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.