Pennsylvania Roads - I-76
Pennsylvania Tpk, Schuylkill Expwy.
State-name shield courtesy Lou Corsaro.

Turnpike-name shield courtesy me, on PA 910 SB where it ends at Freeport Rd. It's one error I wouldn't mind seeing repeated.

The eastern end of the Laurel Hill Tunnel in 1997, courtesy Scott Sullivan. The "LAUREL HILL" above the entrance has fallen off. This tunnel was bypassed along with the two on the abandoned Turnpike east of Breezewood (see link at bottom), but is not accessible to the public.

One of these trailblazers is not like the others, on PA 75 SB. Here's one place where using a more modern font really doesn't work.

The Turnpike used to bear left here, and head into the 2-lane Sideling Hill tunnel. The new route crosses over the tunnel on the side of the mountain, leaving the old tube and roadway there as a roadgeek's delight. Photos from that old alignment, with a total of two two-lane tunnels and 6-7 miles open to the public, are found at the big link at the bottom of this page. (Yes, this is the same Sideling Hill as the one that I-68 in Maryland crosses.)

Thanks to Doug Kerr for capturing these at the PA Turnpike museum. These were once speed warning signs on the original section of the Turnpike (all of which is now I-76), heading into either a tunnel or a tollbooth.

One of many tunnels on the Turnpike. All are four lanes now, though the Turnpike was built with nothing but 2-lane tunnels.

I-283 SB, using a sort of outlined shield that's reminiscent of the days when these signs were button copy. Newer shields are black on white. Keeping left keeps you on I-283 to the end, but taking the exit puts you on PA 283 - the two are signed as a continuous route, though.

Courtesy Michael Summa (but a modern [1995] photo, for a change). Hey, when you're actually making money (toll agencies do, DOT's don't), you can afford to commission a huge highway sign that doesn't do anything for traffic. The building is just off I-283.

There are a bunch of super-sized PATP trailblazers at Turnpike entrances from connecting roads. This is the second or third one you would see if entering from PA 272 or US 222 SB (NB would miss this one), and one of the only button-copy ones left.
Boo the non-cutout-ers. Booo!

I-476 north of the PA Turnpike is the Northeast Extension of the PATP, which used to be PA 9. Most of the signs, such as those along I-276, have a good patching job done on them (those that have not been replaced), but this one's pretty bad. This sign is on I-76 WB at the Turnpike.

I-76 EB exiting the Turnpike, courtesy Scott Colbert. Clearly the sign was extensively patched - all three shields on the right sign are new, and underneath them was at least an old I-76 shield and a PA 9. Also clearly, the sign on the left should have been patched better. What was the PTC thinking - were they looking for a PA Turnpike shield? Did they forget that I-276 goes another thirty miles before meeting the NJ Turnpike, and that the NJ Turnpike is strictly a north-south road? Something went very, very wrong.

Inside the King of Prussia Plaza. The first two photos are Mall Blvd. NB at the onramp to I-76 WB, and are both courtesy Scott Colbert. I took the last photo SB at that ramp, and did not see either of Scott's assemblies. Of course, the Turnpike (including I-276) and US 202 are just a short exit away... as is US 422, not mentioned here. Please do NOT dig the RIDOT signs, but you may fawn over the very original beauties.

The Schuylkill Expressway EB. Tucked alongside the namesake river, the Expwy. barely has enough room for four to six lanes as it snakes underneath a stone railroad overpass and toward the Philadelphia skyline. It's so narrow that there's no room for shoulder stripes, so they end up on top of the barrier for extra visibility. In the third photo you see that typically, Philly-area distances are measured in tenths of a mile due to the close spacing of exits and limited number of places to put overhead signs. I still think it would confuse people. (P.S., slide the EASTs over.)

The eastbound button copy to be found in the city, some of which is under the 30th Street Station.

Heading east into New Jersey on the Walt Whitman Bridge.
Abandoned PA Tpk./I-76, Breezewood
The original Morgantown Interchange on PA 10
Into New Jersey on I-76
Into Ohio on I-76
The other part of the PA Turnpike, I-276
The other other part of the Turnpike, I-476
Onto US 222
Onto US 202
To I-676
To US 30
Exit 347A to PA 291
To I-95, maybe via Exit 347A
Into Philadelphia
Schuylkill Expwy. (I-76) on Steve Anderson's phillyroads.com
I-76 on Jeff Kitsko's pahighways.com
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