Quote:
Originally Posted by papilgee4evaeva
Freeway built with NO federal funding to be operated as a toll facility --> can be signed as Interstate
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That happened with PA-9, the Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike. In April 1954, $233 million in bonds were issued to build the Northeastern Extension along with the Delaware River Bridge on the mainline Pennsylvania Turnpike.
There was one two-lane tunnel through Blue Mountain on the Northeast Extension and a 4-foot median in order to save money. Then they decided to "twin the tunnel" to make it 4 lanes from Scranton to Philly which was completed in November 1991.
On November 1, 1996, the Northeast Extension was added to the Interstate Highway System as an extension of I-476, replacing the PA-9 designation along the road. The addition of the second tube at the Lehigh Tunnel along with new guardrails and line striping was necessary for the toll road to become an Interstate. It was hoped that the Interstate designation would bring economic development and tourism to the areas served by the roadway.