PA Turnpike News

[vdeane]

The Mid-County toll plaza is gone. SB traffic is now (somewhat abruptly) shifted in and out of the old toll plaza area with three continuous lanes, while the former express lanes are closed. NB traffic still splits, with one lane through the toll plaza area and the other two through the express lanes.

At Valley Forge, there are now three continuous lanes on I-76 East heading to US 202, where the right lane exits. However, traffic entering from the mall now must merge twice in about 700 feet to continue on I-76.

Why are they closing the express lanes on I-476 southbound at Mid-County and shifting traffic to the old toll plaza area?

I would hope that they're reconfiguring the area so all the thru lanes can use them.

[Beltway]

The Mid-County toll plaza is gone. SB traffic is now (somewhat abruptly) shifted in and out of the old toll plaza area with three continuous lanes, while the former express lanes are closed. NB traffic still splits, with one lane through the toll plaza area and the other two through the express lanes.
At Valley Forge, there are now three continuous lanes on I-76 East heading to US 202, where the right lane exits. However, traffic entering from the mall now must merge twice in about 700 feet to continue on I-76.

Why are they closing the express lanes on I-476 southbound at Mid-County and shifting traffic to the old toll plaza area?

Stage construction as the old plazas are removed and lanes are converted to open road tolling.

[MASTERNC]

The Mid-County toll plaza is gone. SB traffic is now (somewhat abruptly) shifted in and out of the old toll plaza area with three continuous lanes, while the former express lanes are closed. NB traffic still splits, with one lane through the toll plaza area and the other two through the express lanes.

At Valley Forge, there are now three continuous lanes on I-76 East heading to US 202, where the right lane exits. However, traffic entering from the mall now must merge twice in about 700 feet to continue on I-76.

Why are they closing the express lanes on I-476 southbound at Mid-County and shifting traffic to the old toll plaza area?

The old gantries and the concrete barrier separating the express lanes and toll plaza are still there.  Given the express lanes were only two lanes, everything needs to be removed so there can be 3-4 lanes straight through.

[Flyer78]

The Mid-County toll plaza is gone. SB traffic is now (somewhat abruptly) shifted in and out of the old toll plaza area with three continuous lanes, ...

Very abrupt, and with conflicting signage about closed lanes, shoulders, etc. That should be temporary though, and at least they keep three lanes through; so it is better than the very short-lived "trial" when they put all traffic through the open-road gantry only.

Northbound, I wonder if the final layout will give more space for traffic destined for the mainline pike, which does backup now. Of course, the chokepoint there is a two lane-ramp merging to one lane before merging with I-276, so probably won't make a huge difference.

[MASTERNC]

The Mid-County toll plaza is gone. SB traffic is now (somewhat abruptly) shifted in and out of the old toll plaza area with three continuous lanes, ...

Very abrupt, and with conflicting signage about closed lanes, shoulders, etc.

Not as conflicting as the sign about a right lane closure NB, where the third lane doesn't close at all.  I get why they did that, since the middle lane used to split at the toll plaza, but I have to think that was the cause of some unusual congestion at non-rush hours heading up to Mid-County

[Bitmapped]

I was on the southern section of the Mon-Fayette Expressway today and noticed that PTC replaced the "Welcome to the Pennsylvania Turnpike" northbound and "Thank You for Traveling the Pennsylvania Turnpike" southbound signs near the West Virginia state line. Both new signs feature an aerial photo of a pair of bridges crossing high over a valley. I wasn't able to tell where the photo was taken driving by at speed.

[The Ghostbuster]

I think Exits 2 and 4 on PA 43 should have been numbered Exits 1 and 3, since Exit 2 is just past milepost 1 and Exit 4 is around milepost 3.4. Was Exit 2 numbered the way it was to avoid confusion with Exit 1 on WV 43?

[Bitmapped]

I think Exits 2 and 4 on PA 43 should have been numbered Exits 1 and 3, since Exit 2 is just past milepost 1 and Exit 4 is around milepost 3.4. Was Exit 2 numbered the way it was to avoid confusion with Exit 1 on WV 43?

Having two successive Exits #1 wouldn't have made much sense.

[Roadgeekteen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIFZ6vq0IUM

Interesting video of a guy exploring the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike. An outstanding video, but he calls the Turnpike a "US Highway" at times which got my roadgeek senses perked. I guess it is a highway in the US. So interesting, not sure how many other places you get an abandoned freeway.

[ilpt4u]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIFZ6vq0IUM

Interesting video of a guy exploring the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike. An outstanding video, but he calls the Turnpike a "US Highway" at times which got my roadgeek senses perked. I guess it is a highway in the US. So interesting, not sure how many other places you get an abandoned freeway.

There is an abandoned section of I-44 (Will Rogers Turnpike, maybe?) northeast of Tulsa. Much shorter than the abandoned PATP segments, tho

I-180 in Illinois might as well be abandoned, but not quite yet

[Dough4872]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIFZ6vq0IUM

Interesting video of a guy exploring the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike. An outstanding video, but he calls the Turnpike a "US Highway" at times which got my roadgeek senses perked. I guess it is a highway in the US. So interesting, not sure how many other places you get an abandoned freeway.

Yeah I walked along the portion of the abandoned turnpike between Breezewood and the west portal of the Rays Hill Tunnel. Nice walk, lot of graffiti along the roadway and the tunnel portal.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.paturnpike.com/all-electronic-tolling/open-road-tolling

The Pennsylvania Turnpike now has a dedicated website on open-road tolling and the configuration of each former toll plaza post-removal.

[Bitmapped]

I was on the southern section of the Mon-Fayette Expressway today and noticed that PTC replaced the "Welcome to the Pennsylvania Turnpike" northbound and "Thank You for Traveling the Pennsylvania Turnpike" southbound signs near the West Virginia state line. Both new signs feature an aerial photo of a pair of bridges crossing high over a valley. I wasn't able to tell where the photo was taken driving by at speed.

I got another look at the southbound sign this exit, albeit after dark and still at speed. I think the photo is of the Joe Montana Bridges on the Mon-Fayette looking southbound.

[Bitmapped]

I stopped at St. John's Church in New Baltimore this evening for the first time since the widening project through here began. I could not find any sign of the staircases that previously provided access from the highway to the church. A retaining wall takes up much of where the eastbound staircase was, and the westbound one would have been removed for reconfiguring the service driveway.

[74/171FAN]

PennDOT - District 6 News: PA Turnpike Bridge Construction to Close Newportville Road in Bristol, Bensalem Townships