Pennsylvania

[jeffandnicole]

While the current 322 construction won't affect 95 directly, the results will.  Today, the light on 322 at Cherry Tree Rd & Bethel Ave acts pretty much as a meter, preventing much traffic from flowing further downstream onto 95 (the only other significant point of access to 322 beyond this point is Rt. 452).  After the widening project is complete in that area, assuming the light timing stays the same, twice as much traffic will get thru this light...only to bottleneck at 95.  At least it'll free up the persistent congestion plaguing 322 in the Chichester area.

Looking up the DVRPC site, the 95-322 interchange is a distant dream.  It's now hidden within the 2025-2040 Long Range plan.  The website the DVRPC supposedly set up for the project doesn't work as well.  A newspaper article I came across from 2008 at the time had the project beginning in 2016!

[LeftyJR]

Any updates on the I-99/I-80 interchange?  PennDOT had crews at the current northern end of 99 removing acres of trees around Exit 161 on I-80.  It looks like a football field up there now - hardly recognizable.  I thought this was deferred?

[briantroutman]

^ Are you sure they were PennDOT crews working on state right-of-way and not workers on private property abutting I-80?

The most recent news regarding an I-80/I-99 interchange I can find is this Centre Daily Times article from late 2015. It essentially says that needed funding isn't there and the chances of the interchange being constructed in the near future are nil.

The prospect of doing the interchange projects, Zilla said, is dismal, particularly because the $164 million price tag goes well beyond federal funds available for him to work with.

"Centre County's allocation for the current program for roads and bridges is about $60 million for four years for all road and bridge improvements,"  Zilla said. "That's what we get."

[Buffaboy]

Breezewood button copy, picture I took

[Roadsguy]

Breezewood button copy, picture I took

Huh, why's US 30 west signed from that exit way down there? Were you not always able to turn left at the end of the road?

----

Found two new Highway Gothic signs, one by PennDOT and the other by the Turnpike, both in the Allentown area, within 100 feet of each other too! The first by PennDOT is on US 22 westbound at the Northeast Extension exit. It was put up some time between November 2015 and August 2016. The other on the extension itself was put up between August 2011 and September 2013, and it's the final southbound sign before the Lehigh Valley exit. The sign had been missing for a while; it was there in the 2009 street view, missing in 2011, and back in 2013.

How many other new Highway Gothic signs are there around the state? The only ones I know of besides these are the APL on 95 at the Blue Route, and all the signs on I-81 at the new PA 465 interchange.

[briantroutman]

Huh, why's US 30 west signed from that exit way down there? Were you not always able to turn left at the end of the road?

I had never noticed that before–although for the dozens of times I've approached Breezewood, I think only once or twice was it from the south.

Looking at the map, I can only assume that PennDOT is trying to divert as much left-turning traffic as possible to South Breezewood Road to reduce the number of needed left turn cycles (I-70 WB to US 30 WB) at that intersection so that the conflicting left turn (US 30 WB to I-70 EB–a.k.a "thru"  I-70 EB) is as unimpeded as possible.

[amroad17]

briantroutman is correct in his post.  US 30 WEST has always been signed for Exit 149 (old Exit 29) for as long as I remember--probably to divert as much traffic heading west on US 30 from the "interchange" at the end/beginning of I-70 on this section, as he mentioned in his post.

Nice fading/sine rot late-1970's signs, although they do need to be changed.

[Mr_Northside]

How many other new Highway Gothic signs are there around the state? The only ones I know of besides these are the APL on 95 at the Blue Route, and all the signs on I-81 at the new PA 465 interchange.

There were new ones put up on PA-65 (Ohio River Blvd) SB during it's final miles before ending @ 279 as part of a major rehab project.
They are doing the NB lanes this construction season, where they're supposed to replace most (if not all) of those signs.

[ekt8750]

How many other new Highway Gothic signs are there around the state? The only ones I know of besides these are the APL on 95 at the Blue Route, and all the signs on I-81 at the new PA 465 interchange.

There's a sign on 95 North near the Airport that was hit about 5 years ago by a dump truck that was driving with its hopper fully extended; it was recently replaced with a Highway Gothic sign.

[Mergingtraffic]

so the glorious non-reflective button copy will be taken down soon near Breezewood? 

[PHLBOS]

How many other new Highway Gothic signs are there around the state? The only ones I know of besides these are the APL on 95 at the Blue Route, and all the signs on I-81 at the new PA 465 interchange.

There's a sign on 95 North near the Airport that was hit about 5 years ago by a dump truck that was driving with its hopper fully extended; it was recently replaced with a Highway Gothic sign.

Some other new Highway Gothic BGS' in PA in addition to the above-listed ones are:
One I-476 North through BGS near Exit 1 (MacDade Blvd. interchange)  Ironically, the adjacent EXIT 1 MacDade Blvd. exit BGS has Clearview lettering.

Exit BGS for PA 29 along US 202 northbound  This is probably the only post-Clearview BGS that was erected during the 202 widening project.

No photo nor updated GSV of such yet, but the replacement exit BGS along the westbound PA Turnpike (I-76) at the Carlisle interchange (Exit 226 - US 11 to I-81) exit ramp features Highway Gothic (control city lettering looks to be Series E w/EM spacing).  It also features the ugly, bloated US 11 shield that's been seen on several other BGS' in recent years.  Yuck! 

[amroad17]

At least most of the new Clearview signs in Pennsylvania do look nice.  Some of those erected when Clearview first started looked hideous and cartoonish.  On the other hand, some of those on I-81 north of Scranton do leave something to be desired.

[ekt8750]

At least most of the new Clearview signs in Pennsylvania do look nice.  Some of those erected when Clearview first started looked hideous and cartoonish.  On the other hand, some of those on I-81 north of Scranton do leave something to be desired.

You should see the ones going up on the I-95/Betsy Ross Bridge interchange project. They must have been done by a contractor, cause they look hideous. Spacing is way off, there's a few all caps Clearview situations as well.

[Gnutella]

At least most of the new Clearview signs in Pennsylvania do look nice.  Some of those erected when Clearview first started looked hideous and cartoonish.  On the other hand, some of those on I-81 north of Scranton do leave something to be desired.

Sign quality in Pennsylvania seems to vary by district.


District 1 (Erie)

Pattern accuracy: Poor
BGS construction: Numerous increment-panel


District 2 (Bradford/Du Bois/State College)

Pattern accuracy: Excellent
BGS construction: Entirely extruded-panel


District 3 (Williamsport)

Pattern accuracy: Good
BGS construction: Mostly extruded-panel


District 4 (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)

Pattern accuracy: Fair
BGS construction: Numerous increment-panel


District 5 (Allentown/Bethlehem)

Pattern accuracy: Fair
BGS construction: Some increment-panel


District 6 (Philadelphia)

Pattern accuracy: Good
BGS construction: Entirely extruded-panel


District 8 (Harrisburg/Lancaster/York)

Pattern accuracy: Good
BGS construction: Entirely extruded-panel


District 9 (Johnstown/Altoona)

Pattern accuracy: Poor
BGS construction: Some increment-panel


District 10 (Butler/Clarion/Indiana)

Pattern accuracy: Good
BGS construction: Mostly extruded-panel


District 11 (Pittsburgh)

Pattern accuracy: Excellent
BGS construction: Entirely extruded-panel


District 12 (Greensburg/Uniontown/Washington)

Pattern accuracy: Fair
BGS construction: Mostly extruded-panel


I'd rank the districts like this for sign quality, from best to worst:


1. District 2
2. District 11
3. District 6
4. District 8
5. District 3
6. District 10
7. District 12
8. District 5
9. District 4
10. District 9
11. District 1


Ironically, PennDOT makes cleaner-looking extruded-panel BGSs than increment-panel BGSs. Many of their increment-panel BGSs look cheap and flimsy, while their extruded-panel BGSs look sturdy and handsome. Good thing is, most BGSs in Pennsylvania are extruded-panel. District 1 and District 4 are the only ones that get carried away with increment-panel BGSs.

[amroad17]

Yes, some of those around Erie are awful.  They just do not look right.  Those along I-80 along the Dubois stretch are very good-looking ones.  Haven't seen the Pittsburgh ones as I have not ventured there in ten or eleven years.

[ixnay]

District 5 (Allentown/Bethlehem)

Don't forget Reading, Kutztown, and Pocono Raceway.  (I attended Kutztown University, and years later saw Jimmie Johnson [before he began his string of championships] win under the yellow at the Tricky Triangle.)

Here's a map of the districts...

http://www.penndot.gov/RegionalOffices/Pages/default.aspx

ixnay

[qguy]

At least most of the new Clearview signs in Pennsylvania do look nice.  Some of those erected when Clearview first started looked hideous and cartoonish.  On the other hand, some of those on I-81 north of Scranton do leave something to be desired.

Sign quality in Pennsylvania seems to vary by district.


District 1 (Erie)

Pattern accuracy: Poor
BGS construction: Numerous increment-panel


District 2 (Bradford/Du Bois/State College)

Pattern accuracy: Excellent
BGS construction: Entirely extruded-panel


District 3 (Williamsport)

Pattern accuracy: Good
BGS construction: Mostly extruded-panel


District 4 (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)

Pattern accuracy: Fair
BGS construction: Numerous increment-panel


District 5 (Allentown/Bethlehem)

Pattern accuracy: Fair
BGS construction: Some increment-panel


District 6 (Philadelphia)

Pattern accuracy: Good
BGS construction: Entirely extruded-panel


District 8 (Harrisburg/Lancaster/York)

Pattern accuracy: Good
BGS construction: Entirely extruded-panel


District 9 (Johnstown/Altoona)

Pattern accuracy: Poor
BGS construction: Some increment-panel


District 10 (Butler/Clarion/Indiana)

Pattern accuracy: Good
BGS construction: Mostly extruded-panel


District 11 (Pittsburgh)

Pattern accuracy: Excellent
BGS construction: Entirely extruded-panel


District 12 (Greensburg/Uniontown/Washington)

Pattern accuracy: Fair
BGS construction: Mostly extruded-panel


I'd rank the districts like this for sign quality, from best to worst:


1. District 2
2. District 11
3. District 6
4. District 8
5. District 3
6. District 10
7. District 12
8. District 5
9. District 4
10. District 9
11. District 1


Ironically, PennDOT makes cleaner-looking extruded-panel BGSs than increment-panel BGSs. Many of their increment-panel BGSs look cheap and flimsy, while their extruded-panel BGSs look sturdy and handsome. Good thing is, most BGSs in Pennsylvania are extruded-panel. District 1 and District 4 are the only ones that get carried away with increment-panel BGSs.

You skipped District 7. 

[ixnay]

[Gnutella] skipped District 7. 

Either Gnutella skipped Dist. 7 or PennDOT did.  I don't see it on the map I linked.

ixnay

[J N Winkler]

There hasn't been a PennDOT District 7 since the 1940's or thereabouts.  When it existed, it covered the area around Harrisburg, which is currently in District 8.  (Qguy was actually making a joke.)

District 1 has historically had a problem with too-high capital letters in mixed-case legend.  Someone from that District was actually on this forum and asked why that was a problem, and I am not sure anyone came up with an explanation that made sense to him or to the person (who was not participating directly) that actually prepares the signing plans.  It can be very difficult to explain something that seems intuitively obvious to us.

In terms of signing plans (not the actual signs themselves), District 11 is reliably good, while the others are variable.  The variation started when PennDOT downloaded sign design to the districts in the early 1980's.  Before that time, PennDOT signing plans were put together by a specialist unit at headquarters in Harrisburg and were works of art.

[Roadsguy]

I noticed a mystery ramp from I-79 north of Mt. Morris. It appears to have been a temporary connection to Davistown Rd, with all movements except a southbound exit from 79. It even featured an at-grade left turn onto 79 south. From Historic Aerials, it appears to have been upgraded from some local driveway between 2004 and 2006. It sat there for years, blocked off at both ends from traffic, until the part directly connecting to 79 was removed in 2010 or 2011. The bulk of it still remains. What was this for?

[seicer]

Weird. It looks like it connected Davistown Road to I-79, with a connection to and from NB I-79 and a connection to SB I-79.

Connection severed ~2011. Rebuilt 2006. Some ramp did exist before that but it looks like it was long abandoned then.

--

Edit: Looks like it was built when the US 19 bridge was rebuilt over Dunkard Creek in 2007.

Edit 2: You can see the ramps in clear detail in 2007: https://goo.gl/maps/YJJiyWjmuxA2. Streetview from 2008 indicate that it was for emergency vehicles.

[Beltway]

There hasn't been a PennDOT District 7 since the 1940's or thereabouts.  When it existed, it covered the area around Harrisburg, which is currently in District 8.  (Qguy was actually making a joke.)

When I worked in District 6-0 in the 1970s there was some discussion in the office about the missing District 7.  That is what I recall, that there was a Harrisburg District.  It is not obvious from the current district map as to which counties it had, and the current map has a pretty good balance of the configuration of counties in each district.

Trivia:  In many information systems at VDOT the Central Office is designated as District 0, as from a general staffing standpoint it has the size and management levels of a typical district.  Nobody but IT folks actually call it District 0 (zero) in general verbal speech.  VDOT has 9 field districts, and the number of each district is here -- http://www.virginiadot.org/about/districts.asp

[MASTERNC]

I noticed a mystery ramp from I-79 north of Mt. Morris. It appears to have been a temporary connection to Davistown Rd, with all movements except a southbound exit from 79. It even featured an at-grade left turn onto 79 south. From Historic Aerials, it appears to have been upgraded from some local driveway between 2004 and 2006. It sat there for years, blocked off at both ends from traffic, until the part directly connecting to 79 was removed in 2010 or 2011. The bulk of it still remains. What was this for?

There is a head scratching story to this.  PennDOT never bought the underground rights along the ROW for I-79, so a coal company did long wall mining underneath the roadway.  The road did sag a bit, and they had to reduce the speed limit and close a lane for the longest time.  These ramps were in case the roadway had to be closed long-term and traffic diverted onto US 19.

[Roadsguy]

I noticed a mystery ramp from I-79 north of Mt. Morris. It appears to have been a temporary connection to Davistown Rd, with all movements except a southbound exit from 79. It even featured an at-grade left turn onto 79 south. From Historic Aerials, it appears to have been upgraded from some local driveway between 2004 and 2006. It sat there for years, blocked off at both ends from traffic, until the part directly connecting to 79 was removed in 2010 or 2011. The bulk of it still remains. What was this for?

There is a head scratching story to this.  PennDOT never bought the underground rights along the ROW for I-79, so a coal company did long wall mining underneath the roadway.  The road did sag a bit, and they had to reduce the speed limit and close a lane for the longest time.  These ramps were in case the roadway had to be closed long-term and traffic diverted onto US 19.

So I take it that's no longer an issue? And is/was there a complementary set of ramps farther north or would an existing interchange have been used?

Also, I don't think that ramp was ever an abandoned off-ramp. It seems like it was a local driveway or something.

[seicer]

Odd. The signs for it are unfortunately turned away in the streetview but it also looks like it was pretty temporary. Perhaps it was first built for the road settling issues and then reused for the US 19 project?