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I-68 (National Freeway)

Started by jwags, February 21, 2010, 12:53:02 PM

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seicer



dave19

Henry, that map was the only reason I made that post. I don't think that project will ever happen.

SteveG1988

To experience the true joy that is the national freeway, drive it in a  semi. There is no clue that it is going to cause your truck to slow to a crawl, make your temperature spike to 220, etc. and then cause you to ride your brakes, or use your jake a crap ton.
Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

Bitmapped

Quote from: SteveG1988 on September 21, 2014, 10:47:11 AM
To experience the true joy that is the national freeway, drive it in a  semi. There is no clue that it is going to cause your truck to slow to a crawl, make your temperature spike to 220, etc. and then cause you to ride your brakes, or use your jake a crap ton.
I-68 goes through the mountains.  This really shouldn't be unexpected.

SteveG1988

Quote from: Bitmapped on September 21, 2014, 11:02:10 AM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on September 21, 2014, 10:47:11 AM
To experience the true joy that is the national freeway, drive it in a  semi. There is no clue that it is going to cause your truck to slow to a crawl, make your temperature spike to 220, etc. and then cause you to ride your brakes, or use your jake a crap ton.
I-68 goes through the mountains.  This really shouldn't be unexpected.

Problem is they put up signs "Alt Route To Ohio And Points West" without warning about the terrain, for someone who has never been on it, and is used to the fairly level turnpike that goes through the same basic area...
Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

hbelkins

Quote from: SteveG1988 on September 21, 2014, 12:10:12 PM
Problem is they put up signs "Alt Route To Ohio And Points West" without warning about the terrain, for someone who has never been on it, and is used to the fairly level turnpike that goes through the same basic area...

I've never been able to figure out why Maryland disses the PA Turnpike so much that they're promoting the alternate route so heavily. Do they really think people are going to drop megabucks in the Cumberland-LaVale area? (Which is really the only place where services are available). Or did West Virginia pay them to put up the signs so people would stop at Morgantown?


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

SteveG1988

Quote from: hbelkins on September 21, 2014, 01:01:55 PM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on September 21, 2014, 12:10:12 PM
Problem is they put up signs "Alt Route To Ohio And Points West" without warning about the terrain, for someone who has never been on it, and is used to the fairly level turnpike that goes through the same basic area...

I've never been able to figure out why Maryland disses the PA Turnpike so much that they're promoting the alternate route so heavily. Do they really think people are going to drop megabucks in the Cumberland-LaVale area? (Which is really the only place where services are available). Or did West Virginia pay them to put up the signs so people would stop at Morgantown?

They hoped that having an interstate would make people more likely to travel through the backwoods of MD. Bugo has a theory as to that if I-76 would go to AC it would increase tourism to the shore. same theory in play here.
Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

hbelkins

Or maybe someone in the MdTA sign shop hates Breezewood as much as some of this forum's members.

Perhaps Pennsylvania should retaliate and put signs on I-70 approaching Washington noting that I-70/PA Turnpike has better alignment and grades than I-68 -- "Better Route to Baltimore and Washington DC."


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

SteveG1988

Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

cpzilliacus

Quote from: hbelkins on September 21, 2014, 08:44:40 PM
Or maybe someone in the MdTA sign shop hates Breezewood as much as some of this forum's members.

Perhaps Pennsylvania should retaliate and put signs on I-70 approaching Washington noting that I-70/PA Turnpike has better alignment and grades than I-68 -- "Better Route to Baltimore and Washington DC."

SHA, not MdTA.  ;-)

I ran the miles from where I am now (Denver, Colorado) back home to Maryland.

1699 miles via I-70 to California, Pennsylvania, then the Pa. 43 toll road, then I-68 east and back to I-70 at Hancock, Maryland.

1689 miles staying with I-70 via Breezewood.

That's enough reason to take the Breezewood Avoidance Route.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: hbelkins on September 21, 2014, 01:01:55 PM
I've never been able to figure out why Maryland disses the PA Turnpike so much that they're promoting the alternate route so heavily. Do they really think people are going to drop megabucks in the Cumberland-LaVale area? (Which is really the only place where services are available). Or did West Virginia pay them to put up the signs so people would stop at Morgantown?

There's gas at Flintstone, Maryland (I-68 Exit 56).

Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

froggie

There's also gas (including a Pilot) at the US 219 North exit (Exit 22), the Grantsville exit (Exit 19), and Keyser's Ridge (Exit 14/US 219 South/US 40 West).

ARMOURERERIC

Many years ago, once I-68 was complete, I experimented with: 70 to 68 to 40 to 43 to 70 to 79.  When going DC to northern Pittsburgh.  It took exactly the same amount of time as via Breezewood, only the small 43 toll and was soooooooooooo much less stressful.

seicer

With the new Brownsville bypass bridge complete along PA 43 Toll, it's become about 10 minutes quicker.

SteveG1988

Quote from: froggie on September 22, 2014, 08:30:15 AM
There's also gas (including a Pilot) at the US 219 North exit (Exit 22), the Grantsville exit (Exit 19), and Keyser's Ridge (Exit 14/US 219 South/US 40 West).


I am familiar with the Exit 22 Pilot, if you're driving a truck, use the OTHER truck stop to park. The Pilot is tiny compared to it. parking is at a premium there, the truck stop with the burger king is awesome for parking.
Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

hbelkins

Quote from: cpzilliacus on September 22, 2014, 12:53:57 AM
I ran the miles from where I am now (Denver, Colorado) back home to Maryland.

1699 miles via I-70 to California, Pennsylvania, then the Pa. 43 toll road, then I-68 east and back to I-70 at Hancock, Maryland.

1689 miles staying with I-70 via Breezewood.

That's enough reason to take the Breezewood Avoidance Route.

Did you run the miles for I-79 to I-68?




I know there are services available along I-68 (I'm most familiar with those between the WV state line and the US 220 north exit, as several of my trips along I-68 have involved me departing the interstate for US 220 north), but there's no great concentration of them the way there is at Breezewood and the service plazas, where there is a captive audience. (And to a lesser extent, Bedford and Somerset, although using them requires exiting the Turnpike). I've used the Burger King at Cheat Lake and a couple of the restaurants along the Maryland portion at the US 219 exits.

One of the things that puzzled me was why a new Microtel was built at the Hazelton Road exit in West Virginia, since there are hardly any other services nearby. Then when I found out there's a federal prison at Hazelton, it made sense to me. I guess it serves visitors, inspectors/evaluators and prisoners who have to check in first thing the next morning.



Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

english si

Denver - Baltimore on Google maps (I have ignored stuff in St Louis area as well as both ends)

I-70 - PA43 - US40 - I-68 - I-70: 1661 miles (Google's recommendation)
I-70: 1670 miles
I-70 - I-79 - I-68 - I-70: 1677 miles
I-70 - PA43 - MD43 - I-68 - I-70: 1680 miles
I-70 - US250 - I-79 - I-68 - I-70: 1683 miles*
I-70 - US33 - US50 - I-79 - I-68 - I-70: 1687 miles
I-76 - I-80 - I-76 - I-70: 1691 miles
I-70 - I-74 - OH32 - US50 - I-79 - I-68 - I-70: 1702 miles**
I-70 - I-64 - I-79 - I-68 - I-70: 1715 miles

*An I-68 extension to Wheeling would knock off a couple of miles.
**Before the I-74 extension idea came about and dragged an southern cross-Ohio freeway SE, there was I-68 to Cincinnati.

Henry

Quote from: SteveG1988 on September 21, 2014, 09:28:09 PM



I take it this is in or near Frederick?

Quote from: hbelkins on September 21, 2014, 08:44:40 PM
Or maybe someone in the MdTA SHA sign shop hates Breezewood as much as some of this forum's members.

Perhaps Pennsylvania should retaliate and put signs on I-70 approaching Washington noting that I-70/PA Turnpike has better alignment and grades than I-68 -- "Better Route to Baltimore and Washington DC."
Now that would be funny if that were to happen!
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

mtantillo

^^ the photo is on I-270 approaching Frederick.

TheOneKEA

As I alluded to in another thread, if the Maryland General Assembly had passed the bill allowing SHA and MdTA to raise speed limits to 70mph where possible, I would have definitely expected I-68 to be one of the first beneficiaries. The signs shown above and the amount of promotion that it gets locally in western MD suggests that a very strong desire exists to retain all that tax revenue associated with long-distance traffic instead of giving it away to PA...

What I don't understand is why the sign spells out "VIA I-70" as it does instead of using a shield. It suggests that it was either left out of the original design or was added after the sign was erected.

Also, bridge folks should know that the bridge in the background might be an original 1950s-era SRC overpass, in whole or in part.

Zeffy

Quote from: TheOneKEA on September 23, 2014, 06:41:54 PM
What I don't understand is why the sign spells out "VIA I-70" as it does instead of using a shield. It suggests that it was either left out of the original design or was added after the sign was erected.

Even more interesting is the I glyph used here. The standard Series E(M) glyph for an I looks very different compared to that one.
Life would be boring if we didn't take an offramp every once in a while

A weird combination of a weather geek, roadgeek, car enthusiast and furry mixed with many anxiety related disorders

SteveG1988

Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

SP Cook

Yeah, that is the sign.  WTF. 

First, I-68 does not go to Ohio.  It ends in Morgantown, WV, 50 mountainous miles and several hours from Ohio, unless the motorist goes north to return to the route the motorist is already on (I-70) or south to Corridor D and an eventual return to I-70. 

Second, what is "Points West" ?  Indiana?  Iowa? 

Third, WV isn't in on the scam.  No sign on I-79 advertises I-68 as anything but the route to Cumberland.  Not, say, "Baltimore and the Shore" and, if you were navigating by the sign westward, nothing in Morgantown says anything but Fairmont or Washington (the one in PA).  No signage to direct one to either Corridor D or back to I-70.

Can anybody else think of a similar sign?  By which I mean a sign in one jurisdiction that touts that state's routes over other just as, or more, logical routes?

yankee.peddler

Quote from: SteveG1988 on September 21, 2014, 09:28:09 PM


I drive by this sign along I-270 on occasion, and I've always thought it navigationally unnecessary.  I-68 runs as a marked alternate to I-70, but from this point in southern Frederick County, the motorist will be on I-70 itself for over 50 miles (the primary route) before intersecting I-68.  Furthermore, the banners "ALT ROUTE WEST" and "VIA I-70" are counterintuitive when they are placed in relation to the same sign.

The signs along I-70 10 miles out from its interchange with I-68 (also shared on this topic) make much more sense.

I think this sign is part of the larger political effort to market western Maryland, and it gives the state government an excuse for the chronically distressed communities out there:  "See?  We're doing our best to direct traffic out your way."
"I'll just stay on 6 all the way to Ely..." J. Kerouac

Gnutella

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is about to select a "preferred alternative" for their Allegheny Mountain Tunnel project soon, and I anticipate that it will involve six lanes regardless of whether it involves a bypass or a new tunnel. This goes along with the design work underway for multiple segments of the Turnpike between the Allegheny Front and Breezewood, plus the ongoing reconstruction of I-70 south of Pittsburgh. It appears that Pennsylvania is throwing down the gauntlet now.

I recently drove a segment of I-68 from U.S. 40 in Maryland west to Morgantown, and I was struck by the long, steep grades relative to the Turnpike, so I'm not sure how practical it is for long-distance truck traffic, especially considering I-68 still ends at I-79. By 2020, the only arguments Maryland and West Virginia will have left will be "Breezewood" and "Speers-Belle Vernon Bridge."



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