398] Additionally, I-95 was widened, and exit 42 ramp to US 13 was rebuilt into an at-grade intersection, with the tolls also being removed.[399] Long-term plans call for the construction of missing movements between the turnpike, I-95, and I-295, along with the widening of 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.[400] The first stage of the project, which includes the new toll plaza, widening, and the flyover ramps between I-95 and the turnpike, is to cost $420 million. The flyover ramps are expected to cost $142.9 million, with $100 million coming from federal funds and the remainder from the turnpike commission. The PTC is borrowing money from foreign investors in order to provide funding for the project. The commission entered into a partnership with the Delaware Valley Regional Center (DVRC) in 2014 to raise half of the funds needed to construct the interchange. The EB-5 visa program will allow the commission through the DVRC to save about $35 million over traditional borrowing costs over five years.[401] The remaining stages of the project are unfunded, with a projected total cost of $1.1 billion for the entire project.[396]
In 1996, a study on improving the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel by either building another tube or by constructing a bypass was carried out.[402][403] Based on the study, the turnpike commission planned to replace the deteriorating tunnel with a cut through the mountain.[403] The plans were put on hold in 2001 because it would cost $93.7 million (equivalent to $154 million in 2023[99]). It resurrected the project in 2009.[404] The nearby Mountain Field and Stream Club prefers that the tunnels be improved or a new tube built rather than building the bypass. These improvements are needed because the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel is narrow and deteriorating, with disintegrating ceiling slabs and outdated lighting and ventilation.[405]
On October 22, 2013, the PTC announced plans to replace the tunnels, the older of which was 73 years old that year, with either new tunnel or a bypass due to the age and condition of the 1940 tunnel and the need for additional capacity.[406] Approximately 11 million vehicles drive through the tunnel every year.[407] On December 24, 2014, the PTC announced it was going forward with plans to replace the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel. Six options are being considered, three of which would include building bypasses via rock blasting (as was done with the Laurel Hill Tunnel) while the other three would involve boring two new tunnels, presumably three lanes each to accommodate the PTC's long-term plans to widen the entire mainline turnpike to six lanes except at the existing tunnels. If the PTC goes through with building new tunnels, the existing Allegheny Mountain Tunnels would be shut down. Although the projected costs for building a bypass would be less than half that of boring new tunnels and would also require $3 million less for annual maintenance on each tunnel, the Mountain Field and Stream Club, a local hunting group that 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.[408] In February 2020, the PTC decided that the tunnel would be bypassed via a new roadway to the south. Such a plan is expected to be cheaper and have a lesser environmental impact than constructing a new tunnel. The project is currently 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.[409]
On July 16, 2019, the PTC voted to allocate $30 million to its 10-Year Capital Plan, for a new interchange from the turnpike to PA 130 in Penn Township, between current exits 57 and 67.[410] According to a Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission study, PA 130 would need to be widened to account for the additional traffic, costing about $38 million and bringing the total project cost to about $68 million.[411] The interchange would utilize cashless tolling, either through the electronic E-ZPass system or a camera system, in which the turnpike would take a photo of the driver's license plate and mail them an invoice.[412]
The project would also need coordination between the turnpike commission and PennDOT, which maintains PA 130.[413] The project is supported by the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce.[414] 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 in 2026.[415]
On September 24, 2024, the PTC announced plans to widen the stretch of roadway between mileposts 160 and 163 from four to six lanes. This would also involve reconstruction of the Breezewood interchange to add a direct connection between the turnpike and I-70. The project is planned to begin the preliminary design phase in 2025, with construction underway by 2027.[416]
Exit list
[edit]| County | Location[417] | mi [14][418] | km | Old exit [419] | New exit [418] | Name[418] | 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 / 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[420] |
| 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[421] | |
| 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 / PA 48 south / Orange Belt – Pittsburgh, Monroeville | Eastern terminus and exit 85 on I-376; US 22 Bus./PA 84/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[422] | |
| 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 | |
| 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[421] | |
| 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[304] | 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;[423] |
| 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
[edit]- ^ a b c Dakelman, Mitchell E. & Schorr, Neal A. (2004). The Pennsylvania Turnpike. Images of America. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 69. ISBN 0-7385-3532-X. OCLC 55992362.
- ^ "75 Years of Turnpike History". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 104.
- ^ "Pennsylvania State Roads (GIS data set)". Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. January 2012. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
- ^ Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. "PHMC Historical Markers Search" (Searchable database). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k The Pennsylvania Turnpike. Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. 1981.
- ^ Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (2015). Pennsylvania Traffic Volume Map (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
- ^ Federal Highway Administration (2010). National Highway System: Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
- ^ Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (June 20, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
- ^ "History and Current Status of: The Blue Star Memorial Highways". National Remember our Troops Campaign. Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Blue Star Marker to be Placed at New Stanton Service Plaza". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. June 1, 2010. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. TRIP Travel Conditions Map (Map). Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Archived from the original on September 22, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Simplified Map (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 17, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq Google (September 6, 2012). "Overview of Pennsylvania Turnpike" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q ADC Map (2003). Pennsylvania State Road Atlas. Alexandria, Virginia: ADC Map. pp. 54–56, 68–78, 82–84. ISBN 0875303714.
- ^ a b c Schmitz, Jon (October 24, 2009). "Turnpike Bridge Over Allegheny Set To Open: Second Span To Be Ready In Nov. 2010". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. B-1.
- ^ a b c Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 63.
- ^ a b c Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 29.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 31.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 64.
- ^ a b c "Photo of new Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge over Susquehanna River". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. May 18, 2007. p. A01.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 94.
- ^ a b "Route Log - Auxiliary Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 2". Federal Highway Administration. October 31, 2002. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 123.
- ^ "Interstate 95 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e 2024 Toll Schedule (PDF). Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- ^ "PA Turnpike Toll By Plate - What is it?". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ^ a b McCormack, Lauren (January 3, 2009). "Turnpike toll hike coming Sunday". The Phoenix. Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. p. 3.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Turnpike to raise tolls in 2015". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 27, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ Boehm, Eric (January 6, 2013). "Tolls climbing, traffic declining as Pa. Turnpike officials chase revenue". The Reporter. Lansdale, Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
- ^ a b 2019 Toll Schedule (PDF). Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ "Traffic Rules and Regulations". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ a b Mattar, George (December 29, 2010). "Turnpike considers getting rid of cash tolls". The Intelligencer. Doylestown, Pennsylvania. p. 1.
- ^ Thompson, Charles (March 6, 2012). "Caution: All-E-Z Pass turnpike ahead". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. p. A1.
- ^ Nussbaum, Paul (March 13, 2012). "Pa. Turnpike looks at much higher non-E-ZPass rates". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A1.
- ^ Behrman, Elizabeth (January 1, 2016). "Toll over Pennsylvania Turnpike's Delaware Bridge will be cashless". Greensburg Tribune-Review. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ^ Blazina, Ed (October 24, 2019). "Pa. Turnpike begins cashless tolling Sunday at Ohio border, Route 66 bypass". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
- ^ a b Blazina, Ed (November 2, 2019). "Pa. Turnpike won't take cash by fall 2021". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
- ^ Tierney, Jacob (June 2, 2020). "Pennsylvania Turnpike to lay off 500 employees, make cashless tolling permanent". TribLive. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Blazina, Ed (November 29, 2020). "Pennsylvania Turnpike to build new toll plaza - but with no booths - in North Hills". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ Kratz, Alyssa (December 2, 2022). "Pennsylvania Turnpike to implement open road tolling by 2025". York, Pennsylvania: WPMT-TV. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
- ^ "Open Road Tolling". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ Southwick, Ron (July 21, 2020). "Pa. Turnpike raising tolls again in 2021; those without E-ZPass will pay much more". PennLive. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ a b "Turnpike costs take 25% hike for travelers: Last increase was in 2004". Butler Eagle. January 4, 2009. p. 2.
- ^ a b c d e f 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Rauhut, Marcus (January 4, 2009). "Turnpike tolls rise 25 percent Sunday". Public Opinion. Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
- ^ "Pa. Turnpike users now paying more". Bucks County Courier Times. Associated Press. January 3, 2010. p. 1.
- ^ Schmitz, Jon (July 16, 2010). "Turnpike To Become Costliest Toll Road: E-ZPass Customers Will Get Price Break Over Those Paying Cash". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. A1.
- ^ a b DeStefano, Carla (January 2, 2011). "Turnpike rate increase takes effect". Herald-Standard. Uniontown, Pennsylvania. p. A2.
- ^ Samuel, Peter (July 29, 2013). "Penn Pike to up E-ZPass tolls 2%, cash tolls 12% Jan 1, 2014". TollRoadsNews. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
- ^ "Your wallet could slim down in the new year". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. January 2, 2012. p. A1.
- ^ Urgo, Jacqueline L. (January 10, 2012). "The toll that higher tolls will take". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A2.
- ^ "PA Turnpike tolls increased on Sunday". Philadelphia: WPVI-TV. January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ Rash, Ava (July 3, 2024). "Some Turnpike drivers will see lower toll rate in 2025". Pittsburgh: WTAE-TV. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
- ^ Reese, Quincey; Hammond, Colleen; Erdley, Deb (September 26, 2021). "Why Pa. Turnpike tolls soared — and will continue rising for next 30 years". TribLIVE.com. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ "Which countries have the most expensive toll roads? | Car Research & Statistics — Budget Direct™". Budget Direct. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ a b "Pennsylvania Turnpike Rejects Claims That Its Tolls Are The Highest In The World - CBS Pittsburgh". www.cbsnews.com. March 8, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ "Safety Patrol Program". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ "PA Turnpike Commission Announces GEICO as New Sponsor of Roadway Safety Patrol" (Press release). Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ "If Your Vehicle Breaks Down..." Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ "Pennsylvania State Police - Troop T". Pennsylvania State Police. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- ^ "HAR Transmissions Now Broadcast at Every PA Turnpike Interchange". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. July 3, 2000. Archived from the original on August 19, 2003. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
- ^ "Advanced Travelers Information System". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ "Service Plazas". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Pennsylvania Highways: Pennsylvania Turnpike".[self-published source]
- ^ a b c Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 116.
- ^ Randolph, Deborah A. (October 18, 1978). "Howard Johnson's 38-Year Monopoly On Pennsylvania Turnpike Could End". The Wall Street Journal. p. 18.
- ^ a b Jenson, Edward (October 25, 1978). "Howard Johnson's Monopoly On Turnpike Restaurants Ends". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 4. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
- ^ a b "Turnpike adds fast food outlets". Beaver County Times. Associated Press. June 13, 1983. p. A8. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
- ^ a b "From Days Gone Bay". The Fulton County News. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
- ^ "Food for the Road". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 2, 1980. p. 3. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
- ^ a b "Fast Food On Turnpike's Fast Lane". Philadelphia Daily News. United Press International. October 3, 1983. p. 22.
- ^ "Turnpike To Get Some New Eateries". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. May 27, 1987. p. A4.
- ^ Nussbaum, Paul (November 22, 1990). "A Milestone In Ugliness, But If You Need To Stop..." The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
- ^ "A Turnpike Gas Dispute To Affect Service Plazas". The Philadelphia Inquirer. United Press International. April 26, 1990. p. B3.
- ^ Cozzoli, Frank (April 22, 1993). "Sun Oil wins pike gas-station leases". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. p. B7.
- ^ Kraft, Irene (May 25, 1995). "Turnpike Farmers Markets Ready To Produce Results". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. p. B4.
- ^ "Butler Service Plaza Closes to Make Way for Toll Plaza". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. February 28, 2002. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
- ^ a b "Hempfield Plaza to Close Permanently To Allow for Widening of Pa. Turnpike Between Irwin and New Stanton Exits". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. January 31, 2007. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
- ^ a b "PA Turnpike's South Neshaminy Service Plaza To Be Closed". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. June 29, 2007. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
- ^ McCarthy, Ken (November 9, 2008). "Closing Zelienople turnpike plaza could hurt tourism, some say". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
- ^ "Service Plazas: Tentative Reconstruction Schedule". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ "Art Sparks". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
- ^ "New arts program will connect student artists to PA Turnpike" (Press release). Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. March 30, 2017. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Turnpike". Facebook. April 1, 2019. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ Kezar, Korri (January 25, 2018). "7-Eleven completes $3.3B purchase after agreeing to divest stores". American City Business Journals. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 12.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 2.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 13.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 3.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 14.
- ^ a b Van Dyke, Warren (July 4, 1937). "Pennsylvania Plans 164-mile Highway". The New York Times. p. I9.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 11.
- ^ a b c Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 21.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 6.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 23.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 24.
- ^ "New Highway Held A Military Artery". The New York Times. October 17, 1937. p. 45.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 7.
- ^ a b c Lyman Washington, Lauren D. (August 7, 1938). "Super-Road to Cut Time". The New York Times. p. 138.
- ^ a b c d e Cupper (1990), p. 11.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Now Ready for Bids On Big Bond Issue". The Wall Street Journal. February 9, 1938. p. 9.
- ^ "$60,000,000 Pennsylvania Turnpike Bonds Soon to Be Reoffered to the Public Here". The New York Times. March 12, 1938. p. 25.
- ^ "Approves Big Road Grant". The New York Times. April 9, 1938. p. 3.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Gets Road Grant". The New York Times. April 15, 1938. p. 13.
- ^ "Market Activity Aids Pennsylvania Road Bond Plans". The Wall Street Journal. April 28, 1938. p. 3.
- ^ "To Aid 'Super Highway'". The New York Times. June 12, 1938. p. 36.
- ^ "PWA, RFC To Build a 'Super Highway'". The New York Times. July 31, 1938. p. 1.
- ^ "Finance 162-Mile Highway". The New York Times. October 12, 1938. p. 44.
- ^ "Funds for Super-Highway". The New York Times. February 9, 1939. p. 33.
- ^ "Petition to Build a Railroad Denied". The New York Times. October 2, 1938. p. 74.
- ^ a b Cupper (1990), p. 16.
- ^ a b c Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 84.
- ^ a b c d e Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 88.
- ^ a b c Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 100.
- ^ a b c Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 103.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 40.
- ^ a b c d e f g Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 109.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 42.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 43.
- ^ a b c Winfield, Robert (October 15, 1939). "Nation's Newest Super-Highway Is Rushed". The New York Times. p. 151.
- ^ a b c d Cleveland, Reginald M. (October 6, 1940). "Drivers 'Dream Road" Is Ready". The New York Times. p. 143.
- ^ a b Longfellow, Rickie. "The Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike - Back in Time - Highway History". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 48.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 50.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 53.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 54.
- ^ a b c Cupper (1990), p. 13.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 55.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 56.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 65.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 12.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 61.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 62.
- ^ "A Road Of Beauty". The New York Times. September 7, 1940. p. 9.
- ^ "Trucks and Buses to Use Pennsylvania Turnpike". The New York Times. September 20, 1940. p. 33.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 60.
- ^ a b c "Building Auto Stations". The New York Times. May 26, 1940. p. RE2.
- ^ a b "New Esso Stations". The Wall Street Journal. May 13, 1940. p. 7.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 76.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 77.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 25.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 26.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 27.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 5.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 30.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 32.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 34.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 37.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 39.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 75.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 58.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 57.
- ^ "Super-Highways". The New York Times. July 7, 1940. p. E8.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 68.
- ^ a b Cupper (1990), p. 15.
- ^ "Turnpike Hailed by First Riders". The New York Times. August 27, 1940. p. 42.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 67.
- ^ Schmitt, F.E. (January 5, 1939). "South Penn Experiment". Engineering News-Record. 122 (1). New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company: 11. Retrieved December 28, 2008.
- ^ Nussbaum, Paul (September 23, 1990). "The Turnpike Turns 50 After Five Decades, The State's Key Highway Is Still Crowded, Narrow And Very Successful". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C1.
- ^ Moran, Robert and Rich Heidorn Jr. (October 26, 1997). "Why You Pay To Cross Pa. Tollbooths Could Have Come Down. Jobs And Power Prevented That". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A01.
- ^ a b c Kilgore, Bernard (October 14, 1940). "New Pennsylvania 'Pike Fulfills Its Early Publicity of 'Dream Highway'". The Wall Street Journal. p. 19.
- ^ a b c d e Ingraham, Joseph C. (October 17, 1965). "A Penny A Mile". The New York Times. p. XX1.
- ^ Whelan, Frank (August 5, 1990). "Turnpike Turns 50". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. p. B3.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 17.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 20.
- ^ Cleveland, Reginald M. (November 3, 1940). "At The Wheel". The New York Times. p. 154.
- ^ a b "Pennsylvania Turnpike Earns $3,000,000 in First Year". The Wall Street Journal. October 2, 1941. p. 13.
- ^ "Turnpike One Year Old". The New York Times. October 12, 1941. p. XX3.
- ^ "Penna. Turnpike Revenues Show Wide Drop From 1941". The Wall Street Journal. August 18, 1942. p. 6.
- ^ "Highway Traffic Rises". The New York Times. August 10, 1945. p. 15.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 18.
- ^ Weingroff, Richard F. (Summer 1996). "Three States Claim First Interstate Highway". Public Roads. 60 (1). Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. ISSN 0033-3735. Retrieved February 16, 2008.
- ^ Henry, Lowman S. (Summer 1998). "America's Tunnel Highway". Turnpike Traveler. Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. p. 4. Archived from the original on August 27, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2007.
- ^ "High-Speed Roads of Future Depicted". The New York Times. February 17, 1939. p. 21.
- ^ Estill, A.K. (February 16, 1944). "Express Highways". The Wall Street Journal. p. 1.
- ^ "Penna. Turnpike - 'America's first superhighway,' a 160-mile-long concrete marvel was opened 50 years ago today". Lancaster New Era. Associated Press. October 1, 1990. p. C16.
- ^ a b Cupper, Dan (1990). The Pennsylvania Turnpike: A History. Lebanon, Pennsylvania: Applied Arts Publishers. p. 24. ISBN 0-911410-90-2. OCLC 22150783.
- ^ Booth, John E. (August 21, 1949). "New Roads To Speed Travel". The New York Times. p. X13.
- ^ a b c Davies, Lawrence E. (March 23, 1941). "Study Link to Turnpike". The New York Times. p. XX3.
- ^ "Superhighway Project Set". The New York Times. June 11, 1948. p. 36.
- ^ "Pennsylvania to Sell New Bonds to Extend Automobile Turnpike". The Wall Street Journal. July 27, 1948. p. 7.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Turnpike Extension Financing Set Through 4 Firms". The Wall Street Journal. June 10, 1948. p. 6.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Turnpike Revenue Issue, Largest Ever Offered, on Market Aug. 11". The New York Times. August 2, 1948. p. 25.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 86.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 87.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 89.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 90.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 91.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 92.
- ^ Weart, William G. (September 24, 1950). "Turnpike Branch Nears Completion". The New York Times. p. 55.
- ^ Weart, William G. (October 24, 1950). "Turnpike Branch Is Opened By Duff". The New York Times. p. 36.
- ^ "100 Miles Added to Pennsylvania Turnpike As Eastern Section Opens Near Philadelphia". The New York Times. November 21, 1950. p. 14.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 32.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Turnpike Speed Limit to Be Boosted". The Wall Street Journal. September 3, 1953. p. 6.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Turnpike Unit Plans for Financing Of Super-Highway Link". The Wall Street Journal. June 20, 1949. p. 9.
- ^ "$77,500,000 Bonds For Turnpike Sold". The New York Times. September 28, 1949. p. 41.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 95.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Turnpike". The Wall Street Journal. October 4, 1949. p. 15.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 97.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 98.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 99.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 27.
- ^ a b "Pennsylvania Turnpike Extension To the Ohio Border Is Dedicated". The New York Times. November 27, 1951. p. 34.
- ^ "Turnpike Opened To Ohio". The New York Times. December 27, 1951. p. 21.
- ^ "First Link in Ohio Pike Is Opened to Motorists". The New York Times. December 2, 1954. p. 16.
- ^ "Turnpike Link to Jersey Voted". The New York Times. May 16, 1951. p. 42.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Turnpike Extension Financed by $65,000,000 Bonds". The New York Times. September 19, 1952. p. 31.
- ^ "Extension for Pennsylvania Pike". The New York Times. November 21, 1952. p. 27.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 102.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 101.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Turnpike Extension". The Wall Street Journal. August 23, 1954. p. 5.
- ^ "Pike Funds Raised By Pennsylvania". The New York Times. April 8, 1954. p. 41.
- ^ "2 Spans In Jersey To Reduce Driving". The New York Times. July 25, 1954. p. 61.
- ^ "Open Bridge on Turnpike". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. May 25, 1956. p. 6.
- ^ a b Ingraham, Joseph C. (May 27, 1956). "Link In The Turnpike Chain". The New York Times. p. 113.
- ^ a b c d Cupper (1990), p. 33.
- ^ "A Motorist's Report On The Pennsylvania Pike". The New York Times. July 29, 1951. p. 85.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 85.
- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 93.
- ^ "Howard Johnson to Open 7 New Restaurants on Pennsylvania Turnpike". The Wall Street Journal. June 26, 1950. p. 6.
- ^ a b "Why Does The Interstate System Include Toll Facilities?". Ask the Rambler. Federal Highway Administration. April 10, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
- ^ American Association of State Highway Officials (August 14, 1957). Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (Map). American Association of State Highway Officials. Retrieved September 17, 2012 – via Wikimedia Commons.
- ^ American Association of State Highway Officials (June 27, 1958). Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (Map). American Association of State Highway Officials. Retrieved September 17, 2012 – via Wikimedia Commons.
- ^ a b "Was I-76 Numbered to Honor Philadelphia for Independence Day, 1776?". Ask the Rambler. Federal Highway Administration. April 7, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
- ^ DeKok, David (May 31, 1991). "Rest-area gas station plan worries truck stops". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. p. A1.
- ^ a b Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 122.
- ^ "Turnpike Minimum". The New York Times. July 19, 1959. p. X18.
- ^ Klucher, R. H. (September 1965). "Maintenance Experience on the Pennsylvania Turnpike". Engineering Bulletin of Purdue University: Proceedings of the 51st Annual Road School March 29 – April 1, 1965. Engineering Extension Series No. 119. Vol. 49, no. 5. pp. 28–41. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Cupper (1990), p. 38.
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- ^ Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 110.
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- ^ a b c d Dakelman & Schorr (2004), p. 111.
- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 35.
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- ^ a b Cupper (1990), p. 36.
- ^ a b c Cupper (1990), p. 39.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Turnpike Plans 3 New Mountain Tunnels". The New York Times. September 12, 1965. p. 132.
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- ^ "Road Bonds Sold In Pennsylvania". The New York Times. January 26, 1966. p. 64.
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- ^ Cupper (1990), p. 41.
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- ^ Deacle, Scott (March 31, 2001). "Turnpike Plaza Case Delays Cranberry Connector". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. N-5.
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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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- ^ "Milepost 102-109 Reconstruction". Pennsylvania Turnpike. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
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- ^ a b c "Construction". PA Turnpike / I-95 Interchange Project. Retrieved November 14, 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