Interstate 176 Pennsylvania
Overview
Known also as the Morgantown Expressway, Interstate 176 is a spur from I-76 / Pennsylvania Turnpike north to U.S. 422 on the outskirts of Reading. The freeway replaced Pennsylvania 10 and U.S. 122 as the main route between the Turnpike at Morgantown and the city of Reading.
History
HistoryAlternatively known as the Reading Spur, the Morgantown Expressway was first proposed in 1957.1 Numbered Interstate 180, as the Pennsylvania Turnpike was designated as I-80S at the time, the first contract for the freeway was awarded on August 17, 1960. It covered the 3.61 mile long stretch of I-180 between Green Hills Lake and the Reading Bypass (U.S. 422).2 Costing $9 million to build, the Morgantown Expressway was dedicated on October 23, 1962 by Governor David L. Lawrence in a ribbon cutting ceremony.1 Completion of the route led to the 1963 decommissioning of U.S. 122, which followed a parallel course through Berks County.
Until 1996, Interstate 176 ended at PA 10/23 (Main Street) in the community of Morgantown in Caernarvon Township. There was no direct connection to I-76 along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Eight options to link the two Interstates were considered in 1984. The most costly was a $33 million, 1.5 mile long connector branching southeast from a point 2.5 miles north of the freeway end at Morgantown. This option included building new trumpet interchanges at each end.3
Initial work on the Morgantown Connector focused on replacing the original Morgantown Interchange at PA 10 with a new trumpet interchange and access road located 1.5 miles to the northeast. This $17 million project was completed by November 1990.5 Costing $18.5 million, construction on the remainder of the two mile long Morgantown Connector commenced in 1994 and was completed on September 27, 1996.4 The former roadway of I-176 extending south to W Main Street was retained and numbered as Exit 2.
Route Information
North End – Reading, PA
South End – Morgantown, PA
Mileage – 11.35
Cities – Reading
- Junctions –
Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
I-176 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)
Original button copy signs on U.S. 422 eastbound at Interstate 176 south. These were replaced by the late 1990s. September 1993
Interstate 176 Extension
A hearing held on December 8, 1966 outlined two concepts to extend Interstate 176 southward.6 One proposal lengthened Interstate 176 southwest from Morgantown along a parallel course 1.5 miles to the south of PA 23, to New Holland and Lancaster. Estimated to cost $15.4 million, the 21.8 mile long route was thought to initially open as a two lane limited access highway.7 This met strong opposition due to the duplication of the then proposed freeway for U.S. 222 from Reading to Lancaster. A second highway proposal involved either extending Interstate 176 south to Oxford or widening PA 10 into a four lane expressway. Talks at this time also included building the Morgantown Connector.6
Speed limits along Interstate 176 were posted at 65 miles per hour from 19668 until November 30, 1973, when the national 55 mile per hour limit was imposed.9 All signage along I-176 was replaced by Summer 2000.
 Photo Guides
 Photo GuidesNorth End 
– Reading, Pennsylvania
North at 
An end sign for I-476 stands ahead of the diamond interchange (Exit 10) with PA 724 to the boroughs of Shillington and Birdsboro. 12/21/20
A second I-476 end sign sign precedes Exit 10 at Ridgewood next to Gibraltar Hill. 12/21/20
Interstate 176 extends a half mile north from PA 724 onto Poplar Neck along the Susquehanna River. PA 724 parallels the river to the south while U.S. 422 follows the West Shore Bypass east to Exeter Township to the north. 12/21/20
Interstate 176 spans a Norfolk Southern Railroad line ahead of the single lane ramps for U.S. 422 (W Shore Bypass). 12/21/20
Interstate 176 northbound concludes at a trumpet interchange with U.S. 422 east to Pottstown (Exit 11A) and west into the city of Reading (Exit 11B). 12/21/20
Neversink Mountain rises to the north of the Schuylkill River and the exchange (Exit 11) with U.S. 422. 12/21/20
West at
U.S. 422 (West Shore Bypass) advances west across the Schuylkill River to Interstate 176. 12/21/20
U.S. 422 west at the loop ramp for I-176 south to the PA Turnpike and Morgantown. 12/21/20
East at
U.S. 422 (West Shore Bypass) crosses the Schuylkill River ahead of the trumpet interchange with Interstate 176 (Morgantown Expressway) south. 12/21/20
North End Throwback
North at
The previous 2.5 mile end sign for I-476 was carbon copied. Photo by Jason Ilyes (05/22/02).
06/24/12
A Clearview-font based sign replaced this diagrammatic overhead for U.S. 422 by 2016. The new sign still omits Exits 11A/B. 06/24/12
These overheads were replaced with Clearview font by 2016. Photo by Jason Ilyes (05/22/02).
East at
Previous overheads on U.S. 422 east at I-176 south were replaced in 2016/2017. 07/28/00
West at
06/24/12
South End 
– Morgantown, Pennsylvania
South at 
Interstate 176 shifts southeast onto the Morgantown Connector ahead of a parclo interchange (Exit 1) with PA 10 and the trumpet interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike. 12/21/20
Exit 1 departs I-176 south for PA 10 south into Morgantown and north along old U.S. 122 to Joanna Furnace and Beckersville. A toll plaza follows for the Pennsylvania Turnpike west to Harrisburg and east to Philadelphia. 12/21/20
East at
I-76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike) bends southeast through Caernarvon Township two miles ahead of the Morgantown Interchange with I-176 and PA 10. Photo by Chris and Amber Lokken (06/24/08).
Interstate 176 connects I-76 with PA 10 just north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Morgantown. The original freeway spur south to PA 10/23 spans the toll road one mile ahead of Exit 298. PA 23 leads northeast to Hopewell Furnace National Historical Site adjacent to French Creek State Park. Photo by Chris and Amber Lokken (06/24/08).
The former trumpet interchange (Exit 22) joining the Pennsylvania Turnpike with PA 10 (Morgantown Road) directly was located just west of Exit 298. Photo by Chris and Amber Lokken (06/24/08).
I-176 (Morgantown Expressway) travels north through Robeson Township toward Reading. PA 10 parallels the freeway on the old alignment of U.S. 122 north to Downtown Reading. The state route leads south from Morgantown to U.S. 30 near Parkesburg and U.S. 1 near Oxford. Nearby PA 23 travels southwest to Lancaster and east to Phoenixville. Photo by Chris and Amber Lokken (06/24/08).
West at
Interstate 76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike) navigates between Welsh Mountain and the borough of Elverson on the approach to the Morgantown Interchange with I-176 north to PA 10. 10/15/04
I-76 passes by big box retail stores, a manufacturing plant and town home communities leading into the trumpet interchange (Exit 298) with Interstate 176 and PA 10 north to Reading. 10/15/04
at
PA 10/23 combine west along Main Street in Morgantown to the original south end of Interstate 176 and nearby Twin County Road. 12/21/20
A confirming marker for Interstate 176 north stands along the original roadway linking PA 10/23 with the Morgantown Connector. 12/21/20
Sources:
- “Governor Officially Opens Morgantown Expressway.” Reading Eagle (PA), October 23, 1962.
- “First Expressway Contract Awarded.” Reading Eagle (PA), August 17, 1960.
- “Morgantown interchange plans weighed.” Reading Eagle (PA), September 13, 1984.
- “Morgantown Connector to open today.” Reading Eagle (PA), September 27, 1996.
- “Route 10 access limited.” Reading Eagle (PA), February 28, 1989.
- “Highway Department at Fault in Failure to Improve Route 10.” Reading Eagle (PA), January 23, 1968.
- “Berks Needs new Route 10 Southward and Before State Rebuilds Route 23.” Reading Eagle (PA), December 8, 1968.
- “Morgantown Expressway To Get 65 M.P.H. Limit.” Reading Eagle (PA), July 25, 1966.
- “Speed Signs Altered.” Reading Eagle (PA), November 30, 1973.
Page updated July 7, 2021.