Interstate 99 north of Williamsport

[74/171FAN]

I would guess based on CE for this project that I-99 will be signed north of Williamsport eventually.

This project is part of the effort to allow US 15 to be designated as I-99.

[The Ghostbuster]

If upgrading all of US 220 from Interstate 80 to Interstate 180 to freeway standards is too expensive and unnecessary (not that I think it is), the only alternative would be to continue the Interstate 99 designation along Interstate 80 all the way to Exit 212, and then make Interstate 180 part of Interstate 99. I don't see the Pennsylvania and New York segments of Interstate 99 remaining permanently discontinuous, I'm sure they will be connected someday.

[Alps]

If upgrading all of US 220 from Interstate 80 to Interstate 180 to freeway standards is too expensive and unnecessary (not that I think it is), the only alternative would be to continue the Interstate 99 designation along Interstate 80 all the way to Exit 212, and then make Interstate 180 part of Interstate 99. I don't see the Pennsylvania and New York segments of Interstate 99 remaining permanently discontinuous, I'm sure they will be connected someday.

I don't think PA thinks it is either, they just need time to do it.

[sprjus4]

What is preventing Pennsylvania from signing I-99 between I-180 and the New York state line?

The freeway appears to meet interstate standards, is signed as I-99 on the New York side, and connects to I-180 on the southern end.

[MATraveler128]

What is preventing Pennsylvania from signing I-99 between I-180 and the New York state line?

The freeway appears to meet interstate standards, is signed as I-99 on the New York side, and connects to I-180 on the southern end.

I don't know. Even the bridge height looks to meet standards. I'm not sure Pennsylvania even cares about I-99 anymore.

[Mr_Northside]

The NB side does have an at-grade meeting with a dirt road in the Trout Run area.  Based on Google Maps, it does look like they could cut that off and it could still get accessed via PA-14.... though whomever might use that connection to US-15 (and I can't imagine it's many) would probably find it very inconvenient.

https://goo.gl/maps/ErkWohKNbfxzaxYM6

I do wonder how much PA cares about I-99 though.   At least the PennDOT district(s) that covers the areas that need upgrade (or re-aligned).   They just spent a bunch of money on "safety improvements" on US-220 between PA-287 and Williamsport, and I haven't seen anything indicating they're doing anything to build any of the missing links  (though I don't live in that part of the state)

[webny99]

I do wonder how much PA cares about I-99 though.   At least the PennDOT district(s) that covers the areas that need upgrade (or re-aligned).   They just spent a bunch of money on "safety improvements" on US-220 between PA-287 and Williamsport, and I haven't seen anything indicating they're doing anything to build any of the missing links  (though I don't live in that part of the state)

I think it will happen eventually, but it doesn't seem like a very high priority. PA may just not want discontinuous segments of I-99 for an unspecified length of time, which I can't argue with. There's really not a ton of point in signing it north of I-180 until the I-180/US 15/US 220 junction and both I-80/I-99 junctions are reconstructed.

[sprjus4]

^ The reason to sign north of I-180 would be due to the fact as soon as you enter New York, it becomes I-99 all the way to I-86.

[webny99]

^ The reason to sign north of I-180 would be due to the fact as soon as you enter New York, it becomes I-99 all the way to I-86.

Yes, but as far as PA is concerned, PA would still have two discontinuous segments. The I-180/US 15/US 220 interchange is confusing enough without having a temporary I-99 terminus there, at least until that interchange is upgraded.

[roadman65]

His point is it's already discontinuous. Why not make the one segment longer?

If NY didn't sign their part, I would agree.

[74/171FAN]

I would guess based on CE for this project that I-99 will be signed north of Williamsport eventually.

This project is part of the effort to allow US 15 to be designated as I-99.

This specific document anticipates an I-99 designation in 2025...

[Mr_Northside]

Well....  there you have it.   We'll see if this happens.  I *was* going to post a few minutes before that post that I was a little surprised local leaders weren't pushing for signing I-99 for the usual political notions of the red/white/blue I-shield/designation being good for business that gets touted sometimes.

Once the "gap" in I-99 gets shortened, maybe it will get more attention to fill in those gaps (of course, even that doesn't mean they'll find the money in a timely fashion.

[Alps]

^ The reason to sign north of I-180 would be due to the fact as soon as you enter New York, it becomes I-99 all the way to I-86.

Yes, but as far as PA is concerned, PA would still have two discontinuous segments. The I-180/US 15/US 220 interchange is confusing enough without having a temporary I-99 terminus there, at least until that interchange is upgraded.

The rest of 220 can be signed "TO I-99"

[seicer]

Per this post from PennDot via vdeane in the CSVT thread: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=5665.msg2712645#msg2712645

"As a brief update on existing US 15 between Williamsport and the New York border, we have completed the engineering study necessary to redesignate the corridor as I-99.  To address the components of the highway identified as not meeting current Interstate standards, we are now developing plans for improvements and, where appropriate, preparing design exception requests.  We currently anticipate obtaining FHWA approval of this redesignation and starting to install I-99 signing by 2026, shortly after the completion of the I-80/I-99 interchange near State College."

I am assuming I-99 will be signed only from I-180 north to the New York border. What exemptions will need to be made? Just the southernmost interchange?

[Rothman]

Per this post from PennDot via vdeane in the CSVT thread: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=5665.msg2712645#msg2712645

"As a brief update on existing US 15 between Williamsport and the New York border, we have completed the engineering study necessary to redesignate the corridor as I-99.  To address the components of the highway identified as not meeting current Interstate standards, we are now developing plans for improvements and, where appropriate, preparing design exception requests.  We currently anticipate obtaining FHWA approval of this redesignation and starting to install I-99 signing by 2026, shortly after the completion of the I-80/I-99 interchange near State College."

I am assuming I-99 will be signed only from I-180 north to the New York border. What exemptions will need to be made? Just the southernmost interchange?

My read is that they are years and years away from actual construction.

[sprjus4]

Perhaps 3-4 more years. There's not much construction to be done besides closing off the one intersection.

Interestingly enough, regardless of that one at-grade intersection, Pennsylvania still considers that stretch a freeway given it holds all the way to a 70 mph speed limit, which they are hesitant to post in a lot of areas on actual interstates.

[seicer]

Ah - I would assume since that one right-in, right-out intersection goes to a forest road, it could be granted an exception similar to I-40 down in North Carolina. At the very least, they could just build long turn lanes and a "ramp."

[Crown Victoria]

Per this post from PennDot via vdeane in the CSVT thread: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=5665.msg2712645#msg2712645

"As a brief update on existing US 15 between Williamsport and the New York border, we have completed the engineering study necessary to redesignate the corridor as I-99.  To address the components of the highway identified as not meeting current Interstate standards, we are now developing plans for improvements and, where appropriate, preparing design exception requests.  We currently anticipate obtaining FHWA approval of this redesignation and starting to install I-99 signing by 2026, shortly after the completion of the I-80/I-99 interchange near State College."

I am assuming I-99 will be signed only from I-180 north to the New York border. What exemptions will need to be made? Just the southernmost interchange?

My read is that they are years and years away from actual construction.

Perhaps 3-4 more years. There's not much construction to be done besides closing off the one intersection.

Interestingly enough, regardless of that one at-grade intersection, Pennsylvania still considers that stretch a freeway given it holds all the way to a 70 mph speed limit, which they are hesitant to post in a lot of areas on actual interstates.

Ah - I would assume since that one right-in, right-out intersection goes to a forest road, it could be granted an exception similar to I-40 down in North Carolina. At the very least, they could just build long turn lanes and a "ramp."

There is a project slated to go to construction next year for intersection improvement at US 15 and 4 Mile Road. At least, the dates currently listed are for next year. Always subject to change.

https://gis.penndot.gov/paprojects/TipVisMap.aspx
https://gis.penndot.gov/paprojects/Reports/ProjectReport.aspx?ProjectID=93024&ReportType=Project


On a lighter note...there's a project on US 15 (Future I-99) northbound..."Wavy Section between SRs 184 and 284".

[webny99]

Perhaps 3-4 more years. There's not much construction to be done besides closing off the one intersection.

Not much on the stretch north of Williamsport, but quite a bit to be done on the US 220 section between I-80 and Williamsport.

[sprjus4]

Perhaps 3-4 more years. There's not much construction to be done besides closing off the one intersection.

Not much on the stretch north of Williamsport, but quite a bit to be done on the US 220 section between I-80 and Williamsport.

Indeed, that will involve twinning a portion of 2 lane and acquiring full control of access west of Williamsport and converting that section into a freeway.

I was referring to the section north of I-180, which is basically interstate compatible today with that one exception that will be fixed in the next few years.

[Roadsguy]

Perhaps 3-4 more years. There's not much construction to be done besides closing off the one intersection.

Not much on the stretch north of Williamsport, but quite a bit to be done on the US 220 section between I-80 and Williamsport.

Indeed, that will involve twinning a portion of 2 lane and acquiring full control of access west of Williamsport and converting that section into a freeway.

I was referring to the section north of I-180, which is basically interstate compatible today with that one exception that will be fixed in the next few years.

The existing four-lane section of US 220 is actually planned to be bypassed on an entirely new alignment. PennDOT even had a specific alignment selected before the whole project was shelved.

[sprjus4]

I had been wondering about that section? Any specific maps / diagrams available?

[webny99]

The southernmost part of the US 220 section, from I-80 north to PA 64, seems to have been built with the future in mind and could probably be twinned pretty easily, so I wonder if that is part of the "new" alignment. I'm not sure where it would go from there, though, as following the existing US 220 seems to make the most sense between there and Jersey Shore.

Unless the potential new alignment is a much shorter connection between I-80 and Williamsport, perhaps somewhere in the area of the PA 880/PA 654 corridor(s)? Although that would no doubt run into some expensive terrain and environmental issues.

[sprjus4]

The existing US-220 between I-80 and Jersey Shore is a full freeway - mostly 4 lane, 65 mph, though the southern segment closer to I-80 still needs to be twinned.

That would most likely be incorporated into I-99. The new location segment would be between Jersey Shore and Williamsport.

[Alps]

I had been wondering about that section? Any specific maps / diagrams available?

I've seen it myself, it's been several years but I bet it was posted here back in 2014 give or take.