Parkway West is now I-376 (Pittsburgh, Beaver: airport, design, businesses)

[jmantra]

I am a bit of road geek and I noticed they changed the shield signs to 376. Right 376 ends at I-79 but is eventual supposed to extend to I-80 in Mercer County.
I am all geeked out about this.

Parkway West becomes Interstate 376

[highway29south]

I like Parkway West much better!

[ditchdigger]

PennDOT will extend I-376 along Routes 22, 30 and 60 on the Airport Expressway and Beaver Valley Expressway to Mercer County, part of the $45 million plan to upgrade the corridor and designate it as an interstate highway in hopes of stimulating development.

What? Developers aren't smart enough to find their way into the Beaver Valley and points north unless the road has the same name?

Sure, it might ease some confusion for out-of-towners goig that way for the first time, but really, "a rose by any other name..."

[jmantra]

Originally Posted by ditchdigger

What? Developers aren't smart enough to find their way into the Beaver Valley and points north unless the road has the same name?

Sure, it might ease some confusion for out-of-towners goig that way for the first time, but really, "a rose by any other name..."

my guess would be is that businesses see interstates as busier highways than state or US routes, hence attracting more customers.

[Blackbeauty212]

I've never called them by 279 or 376...

It's always been Parkway, NORTH, WEST, and EAST.....

[South Range Family]

Part of becoming an interstate was upgrading some of the ramps to certain specifications. No super sharp bends, and plenty of merge room. The ramps to route 68 at the end of the Vanport bridge are just one set that I can think of.

[soniqV]

That explains the "Future 376 Corridor" sign on the way to the airport. Been wondering what that meant for a while.

[khyron]

Just to give another perspective, as someone who moved here last year, using the numbers makes a LOT more sense to anyone not familiar with what "parkway this and that" means. It also make much more sense when directing people who are coming to visit us from out of town. I'm glad they're doing this, personally.

I wouldn't mind people saying "parkway" all the time if there were like, you know, any official signs anywhere in Pittsburgh that actually SAID "parkway" on them!

[lifepgh2op]

Originally Posted by South Range Family

Part of becoming an interstate was upgrading some of the ramps to certain specifications. No super sharp bends, and plenty of merge room. The ramps to route 68 at the end of the Vanport bridge are just one set that I can think of.

You're right. This is also why they finished the "missing ramps" around the 79 interchange, and why they're currently snarling traffic around Robinson. I believe they are upgrading the ramps from the Parkway to 22-30 (toward Weirton/Steubenville) and maybe another one, I can't remember, but it'll be nice because currently traffic merging on the Parkway and traffic getting off of the Parkway share the same exit/on lane at 22-30 and it can become a mess trying to figure out who is getting off and who is getting on.

[ditchdigger]

part of the $45 million plan to upgrade the corridor and designate it as an interstate highway in hopes of stimulating development.

Besides what's been said above, couldn't that "stimulating development" also be described as "promoting sprawl"? I thought that was supposed to be a bad thing?