I-95/Penna Turnpike Interchange

[qguy]

Interesting, the old signs are in Clearview and the new ones behind it are in FWHA.

Not to mention that the PA 413 shield on the new sign has its numerals in the proper position (the shield on the old sign has the numerals too low). 

Yes, unless some fabricator messes up, PennDOT vertically centers the numerals between the top and bottom of the entire keystone, not just the top and bottom of the lower portion. When I was but a wee lad I thought that looked odd, but it long ago became normal to me.

[AMLNet49]

Interesting, the old signs are in Clearview and the new ones behind it are in FWHA.

Not to mention that the PA 413 shield on the new sign has its numerals in the proper position (the shield on the old sign has the numerals too low). 

Yes, unless some fabricator messes up, PennDOT vertically centers the numerals between the top and bottom of the entire keystone, not just the top and bottom of the lower portion. When I was but a wee lad I thought that looked odd, but it long ago became normal to me.

Why do they do that? I always assumed it was intended to be centered on the main portion of the keystone. What's the point in squashing it up there? The top thingy is more of an artistic element, plus it makes the text look off-center.

[ipeters61]

Interesting, the old signs are in Clearview and the new ones behind it are in FWHA.

Not to mention that the PA 413 shield on the new sign has its numerals in the proper position (the shield on the old sign has the numerals too low). 

Yes, unless some fabricator messes up, PennDOT vertically centers the numerals between the top and bottom of the entire keystone, not just the top and bottom of the lower portion. When I was but a wee lad I thought that looked odd, but it long ago became normal to me.

Why do they do that? I always assumed it was intended to be centered on the main portion of the keystone. What's the point in squashing it up there? The top thingy is more of an artistic element, plus it makes the text look off-center.

The "top thingy" is there because whole thing represents a keystone symbol, so it's more than an artistic element.

I tried to see what any other state with a special route marker does and closest I could find was Wisconsin, but they center it without their "top thingy": www.routemarkers.com/states/

[AMLNet49]

Interesting, the old signs are in Clearview and the new ones behind it are in FWHA.

Not to mention that the PA 413 shield on the new sign has its numerals in the proper position (the shield on the old sign has the numerals too low). 

Yes, unless some fabricator messes up, PennDOT vertically centers the numerals between the top and bottom of the entire keystone, not just the top and bottom of the lower portion. When I was but a wee lad I thought that looked odd, but it long ago became normal to me.

Why do they do that? I always assumed it was intended to be centered on the main portion of the keystone. What's the point in squashing it up there? The top thingy is more of an artistic element, plus it makes the text look off-center.

The "top thingy" is there because whole thing represents a keystone symbol, so it's more than an artistic element.

I tried to see what any other state with a special route marker does and closest I could find was Wisconsin, but they center it without their "top thingy": www.routemarkers.com/states/

Yea I understand what the keystone is and what the design is. I just think that not centering the text on the bottom portion makes the text look un-centered.

[ipeters61]

Interesting, the old signs are in Clearview and the new ones behind it are in FWHA.

Not to mention that the PA 413 shield on the new sign has its numerals in the proper position (the shield on the old sign has the numerals too low). 

Yes, unless some fabricator messes up, PennDOT vertically centers the numerals between the top and bottom of the entire keystone, not just the top and bottom of the lower portion. When I was but a wee lad I thought that looked odd, but it long ago became normal to me.

Why do they do that? I always assumed it was intended to be centered on the main portion of the keystone. What's the point in squashing it up there? The top thingy is more of an artistic element, plus it makes the text look off-center.

The "top thingy" is there because whole thing represents a keystone symbol, so it's more than an artistic element.

I tried to see what any other state with a special route marker does and closest I could find was Wisconsin, but they center it without their "top thingy": www.routemarkers.com/states/

Yea I understand what the keystone is and what the design is. I just think that not centering the text on the bottom portion makes the text look un-centered.

I still feel like it makes more sense to have the number centered on the whole shield but I have spent a lot of time in PA so I'm used to it being that way - having it centered on the bottom part only looks weird and actually doesn't look centered to me.

[akotchi]

Seen in my travels this weekend . . . There are portable VMS out proclaiming that the Turnpike will be closed between Exits 351 and 358 and I-95(/I-295) will be closed between Route 413 and U.S. 1 Business on September 22 between midnight and 4:00 a.m.

Fair warning for anyone who may choose to travel to this area for the opening a day or two later . . .

[theroadwayone]

Seen in my travels this weekend . . . There are portable VMS out proclaiming that the Turnpike will be closed between Exits 351 and 358 and I-95(/I-295) will be closed between Route 413 and U.S. 1 Business on September 22 between midnight and 4:00 a.m.

Fair warning for anyone who may choose to travel to this area for the opening a day or two later . . .

Sounds in line with what I'm hearing, that the connections will open on the 24th.

[jon daly]

Here's a similar article from a more local source.

I drove the NJ Tpke from the NYC area all the way down to the Delaware Memorial Bridge at least a couple of times from 1998-2004. IIRC, the northern portion was I-95, but there was no signage that indicated at what point the Tpke stopped being I-95. Is my recollection correct?

[jeffandnicole]

Here's a similar article from a more local source.

I drove the NJ Tpke from the NYC area all the way down to the Delaware Memorial Bridge at least a couple of times from 1998-2004. IIRC, the northern portion was I-95, but there was no signage that indicated at what point the Tpke stopped being I-95. Is my recollection correct?

Correct.  Not only that, but the signage stopped before the designation stopped. I-95 officially went down to Exit 6 of the Turnpike, but there was nothing indicating such south of Exit 9, and I believe it was nearly completely unsigned north of Exit 9 as well.

[jon daly]

Thanks.

[jon daly]

One issue I didn't understand about the gap from was that it didn't prevent you from continuing south on a highway.

[PHLBOS]

One issue I didn't understand about the gap from was that it didn't prevent you from continuing south on a highway.

No but it did prevent one from having all-highway access between NYC & Philadelphia.

[jon daly]

What about the Pearl Harbor Extension?

[vdeane]

What about the Pearl Harbor Extension?

The what?  No, seriously, nobody calls it that.  I had to look it up to find out that you're talking about the NJ Turnpike (I-95) to I-276.  In any case, the current lack of an interchange means you can't turn south from there to go into the city on a freeway.

[Alps]

What about the Pearl Harbor Extension?

Has not been signed as I-95 to date, but is about to be.

[jeffandnicole]

One issue I didn't understand about the gap from was that it didn't prevent you from continuing south on a highway.

No but it did prevent one from having all-highway access between NYC & Philadelphia.

NJ Turnpike South to Exit 7A to 195 West to 295 South to 76 West.

[webny99]

One issue I didn't understand about the gap from was that it didn't prevent you from continuing south on a highway.

No but it did prevent one from having all-highway access between NYC & Philadelphia.

NJ Turnpike South to Exit 7A to 195 West to 295 South to 76 West.

"I took the all-freeway route from NYC to Philly" said no one ever.

[qguy]

One issue I didn't understand about the gap from was that it didn't prevent you from continuing south on a highway.

No but it did prevent one from having all-highway access between NYC & Philadelphia.

NJ Turnpike South to Exit 7A to 195 West to 295 South to 76 West.

Haven't we been through this ad nauseum already? The predicament is usually (and accurately) expressed as "no direct highway access between Phila and NYC." Sure, there's a roundabout highway path to get between the two, but it puts you into south Phila. You can't get from NYC to the nearest part of Philadelphia, northeast Phila.

[webny99]

Sure, there's a roundabout highway path to get between the two

Taking that a bit more literally, there is also another option. 

[Beltway]

Haven't we been through this ad nauseum already? The predicament is usually (and accurately) expressed as "no direct highway access between Phila and NYC." Sure, there's a roundabout highway path to get between the two, but it puts you into south Phila. You can't get from NYC to the nearest part of Philadelphia, northeast Phila.

To/from Center City it would involve backtracking via I-676, I-76 and I-295.   That whole area from Center City thru Northeast Philadelphia is a huge area that is much better served by a connection between I-95 and the PA Turnpike when connecting to I-95 north, NYC, New England, etc.

[PHLBOS]

What about the Pearl Harbor Extension?

As others have mentioned, there's no direct connection between that and the Delaware Expressway; but that will change come Sept. 24; hence, the purpose of this meet.

While others have pointed out several other alternative highway routings between Philly & NYC; one needs to keep in mind that prior to 1994, many of those routings that involved using I-195 & I-295 weren't yet completed/present.  Such was the reasoning behind selecting the Turnpike Connector as the de-facto I-95 circa 1982.  It was naively thought that the interchange in PA would be completed prior to those I-195/295 segments.

[jeffandnicole]

One issue I didn't understand about the gap from was that it didn't prevent you from continuing south on a highway.

No but it did prevent one from having all-highway access between NYC & Philadelphia.

NJ Turnpike South to Exit 7A to 195 West to 295 South to 76 West.

Haven't we been through this ad nauseum already? The predicament is usually (and accurately) expressed as "no direct highway access between Phila and NYC." Sure, there's a roundabout highway path to get between the two, but it puts you into south Phila. You can't get from NYC to the nearest part of Philadelphia, northeast Phila.

Yes, we have. 

But you're also thinking of solely one route - I-95 - and thinking solely of a very, very specific area of Northeast Philly near the Delaware River.  US 1 also runs thru Northeast Philly and connects directly into the PA Turnpike already.  In fact, the border from Northeast Philly to the PA Turnpike is only a mile.   You're correct in that there's no direct highway route from the north THRU Northeast Philly towards Center City Philly.  But there is, and always has been, direct access to Northeast Philly.

But there's always going to be issues getting from/to certain areas of cities.  We can say the same thing about Washington DC that there's no direct highway access to much of the city if you're coming from the north.

[Beltway]

But you're also thinking of solely one route - I-95 - and thinking solely of a very, very specific area of Northeast Philly near the Delaware River. 

A huge swath of population and business and industry along the I-95 corridor from Center City to Bensalem.

US 1 also runs thru Northeast Philly and connects directly into the PA Turnpike already.  In fact, the border from Northeast Philly to the PA Turnpike is only a mile.   You're correct in that there's no direct highway route from the north THRU Northeast Philly towards Center City Philly.  But there is, and always has been, direct access to Northeast Philly.

Not direct -freeway- access to I-95 north in New Jersey.  Other options involve 6 to 15 miles of extra routings on already busy freeways, and Roosevelt Blvd. is not a freeway.

[PHLBOS]

Haven't we been through this ad nauseum already?

Yes, per this other thread.

[jeffandnicole]

But you're also thinking of solely one route - I-95 - and thinking solely of a very, very specific area of Northeast Philly near the Delaware River. 

A huge swath of population and business and industry along the I-95 corridor from Center City to Bensalem.

US 1 also runs thru Northeast Philly and connects directly into the PA Turnpike already.  In fact, the border from Northeast Philly to the PA Turnpike is only a mile.   You're correct in that there's no direct highway route from the north THRU Northeast Philly towards Center City Philly.  But there is, and always has been, direct access to Northeast Philly.

Not direct -freeway- access to I-95 north in New Jersey.  Other options involve 6 to 15 miles of extra routings on already busy freeways, and Roosevelt Blvd. is not a freeway.

I'm just pointing out that yes, there's direct access to Northeast Philly. If you want to locate individual properties in specific sections of the city and say they don't have freeway access, then you're welcome to do so.  But the fact is you can take I-95 to Exit 6 of the NJ Turnpike, cross over to the PA Turnpike, and exit at US 1.  Go one mile, and you're in Northeast Philly.

If you're at Northeast Philly airport, it will still be more direct to take US 1 to the PA Turnpike.  If you're at Torresdale Hospital, then 95 will be more direct once the interchange is open.  The two are only a mile or two apart in Northeast Philly; it all depends where your destination is located.

And yes, because people like to volley back and forth, if anyone continues to say direct access thru the Northeast to Center City, yes, it will be more direct.  Will it be faster?  That's subject to debate, depending on traffic.  Will it be cheaper?  Absolutely not.  It will cost you about $2 more in tolls to go the new direct all-highway route than today's shortest all-direct highway route.