PA Turnpike News

[02 Park Ave]

At which service areas on the Turnpike is E-85 available?

[cpzilliacus]

Wonder if this will have any pictures of Breezewood, or maybe of that monument to PTC slothfulness, the uncompleted Bristol interchange between I-95 and the East-West Mainline of the Turnpike?

Request for quotation: PA Turnpike 75th Anniversary Coffee Table Book (.pdf)

[cpzilliacus]

At which service areas on the Turnpike is E-85 available?

According to this:

Oakmont Plum;
North Somerset;
Sideling Hill; and
Allentown.

[hubcity]

Wonder if this will have any pictures of Breezewood, or maybe of that monument to PTC slothfulness, the uncompleted Bristol interchange between I-95 and the East-West Mainline of the Turnpike?

Request for quotation: PA Turnpike 75th Anniversary Coffee Table Book (.pdf)

April 2105 launch, huh? Going for bids early...

[Alps]

Wonder if this will have any pictures of Breezewood, or maybe of that monument to PTC slothfulness, the uncompleted Bristol interchange between I-95 and the East-West Mainline of the Turnpike?

Request for quotation: PA Turnpike 75th Anniversary Coffee Table Book (.pdf)

April 2105 launch, huh? Going for bids early...

I gotta say, based on progress with I-95 so far, 2105 may be realistic.

[Mr_Northside]

Pa. Turnpike considers plans to replace Allegheny Tunnels in Somerset County

I'd expect anyone that's a member of this site isn't gonna find too much new information in this article.  But, maybe...

[ARMOURERERIC]

I wonder if they could try a cut for trucks/HOT only.  2-3 lanes with a zipper.

[Flyer78]

http://www.paturnpike.com/press/2015/20150107160400.htm

Funding for a new interchange in Norristown has been approved, according to the local media, earliest expected completion is 2020.

The PA Turnpike Commission (PTC) announced today that it has identified funding needed to construct a new interchange joining the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 276) with the Lafayette Street Extension in Montgomery County. Turnpike commissioners recently committed $45 million to construct a full on/off connection to be located between the existing Valley Forge and Norristown exits.

[cl94]

http://www.paturnpike.com/press/2015/20150107160400.htm

Funding for a new interchange in Norristown has been approved, according to the local media, earliest expected completion is 2020.

The PA Turnpike Commission (PTC) announced today that it has identified funding needed to construct a new interchange joining the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 276) with the Lafayette Street Extension in Montgomery County. Turnpike commissioners recently committed $45 million to construct a full on/off connection to be located between the existing Valley Forge and Norristown exits.

Opening (and most of construction) will come after planned conversion to AET. That and the limited space available between the Turnpike and the tracks makes me wonder if they'll just built a diamond with AET equipment on the ramps.

[jeffandnicole]

http://www.paturnpike.com/press/2015/20150107160400.htm

Funding for a new interchange in Norristown has been approved, according to the local media, earliest expected completion is 2020.

The PA Turnpike Commission (PTC) announced today that it has identified funding needed to construct a new interchange joining the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 276) with the Lafayette Street Extension in Montgomery County. Turnpike commissioners recently committed $45 million to construct a full on/off connection to be located between the existing Valley Forge and Norristown exits.

Opening (and most of construction) will come after planned conversion to AET. That and the limited space available between the Turnpike and the tracks makes me wonder if they'll just built a diamond with AET equipment on the ramps.

I've said it before: They've built too much infrastructure for AET ramps.  There's no reason to built lane dividers for EZ Pass only setups.  The EZ Pass box can be set up over the single lane ramp as it takes off from (or approaches) the mainline highway, then the ramp can split into 2 lanes further downstream. Example: This ramp on DE 1 ( http://goo.gl/maps/Qr1W2 ) has an EZ Pass transponder over the single lane.  Take it out of GSV, and you'll see the ramp widens to 2 lanes.   Instead, you get this on the PA Turnpike: http://goo.gl/maps/dOdgc .  Again, way too much stuff. 

The amount of money the PA Turnpike has wasted on these ramps in regards to EZ Pass is huge. 

[Flyer78]

The new AET exit coming to the Northeast Extension looks more like a nod to future AET implementations, versus ones they built for other roadways. Some pics on the project website: http://www.paturnpike.com/constructionprojects/Rt903AEI/

[cpzilliacus]

The new AET exit coming to the Northeast Extension looks more like a nod to future AET implementations, versus ones they built for other roadways. Some pics on the project website: http://www.paturnpike.com/constructionprojects/Rt903AEI/

I love how PTC has such a boastful tone about this project, yet the I-95/I-276 Bristol interchange project is dragging-on at a pace that can be described as slow, slower and slowest. 

[Takumi]

Possibly OT: Road & Track article about the bypassed Laurel Hill Tunnel's use as a wind tunnel.
http://kinja.roadandtrack.com/the-secret-racing-test-tunnel-no-one-wants-to-talk-abou-1678596274

[Flyer78]

The new AET exit coming to the Northeast Extension looks more like a nod to future AET implementations, versus ones they built for other roadways. Some pics on the project website: http://www.paturnpike.com/constructionprojects/Rt903AEI/

I love how PTC has such a boastful tone about this project, yet the I-95/I-276 Bristol interchange project is dragging-on at a pace that can be described as slow, slower and slowest.

The Route 903 project has been going on for quite a while, it started as a design/build project around 2010, if I recall correctly, and they built half the overpass. It was supposed to open in 2012. Certainly November 2014. Err, January 2015...

[ysuindy]

An Indianapolis Star story that includes some discussion of Indy Car's use of the Laurel Hill Tunnel.  Not sure anything new in this story, but passing along for anyone who might find it of interest

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2015/01/29/deflate-gate-just-one-many-examples-rules-manipulation-sports/22534859/

Ganassi Racing built a secret indoor facility a decade ago. For years, Chip Ganassi and his associates denied the existence of the converted tunnel east of Pittsburgh, but it's not only there for straight-line running, it's now an approved IndyCar testing facility.

The Laurel Hill Tunnel was created in the late 1800s for a railway that was never finished. It later became part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. However, the popularity of the four-lane roadway eventually caused too much congestion at the two-lane, nearly mile-long tunnel, and in the late 1960s it was again abandoned.

How Ganassi came to control the tunnel and the extent of its usage remain part of its mystery, but there is no doubt that having a controlled environment to simulate actual racecars is a significant advantage, especially given the testing limits.

[cpzilliacus]

TribLive.com: Trucker from Indiana charged with evading $23K in turnpike tolls

An Indiana state truck driver allegedly used the Pennsylvania Turnpike 146 times without paying fares totaling more than $23,680, according to court documents.

Abid Ponjevic, 57, of Avon, was held for trial Wednesday on charges of altered license plate, a registration plate violation and fare evasion by East Huntingdon District Judge Charles Moore.

A total 145 more counts of fare evasion were filed against Ponjevic as summary offenses for unpaid toll tickets that state police said they found in his cab when Ponjevic was arrested in July.

Ponjevic, an independent trucker who was born in Bosnia, was stopped about 9:20 p.m. on July 21 after he went through an E-ZPass lane at the New Stanton interchange with the first two digits of his front license plate covered with duct tape, state police Cpl. Charles Seilhamer testified.

[LPCJr]

I noticed new advisory signs on curves between Downingtown and Malvern.  Some 60, some 65.  A 65 advisory in a 65 zone doesn't make a lot of sense.  Could this imply a forthcoming increase in the limit from 65 to 70 on this stretch?  It would certainly be appropriate.  When it is not rush hour, one can comfortably handle this stretch at 75-80.

[jeffandnicole]

I noticed new advisory signs on curves between Downingtown and Malvern.  Some 60, some 65.  A 65 advisory in a 65 zone doesn't make a lot of sense.  Could this imply a forthcoming increase in the limit from 65 to 70 on this stretch?  It would certainly be appropriate.  When it is not rush hour, one can comfortably handle this stretch at 75-80.

Even though the speed limit is XX, if the 85th percentile speed is well above that, they may post an advisory speed equal to the actual speed limit to encourage motorists to slow down a bit for the curve. 

[qguy]

If so, that would be new. I don't recall ever seeing that in Pennsylvania. Having worked for PennDOT, it hasn't been PennDOT policy that I know of, at least to date.

[rickmastfan67]

I noticed new advisory signs on curves between Downingtown and Malvern.  Some 60, some 65.  A 65 advisory in a 65 zone doesn't make a lot of sense.  Could this imply a forthcoming increase in the limit from 65 to 70 on this stretch?  It would certainly be appropriate.  When it is not rush hour, one can comfortably handle this stretch at 75-80.

They did this just before they posted the first 70 mph segment.  Seems like it's an indicator that the segment you were on will become 70 mph soon.

[MASTERNC]

I noticed new advisory signs on curves between Downingtown and Malvern.  Some 60, some 65.  A 65 advisory in a 65 zone doesn't make a lot of sense.  Could this imply a forthcoming increase in the limit from 65 to 70 on this stretch?  It would certainly be appropriate.  When it is not rush hour, one can comfortably handle this stretch at 75-80.

They did this just before they posted the first 70 mph segment.  Seems like it's an indicator that the segment you were on will become 70 mph soon.

Agreed - I saw these advisory signs near Lancaster right before they announced the higher speed limit on that stretch.  I'm surprised they would post 70 MPH so close to Philly, but they did say the increase could be systemwide.

[cpzilliacus]

I noticed new advisory signs on curves between Downingtown and Malvern.  Some 60, some 65.  A 65 advisory in a 65 zone doesn't make a lot of sense.  Could this imply a forthcoming increase in the limit from 65 to 70 on this stretch?  It would certainly be appropriate.  When it is not rush hour, one can comfortably handle this stretch at 75-80.

They did this just before they posted the first 70 mph segment.  Seems like it's an indicator that the segment you were on will become 70 mph soon.

Agreed - I saw these advisory signs near Lancaster right before they announced the higher speed limit on that stretch.  I'm surprised they would post 70 MPH so close to Philly, but they did say the increase could be systemwide.

The reconstructed and widened section of I-476 (Turnpike Northeast Extension) between I-276 and Exit 31 (Pa. 63, Lansdale) is three lanes each way, with left and right-side shoulders, and is IMO entirely appropriate for a 70 MPH limit. 

Not clear to me how far north the PTC is going to take the widening of the Northeast Extension (to Exit 56 (U.S. 22, Lehigh Valley Thruway near Allentown perhaps), but it seems to me that it could be posted 70 MPH when the work is completed.

[qguy]

The highest actual speeds between Harrisburg and the Delaware River Bridge are between the Valley Forge and Bensalem interchanges. With the law restricting the higher limit to so-called rural areas only being no longer in effect, the PTC and PennDOT have both said they will consider 70 mph for non-rural stretches, specifically this stretch.

[ARMOURERERIC]

According to the PTC website, the only publicaly announced widening on the NE extension is up to Quakertown

[Gnutella]

The highest actual speeds between Harrisburg and the Delaware River Bridge are between the Valley Forge and Bensalem interchanges. With the law restricting the higher limit to so-called rural areas only being no longer in effect, the PTC and PennDOT have both said they will consider 70 mph for non-rural stretches, specifically this stretch.

When did PennDOT do that? I hope it was recently, because there are some Interstate segments in Pennsylvania that have heinously underposted speed limits. They include, but might not be limited to:


I-70 between Breezewood and the Maryland state line
I-79 between Washington and Cranberry Township
I-90
I-99 between State College and I-80


Quite frankly, the only Interstates that should have 55 MPH limits are the substandard ones in urban areas. Pennsylvania reminds me a lot of the Carolinas, with widely variable speed limits. At least the Interstates in Pennsylvania aren't as heavily patrolled as they are in the Carolinas.