Pennsylvania

[CanesFan27]

Quite possibly one of the most unique traffic hazard and rock feature within the entire state of Pennsylvania, Overhanging Rock along PA 320 in Gulph Mills has a story that dates back to the Revolutionary War and battles in the 20th century to save it from the dynamite stick.

http://quintessentialpa.blogspot.com/2018/02/overhanging-rock.html

[Beltway]

Quite possibly one of the most unique traffic hazard and rock feature within the entire state of Pennsylvania, Overhanging Rock along PA 320 in Gulph Mills has a story that dates back to the Revolutionary War and battles in the 20th century to save it from the dynamite stick.
http://quintessentialpa.blogspot.com/2018/02/overhanging-rock.html

PennDOT had a plan in the 1970s with a design to "resculpt" the rock back and upward, out of the traffic lane, and to retain the same basic shape as the pre-existing rock, but it never was performed.  Too much opposition.  This is only about 2 miles from where the District 6-0 office used to be in Radnor.

[MASTERNC]

Quite possibly one of the most unique traffic hazard and rock feature within the entire state of Pennsylvania, Overhanging Rock along PA 320 in Gulph Mills has a story that dates back to the Revolutionary War and battles in the 20th century to save it from the dynamite stick.
http://quintessentialpa.blogspot.com/2018/02/overhanging-rock.html

PennDOT had a plan in the 1970s with a design to "resculpt" the rock back and upward, out of the traffic lane, and to retain the same basic shape as the pre-existing rock, but it never was performed.  Too much opposition.  This is only about 2 miles from where the District 6-0 office used to be in Radnor.

They're supposed to be doing something around there in the next few years - it's listed in planned projects.

[ixnay]

The I-95/PATP thread digressed to the South St. interchange on the Surekill and its flawed design (entrances into and exits out of the left lane in both directions).

Reading has a similar interchange on U.S. 422 at Lancaster Av. (U.S. Business 222).  What's the latest on the proposed rebuild of that interchange (http://www.422westshorebypass.com/improvement-concepts/) and of the West Shore Bypass in general?

ixnay

[Beltway]

The I-95/PATP thread digressed to the South St. interchange on the Surekill and its flawed design (entrances into and exits out of the left lane in both directions.

Plus almost non-existent accell/decell lanes.  They ought to close all of those ramps permanently.

[ekt8750]

The I-95/PATP thread digressed to the South St. interchange on the Surekill and its flawed design (entrances into and exits out of the left lane in both directions.

Plus almost non-existent accell/decell lanes.  They ought to close all of those ramps permanently.

I actually wouldn't be opposed to that. With the Walnut St and University City interchanges literally feet away from the South St ramps, there's really no need for direct access to it as both interchanges easily can get you to South.

[Beltway]

The I-95/PATP thread digressed to the South St. interchange on the Surekill and its flawed design (entrances into and exits out of the left lane in both directions.

Plus almost non-existent accell/decell lanes.  They ought to close all of those ramps permanently.

I actually wouldn't be opposed to that. With the Walnut St and University City interchanges literally feet away from the South St ramps, there's really no need for direct access to it as both interchanges easily can get you to South.

That is the problem, though, they are really not all that close to South Street, and the other routes are circuitous and low capacity, and you have to go all the way down to Vare Avenue to connect with the southerly Surekill.

[roadman65]

Somebody once told me that I-78 in Lebanon County has its own alignment awy from US 22 cause of different engineer interests.

So the fact that the western split of I-78 and US 22 take place at the county line is no coincidence then.  Berks County (along with all counties east of it) wished to just upgrade existing US 22 to interstate quality while Lebanon wanted a new freeway altogether.

My real question is was that done at the county level or is both Berks and Lebanon in two separate PennDOT districts with the politics of the district at play at why I-78 was decided separately on both sides of the line?

[74/171FAN]

Somebody once told me that I-78 in Lebanon County has its own alignment awy from US 22 cause of different engineer interests.

So the fact that the western split of I-78 and US 22 take place at the county line is no coincidence then.  Berks County (along with all counties east of it) wished to just upgrade existing US 22 to interstate quality while Lebanon wanted a new freeway altogether.

My real question is was that done at the county level or is both Berks and Lebanon in two separate PennDOT districts with the politics of the district at play at why I-78 was decided separately on both sides of the line?

Berks is in District 5 while Lebanon is in District 8 so there are separate PennDOT districts involved in this.  For the sake of I-81 traffic, it ended up working out that both remained separate roads. 

I have wondered about this knowing that US 22 has interchanges at both PA 934 and PA 72 in Lebanon County.  US 22 has no interchanges in Dauphin County east of I-83. 
In theory, you might think that I-81 would have connected back to its current alignment somewhere between Mountain Rd (Exit 72) and PA 39 (Exit 77) had it followed US 22 west of I-78.
I am obviously just speculating since I have not done any true research on this.

[BrianP]

It looks like after WWII US 22 was being replaced with a new location 4 lane highway from Paxtonia to the east. AFAICT Jonestown Road is the original US 22.  The 1951 historical aerial shows this new highway ending at today's exit 15.  The thing I saw to note was that at the location where US 22 and I-78 split is where the width of the ROW changes.  East of there the ROW is larger.  I think the narrow ROW west of the split is why I-78 was routed on a new alignment.  The question as to why the ROW changes still goes back to the original question.  Was that due to the change in county / district? Or was it due to something else like new highway standards? But were districts allowed to have different standards?  I would have thought the state would have standards that would be used in the construction of a state road.

[briantroutman]

Building on what has already been observed above...

Yes, from what I can tell, US 22 followed Jonestown Road from the split with Allentown Boulevard at Paxtonia eastward through borough of Jonestown. Jonestown Road is a rather narrow two-laner with numerous homes and barns along its length–with buildings sometimes five feet from the edge of its almost shoulderless pavement. I can easily imagine it being a fairly dangerous stretch as the primary artery linking Harrisburg and Allentown–and by extension, New York and Pittsburgh.

With the Lebanon County section of US 22 having been constructed in 1946, so soon after the end of WWII, it could have been a badly needed project that had been deferred and deferred over a decade of depression and war. And it appears that the PDH, dealing with what resources it had at the time, basically aimed to satisfy the immediate need and built a divided highway with occasional grade separations–without considering that the road would eventually be part of a Interstate corridor on which complete grade separation and control of access would be mandatory.

The Berks County sections were built later–in some cases a decade or more (mostly '55-'59). The PDH was able to either plan for complete control of access and grade separation from the beginning–or–since the Berks sections were typically even more sparsely populated and less developed, have an easier task cutting off access or converting an intersection into a RIRO (at Grimes).

Aerial photos show that the Dauphin and Lebanon County sections of then-new US 22 already had a fair amount of development along their length by 1955. At that point, it made more sense to use a new alignment for I-81 (and I-78 by extension). And with the existing US 22 passing very close to the village of Fredericksburg with multiple at-grades there, that made a logical "jumping off point" .

[qguy]

I believe I was one of those who earlier explained the reason for the I-78 dichotomy on either side of the Lebanon/Berks County line (but I don't feel like looking through my posts).

Like others a saying, it was a PennDOT district thing, not a county thing. The difference in design approach occurred/occurs at the district level within PennDOT, not at the political county level. Local municipalities and counties have input, of course, but the two different districts made different design decisions based on (among other things) the different levels of development which had occurred up to that time in the two different areas.

The immediate vicinity along the ROW of US 22 in District 5-0 (east of the line) was not very developed, but US 22 in District 8-0 (west of the line) was even then heavily developed. I-78 could be "superimposed" upon I-22 in District 5-0, but that was out of the question in District 8-0 and it had to be located on a separate alignment to the north.

[roadman65]

One thing I will say PDH and later PennDOT did a great job in keeping signals off of Allentown Blvd for the longest time.  IT may be why PA 934 and PA 72 have interchanges as those two were major arteries intersecting.  Up until 1980 or 1981, there were absolutely no signals east of Paxtonia and Linglestown Road had a warning flasher going WB into the intersection as the previous signal was way back in New Jersey.  Then about 80 -81 a traffic signal got installed at PA 39 near Manada Hill.   Then for the longest time, that signal remained US 22's easternmost signal in PA as even PA 743 had just two flour way single section beacons suspended from a span wire, but no operational signal. 

I believe the signal at PA 743 was installed in the mid 90's, or maybe even early 90's.  The same goes for PA 343 which now has a signal.

Also most of US 22 in both Dauphin and Lebanon Counties had a posted speed limit of 55 mph.  It was at PA 39 it dropped down to 50 going toward Harrisburg, and even in Fredericksburg it was 55 when I used it in 1985.   The 40 zone could have been added anytime in the last 30 years, but when exactly I do not know.   it was basically 55 from Wilson all the way to PA 39.  The last time I drove it I saw 50 mph almost on all of it from the 40 drop to Paxtonia and then lower west into Harrisburg.

So it really was an expressway to start with built with minimal intersections and no lights east of the Harrisburg metro area.  I assume that US 22 in Berks had no signals either and that cloverleaf at PA 61 always was there as well.

[74/171FAN]

Also most of US 22 in both Dauphin and Lebanon Counties had a posted speed limit of 55 mph.  It was at PA 39 it dropped down to 50 going toward Harrisburg, and even in Fredericksburg it was 55 when I used it in 1985.   The 40 zone could have been added anytime in the last 30 years, but when exactly I do not know.   it was basically 55 from Wilson all the way to PA 39.  The last time I drove it I saw 50 mph almost on all of it from the 40 drop to Paxtonia and then lower west into Harrisburg.

Actually last I remember US 22 was raised back to 50 in the Fredericksburg area.  I know that it may be reduced at the moment due to a bridge project going on at the eastern PA 343 intersection that may be complete now.

[roadman65]

I saw an old map of PA and noticed that prior to both I-78 and I-81, PA 343 went further and connected to PA 443 near Fort Indiantown Gap.  In addition PA 72 went further north of Lickdale and even used what is now PA 272 south of Lancaster. 

Also PA 183, was originally PA 83 and it went further south of Reading.   Even PA 61 and part of PA 10 was US 122 as there was plenty of route numbered differently prior to the interstate system.  Although PA 83 and I-83 both coexisted as the York- Harrisburg Expressway was both the interstate of today and US 111 concurrent.  I-83 between the Eisenhower interchange and US 22 was Bypass US 230 and through Camp Hill there was also and ALT US 11 that is no longer commissioned.

Interesting to see PA in the 1950's.

[wilbur_the_goose]

I think I've discovered the Pennsylvania state highway with the worst road surface:  PA-401 in western Chester County.

This stretch of road has a junction with PA-345.   It has many very deep potholes and the entire center/middle of the roadway is destroyed because some genius decided to carve in rumble strips 3-4 years ago.    Those rumble strips have become foot-wide linear potholes.

PennDot doesn't really do anything to maintain this road - concerns go unresolved and the road gets worse and worse.   The real issue is overgrown trees near the highway that results in a situation where little sun hits the road surface.   That results in a bad freeze/thaw cycle that destroys the road.

Any suggestion on how we can get PennDOT to actually pay attention to this dangerous highway?

[briantroutman]

^ I'm surprised to read that assessment because PA 401–with its very low traffic volumes and occasional sudden bends and dips–was one of my reliable "fun drives"  when I lived in West Chester several years ago. It was remarkably smooth then. I was on it again last fall, and while not as smooth as it used to be, it was very far from being "the worst road surface in Pennsylvania" . Perhaps the 2017-2018 winter season has taken a considerable toll on the pavement–I'll have to check it out.

And as to "some genius"  carving rumble strips in the center–it's not as if this was the work of some over-zealous PennDOT peon with a milling machine and too much time on his hands. It's part of a concerted statewide program to mill rumble strips onto the centerlines of roads that have a history of head-on collisions. FHWA testing has demonstrated a significant reduction in serious accidents as a result of this practice–as much as a 50% reduction in serious collisions on rural roads. While I'll admit that it can be annoying on narrow roads where you're frequently rubbing against either the center or edge line, I think it's a relatively minor price to pay if lives are saved.

But as to getting action–that area is a part of District 6, and you could contact the district office in King of Prussia directly. On the District 6 website, they suggest reporting pothole and road repair issues to the statewide hotline (1-800-FIX-ROAD), and you could do that as well. I don't think it would do any harm to contact the district office directly, though.

[Beltway]

I think I've discovered the Pennsylvania state highway with the worst road surface:  PA-401 in western Chester County.
PennDOT to actually pay attention to this dangerous highway?

That road was a disaster back when I lived in the KoP area back in the 1970s.

[vdeane]

I imagine that the very low traffic volumes makes it a low priority for PennDOT to repair, which would explain the poor condition.  The description of the center makes it sound like PennDOT installed the CARDS without a resurfacing, which doesn't work well and can cause that kind of damage.

[Roadsguy]

US 22 in Lebanon County could have probably been upgraded if they really wanted to, but even if they did, that section of 22 was always narrower than the section in Berks County. The reason the median is such a good width on a road that old is because that part of 22 originally had a narrow grass median. If they had upgraded 22 in Lebanon County, it would be as bad as I-70 from Washington to New Stanton.

According to Street View, it seems the 55 mph zones were brought back with the recent reconstructions from PA 39 to I-78. It drops to 50 around Fredericksburg. It is, or at least was in 2012, still 40 mph from 343 to I-78 even after it was reconstructed a decade ago. Is this section now 50 mph as well?

Also, does anyone know of any plans to reconstruct any more of 22 west of 39? It's been upgraded well enough over the years west of Blue Ribbon Ave, but east of there it still has a narrow guard rail median, and even some places where turning lanes were added by simply removing the median and striping one in. This is definitely the worst section remaining between 83 and 78 in terms of design standards.

[roadman65]

I remember when US 22 had the old concrete rumble strip median as that was common on many PA multilane highways.  Even though its really an undivided roadway, Rand McNally and other map makers drew it all as a divided highway though.

I also remember US 22 through Fredericksburg had a concrete surface just as it did in Berks County before the stretch from the I-78/ US 22 split to the Schuykill River did before it was upgraded to interstate quality in 1978.  Of course the section east of Hamburg all the way to Easton still has many concrete surface areas, so I imagine before I-78 it was all concrete from Fredericksburg to Easton.

In fact many PA highways and even in New Jersey were concrete back in the 50's, 60's. and 70's including the PA Turnpike.

[ixnay]

Why does this pedestrian bridge stairway leading down to PA 51 have a security checkpoint?

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4593643,-80.0469888,3a,60y,275.99h,94.66t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stH9wzuu8cgxCk-rAFHSaNA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Is it strictly for employees to access the power station on Brunot Island out there in the Ohio River?

ixnay

[Mr_Northside]

Why does this pedestrian bridge stairway leading down to PA 51 have a security checkpoint?

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4593643,-80.0469888,3a,60y,275.99h,94.66t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stH9wzuu8cgxCk-rAFHSaNA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Is it strictly for employees to access the power station on Brunot Island out there in the Ohio River?

ixnay

Yup.  Walking across the railroad bridge (which is restricted), or by boat  (I know the north banks has a ramp they can use to ferry vehicles via boat to the island)  are the only way on the island (home to just a big Duquesne Light substation, and a Power generation facility that's only active during real high-demand times) - and unused land.   
I live less than a mile from the island (though on the other side of the Ohio than Rt. 51), and have wondered if being on ANY of the island would be considered trespassing (obviously the substation & plant are private property) -  but as I have no boat or raft, or plans to get one, the point seems moot.

[J N Winkler]

Yup.  Walking across the railroad bridge (which is restricted), or by boat  (I know the north banks has a ramp they can use to ferry vehicles via boat to the island)  are the only way on the island (home to just a big Duquesne Light substation, and a Power generation facility that's only active during real high-demand times) - and unused land.   I live less than a mile from the island (though on the other side of the Ohio than Rt. 51), and have wondered if being on ANY of the island would be considered trespassing (obviously the substation & plant are private property) -  but as I have no boat or raft, or plans to get one, the point seems moot.

A 2003 piece in a local alternative paper says that it was not then posted against trespassers, but Reliant Energy owned nearly the entire island and was not interested in accommodating visitors except on an ad hoc basis.

[VTGoose]

Yup.  Walking across the railroad bridge (which is restricted), or by boat  (I know the north banks has a ramp they can use to ferry vehicles via boat to the island)  are the only way on the island (home to just a big Duquesne Light substation, and a Power generation facility that's only active during real high-demand times) - and unused land.   
I live less than a mile from the island (though on the other side of the Ohio than Rt. 51), and have wondered if being on ANY of the island would be considered trespassing (obviously the substation & plant are private property) -  but as I have no boat or raft, or plans to get one, the point seems moot.

Straying a little bit away from roads, but there used to be a major coal-fired generating plant on the island operated by Duquesne Light (companion to the one that used to exist down the river in South Heights). Both were fueled by coal delivered by river barge. If one looks in McKees Rocks at River Avenue, next to Sue's Bait is the remnant of the ramp that was used to move vehicles to the island (https://goo.gl/maps/j8WCp9ewGgD2). It's also interesting to look at the Google view of the island and see "Brunots Island Trail" tags on remnants of roads around where the power plant once stood.

Bruce in Blacksburg (but a native of the 'Burgh -- Moon Township)