Pennsylvania Roads - I-86

I-86

All photos are courtesy John Krakoff, westbound, and predate 1996.


I-86 came around in 1999, so these signs are only going to show the prior designation as PA 17. Numbered to connect with NY 17 at the time, it conflicted with an existing PA 17 near Harrisburg, but that was of no matter to PennDOT. Uniquely, both routes were inventoried as 17, whereas other duplicate signed routes receive unique inventory numbers; for example, PA 283 is 300 internally to differentiate from I-283.


You won't find button copy on today's highway. The key to dating John's photos is squeezed between those green signs. Before 1996 (and after 1986, when it was first opened), PA 17 was but a single carriageway, apparently on what's now the EB side. It only widened to a dualized section right at I-90, and stayed 2-lane well into New York. That obviously won't suffice for an Interstate, so this configuration and its interesting "highway divides and adds a lane" sign disappeared.

Into New York on I-86
Exit 1 to I-90
I-86 on Jeff Kitsko's pahighways.com
Back to Pennsylvania Roads
Back to Roads