Pennsylvania Turnpike......... (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown: new construction, quality of life, dangerous)

[North Beach Person]

Interesting read.


Pennsylvania Highways:* Pennsylvania Turnpike

[Love2Golf09]

Originally Posted by stillkit

What are you talking about? The PA turnpike is one of the best engineered roads in the country, considering the terrain it crosses. For most of it's distance, you can run just about as fast as you want to (barring the presence of state police.) Yeah, the NE Extension seems a little crowded, but the travel lanes are as wide as any Interstate.

If you think the PA pike is bad, take Rt. 22 from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh and I'll bet your opinion changes immediately.

The turnpike is an overpriced piece of crap that seems like it's 1 lane 80% of the way because of constant construction. Going through the Blue Mountain area during the winter is a freakin' death wish. There have been several times where it has been a whiteout, barriers on each side of me because only one lane was open due to construction, and I'm sandwiched in between a half dozen massive trucks. It's a white-knuckle right from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia and I constantly have one hand on the Bible until I get into NJ, which has a turnpike that's a complete pleasure to drive...and cheaper......and they pump my gas! And the gas is cheaper!!!!!!

[North Beach Person]

The last time I was on the Turnpike was Aug. 1995. I remember because we had just bought a new car and it was the first long trip in it. The only reason we went on it was because my son got sick at Bedford and we knew the Pike had regular bathrooms, something 30, 22, 219 and 422 didn't.


I meant to add with the above that I agree with Love2Golf09.

[FlyerNation]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

Are people generally comfortable driving on it in the area that is between Scranton and Philly? I don't know why, but it seems like an uncomfortable road to drive on, in certain parts of that stretch of the Turnpike.

It depends on the time of year. If it is during the warmer months, it isn't too bad, sans construction. The stretch between Allentown and Plymouth Mtg. does get heavily congested, but overall the drive isn't that bad at all.

During the cold months, the stretch north of the Lehigh Tunnel can be quite the PITA during inclement weather.

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

Also, why is there a way for a person to bypass tolls in the Philadelphia area? Ther eis a confusing section where I believe 76 or 476 becomes the Turnpike, but there is a way you can get on without going through tolls. Why is that?

Sure, there are several ways to bypass the tolls in the Philly area. It would just take you forever to get north by taking 29, 100, 309 or 611 for instance.

The Mid-County interchange can be a bit confusing to those not familiar with it. Is this the confusing section you are referring to? 476 meets 276 and the Blue Route ends, Northeast Extension begins.

[FlyerNation]

There were supposedly plans in the works to add interchanges to the NE Ext. in Montgomery County. I'm not sure what the status of this is, but in conjunction with widening the stretch from Allentown to Plymouth Mtg., it would help alleviate traffic.

That would make too much sense. It's the PA TPK and PTC afterall.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by pcity

There's no way to get off the Pennsylvania Turnpike without paying a toll.

76 east of King of Prussia and 476 south of Plymouth Meeting are not part of the PA Turnpike. They are free highways just like I-80, I-78, etc.

When my wife was driving in the Philly area, there was a way where she was on 76 and still got on the Penn. Turnpike. She got to the end of the Turnpike and had to pay a little over $28 dollars for that drive because of bypassing the tolls by mistake. In NY, you can't bypass the tolls to get on the Thruway. So, how did that happen?

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by FlyerNation

It depends on the time of year. If it is during the warmer months, it isn't too bad, sans construction. The stretch between Allentown and Plymouth Mtg. does get heavily congested, but overall the drive isn't that bad at all.

During the cold months, the stretch north of the Lehigh Tunnel can be quite the PITA during inclement weather.



Sure, there are several ways to bypass the tolls in the Philly area. It would just take you forever to get north by taking 29, 100, 309 or 611 for instance.

The Mid-County interchange can be a bit confusing to those not familiar with it. Is this the confusing section you are referring to? 476 meets 276 and the Blue Route ends, Northeast Extension begins.

I believe so, in regards to your last sentence. Either there or near Conshohocken.

[Gerania]

I know; it happened to me. I was traveling north on the Blue Route (476) headed toward Rt. 276 east. It was dark and visibility was terrible, but I managed to find the correct exit, 20 I believe. Concrete barriers divided the road into two lanes; I was on the left. I noticed, too late, that the two cars which had been ahead of me had stayed toward the right...and were entering the toll plaza. There was no way to get over there. I certainly wasn't going to try to back up at night in the rain.

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

When my wife was driving in the Philly area, there was a way where she was on 76 and still got on the Penn. Turnpike. She got to the end of the Turnpike and had to pay a little over $28 dollars for that drive because of bypassing the tolls by mistake. In NY, you can't bypass the tolls to get on the Thruway. So, how did that happen?

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by stillkit

If you think the PA pike is bad, take Rt. 22 from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh.

Apples and oranges. U.S. 22 isn't an interstate highway. I wouldn't expect it to look, drive, or be engineered like one.

[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Interesting read.


Pennsylvania Highways:* Pennsylvania Turnpike

Thanks for finding that site - best one I've seen (though I haven't looked lately).

Yes, the Turnpike is uncomfortable for those familiar with later Interstate standards. But since it was a pioneer road, not all the bugs were worked out of the system, and some (like Breezewood) remain for essentially political reasons. But now that I'm used to it, after 10+ years here I'll take the Turnpike in preference to a PENNDOT-maintained highway oftentimes, especially in the winter.

I sure wish there were an interchange for PA 743 near Elizabethtown. I had read elsewhere that was studied in the past and deemed to not be worth the cost for the anticipated traffic. With growth and EZPass I'd hope they could re-run the numbers.

Here's my own list of interchanges I wish they would put in:

PA 68 - Zelienople/Rochester - take some pressure off Cranberry
Plum/Oakmont area - east end of Allegheny River bridge
PA 130 - Harrison City
PA 136 - Arona
PA 982 - Laurelville
New Baltimore area - near where you can park to go to Mass at St. John the Baptist - it's just so loong between Somerset and Bedford and that area sure could use an economic boost
Everett area (probably not too likely)
PA 233 - Newville
West end of Carlisle, ideally with a connector around to I-81 (the trucks would love this)
PA 641 - west end of Mechanicsburg
PA 743 - Elizabethtown
PA 501 - Brickerville/Lititz
PA 29 - Malvern/Phoenixville
I-95

On the NE Extension:
US 202
PA 563 - Tylersport
PA 29 - Emmaus
PA 873 - Slatington
Northern Carbon county - maybe PA 903 or PA 934
I-81 direct near Moosic