Breezewood

[sparker]

The Henderson KY pit stop is a living piece of yesteryear.  The city is still situated on the route between Chicago and Nashville.  The route serves a reminder of the country and it is ashamed that it will be bypassed.

Wait, what?

I wonder how our forefathers got to Chicago from Nashville? Interstate 65?

I know when Interstate 69 comes through town, decimating the local, homegrown Applebee's, the comfortable yet sleazy Economy Inn & Suites, the already-abandoned K-Mart, what remains of Shoney's, and the omni McWenby Hut - I'll shed a tear.

Wow -- a route that's capable of feeling shame!  I guess AI has gotten really out of control!  Just hope I-69 can control its urges!  But I used to like Shoney's for breakfast when on my various cross-country trips in the '80's and '90's -- scarf down enough food so you don't have to stop until dinner time; sorry they're amidst hard times these days.  Oh well, there's always Waffle House! 

[kkt]

The Henderson KY pit stop is a living piece of yesteryear.  The city is still situated on the route between Chicago and Nashville.  The route serves a reminder of the country and it is ashamed that it will be bypassed.

Wait, what?

I wonder how our forefathers got to Chicago from Nashville? Interstate 65?

I know when Interstate 69 comes through town, decimating the local, homegrown Applebee's, the comfortable yet sleazy Economy Inn & Suites, the already-abandoned K-Mart, what remains of Shoney's, and the omni McWenby Hut - I'll shed a tear.

Wow -- a route that's capable of feeling shame!  I guess AI has gotten really out of control!  Just hope I-69 can control its urges!  But I used to like Shoney's for breakfast when on my various cross-country trips in the '80's and '90's -- scarf down enough food so you don't have to stop until dinner time; sorry they're amidst hard times these days.  Oh well, there's always Waffle House! 

[dvferyance]

If we stop talking about it entirely, the people who join in 2018, 2019, etc. won't know about it.

Except for those who do already know about it because they have been there.

[theroadwayone]

If there is a direct interchange built between I-70 and the turnpike, will we stop talking about Breezewood?

[MNHighwayMan]

If there is a direct interchange built between I-70 and the turnpike, will we stop talking about Breezewood?

No, because what gets built will be either falling apart or of inadequate capacity within 10-15 years and we'll all be calling it Breezewood for simplicity's sake.

[empirestate]

If there is a direct interchange built between I-70 and the turnpike, will we stop talking about Breezewood?

And since we're on this sort of meta-subject, what was the last major undiscussed topic in the roadgeek community?

[hotdogPi]

If there is a direct interchange built between I-70 and the turnpike, will we stop talking about Breezewood?

And since we're on this sort of meta-subject, what was the last major undiscussed topic in the roadgeek community?

Do you mean "undiscussed currently" or "undiscussed by the general public"?

If you mean "undiscussed currently", probably the removal of call boxes.

[ipeters61]

Do you mean "undiscussed currently" or "undiscussed by the general public"?

If you mean "undiscussed currently", probably the removal of call boxes.

Did they start removing them on the PA Turnpike (haven't been on it in a few months)?  I always remember signs posted saying that there are "call boxes every mile" on that road.

[02 Park Ave]

I drove from Valley Forge to Ohio earlier this month and I don't recall seeing any.

[ipeters61]

I drove from Valley Forge to Ohio earlier this month and I don't recall seeing any.

If you're answering my question, the sign was usually at the entrance to the turnpike.  The one below is at Interchange 105's southbound entrance on the Northeast Extension.

[empirestate]

If there is a direct interchange built between I-70 and the turnpike, will we stop talking about Breezewood?

And since we're on this sort of meta-subject, what was the last major undiscussed topic in the roadgeek community?

Do you mean "undiscussed currently" or "undiscussed by the general public"?

Neither. I mean which of the major topic areas of our hobby was the last one to be discovered by us in our online presence?

For example, years ago somebody went poking around the brand-new Internet, just to see if anyone else out there was interested in roads and interchanges. Finding some who were, that somebody then probably posted to a newsgroup or some such, asking if the others were aware of this oddity in Pennsylvania called Breezewood, and what's the deal with it? From that moment, it entered the canon of our online consciousness, and was at varying times joined by other core subjects like I-99, I-238, mile-based numbering, button copy, the discontinuity of I-95, and the like.

So when was the last "core subject" added to our knowledge base (not counting things that were added because they had only just come into being)?

[Flyer78]

Do you mean "undiscussed currently" or "undiscussed by the general public"?

If you mean "undiscussed currently", probably the removal of call boxes.

Did they start removing them on the PA Turnpike (haven't been on it in a few months)?  I always remember signs posted saying that there are "call boxes every mile" on that road.

The call boxes and all related signage were removed with the swiftness people wish they would finish expansion/connection projects. They have been gone from mainline and the Extension for at least a few months.

[theroadwayone]

With all the controversy going on around Breezewood, let us not forget that after the 24th of this month, it will be #1 on the list of notorious interstate gaps.

[Beltway]

With all the controversy going on around Breezewood, let us not forget that after the 24th of this month, it will be #1 on the list of notorious interstate gaps.

It is probably #1 now, given that I-70 there is on single routing.

[jeffandnicole]

With all the controversy going on around Breezewood, let us not forget that after the 24th of this month, it will be #1 on the list of notorious interstate gaps.

The "controversy" mostly begins and ends with this group.  Unlike the I-95 gap, I-70 is continuous...just with a few traffic lights and driveways. Many drivers don't even notice the problem, and actually like the break!

[Plutonic Panda]

With all the controversy going on around Breezewood, let us not forget that after the 24th of this month, it will be #1 on the list of notorious interstate gaps.

The "controversy" mostly begins and ends with this group.  Unlike the I-95 gap, I-70 is continuous...just with a few traffic lights and driveways. Many drivers don't even notice the problem, and actually like the break!

I highly doubt that. I'm sure a very sizable amount of drivers scratch their head a few times at this. It obviously isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but that doesn't mean this shouldn't be fixed.

[jeffandnicole]

With all the controversy going on around Breezewood, let us not forget that after the 24th of this month, it will be #1 on the list of notorious interstate gaps.

The "controversy" mostly begins and ends with this group.  Unlike the I-95 gap, I-70 is continuous...just with a few traffic lights and driveways. Many drivers don't even notice the problem, and actually like the break!

I highly doubt that. I’m sure a very sizable amount of drivers scratch their head a few times at this. It obviously isn’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but that doesn’t mean this shouldn’t be fixed.

Didn't say it shouldn't be fixed.  I said it's not as controversial to the general public as it is on these forums.

[Beltway]

The "controversy" mostly begins and ends with this group.  Unlike the I-95 gap, I-70 is continuous...just with a few traffic lights and driveways.

I-70 is NOT continuous.  US-30 is a nonlimited-access highway, an arterial, not a freeway, not an Interstate highway.

Many drivers don't even notice the problem, and actually like the break!

How do you know that "many drivers" feel that way?  How many is "many"?

[jeffandnicole]

The "controversy" mostly begins and ends with this group.  Unlike the I-95 gap, I-70 is continuous...just with a few traffic lights and driveways.

I-70 is NOT continuous.  US-30 is a nonlimited-access highway, an arterial, not a freeway, not an Interstate highway.

Many drivers don't even notice the problem, and actually like the break!

How do you know that "many drivers" feel that way?  How many is "many"?

On the other hand, please site the controversy, other than the occasional news article written about this unusual break in the interstate system.

Of the controversies out there involving the interstate highway system, anything dealing with traffic lights usually doesn't register.  Philly has I-676 and NJ has I-78, and there's been a handful of others throughout the years that exist and/or have been fixed, but none have created the ire of, say, downtown interstate highways that certain groups want removed completely.

[Beltway]

On the other hand, please site the controversy, other than the occasional news article written about this unusual break in the interstate system.

An internet search reveals page after page of articles about it, including a number of major newspapers, some going back many years.  Widely theorized is that local politicos have done what they can to block the connection, to enrich the coffers of businesses there.   Of course the PTC historically has been very slow to connect other freeways and Interstates to the Turnpike.

Even the Pennsylvania General Assembly has tried and failed to get the PTC to move on this --

Senate Resolution 109; Regular Session 1989-1990
Sponsors: DAWIDA, BELAN and LYNCH
Printer's No.(PN): 1607*
Short Title:
A Resolution urging the Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to conduct a study of unconnected turnpike interchanges, with particular concern to the I-70 intersection at Breezewood, Pennsylvania, to insure maximum public safety and convenience.
Actions: Referred to TRANSPORTATION, Oct. 11, 1989

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/billInfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=1989&sind=0&body=S&type=R&bn=109

[jeffandnicole]

And 20 years later, not even a design to fix it! 

These are the same agencies that took 35+ years to build 1/4th of the I-95/PA Turnpike connection which they were federally mandated to do!

[briantroutman]

^ Dawida's resolution never made it out of committee.

[CanesFan27]

Brian is correct and he only did it because he got in a wreck.  Now that I'm settled in our new home etc. I'll get back to work on the Breezewood article I was working on before we started the whole move and change job process.

[Beltway]

^ Dawida's resolution never made it out of committee.

It is not a bill, it is a resolution.  Meaning not "we legislate that you do this", but "Attention!  This is important!  The General Assembly wants you to do this!".   Still online almost 30 years later.

[sparker]

^^^^^^^
And if an unbinding resolution for a general study can't even get out of committee, that is a definite sign that the "fix is in" regarding Breezewood (as well as its brethren up and down the turnpike).  It's sort of a "hot potato" that has been passed back and forth enough times that it's lost its heat -- the Feds are saying "we can't do anything about this" and the PTC and their political handlers follow with "we're not going to do anything about this".   And everyone dines on cold potato salad except for the travelers who stop at Mickey D's or another of the outlets along that golden-goose stretch of US 30.