I-95/Penna Turnpike Interchange

[TXtoNJ]

I-580S

[jeffandnicole]

Interstate H4

[Roadrunner75]

It will be multiplexed as 195, 295 and 395 so everybody wins.  However, exits and mileage will be renumbered in kilometers so nobody wins.

[ElPanaChevere]

From the PA Turnpike/I-95 Interchange Project website, here are four cool presentations of what the finished product will look like.

Drive-Through West-East: Transition from I-276 East to I-95 North
Drive-Through South-North: Transition from I-95 North to I-195 East
Flyover East-West
Flyover South-North

The buildings, trees and even the high-mast streetlights make it look a lot like the real thing! However, I've read that the "I-195" depicted here may actually become I-395 instead. Here's the completed interchange as it will look below:

This looks really freaking awesome! Any reason why it was labeled PA 276 instead of I-276?

[Alps]

From the PA Turnpike/I-95 Interchange Project website, here are four cool presentations of what the finished product will look like.

Drive-Through West-East: Transition from I-276 East to I-95 North
Drive-Through South-North: Transition from I-95 North to I-195 East
Flyover East-West
Flyover South-North

The buildings, trees and even the high-mast streetlights make it look a lot like the real thing! However, I've read that the "I-195" depicted here may actually become I-395 instead. Here's the completed interchange as it will look below:

This looks really freaking awesome! Any reason why it was labeled PA 276 instead of I-276?

[swbrotha100]

I've seen the PA Turnpike use a green keystone for its logo, only explanation I can think of.

[J Route Z]

I've seen the PA Turnpike use a green keystone for its logo, only explanation I can think of.

PA Route 66 has the same green shield near Pittsburgh.

[rickmastfan67]

I've seen the PA Turnpike use a green keystone for its logo, only explanation I can think of.

PA Route 66 has the same green shield near Pittsburgh.

PA Turnpike 576 also has them.  Same with PA Turnpike 60 for awhile till it became part of I-376.

There are also a few rare PA Turnpike 76 shields out there.  I know of 3 of those that have been posted in the field in Western PA, but 2 have bit the dust.

1. One was on the I-79 SB off-ramp Exit #78.  This one disappeared when they realigned the SB off-ramp to add in the brand new PA-228 WB > I-79 SB loop on-ramp in the last year.  I do have a picture of it, but I don't think I have it online right now and would have to dig around for it.  However, you can still see it in StreetView for now.
2. One was located at the intersection of I-376 and PA-130 (Exit #79B).  This was replaced by a normal I-76 shield no later than Oct '13. There is a picture of it that I took in the Shield Gallery.
3. This one is located along the Red Belt (Warrendale Bayne Road) in Warrendale, PA.  Still standing as of Aug '12 for sure, but I don't remember when I took my picture of it (have to find it). Will see if I can field check to see if it's still alive next time I'm up that way and have time to spare. http://goo.gl/maps/5A2cN

[Mapmikey]

Here is a 4th I ran across on US 30 EB in Bedford.

This was taken 7/5/14.  It is not in the current (2009) GMSV:



Mapmikey

[J Route Z]

I've seen the PA Turnpike use a green keystone for its logo, only explanation I can think of.

PA Route 66 has the same green shield near Pittsburgh.

PA Turnpike 576 also has them.  Same with PA Turnpike 60 for awhile till it became part of I-376.

There are also a few rare PA Turnpike 76 shields out there.  I know of 3 of those that have been posted in the field in Western PA, but 2 have bit the dust.

1. One was on the I-79 SB off-ramp Exit #78.  This one disappeared when they realigned the SB off-ramp to add in the brand new PA-228 WB > I-79 SB loop on-ramp in the last year.  I do have a picture of it, but I don't think I have it online right now and would have to dig around for it.  However, you can still see it in StreetView for now.
2. One was located at the intersection of I-376 and PA-130 (Exit #79B).  This was replaced by a normal I-76 shield no later than Oct '13. There is a picture of it that I took in the Shield Gallery.
3. This one is located along the Red Belt (Warrendale Bayne Road) in Warrendale, PA.  Still standing as of Aug '12 for sure, but I don't remember when I took my picture of it (have to find it). Will see if I can field check to see if it's still alive next time I'm up that way and have time to spare. http://goo.gl/maps/5A2cN

I actually really like those signs. I plan on visiting Pittsburgh sometime in the next year or so.

[odditude]

Looks like it's going to be I-295 - not 195 or 395.

[Zeffy]

Looks like it's going to be I-295 - not 195 or 395.

It would make sense, considering I-95 ends at I-295 presently. I like it better than extending I-195 or creating an I-395 honestly.

[AMLNet49]

I-295 seems like a very awkward choice to me. It would loop around and be on both sides of the river.

[jeffandnicole]

I think I would've preferred 395, but I'm fine with 295 as it's a natural beltway around Trenton.  I imagine it will change cardinal direction at the NJ/PA state line.  In that case, I would prefer NJ to keep the North/South designation as it currently is for 295, although it does start to slightly curve the wrong way near the Delaware River.  For the PA side, I think designating it as an East/West route would be better, mainly to avoid a switch between North/South at the state line.  Thus, traffic going from PA to NJ will see 295 East, then 295 South.  NJ to PA traffic will see 295 North to 295 West.  I guess this switch could also occur at US 1 in NJ, such as it does now with 95/295.

[odditude]

i'd say 295 should be E/W between the state line and exit 67, N/S the rest of the way. there's plenty of precedent - see just about every other beltway.

[NJRoadfan]

I guess someone in NJ considers the NJTP extension as part of I-276 even though it technically never was.

[dgolub]

I guess someone in NJ considers the NJTP extension as part of I-276 even though it technically never was.

Yeah, that one surprised me, too.  It's been I-95 in the SLD for a while now.

[dgolub]

I-295 seems like a very awkward choice to me. It would loop around and be on both sides of the river.

Agreed.  Also, what happens when you're on US 1?  You can go take I-295 south to Bordentown or I-295 south to Philadelphia?  Way to confuse people.  Or will that portion be signed as east/west?

[PHLBOS]

I-295 seems like a very awkward choice to me. It would loop around and be on both sides of the river.

Agreed.  Also, what happens when you're on US 1?  You can go take I-295 south to Bordentown or I-295 south to Philadelphia?  Way to confuse people.  Or will that portion be signed as east/west?

Let's break it down here (for those on FB; yes, this is largely a cut-and-paste post from there):

1.  Redesignating I-95/295 as a western extension of I-195 IMHO was a non-starter from the get-go due to the needless renumbering of the existing I-195 mile markers/exit numbers plus the fact that the thru-195 movements at the existing I-195/295/NJ 29 interchange would've been constrained to single-lane exit ramps.

2.  Redesignating I-95/295 as an extension of I-295 causes some cardinal/direction issues on the PA side (wrong-way route number/actual highway cardinals); unless, of course, NJ designates I-295 from the PA line to either US 1 or I-195 as an east-west route.  Such cardinal changes would not be unlike those along the Baltimore (I-695) and Capitol (I-495) Beltways.

Side bar: wrong-way route/street cardinal issues was likely the main reason why the MassDPW truncated MA 128 from Hull to Braintree in the late 60s (the old MA 128 from MA 3 in Rockland to Nantasket became MA 228 then).

3.  Redesignating I-95/295 as a separate east-west I-x95 (be it 395 or 695) from the PA line to US 1 involves no change in mile markers/exit numbers on the Jersey side AT ALL.  Redesignating it as an east-west I-x95 from PA to I-195 only involves changing NJ mile markers/exit numbers from US 1 to I-195; no big deal IMHO.

IMHO, since it was NJ that ultimately put the kibosh on the original I-95/Somerset Freeway (courtesy of Princeton NIMBYs); let them deal with the bulk of the route number/direction cardinal/mile marker/exit number changes.  PA built all of its I-95 portion and the Delaware Expressway north of the PA Turnpike will still run north from there to the Scudder Falls Bridge regardless of its route number.

Personally, this new-old change (to I-295) may not be the final deal just yet.

[Zeffy]

Here's how I would approach the situation with the cardinal directions:



The directionality switches from North/South to East/West at the Pennsylvania / New Jersey border as well as the US 1 interchange. I also included what I think the exit numbers will be on the New Jersey side of the Delaware, with the old ones (in gray) above them for reference.

Feel free to argue my control cities, but I believe the ones I chose are fairly logical.

[PHLBOS]

Here's how I would approach the situation with the cardinal directions:


...
Feel free to argue my control cities, but I believe the ones I chose are fairly logical.

Not bad Zeffy; that's a good way to handle the all I-295 scenario. 

The only control city issue I see is that since Princeton is a northbound I-295 control city north of I-195/NJ 29; it should continue to be a westbound I-295 control city from US 1 to US 206.  Philadelphia can then be used west of US 206.

[jeffandnicole]

At the very most, use both Philadelphia and Princeton as control cities between US 1 and US 206.  Traffic coming south on US 1 going to Philadelphia will probably continue to see Philadelphia as the exit destination onto future 295 North/West.  I'm a little hesitant to use Princeton as a control city here anyway as US 206 functions more like a 2 lane residential road, not a wide high speed highway like US 1.

I would also prefer only one cardinal direction change on 295 around Trenton, even though the route in PA is much more N/S than E/W. 

[PHLBOS]

I would also prefer only one cardinal direction change on 295 around Trenton, even though the route in PA is much more N/S than E/W.

All that does is shift more direction confusion over to PA.  As you already mentioned, the Delaware Expressway north of the PA Turnpike clearly runs north to the Scudders Falls Bridge.

Again, this whole I-95 gap was a NJ-induced issue (PTC/PennDOT dragging their feet on the Turnpike/Delaware Expressway interchange notwithstanding); let NJ bear the brunt of the changes.

If preserving the same direction cardinal around the Trenton area is a concern; then such would be the case for designating I-95/295 north of the Turnpike & I-195 as a separate I-x95 (be it 395 or 695, the latter would be more appropriate IMHO).  The x95 stretch would be N/S in PA and E/W in NJ from the Delaware River to I-195.  The only mile marker/exit number changes on the Jersey side would be Exits 60 (or 61) through 67.  Then again, the original plan had the current 95/295 loop highway change directions (& route numbers) roughly mid-way along where the highway indeed runs E/W; so I don't see how changing cardinal directions on the NJ stretch of highway (while keeping the same route number) would be an issue now.

3dis changing direction cardinals have been previously done before (I-287 NJ-NY, I-495 MD-VA, I-676 NJ-PA & I-695 in MD to name a few); but such were N/S to E/W and vice-versa, not a N/S to S/N.

Since the letter only makes reference to an act that dates back to 1982; one has to wonder whether Acting FHWA Administrator, Greg Nadeau (the writer of the letter) was fully aware or brought up-to-date of some of the renumbering proposals for this area since 1982.

[Zeffy]

The only control city issue I see is that since Princeton is a northbound I-295 control city north of I-195/NJ 29; it should continue to be a westbound I-295 control city from US 1 to US 206.  Philadelphia can then be used west of US 206.

The reasoning was that there are effectively three ways to Princeton at the point where I switched the cardinal directions - via US 1 North, via CR 583 / Princeton Pike, or via US 206. I actually think taking US 1 is a bit more effective than US 206, mainly because there are plenty of exits for Princeton streets which lead to the (always busy) downtown area around Nassau Street.

[PHLBOS]

The only control city issue I see is that since Princeton is a northbound I-295 control city north of I-195/NJ 29; it should continue to be a westbound I-295 control city from US 1 to US 206.  Philadelphia can then be used west of US 206.

The reasoning was that there are effectively three ways to Princeton at the point where I switched the cardinal directions - via US 1 North, via CR 583 / Princeton Pike, or via US 206. I actually think taking US 1 is a bit more effective than US 206, mainly because there are plenty of exits for Princeton streets which lead to the (always busy) downtown area around Nassau Street.

If US 1 northbound is intended to be the primary exit for Princeton off I-295 Northbound; then why aren't there any signs (most likely supplemental BGS') stating such?  The first exit for Princeton one actually sees is beyond the US 1 interchange at the CR 583 interchange.