Signs to try to make you stay on the toll road

[Roadgeekteen]

Approaching Harrisburg on the PA Turnpike westbound, there are signs before exits 247 & 242 directing motorists bound for I-81 south to continue to exit 226. (As opposed to taking either of these exits and making the connection to 81 via PA 581, which does have the benefit of being all-freeway unlike Carlisle.)

Going on PA 581 would take longer and go out of the way.

[Ned Weasel]

Here's an example of the exact opposite situation: MDOT SHA encouraging drivers to stay in Maryland a while longer and NOT take the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Same travel time and only 10 miles longer (I-68 to I-79)

I'd certainly use it vs. I-70 heading west. Avoids the long 55 mph stretch, Breezewood, and the Turnpike tolls.

Now, for traffic going onto the Ohio Turnpike and I-80, probably best to stick with the PA Turnpike.

Those looking to get to Columbus, Wheeling, or Pittsburgh would benefit greatly from using I-68 as alternate to the Penna Pike.

Even for someone like myself looking to drive home from Baltimore/D.C., I'd be willing to take the extra 10 miles, then use I-79 and I-376 to connect to the Pennsylvania Turnpike to get back to NW Indiana. Still takes Breezewood out of play.

You're driven that way before, right?  Cumberland, Maryland is practically Breezewood's counterpart.  There are no traffic signals, and it's fully divided, but it's 40-MPH (https://goo.gl/maps/1fK6BvL4eKNYtoi58 , hey, that's 5 MPH faster than the 35-MPH speed limit through the roughly third of a mile through Breezewood) and configured somewhat like an RIRO arterial (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.6500645,-78.7554621,121m/data=!3m1!1e3 , https://www.google.com/maps/@39.648631,-78.7680801,242m/data=!3m1!1e3) that technically qualifies as a freeway.

And then there are the mountains.  No sweat if you're just driving a car.  When you're a big-rig carrying a 40,000-pound load, you'll wish you could've taken the PA Turnpike (unless you just really love mountain climbing), but if you're hauling bulk HazMat, you have to take I-68 instead.

[sprjus4]

^

The lack of tolls might also be an incentive of taking I-68 vs. I-70 even with climbing. Truck tolls can get quite high.