I-95/Penna Turnpike Interchange

[Mr. Matté]

The Philly area now has updated satellite imagery from May 2016 (last update was October 2011!), one of the areas is the interchange, here's a link to the placemark there https://toolserver.org/~kolossos/earth.php?long=-74.889727&lat=40.128875&name=Pennsylvania_Turnpike%2FInterstate_95_Interchange_Project but you'll have to turn the 3D imagery off.

Could you post a screenshot? I don't think that change has rolled out everywhere yet.

Relatively boring:

[Alps]

And it was reported today that the Tappan Zee Bridge so far is on-time and under-budget. That bridge will be finished before this PTC/95 Interchange.

I thought they were pushing back some of the dates... maybe they caught up again. Nonetheless, the Somerset Freeway just may be built before this interchange.

[cl94]

And it was reported today that the Tappan Zee Bridge so far is on-time and under-budget. That bridge will be finished before this PTC/95 Interchange.

I thought they were pushing back some of the dates... maybe they caught up again. Nonetheless, the Somerset Freeway just may be built before this interchange.

Even if Tappan Zee is a little behind, they'll have the north side open by the spring barring a huge mishap. The current bridge is literally falling down and there's not a heck of a lot that still needs to be done to get it partially open.

[Stephane Dumas]

The Philly area now has updated satellite imagery from May 2016 (last update was October 2011!), one of the areas is the interchange, here's a link to the placemark there https://toolserver.org/~kolossos/earth.php?long=-74.889727&lat=40.128875&name=Pennsylvania_Turnpike%2FInterstate_95_Interchange_Project but you'll have to turn the 3D imagery off.

Could you post a screenshot? I don't think that change has rolled out everywhere yet.

I don't know if that could help, here some satellite view from Acme Mapper. http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=40.12678,-74.88073&z=16&t=S

[cpzilliacus]

And it was reported today that the Tappan Zee Bridge so far is on-time and under-budget. That bridge will be finished before this PTC/95 Interchange.

I thought they were pushing back some of the dates... maybe they caught up again. Nonetheless, the Somerset Freeway just may be built before this interchange.

Unfortunately, I agree with you.  Supposedly, the massive Act 44/Act 69 payments to PennDOT for transit subsidies are one reason this is taking so long.

[jeffandnicole]

And it was reported today that the Tappan Zee Bridge so far is on-time and under-budget. That bridge will be finished before this PTC/95 Interchange.

I thought they were pushing back some of the dates... maybe they caught up again. Nonetheless, the Somerset Freeway just may be built before this interchange.

Unfortunately, I agree with you.  Supposedly, the massive Act 44/Act 69 payments to PennDOT for transit subsidies are one reason this is taking so long.

That doesn't explain why their many other projects are seemingly going fine. The highway has numerous construction projects happening. Are they all delayed, or just this one?

[jcn]

In regards to the May 2019 completion, they could just be talking about the Bensalem interchange.

[cpzilliacus]

That doesn't explain why their many other projects are seemingly going fine. The highway has numerous construction projects happening. Are they all delayed, or just this one?

1. This was mandated by the U.S. Congress back in the 1980's after the Somerset Freeway was cancelled by New Jersey.  I think the PTC does not want to take orders from the federal government, even though the feds financed the construction of the original part of the Turnpike from Carlisle to Pittsburgh.

2.  It seems that PTC especially does not like high-speed connections from its toll roads to "free" Interstate highways (and I concede that some of its breezewoods (I-79 and I-176 come to mind) have been eliminated).

[noelbotevera]

That doesn't explain why their many other projects are seemingly going fine. The highway has numerous construction projects happening. Are they all delayed, or just this one?

1. This was mandated by the U.S. Congress back in the 1980's after the Somerset Freeway was cancelled by New Jersey.  I think the PTC does not want to take orders from the federal government, even though the feds financed the construction of the original part of the Turnpike from Carlisle to Pittsburgh.

2.  It seems that PTC especially does not like high-speed connections from its toll roads to "free" Interstate highways (and I concede that some of its breezewoods (I-79 and I-176 come to mind) have been eliminated).

In fact, most of the interchanges with interstates/freeways are low speed.

From west to east:
I-376 (Exit 10): Indirect connection, and the ramps onto I-376 are tight and require you to slow down.
I-79 (Exit 28): Tight loop ramp onto the connector road, and the connection to I-79 NB is a loop ramp.
PA 28 (Exit 48): Requires about a mile on surface streets, and the PA 28 SB ramp is tight.
I-376 (East of Pittsburgh) (Exit 57) : Tight loop ramp, then hard curve, toll booth, and then a low speed merge onto I-376 WB/US 22 EB.
I-70 (Western Exit) (Exit 75): Tight loop ramp, toll booth, then a really slow and potentially dangerous merge onto I-70 WB/US 119/PA 66.
US 219 (Exit 110): Really indirect connection, requires maybe a mile or more on surface streets.
I-99/US 220 Business (Exit 146): This is a Breezewood, and the curse of the tight loop ramp returns.
I-70 (Eastern Exit) (Exit 161): Self explanatory.
I-81 (Exit 226): Yet another Breezewood.
US 15 (Exit 236): Again, tight loop ramp, and the ramps onto US 15 are also loop ramps (this feels like the failed child of a diamond and cloverleaf interchange).
I-83 (Exit 242): Tight loop ramp, and the merge onto I-83 is dangerous due to exits close to the interchange, which are also dangerous.
I-283 (Exit 247): I'm okay with this one, as this is designed to be low speed. Tight loop ramp, but then you have to do a weave if you want to get onto PA 283.
US 222 (Exit 286): Breezewood.
I-176 (Exit 312): Another Breezewood.
I-76 (Exit 326): This interchange is dangerous for several reasons. For cash users staying on I-76, you have to weave to avoid the exit for North Gulph Road, and then do more lane changing because of US 202/US 422, and this is also a weave because of those wanting to access King of Prussia Mall.
I-476 (Exit 20? Why? "Exit 334"): Wow, a high speed interchange! Er, not really. It's more of a cloverleaf with an interchange to the west and the NW quadrant missing.
PA 309 (Exit 339): Loop ramps onto PA 309 SB, but this feels more like the Circle Interchange, as the I-276 EB to PA 309 NB curves.
US 1 (Exit 351): Loop ramps, and this interchange is dangerous because of Exit 352 and that the PA 132 interchange is tight.

[MASTERNC]

2.  It seems that PTC especially does not like high-speed connections from its toll roads to "free" Interstate highways (and I concede that some of its breezewoods (I-79 and I-176 come to mind) have been eliminated).

They don't like high speed interchanges period.  Every interchange is tight and signed for 30 MPH or less.  Even the NY Thruway has 45 MPH ramps.

[ARMOURERERIC]

That doesn't explain why their many other projects are seemingly going fine. The highway has numerous construction projects happening. Are they all delayed, or just this one?

1. This was mandated by the U.S. Congress back in the 1980's after the Somerset Freeway was cancelled by New Jersey.  I think the PTC does not want to take orders from the federal government, even though the feds financed the construction of the original part of the Turnpike from Carlisle to Pittsburgh.

Not quite correct.  As for the original Turnpike, the Federal Government only Guaranteed to construction loans for the period of the construction work.  Once the road was open, the PTC was on it's own with financing.

[74/171FAN]

I-176 (Exit 298): Another Former Breezewood.

I thought that this one more fit the tight loop-ramp scenario unless you are referring to the 35 mph speed limit all the way up to the Exit 2 ramps.

For the record, PA 100 (the actual Exit 312 that you put down its exit number) is not a freeway at its PA Turnpike interchange.

[cpzilliacus]

That doesn't explain why their many other projects are seemingly going fine. The highway has numerous construction projects happening. Are they all delayed, or just this one?

1. This was mandated by the U.S. Congress back in the 1980's after the Somerset Freeway was cancelled by New Jersey.  I think the PTC does not want to take orders from the federal government, even though the feds financed the construction of the original part of the Turnpike from Carlisle to Pittsburgh.

Not quite correct.  As for the original Turnpike, the Federal Government only Guaranteed to construction loans for the period of the construction work.  Once the road was open, the PTC was on it's own with financing.

They  would not have been  able to sell the bonds without help from the feds and the original Turnpike would not have been built without  the feds. 

I think it was the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.

But I was actually more mentioning the  federal mandate in the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 (!) that I assert that both PTC and PennDOT have tried had to ignore and delay as much as possible.  Even in the United States with federal lawsuits pending and anti-highway activists to be found in many places, it should not have taken them from 1982 to 2019 to get this project completed (and remember that even in 2019, the Delaware Expressway/Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange will not be complete).

WITHDRAWAL AND DESIGNATION OF CERTAIN INTERSTATE ROUTES
SEC. 162.
(a) Notwithstanding the first sentence of section 103(e)(4)
of title 23, United States Code, the Secretary of Transportation
shall, upon application of the State of New Jersey, withdraw under
such section 103(e)(4) his approval of the designation on the National
System of Interstate and Defense Highways of the portion of Interstate
Route 95 and Interstate Route 695 from the intersection with
Interstate Route 295 in Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New
Jersey, to the proposed intersection with Interstate Route 287 in
Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of
Transportation is authorized and directed, pursuant to section 103 of
such title, to designate as part of the Interstate Highway System the
New Jersey Turnpike from exit 10 to the interchange with the
Pennsylvania Turnpike and the Pennsylvania Turnpike from such
interchange to and including the proposed interchange with Interstate
Route 95 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

(c) The Secretary of Transportation is further authorized and
directed to designate the highways described in subsection (b) as
Interstate Route 95 and assure through proper sign designations the
orderly connection of Interstate Route 95 pursuant to this section.

[jcn]

To clear up this confusion, I just got off the phone with the engineering firm for the construction project, and the I-95 flyover ramps are still supposed to be complete by 2018.  When the news article mentioned May 2019, they were just referring to the Bensalem Interchange.

[cpzilliacus]

To clear up this confusion, I just got off the phone with the engineering firm for the construction project, and the I-95 flyover ramps are still supposed to be complete by 2018.  When the news article mentioned May 2019, they were just referring to the Bensalem Interchange.

Thanks for asking that question.  Though it brings to mind another question - aside from being nearby, what does the Bensalem (U.S. 1, Exit 351) Interchange project really have to do with the I-95/I-276 interchange?

Did you by  chance ask when in 2018 the two ramps that complete I-95 might be opened to traffic?

[qguy]

Reconstruction of the Bensalem Interchange is necessary to allow for the extension of the third lane from its termination there east through the I-95 interchange area to the Delaware River Bridge. So it's obliquely related.

[jeffandnicole]

To clear up this confusion, I just got off the phone with the engineering firm for the construction project, and the I-95 flyover ramps are still supposed to be complete by 2018.  When the news article mentioned May 2019, they were just referring to the Bensalem Interchange.

Thanks for asking that question.  Though it brings to mind another question - aside from being nearby, what does the Bensalem (U.S. 1, Exit 351) Interchange project really have to do with the I-95/I-276 interchange?

As it turns out, nothing.

The bridge replacement at the Bensalem interchange was a separate contract recently put out to bid and awarded.  It has nothing to do with the I-95 ramp construction contract.  Basically, this was essentially bad reporting, where a reporter took 2 separate projects and placed them together within the news story.

Here's the project bid detail page for the bridge replacement: https://ebs.paturnpike.com/generalinformation/bids/bid_details.aspx?contract=T-355.00P002-3-04

[Interstate 69 Fan]

What highway would replace I-95 north of I-276? I-295?

[Alex]

What highway would replace I-95 north of I-276? I-295?

It was already determined to be an extension of I-295.

http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-295_denj.html

[epzik8]

I'm intentionally avoiding I-95 past the PA-413 exit because I'm afraid that once that changes to I-295, it would mess up my clinched highways data on Teresco Jim's site. So I'm going to wait until at least 2018 to get that portion of freeway. However, I have gotten the current northernmost seven miles of I-295 east of Trenton because I wanted to get my first segment of U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey, so I took I-95 to PA-413 to U.S. 13 to U.S. 1 into New Jersey and took that to where I-95 north becomes I-295 south and then I took that to I-195 to the New Jersey Turnpike. Excuse me for going off-topic here.

[74/171FAN]

I'm intentionally avoiding I-95 past the PA-413 exit because I'm afraid that once that changes to I-295, it would mess up my clinched highways data on Teresco Jim's site. So I'm going to wait until at least 2018 to get that portion of freeway. However, I have gotten the current northernmost seven miles of I-295 east of Trenton because I wanted to get my first segment of U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey, so I took I-95 to PA-413 to U.S. 13 to U.S. 1 into New Jersey and took that to where I-95 north becomes I-295 south and then I took that to I-195 to the New Jersey Turnpike. Excuse me for going off-topic here.

Personally, I already have that clinched and would just fix my .list file at that point so it would reflect I-295.  It is honestly a non-issue.  (I consider myself having clinched I-795 in NC despite it still being US 117.)

[The Ghostbuster]

At what point along the resigning of Interstate 95 as Interstate 295 would the north/south designations be flip-flopped? After all, I doubt once future 295 turns down towards the south, they can continue to sign it as north.

[briantroutman]

The PA section is slated to be designated E-W (eastbound toward Princeton, westbound toward Philadelphia).

https://www.patpconstruction.com/paturnpikei95/95completion-redesignation.aspx

[The Ghostbuster]

I think it should be signed as East-West in New Jersey as well, all the way to Exit 60.

[cpzilliacus]

In fact, most of the interchanges with interstates/freeways are low speed.

You forgot the Northeast Extension (and sorry for the slow response), which also is worthy of scorn (though I actually enjoy driving it).

Exit 56 (U.S. 22 and to I-78) - No (or maybe more accurately, clumsy) connections to I-78, though at least it is possible to navigate between I-78 and I-476 without a signalized intersection or two.

Exit 95 (Pa. 940 and I-80) -  One at-grade signalized intersection and a load of Pennsylvania Breezewood-type schlock in the middle of the Poconos.

Exit 115 (Pa. 315 and I-81) - the pair of double trumpet interchanges remain, even though this is north of the Turnpike's ticket system, and drivers have to use Pa. 315 to get between I-81 and I-476.

Exit 131 (U.S. 6, U.S. 11 and I-81) - beyond the toll plaza are interchanges to I-81 and the U.S. highways so awful that they qualify this place as a breezewood, even though traffic between I-476 and I-81 does not have to make a schlock stop at a traffic light (but there were STOP signs at the end of some of the ramps).