PA Turnpike News

[Roadsguy]

The PTC finally replaced this sign, the eastbound exit sign for Lebanon-Lancaster (PA 72), after it was presumably hit by a vehicle and knocked down over a year ago. Notably, the new sign doesn't have the interchange name at the top, suggesting that they intend to phase out the names over time.

They also replaced the Lancaster control city with Manheim, which makes far more sense. So far, they've only replaced this one sign out of all of them at this interchange, but it would be weird if they left it with different control cities on different signs.

[Beltway]

I guess all new ramps they build on the turnpike won't have an official name anymore, especially since there will be no more toll plazas. They have never given the PA 29 interchange a name and it's been 15 years now, though I recall seeing a press release where they referred to it as the Malvern Interchange.

I always referred to it as the Devault interchange even in planning which goes back to the 1970s.

The area around PA 29 and the Turnpike ramp system straddles Devault's industrial corridor and isn't really in downtown Malvern. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission never formally assigned a name, so local shorthand has filled the gap: some say Devault, some Malvern, and others just Route 29 Interchange or Exit 320.

If PA-29 was rebuilt between there and Phoenixville as was planned in the 1970s, it could logically be called the Phoenixville interchange.

[wildcat7176]

I guess all new ramps they build on the turnpike won't have an official name anymore, especially since there will be no more toll plazas. They have never given the PA 29 interchange a name and it's been 15 years now, though I recall seeing a press release where they referred to it as the Malvern Interchange.

I always referred to it as the Devault interchange even in planning which goes back to the 1970s.

The area around PA 29 and the Turnpike ramp system straddles Devault's industrial corridor and isn't really in downtown Malvern. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission never formally assigned a name, so local shorthand has filled the gap: some say Devault, some Malvern, and others just Route 29 Interchange or Exit 320.

If PA-29 was rebuilt between there and Phoenixville as was planned in the 1970s, it could logically be called the Phoenixville interchange.

Devault would have made the most sense, especially because the PTC already has the Devault Maintenance Station which I believe they recently rebuilt.

I really wonder how they would have rebuilt 29 in that area with the creek and the rugged terrain right around the roadway. Probably would have had to realign the route entirely, but overall it would have helped make a better and faster route from West Chester to Phoenixville.

[Beltway]

If PA-29 was rebuilt between there and Phoenixville as was planned in the 1970s, it could logically be called the Phoenixville interchange.

Devault would have made the most sense, especially because the PTC already has the Devault Maintenance Station which I believe they recently rebuilt.
I really wonder how they would have rebuilt 29 in that area with the creek and the rugged terrain right around the roadway. Probably would have had to realign the route entirely, but overall it would have helped make a better and faster route from West Chester to Phoenixville.

I saw the final design plans when I worked at PennDOT in the 1970s. Almost entirely on new alignment, 55 mph design speed.

I don't understand why after all these years they have not built it. The existing road is a paved wagon trail. The major access road to the south of the boro.

[ARMOURERERIC]

I follow the PTC bidding/letting page, seems there has been nothing advertised for several weeks now.

[wildcat7176]

I follow the PTC bidding/letting page, seems there has been nothing advertised for several weeks now.

I am subscribed to get emails about updates about NE Extension projects and mainline projects in the eastern part of the state, and all I got recently was a pretty standard update about MP 312-316. I have been interested to see when construction is going to start on MP 320-324, because the PTC said that would begin this summer now that MP 324-326 is finished, although maybe that was a typo and they meant next summer. I do wonder if the PA 29 sinkhole project is delaying the start of that, because there have actually been times in the morning rush hour that traffic is so bad on 29 that it backs up onto the turnpike, so probably not a good idea to start a reconstruction project in that area as well.

[ARMOURERERIC]

I did find an small Mon Valley newspaper reporting that the next section of the Mon Fay will go out to bids in December.

[Beltway]

I am subscribed to get emails about updates about NE Extension projects and mainline projects in the eastern part of the state, and all I got recently was a pretty standard update about MP 312-316.

Their construction page list plans for the segment of 6-lane reconstruction between Quakertown and Allentown US-22. Looks like it could be all under construction by 2030.

That would complete the NE Extension 6-lane reconstruction between the east-west turnpike and Allentown.

[Mr_Northside]

The PTC finally replaced this sign, the eastbound exit sign for Lebanon-Lancaster (PA 72), after it was presumably hit by a vehicle and knocked down over a year ago. Notably, the new sign doesn't have the interchange name at the top, suggesting that they intend to phase out the names over time.

Of note, looking at new Streetview (must have been posted within a week or so ago) the (relatively) new overhead signs for Somerset heading EB *do* have the interchange name on them. 
Once the Beaver River bridge and Beaver Valley interchange reconstruction is done, it will be interesting to see if the new signs for that will have the name.

[Roadsguy]

The PTC finally replaced this sign, the eastbound exit sign for Lebanon-Lancaster (PA 72), after it was presumably hit by a vehicle and knocked down over a year ago. Notably, the new sign doesn't have the interchange name at the top, suggesting that they intend to phase out the names over time.

Of note, looking at new Streetview (must have been posted within a week or so ago) the (relatively) new overhead signs for Somerset heading EB *do* have the interchange name on them. 
Once the Beaver River bridge and Beaver Valley interchange reconstruction is done, it will be interesting to see if the new signs for that will have the name.

So do the new signs at Valley Forge after the widening, though only on the final exit signs and not on the approaching diagrammatics.

I just hope that if they are ditching interchange names, that they rationalize Mid-County and make it Exit 334 (for the NE Ext) on the mainline and Exit 20 (for the mainline) on the Northeast Extension.

[roadman65]

Why is the exit for US 13 signed as Exit 358 going SB?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4FJUe8aSHR2JfXgn8?g_st=ac

But NB it's signed Exit 42?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/T4E6uvtPkLFrmqZn8?g_st=ac



Yes the image for SB is dated back 3 years, but 3 years ago it was already I-95.  It was 2018 the changeover took place.

[Flyer78]

That image, when you select more dates, appears to revert to 2018.

[akotchi]

Why is the exit for US 13 signed as Exit 358 going SB?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4FJUe8aSHR2JfXgn8?g_st=ac

But NB it's signed Exit 42?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/T4E6uvtPkLFrmqZn8?g_st=ac



Yes the image for SB is dated back 3 years, but 3 years ago it was already I-95.  It was 2018 the changeover took place.

Your linked southbound image is dated April 2018 . . . the changeover occurred in September 2018.  Living nearby to this location, I have confirmed many times that this is signed as Exit 42.

[vdeane]

Why is the exit for US 13 signed as Exit 358 going SB?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4FJUe8aSHR2JfXgn8?g_st=ac

But NB it's signed Exit 42?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/T4E6uvtPkLFrmqZn8?g_st=ac



Yes the image for SB is dated back 3 years, but 3 years ago it was already I-95.  It was 2018 the changeover took place.

You're just looking at an ancient image because street view on the PA Turnpike usually defaults to that shitty "B&V Cam" instead of whatever the latest from Google is.

[storm2k]

Why is the exit for US 13 signed as Exit 358 going SB?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4FJUe8aSHR2JfXgn8?g_st=ac

But NB it's signed Exit 42?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/T4E6uvtPkLFrmqZn8?g_st=ac



Yes the image for SB is dated back 3 years, but 3 years ago it was already I-95.  It was 2018 the changeover took place.

You're just looking at an ancient image because street view on the PA Turnpike usually defaults to that shitty "B&V Cam" instead of whatever the latest from Google is.

That drives me nuts. I still don't get why Google defaults to that nonsense instead of their own GSV imagery that's much newer.

[vdeane]

Why is the exit for US 13 signed as Exit 358 going SB?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4FJUe8aSHR2JfXgn8?g_st=ac

But NB it's signed Exit 42?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/T4E6uvtPkLFrmqZn8?g_st=ac



Yes the image for SB is dated back 3 years, but 3 years ago it was already I-95.  It was 2018 the changeover took place.

You're just looking at an ancient image because street view on the PA Turnpike usually defaults to that shitty "B&V Cam" instead of whatever the latest from Google is.

That drives me nuts. I still don't get why Google defaults to that nonsense instead of their own GSV imagery that's much newer.

Google seems to have a hard-on for user-submitted imagery.  It's like there everywhere they have something submitted by someone else.  What they should actually be doing instead is deleting user-submitted imagery unless there's no Google imagery from a road within a year or so of when the user-submitted imagery is from (or if it's the bad imagery from 2007-2009).