Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike
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The Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike is the common name of a 13-mile stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike that was bypassed in 1968 when a modern stretch opened to ease traffic congestion. The reasoning behind the bypass was to reduce traffic congestion at the tunnels. In this case, the Sideling Hill Tunnel and Rays Hill Tunnel were bypassed, as was one of the Turnpike's travel plazas. The bypass is located just east of the heavily congested Breezewood interchange on exit 161.
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[edit] History
When the Turnpike opened in 1940, it was known as the "Tunnel Highway", as it contained seven tunnels from east to west: Blue Mountain, Kittatinny Mountain, Tuscarora Mountain, Sideling Hill, Rays Hill, Allegheny Mountain, and Laurel Hill. There was one tunnel through each mountain, and the highway was reduced to a single lane in each direction through each tunnel.
Originally, this wasn't a problem, but by the late 1950s, the Turnpike was so heavily used that traffic congestion was a problem at the tunnels. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission did studies to see if it could expand to bypass the tunnels. The result of this project was the "twinning" (construction of a second, parallel, two-lane tunnel) of four tunnels, and outright bypass and closure of the other three. The tunnels through the Blue Mountain, Kittattiny, Tuscarora, and Allegheny mountains were expanded through the "twinning" process, while the other three were bypassed, as it was determined cheaper to bypass them. The Laurel Hill Tunnel, located on the border of Westmoreland County and Somerset County, was one of these tunnels, though the bypass was only around two miles long.
The Sideling Hill and Rays Hill tunnels, on the other hand, were near each other, and a much longer bypass about 13 miles in length was created. This lengthy rerouting also bypassed the Cove Valley Travel Plaza, which was located between the eastern portal of the Sideling Hill Tunnel and the point at which the bypass departed the original mainline. After the new bypass opened, the Cove Valley plaza was replaced with the new Sideling Hill Travel Plaza, which, unlike the plaza it replaced, was a single building serving travelers from both directions of the highway.
[edit] Today
Today, the "Abandoned Turnpike", as it is commonly known, has become a popular tourist attraction. The PTC sold most of the property to the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy for $1 in 2001[1], though the property is managed by Pike2Bike, a coalition of non-profit groups (including the SAC) to eventually convert the stretch into a super biketrail, and to restore it to its glory days as part of the Turnpike. The property is open to the public (see below), though no motor vehicles are allowed on the property. The PTC still owns a stretch of about one quarter mile at each end for maintenance purposes.
The entranceways to the tunnels were in respectable shape through the early 1980s, when vandalism and time began to take their toll, with the letterings of the signs of the tunnels being removed by vandals sometime between 1981 and 1999. The tunnels themselves are still standing and despite no maintenance in decades are still structurally sound. This is somewhat ironic since the PTC is considering bypassing the deteriorating, yet still active, Allegheny Mountain Tunnel in the near future.
[edit] Access
In late 2005, the PTC restricted access to the Abandoned Turnpike by demolishing an overpass over US 30 in Breezewood as well as an overpass near the site of the old Cove Valley Travel Plaza. The removal of the overpasses, while preventing motorized vehicles from easily entering the Abandoned Turnpike, was done partially for safety reasons, and to also mark the ends of the SAC property. The western end in Breezewood is currently all but inaccessible, but the eastern end does have a parking area set up.
While the property is open to the public, the roadway is "officially" closed for work on the road, and anyone on the Abandoned Turnpike is there at their own risk.
[edit] Facts
- While congestion at the tunnels was the main reason for the bypasses and "twinnings", they were also done to a lesser extent to bring the Turnpike up to Interstate standards, even though the highway itself and other toll roads that predated the Interstate Highway System were grandfathered into the system. This was also done on the Northeast Extension in the early 1990s when the Lehigh Tunnel was "twinned" in order to redesignate Pennsylvania Route 9 as Interstate 476.
- The Sideling Hill Travel Plaza is currently the only travel plaza on the mainline Turnpike that is accessible from both sides. Note, however, that the Northeast Extension's two travel plazas are also accessible from both sides.
- The PTC and PennDOT repaved a small strip of the abandoned turnpike in the late 1980's to test rumble strips. The rumble strips are now commonly found throughout Pennsylvania and in some other states.
- Parts of the abandoned turnpike are visible while driving the active stretch.
- The western end of the abandoned turnpike was converted into a wider exit at the Breezewood interchange and is technically part of I-70, which at the time was becoming congested with truck stops and other tourist attractions. That part remains the only section of the abandoned turnpike still driveable on a regular basis.
[edit] See also
- Laurel Hill Tunnel - A second bypassed section containing the Laurel Hill Tunnel is still owned by the PTC. "No Trespassing" signs are posted around the property, and the Pennsylvania State Police patrol the property on a regular basis.
[edit] References
- ^ Walsh, Larry. "Cycling: Tighter security near Confluence dam sends cyclists in search of new campsite", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 4, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-09-14. (in English)
