When the Rest of the World Talks About Breezewood

[ethanhopkin14]

Anyways... as much as we hate Breezewood for being a violation of the Interstate standards... is it really THAT bad? It's a glorified rest area, basically.

Comments like this amaze me and show that even in the roadgeek community, we have those that want to say "eh, it's good enough."

Because we all come from different areas and regions.  Someone in a more rural region would get severely irritated if they had to slow for congestion on the highway or had to wait more than one light cycle to get thru a light.   Others just hope the delay is less than 15 minutes.

For me, as I mentioned upthread somewhere, I'm always on I-76 in the Breezewood area.  I roll right thru it barely realizing where I am.  For others, if they're on I-70, I can see their frustration.   

It's been well noted that Breezewood really irks some people, even when it's not the only example.  People rarely talk about the lights on I-676 in Philly (and then debate if that's even I-676).  Or I-78 approaching the Holland Tunnel. 

So, yeah, it's not perfection, but it's fairly unique. It's not the way it should've happened, but absent the federal government demanding the state does something (which would mean the federal government would also have to approve the plans and provide the money), eh, it's good enough.

To me, a gap on a 3di is more like a funny little footnote.  Even I-78 and its issues.  It's at the very end and most people just think the interstate ended when the freeway ended and don't think of the Holland Tunnel as part of the interstate.

But Breezewood is in the middle of an I-X0 major cross-country interstate.  It has way more gravitas than just a few lights on a 3di that you can say is actually two separate interstates with the same number since they are in different states.  You are driving an interstate across the country and you are forced to go through small town USA's commercial district?  This is the exact thing the interstates were designed to avoid so it's very odd and infuriating that this still exists. 

[webny99]

Agreed that I-70's gap being in the middle of the interstate makes it a bigger deal. Also, the fact that it's a 2di (which is why I-78 is criticized more than I-676, for example).

[sbeaver44]

Breezewood traffic can get bad, I have heard of two hour backups there.  My main complaint is there is not a good alternate route.  The backroads just to get around a closure of one of the intersections are not high quality.  I remember once having to go back Tannery Rd, then I forget what, and over to E Graceville Rd, and I was far from the only vehicle.  You're talking barely signed, no center line, hopefully paved roads, and it's several miles around.

Going through there and staying on 30 also has very long light cycles.  I swear East 30 at I-70 coming from the South by the Sheetz is a 5 minute red.  I actually like US 30 between US 220 and Breezewood, high quality 4 lane road for the most part.

What is noticeable every time I go through there, which is maybe 1-2x/year, is it seems another business has closed each time.  It's going to be eerie if this continues and you still have to go through there with nothing (except Sheetz, which I cannot see ever closing).

[roadman65]

In the long haul. I-68 from Hancock west to either US 40 west or I-79 north if you're straight through on I-70 from MD to OH or points west.

[webny99]

Going through there and staying on 30 also has very long light cycles.  I swear East 30 at I-70 coming from the South by the Sheetz is a 5 minute red.

It's probably like that to avoid backups for the left turn onto I-70.

[-- US 175 --]

This just got posted on YT: an engineer tries to fix Breezewood

https://youtu.be/z0C7rb9a4mk

[epzik8]

This just got posted on YT: an engineer tries to fix Breezewood

https://youtu.be/z0C7rb9a4mk

I love that a piece of BigRigTravels' footage made this video.

[Henry]

This just got posted on YT: an engineer tries to fix Breezewood

https://youtu.be/z0C7rb9a4mk

I love that a piece of BigRigTravels' footage made this video.

The proposal to add a loop ramp from WB I-70 to the Turnpike and a ramp from the Turnpike to EB I-70 while retaining the existing approach roads may just be the fix that town needs, but unfortunately for the travelers passing by, residents are going to oppose it until the end of time. But with businesses drying up, they may have no other choice.

[vdeane]

This just got posted on YT: an engineer tries to fix Breezewood

https://youtu.be/z0C7rb9a4mk

I love that a piece of BigRigTravels' footage made this video.

The proposal to add a loop ramp from WB I-70 to the Turnpike and a ramp from the Turnpike to EB I-70 while retaining the existing approach roads may just be the fix that town needs, but unfortunately for the travelers passing by, residents are going to oppose it until the end of time. But with businesses drying up, they may have no other choice.

Hopefully at some point they'll face the reality that not everyone wants to stop at a place where you have to fight traffic to leave.

[Mr_Northside]

Another thing I wonder about (and have no actual idea of) is, today vs. years ago, how many business were locally owned or franchised as opposed to being a location of a big corporation.  A big corporation with many locations and an HQ far from Breezewood may not passionately fight a direct connection the way a local businessperson whose only (or almost only) concern is business generated in Breezewood. 
I wonder if some kind of connection were proposed now - even the "simple" 2 ramps needed to connect the connector (old TPK alignment) with "Free" I-70 - if there would be the same level of opposition now that there has been in the decades past anymore.  Certainly not saying there wouldn't be *any*, but I don't know it would be like it used to be.

[hbelkins]

Most of the businesses along the strip appear to be chains or franchised. The Quality Inn Breeze Manor closed a couple of years ago and I don't know if another motel opened in its place. The last time I was there, the only businesses I used were the Days Inn and Sheetz. I'd guess the business with the biggest clientele is the TA Truck Stop at the end of the ramp from the turnpike to US 30. I can't imagine direct ramps hurting the truck stop's business that badly.

[jeffandnicole]

Breezewood is in an awkward spot. 

At many rural highway interchanges, motorists will see tall signage for various restaurants, hotels and gas stations as they approach the interchange.  Breezewood's travel-business district is considerably off I-76 where it isn't visible to passing motorists.  Plus, the PA Turnpike doesn't advertise fuel and restaurant locations off each exit.

For I-70 Traffic, headed WB there can be blue highway signage, but not EB since that's part of the PA Turnpike.

There are some billboards in the area that help advertise local businesses.

Putting the ramps in to help I-70 traffic avoid Breezewood isn't going to help Breezewood.  It'll be out of sight, out of mind to most motorists.

There's land at the current interchange area for industry to call Breezewood home, but they don't have the population to draw in employees.

None of the major hotel chains have a presence there.  And that greatly decreases the ability to draw in a more wealthy clientele to the region.

PTC has no interest in making the direct connection, because it's not going to substantially add revenue.  PennDOT has no interest in making the direct connection, because it's the PTC's interchange.

With all the catch 22's, Breezewood sits there on life support, with local and state politicians appeasing locals by not even suggesting a bypass, but then they do nothing else to actually help draw in business to support the area.

[oscar]

None of the major hotel chains have a presence there.  And that greatly decreases the ability to draw in a more wealthy clientele to the region.

There's a Holiday Inn Express in Breezewood. Not much, but better than nothing.

[Bickendan]

Anyways... as much as we hate Breezewood for being a violation of the Interstate standards... is it really THAT bad? It's a glorified rest area, basically.

I figure it's a smaller version of this, without the parallel corridor.  Then again, many of the freeway junctions around Montréal remind me of the PA Turnpike connections with interstates (usually but not always minus the double trumpet), so maybe that's not surprising.

As much as A-20 in Vaudreuil is bad, it's far from the only violation of freeway building standards in Québec. The worst of them all, IMO, is A-955, which isn't even a freeway at all!

That makes Wyoming's I-180 look good 

[LilianaUwU]

Anyways... as much as we hate Breezewood for being a violation of the Interstate standards... is it really THAT bad? It's a glorified rest area, basically.

I figure it's a smaller version of this, without the parallel corridor.  Then again, many of the freeway junctions around Montréal remind me of the PA Turnpike connections with interstates (usually but not always minus the double trumpet), so maybe that's not surprising.

As much as A-20 in Vaudreuil is bad, it's far from the only violation of freeway building standards in Québec. The worst of them all, IMO, is A-955, which isn't even a freeway at all!

That makes Wyoming's I-180 look good 

A-20 in Vaudreuil is worse than I-180. At least A-955 is a high-quality highway, even though it's not a freeway.

[hbelkins]

None of the major hotel chains have a presence there.  And that greatly decreases the ability to draw in a more wealthy clientele to the region.

There's a Holiday Inn Express in Breezewood. Not much, but better than nothing.

Days Inn, as well.

[jeffandnicole]

None of the major hotel chains have a presence there.  And that greatly decreases the ability to draw in a more wealthy clientele to the region.

There's a Holiday Inn Express in Breezewood. Not much, but better than nothing.

Days Inn, as well.

That one is not bringing in a wealthy clientele.

Even Holiday Inn Expresses aren't exactly wooing in high value business persons, but rather budget-minded travelers. Fine for small businesses, but not so much for companies that could put Breezewood on the map for more than gas, burgers and trinkets.

[Rothman]

Why do they need to bring in a wealthy clientele?  They never have before.

[jeffandnicole]

Why do they need to bring in a wealthy clientele?  They never have before.

And look at the condition of Breezewood now. It's getting worse, not better.

[Rothman]

Why do they need to bring in a wealthy clientele?  They never have before.

And look at the condition of Breezewood now. It's getting worse, not better.

Well, sure, but building a Four Seasons there isn't going to reverse that.

[Bickendan]

Why do they need to bring in a wealthy clientele?  They never have before.

And look at the condition of Breezewood now. It's getting worse, not better.

Well, sure, but building a Four Seasons there isn't going to reverse that.

Landscaping? 

[brad2971]

Why do they need to bring in a wealthy clientele?  They never have before.

And look at the condition of Breezewood now. It's getting worse, not better.

Well, sure, but building a Four Seasons there isn't going to reverse that.

Landscaping? 

I've felt for some time that PennDOT/PTC would do Breezewood a lot of good if they offered to tear down unused properties in the town at no cost to the owners, planted native grasses in place of the buildings that were there, and directed the owners of those properties to Bedford County's property assessor to reassess the property valuation. And it's not just Breezewood; ADOT would do very poor Gila Bend (AZ) a world of good by doing the same with unused properties on Pima St (Business I-8/SR85). In both cases, the cost would be much, much cheaper than simply building bypass ramps/roads, and would help keep businesses in those towns.

[coldshoulder]

This article was just published on September 24th.  It's pretty vague and appears to be something that, if it does happen, could be at least 3-5 years away...?

https://wjactv.com/news/local/breezewood-interchange-redesign-could-impact-millions-of-drivers

[jeffandnicole]

This article was just published on September 24th.  It's pretty vague and appears to be something that, if it does happen, could be at least 3-5 years away...?

https://wjactv.com/news/local/breezewood-interchange-redesign-could-impact-millions-of-drivers

There's another Breezewood thread that we've been discussing this on. 

Can I rant about the media again?  Let's hyperbole as much as possible with something that'll impact "Millions of Drivers", then post the interview of one person that doesn't say "oh, that'll be great to eliminate the traffic lights on an interstate highway - Surely that'll make our trips safer", but rather says "Online shopping is already hurting the businesses here (huh) and will shut down local restaurants (well, I guess McDonalds is technically local)".