Pennsylvania

[74/171FAN]

The conversion from a regular diamond to a DDI at the US 222/US 322 interchange near Ephrata has begun.

[Crown Victoria]

PennDOT wants to know what the public thinks about I-81 in south central PA:

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/12/public-input-wanted-to-help-guide-i-81-improvements-website-launched.html

[DJStephens]

An interesting article about the planning for I-78 through the Lehigh Valley:

https://www.mcall.com/business/transportation/road-warrior/mc-biz-road-warrior-interstate-78-corridor-debate-20191119-ncjzr63strg57bft37v5avr56y-story.html

Interesting read. I do think they took a good option on how to route I78 around Easton. It would have been very dumb to take it through town and over the older bridge there. Having a Southern bypass of the city was a better idea. Not making 22 a 3di as well was a missed oppertunity to tie in easton to the interstate grid.

Disagree.  78 should have been kept on the Lehigh Valley Expressway.  Had an aunt/uncle who lived in the area for many years.  Uncle was head of engineering at former Mack Truck facility.   Remember the plans and debates about routing - first way south of the Allentown/Bethlehem metro area and then what was ultimately chosen - the overlay and upgrade of state route 309.   Personally it could have preserved more of the semi-rural character of that area had the Lehigh Valley Expressway (US 22) been properly upgraded through both Easton and Phillipsburg.   Direct and logical.   Political factions in Easton were able to blunt US 22 upgrading to true Interstate standards.   

[Beltway]

Disagree.  78 should have been kept on the Lehigh Valley Expressway.   
[......]
Political factions in Easton were able to blunt US 22 upgrading to true Interstate standards.   

Problem is, how to engineer it thru Easton, deal with Cemetery Curve, and then how to engineer it thru Phillipsburg where there was no freeway for US-22.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Phillipsburg,+NJ+08865/@40.6985537,-75.223117,2739m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c46da371024c57:0xee9545623288de2!8m2!3d40.6937099!4d-75.1901761

[DJStephens]

Yes am aware of the sinuous alignment there.   Not saying it would have been easy, just preferable.  Acquiring a block wide corridor was possible in the early to mid sixties.   

[Beltway]

Yes am aware of the sinuous alignment there.   Not saying it would have been easy, just preferable.  Acquiring a block wide corridor was possible in the early to mid sixties.   

Rather hilly terrain, major grade changes, a couple viaducts.  They would have had to cut thru the a hill and take out a wide swath in that neighborhood.

It was built in the late 1950s and they would have gone thru the neighborhood had it been feasible.

[ixnay]

Yes am aware of the sinuous alignment there.   Not saying it would have been easy, just preferable.  Acquiring a block wide corridor was possible in the early to mid sixties.   

Rather hilly terrain, major grade changes, a couple viaducts.  They would have had to cut thru the a hill and take out a wide swath in that neighborhood.

It was built in the late 1950s and they would have gone thru the neighborhood had it been feasible.

How would have 78 been routed through Phillipsburg*?  Would it have joined the current alignment at exit 3?

*Do locals still call Phillipsburg "P'burg"?  The student in charge of my dormitory wing at Kutztown U when I was a freshman did so.  His girlfriend was from P'burg.  He himself was from Easton.

ixnay

[Beltway]

How would have 78 been routed through Phillipsburg*?  Would it have joined the current alignment at exit 3?

Good question.  I wonder if an alternative was preliminarily designed for such a route.

The big advantage to the new location I-78 south of the A-B-E-P area is that there are now two major east-west highways thru the region, actually skirting the edges of the built-up area.  Provides service both north and south of the cities.

With the volume of traffic today, an upgraded US-22/I-78 would need at least 8 lanes and there is the aforementioned issue where to route it thru Phillipsburg, or perhaps follow US-22 but use the PA-33 route to connect US-22 to where today's southern bypass of Phillipsburg runs to the east of there into N.J.

[Alps]

Disagree.  78 should have been kept on the Lehigh Valley Expressway.   
[......]
Political factions in Easton were able to blunt US 22 upgrading to true Interstate standards.   

Problem is, how to engineer it thru Easton, deal with Cemetery Curve, and then how to engineer it thru Phillipsburg where there was no freeway for US-22.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Phillipsburg,+NJ+08865/@40.6985537,-75.223117,2739m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c46da371024c57:0xee9545623288de2!8m2!3d40.6937099!4d-75.1901761

Through Easton, elevate it over the cemetery so that you only have to move a few people under each pier. Through Pburg, I think you need a new Delaware River bridge, bypass the heart of town to the north, then swing down into the 24-28 Connector stretch of US 22 and upgrade on the spot from there. Can't do it now, maybe could do it then, but still a lot of takings.

[Beltway]

Problem is, how to engineer it thru Easton, deal with Cemetery Curve, and then how to engineer it thru Phillipsburg where there was no freeway for US-22.

Through Easton, elevate it over the cemetery so that you only have to move a few people under each pier. Through Pburg, I think you need a new Delaware River bridge, bypass the heart of town to the north, then swing down into the 24-28 Connector stretch of US 22 and upgrade on the spot from there. Can't do it now, maybe could do it then, but still a lot of takings.

The straightest route to eliminate the cemetery curve would pass thru the neighborhood just south of the cemetery.

The issue is that there is enough of a hill there that there would be a large cut needed, bridging over would entail steep grades.

[qguy]

Problem is, how to engineer it thru Easton, deal with Cemetery Curve, and then how to engineer it thru Phillipsburg where there was no freeway for US-22.

Through Easton, elevate it over the cemetery so that you only have to move a few people under each pier. Through Pburg, I think you need a new Delaware River bridge, bypass the heart of town to the north, then swing down into the 24-28 Connector stretch of US 22 and upgrade on the spot from there. Can't do it now, maybe could do it then, but still a lot of takings.

The straightest route to eliminate the cemetery curve would pass thru the neighborhood just south of the cemetery.

The issue is that there is enough of a hill there that there would be a large cut needed, bridging over would entail steep grades.

Sometime around 2000 PennDOT District 5-0 studied boring a tunnel under the hill to straighten the alignment as a safety improvement. I saw a plan of one of the alignments considered when I worked at District 6-0. In the end they abandoned the idea.

[Beltway]

The straightest route to eliminate the cemetery curve would pass thru the neighborhood just south of the cemetery.   The issue is that there is enough of a hill there that there would be a large cut needed, bridging over would entail steep grades.

Sometime around 2000 PennDOT District 5-0 studied boring a tunnel under the hill to straighten the alignment as a safety improvement. I saw a plan of one of the alignments considered when I worked at District 6-0. In the end they abandoned the idea.

Looks like it would be about 4,500 feet long.

That would likely be in the $500 million to $1 billion range, to construct.

[TheGrassGuy]

I was looking on Google Maps and saw that an EB ramp had been built between Aramingo and PA 90 in Philly. A much needed connection, even if it destroyed a stub. Anyone know more about that?

[ekt8750]

I was looking on Google Maps and saw that an EB ramp had been built between Aramingo and PA 90 in Philly. A much needed connection, even if it destroyed a stub. Anyone know more about that?

That's part of a larger project to connect Torresdale Av with the Betsy Ross via the alignment of Adams Av. The interchange improvements with I-95 and Aramingo Av (and the elimination of the infamous stub ramps) was the first stage. It's a far cry from the original intent to have a freeway that was to connect the Blvd to the bridge.

[odditude]

Anyone know more about that?

The project site has all the details, and the interchange in question is part of section BRI.

[74/171FAN]

The opening of the new ramp (and the activation of the new signal) for PA 283 WB traffic accessing I-76/PA Turnpike will be activated Thursday.

[74/171FAN]

Back to the present on I-78...looks like reconstruction from the Berks line to PA 100 is finally on the table:

https://www.mcall.com/business/transportation/mc-biz-lehigh-valley-interstate-78-update-20191204-lifyztkuejadxgiovamwvfnt7q-story.html

Forget that, there's finally a climbing lane heading east toward PA 33! Praise the Lord.

I completely agree with you on that.  That may be the most significant improvement needed to I-78 minus a widening to 6 lanes that may not happen for a few decades.

In response to this, the Road Warrior column in the Morning Call responds to a question about potentially making US 22 and PA 33 interstates.

With funding being taken away from US 22 to improve I-78, yeah about that...

[CentralPAGal]

The I-83/Mt. Rose interchange saga continues:

https://www.abc27.com/news/local/york/mt-rose-contractor-seeks-more-time-money/

Personally, I am hoping that this contractor gets blacklisted from PennDot contracts in the future.

[Crown Victoria]

Back to the present on I-78...looks like reconstruction from the Berks line to PA 100 is finally on the table:

https://www.mcall.com/business/transportation/mc-biz-lehigh-valley-interstate-78-update-20191204-lifyztkuejadxgiovamwvfnt7q-story.html

Forget that, there's finally a climbing lane heading east toward PA 33! Praise the Lord.

I completely agree with you on that.  That may be the most significant improvement needed to I-78 minus a widening to 6 lanes that may not happen for a few decades.

In response to this, the Road Warrior column in the Morning Call responds to a question about potentially making US 22 and PA 33 interstates.

With funding being taken away from US 22 to improve I-78, yeah about that...

Ironic considering US 22 was I-78 at one time.  The reality is, both roads need upgrades yesterday.   But with so much of our gas tax going to the State Police, and uncertainty at the federal level, decisions needed to be made...

[MASTERNC]

Seeing a few more four head FYAs in PA but very scattered. Philadelphia has one at 15th & Arch for SB right turns and then for WB left turns onto 15th.

[PAHighways]

Seeing a few more four head FYAs in PA but very scattered. Philadelphia has one at 15th & Arch for SB right turns and then for WB left turns onto 15th.

I know of at least two FYAs in Allegheny County:  Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh near the Carnegie-Mellon University campus and PA 48/PA 148 intersection in McKeesport.  So far none in my home county.

Interesting there is a FYA for a right turn considering PennDOT does not recommend them for those turns.  Then again, Philadelphia had red arrows long before the rest of the state.

SM-G965U

[MASTERNC]

Seeing a few more four head FYAs in PA but very scattered. Philadelphia has one at 15th & Arch for SB right turns and then for WB left turns onto 15th.

I know of at least two FYAs in Allegheny County:  Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh near the Carnegie-Mellon University campus and PA 48/PA 148 intersection in McKeesport.  So far none in my home county.

Interesting there is a FYA for a right turn considering PennDOT does not recommend them for those turns.  Then again, Philadelphia had red arrows long before the rest of the state.

SM-G965U

They also don't seem to be using the green arrow in either case at that intersection despite having it in the signal. Even the left turn, which used to be a regular left turn signal now shows a FYA when there used to be a green arrow.

[tylert120]

Seeing a few more four head FYAs in PA but very scattered. Philadelphia has one at 15th & Arch for SB right turns and then for WB left turns onto 15th.

I know of at least two FYAs in Allegheny County:  Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh near the Carnegie-Mellon University campus and PA 48/PA 148 intersection in McKeesport.  So far none in my home county.

Interesting there is a FYA for a right turn considering PennDOT does not recommend them for those turns.  Then again, Philadelphia had red arrows long before the rest of the state.

SM-G965U

I know of one in Greentree at SR 121 & Potomac Ave.

Also, the city of Pittsburgh is in the process of installing several as they upgrade signals around town.

[Mr_Northside]

I can vouch for one being somewhere on PA-65 between Freedom & Sewickley somewhere.

[sbeaver44]

I know of 3 FYAs around Harrisburg, 2 of which were installed in the last 6 months:
-Yorktown Rd (I-83 SB frontage road at Exit 35) at PA 177
-Hunter Ln at Erford Rd near Wormleysburg for Rite Aid Corporate HQ
-Wesley Dr at US 15 near Mechanicsburg