Pennsylvania Highways: Pennsylvania Turnpike PennsylvaniaTurnpike Early Years The Beginning Planning a Grand Highway Work Begins on America's First Superhighway Open for Business A Magic Carpet Through the Alleghenies The March to War Expansion Years Tunnels, Tunnels, Everywhere a Tunnel Bell Bottoms, Gas Lines, and TMI The Decade of Decadence The Big 5-0 Highway to the 21st Century EARLYYEARSReferred to as "America's FirstSuperhighway," it is strange to think that the Turnpikehad its roots in another form of transportation: the railroad. WilliamH. Vanderbilt proposed an idea to build a railroad from Harrisburg to Pittsburghthat would be under his control, and not that of the PennsylvaniaRailroad.After the surveying was complete,work began on a two-track roadbed with nine tunnels. Excavation began onthe tunnels in early 1884. Thousands of workers dug the tunnels for$1.25 for a 10 hour day. The construction continued through 1884 and 1885;however, trouble for the project was starting in New York. Banker J.Pierpont Morgan won a seat on the board of Vanderbilt's New York City &Hudson River Railroad. Morgan with the President of the NYC&HRRRsold the right-of-way to George B. Roberts, President of the PennsylvaniaRailroad. Work stopped immediately. A total of $10 million hadbeen spent and 26 workers lost their lives. The unfinished projectcame to be known as "Vanderbilt's Folly." Andrew Carnegie visits the RaysHill Tunnel work site.(Pennsylvania State Archives)A part of the right-of-way wasused for the Pittsburgh, Westmoreland, and Somerset short line railroad.The PW&S even completed one of the nine tunnels. None of the othertunnels had been finished, but some workers say that some were close enoughto hear crews in the other section. Most of the line reverted to naturewith water filling many of the tunnels. One of the engineers said thison the demise of the line: "And here, for the time being, and probablyfor a long time to come, is smothered the best line of railroad between theOhio Valley and the Atlantic that has ever been or can be projected, built,or operated." Some of the graded roadbed utilized bya short linerailroad near Somerset in 1885.(Pennsylvania State Archives)Links:South Penn Railroad Right ofWayPittsburgh, Westmoreland, &Somerset Railroad and South Penn Railroad Grade - Russell Love THEBEGINNINGThe twentieth century came andwith it a new form of transportation: the automobile. Pennsylvania was oneof the first states to establish a highway department. In late 1934,an employee with the State Planning Board named Victor Lecoq and WilliamSutherland of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association proposed the ideaof building a toll highway utilizing the old roadbed and tunnels left behind.With these two gentlemen and with newly elected Representative Cliff S.Patterson, the idea became reality. On April 23, 1935, he introducedHouse Resolution # 138 to authorize a feasibility study. Preliminary work insidethe Tuscarora MountainTunnel on January 24, 1938.(Pennsylvania State Archives)Construction was proposed to costanywhere from $60 million to $70 million. The surveyor's report wasfavorable and upon receiving this news, Governor George Earle signed Act211 on May 21, 1937. This legislation enacted the Pennsylvania TurnpikeCommission. On June 4, the initial commission members werenamed. The valley between the Blue and KittatinnyMountains as it appeared on November 5, 1937.(Pennsylvania State Archives)Although financing had yet tobe completed, the first contract to be awarded was to Pittsburgh contractorGeorge Vang. This was for removal of the water from the existing tunnels. The final federal approval for financing came on October 10, 1938. Four days later, the first contract for construction of the highwaywas advertised for bids. The contract, which covered a 10 mile stretchin Cumberland County, was awarded to the L.M. Hutchison Company of MountUnion, Pennsylvania. The problem was that there was not a single stretch of right-of-waypurchased. That problem was resolved when the Turnpike's General Counsel,John D. Faller, traveled to Cumberland County to talk to the farmer whoseland was proposed as the future right-of-way. Mr. Faller, and the representativesfrom the Public Works Administration and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation,came to the site were the ground breaking would take place. There were200-300 farmers and neighbors standing around. The gentlemen spoketo the wife of the farmer who owned the land. She agreed to sell thetract to the state. Afterwards she wanted their autographs. When Mr.Jones asked why, she said: "Mr. Jones, I want these autographs so thatmy children can say that they saw history being made that day when the greatesthighway, a new era of road building, was started."  Ground breaking ceremonies on October 27, 1938. Walter Jones, the commission chairman turns the first spade of dirt. (Pennsylvania State Archives)  An early publicity map showing the highway with nine tunnels. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)  The eastern portal of the Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel on August 9, 1938. (Pennsylvania State Archives)  Walter Albert Jones, first commission chairman. (Pennsylvania State Archives) PLANNING AGRAND HIGHWAYUntil the first shovels of dirtwere thrown, the PTC relied on funds from the federal government, the Departmentof Highways, and loans from engineers from private industry. At first,Chief Engineer Samuel W. Marshall supervised 115 engineers, but within threemonths that number grew to more than 1,100. The added staff was necessaryfor the Commission to meet the construction-season cycle and the deadlinefor completion set by the federal government. The planners figuredon a three-four year construction period, but in the approval of the $29million grant, the Public Works Administration set a completion date of May1, 1940 (moved to June by a later amendment), by which the highway shouldbe "substantially complete." This meant the PTC had a short 20 monthdeadline to by which to complete a large public works project. Commission officials meet on October 10, 1938. From left to right:Commission nominee Edward N. Jones, Commissioner Frank Bebout,Chief Counsel John Faller, Commission Chairman Walter A. Jones,Chief Engineer Samuel Marshall, Secretary of Highways Roy Brownmiller,and Commissioner Charles Carpenter.The engineers also had to changethey way they designed highways. Highways had always been built withflat curves to discourage speeding. Now, the engineers were expectedto design easy grades, to allow cars and trucks year round use. Long,sweeping curves would give ample room for high speeds and safe stoppingdistances. The engineers decided on the followingstandards: A right-of-way width of 200 feet. A four-lane divided configuration, with 12-foot-wide concrete traffic lanes, a ten-foot-wide median strip and ten-foot-wide shoulders, for a total of 78 foot width of ROW. (Early plans called for ten-foot-wide lanes, and just a four-foot-wide median strip. Also, a cheaper design that used two concrete lanes and two asphalt lanes was dropped. A maximum grade of 3% (three feet of climb for every 100 feet of forward travel), compared to hills as steep as 9% to 12% on the old two lane William Penn (US 22) and Lincoln Highways (US 30). A maximum curvature of six degrees, most of which occurred on the climb from New Baltimore to the Allegheny Tunnel; however, most curves were only 3% to 4 %. Substantial superelevation, or banking, on curves. Limited access, with 1,200-foot-long entrance and exit ramps to provide plenty of distance for accelerating and decelerating. A minimum 600 foot sight distance from motorist to traffic ahead. No cross streets, driveways, traffic signals, crosswalks or railroad grade crossings. All vehicular or pedestrian traffic would go over or under the Turnpike. Along the same distance on the Lincoln Highway and US 11, there were 939 cross streets, 12 railroad crossings and 25 traffic signals. What separated this highway fromothers was that it was considered one continuous design task from Irwin toCarlisle. Charles Noble, a design engineer for the Commission who latermoved on to become chief engineer for the New Jersey Highway Department andthe New Jersey Turnpike Authority, described this feat in the July 1940 Civil Engineering magazine, "Unlike the existing highway systems ofthe United States, in which design standards fluctuate every few miles, dependingon the date of construction, the Turnpike will have the same designcharacteristics throughout its 160-mile length. Every effort has beendirected towards securing uniform and consistent operating conditions forthe motorist." He also went on to say, "In fact, the design was attackedfrom the viewpoint of motor-car operation and the human frailty of the driver,rather than from that of the difficulty of the terrain and method of constructionThis policy of design, based on vehicle operation, is relativelynew."Even with the construction gettingunderway, there was already a place in the United States where people couldexperience a long-distance superhighway: General Motor's "Futurama"exhibit at the 1939-40 World's Fair in New York City. Sixteen millionvisitors took a 16 minute narrated ride through a vision of the United Statesin the far off year of 1960. Norman Bel Geddes, an industrial designer,built a diorama that had as its focus limited-access superhighways. Peoplewere able to get a taste of the things to come. However, many of the principlesthat were showcased in the exhibit, and used in the Turnpike's design, werealready a part of Germany's Autobahns and on a 15-mile section of the BronxRiver Parkway in New York City.As the proposed completion datedrew near, there was one problem the state was facing: no right-of-wayclearing nor excavation had taken place. This doesn't mean thatno work had taken place; however, workers had been busying pumping waterfrom the abandoned South Pennsylvania Railroad tunnels so that engineerscould determine their condition. That changed when the Commission awardedContract Number 1 to the L. M. Hutchinson. After this happened, thePTC began doing business with owners of 730 properties that lay in the pathof the Turnpike. Houses, farms, and at least one coal mine was acquiredby the state under eminent domain, which Pennsylvania was one of the fewstates that then allowed an agency to take land from the holder without comingto a deal with them, by posting a bond with a court, and agreeing to negotiatea settlement later. Without this power, the project could not havebeen finished as soon as it was. WORK BEGINS ON AMERICA'S FIRSTSUPERHIGHWAYWith all of the preliminary worksuch as surveying and land acquisition completed, it was time to get downto business. Workers began to pour into the southern tier of Pennsylvania,almost 54 years after they did the same thing for the construction ofVanderbilt's railroad. One of the contractors held the distinctionof working on both projects, and one man was documented as having workedon both the South Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Turnpikeprojects.Initially, a headquarters forthe project staff was set up at the Department of Highway's district officein Hollidaysburg, then field offices in Shippensburg, Everett, Somerset,and Mount Pleasant.By July 1939, the highway, seventunnels, and more than 300 structures were under contract, and a month laterconstruction was underway. The contracts were awarded to 155 companiesfrom 18 states. The date that will go down in history as when concretewas first poured on a superhighway project is August 31, 1939. By the springof 1940, 15,000 workers were helping to shape the future of highway construction. With all of these people coming en masse, housing was placed at a minimal inrural southwestern and south central Pennsylvania. It was so scarcethat some employees lived, with their families, in tents near the constructionsites. The hourly wages for the workers ranged from 52.5 cents forunskilled laborers to $1.40 for heavy equipment operators, compared toVanderbilt's pay of $1.25 back in the 1880s.With the work being hurried alongat a fast pace to keep within the timetable, contractors had to work dayand night with an average of two shifts a day and sometimes three. Portablegenerators supplied electricity for the work areas in the remote Pennsylvaniawoodlands, because little commercial electricity was available. Residentengineers and inspectors manned each site around the clock to insure thatthe work was able to progress. Approximately $30 million worth of thenmodern highway building equipment was utilized. Typical interchange layout (Civil Engineering)The project calledfor: 160 miles of four-lane all concrete highway, from Middlesex in Cumberland County (15 miles west of Harrisburg) to Irwin in Westmoreland County (20 miles east of Pittsburgh). Seven two-lane tunnels, which total to 6.7 miles in length. Six where former South Pennsylvania Railroad tunnels; however, Allegheny Mountain was built 85 feet south of the old railroad tunnel because its interior was considered to be unstable and dangerous. Tunnels were constructed at Allegheny Mountain, Ray's Hill, Sideling Hill, Tuscarora Mountain, Kittatinny Mountain, and Blue Mountain. Two other former South Pennsylvania tunnels at Quemahoning Mountain and Negro Mountain were bypassed with open cuts. Eleven interchanges, with toll booths (ticket offices originally) at Irwin, New Stanton, Donegal, Somerset, Bedford, Breezewood, Fort Littleton, Willow Hill, Blue Mountain, Carlisle, and Middlesex. One toll plaza, a mainline plaza, served both Carlisle and Middlesex. Ten service plazas, located 25 to 30 miles apart, which in total cost $500,000 to construct, where the traveler could eat or purchase gasoline. The Commission decided not to operate the plazas themselves, but instead to license them to Standard Oil of Pennsylvania which operated the gas stations and who in turn subcontracted out the dining areas and gift shops to the Howard Johnson's restaurant company. Taking a page from the German Autobahns, the planners decided to make the plazas resemble regional architecture, which in this case was early Pennsylvania stone houses. Crew of the L.M. Hutchison Company, the first contractor on the Turnpike.(Pennsylvania State Archives)The completion of the tunnelswas the most daunting task of the project. None of the existing SouthPennsylvania tunnels that were going to be used for the Turnpike were"holed-through" in 1885; however, they were excavated from both ends. Theuncompleted sections ranged from 551 feet in the Kittatinny Mountain Tunnelto 3,379 feet in the Sideling Hill Tunnel. Problems also occurred due tothe way that they were initially bored. The railroad's intent was tobuild double-track tunnels for its double-track line, but as corporatecommitments and cash began to slow to a trickle, the design changed so thatthe tunnels would be only single-track width. Therefore, Turnpike engineersfound wide entrances but narrow widths in the deepest parts. However, byutilizing the South Pennsylvania tunnels, a Turnpike engineer of that dayestimated that it saved $2 million.The construction occurred in around-the-clock cycle, with the contractors working like an assembly-line.One group of workers would would drill about 100 holes 10 feet into rock,and then placed 800 to 1,100 pounds of explosives into the holes. Afterthe detonation, a following shift would clear the rock and rubble. Softerrock required less holes, explosives, and drilling time. Work on thetunnels would average from 11.3 feet to 35.7 feet depending on the type ofrock. In addition to widening the tunnels to a width of 23 feet, anda height of 14 feet, the contractors reinforced the walls and floors withconcrete lining, and constructed buildings housing the ventilating fans whichwould blow fresh air into the tunnels and keep carbon monoxide levels safefor motorists. Many of the workers excavating the tunnels where coalminers idled due to a strike against the coal companies by labor leader JohnL. Lewis.A problem developed in the KittatinnyTunnel when workers struck a watery seam of sand, which released 500 to 1,000cubic yards of red, green, and black sand into the tunnel. It not onlyrequired a massive cleanup and resulted in a delay, but also a redesign ofthe tunnel walls for that section. One accident occurred in the buildingof the tunnels, when at the Laurel Hill Tunnel site, four men died in acave-in. Early proposal for the tunnel entrances.(Pennsylvania State Archives)Another massive earth moving operationoccurred just east of Everett at a hillside called Clear Ridge, where a tunnelwas considered, but instead a large cut was employed. The cut carvedis 153-feet-deep and a one-half-mile-long, and at the time, no highway cut thatdeep had ever been attempted in the United States. Promoters of the highwaywere quick to name the cut "Little Panama" to trade on the fame of the famouscanal built in 1914. One difference between the two was the amountof dirt removed: only 1.1 million cubic yards at Clear Ridge comparedto the 200 million cubic yards during the canal construction. The ridgeis now known as either the Clear Ridge Cut or the N. R. Corbisello, thecontractor from Binghamton, New York whose company performed the construction. Clear Ridge Tunnel as indicated on the 1939Department of Highways map.(Pennsylvania Department of Highways)To smooth out the alignment wherethe terrain was uneven, fill was added and each time compacted to avoid anyshifting that could occur when the concrete was poured. Approximately 13miles of highway was poured in 1939, but wet weather hampered work in spring1940. By May 8, 1940, only 30 miles of highway had been laid; however,soon 50 paving units would be producing two to three and one-half miles of highway aday.  Paving operations along the right-of-way. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)  Midway service plaza under construction. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission) Construction on the bridges andculverts would be a daunting task. 307 of them were designed and built,ranging in the the neighborhood of six feet to 600 feet in length. Twenty-oneearly overpasses were built with two spans that rested on a support columnin the median strip, but federal officials balked at that plan saying itwould pose a potential collision hazard. This resulted in most localhighways passing over the Turnpike on single-span bridges, many with a gentlyarched concrete design. Three of the bridges won design awards: thelargest bridge, a concrete viaduct east of New Stanton, the Dunnings Creekbridge near Bedford, and the Fort Littleton Interchange overpass. Also, achannel of the Juniata River was altered as part of theproject. Single-span bridge over Turnpike near Donegal.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)As spring turned into summer,the pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit. While the remainderof the work was drawing to a close, officials made test drives over the newhighway sometimes at speeds of 100 MPH or more. Local motorists sneakedonto the Turnpike for their own personal test drive, a practice that was partiallydiscouraged. Other preparations were underway such as law enforcementof the Turnpike. The Commission wanted its own force; however, AttorneyGeneral Claude T. Reno ruled that the then Pennsylvania Motor Police heldjurisdiction. With that decision, a corp of 59 troopers was organizedand trained at the state police academy at Hershey to specifically patrolthe highway, with the cost of enforcement being paid from toll revenue. This branch is now known as Troop T.With all the excitement buildingto the opening of America's first superhighway, one organization who wouldbenefit from the opening was voicing concern over the toll rates. ThePennsylvania Motor Truck Association and its national affiliate the AmericanTrucking Associations, negotiated with PTC officials on reducing round-tripfares for trucks, such as those offered to motorists, and reduced rates forhigh-volume users. The same this was going on, its newsletter Penntrux wascarrying ads from Turnpike contractors seeking services such as leasing 45dump trucks for paving jobs and trucks to haul Westinghouse transformersfrom rail sidings to the tunnels. Still, PMTA officials were pressingfor rates to be cut in time for the highway's ribbon cutting.A Fourth of July opening wasscheduled, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt was reported to be the onewho would cut the ribbon. However, Independence Day came and went withno opening ceremonies, postponed due to weather. On August 6, 1940,an impressive military convoy comprised of the National Guard's 108th FieldArtillery battalion, made a 135 mile trip from Indiantown Gap militaryreservation north of Harrisburg to Bedford utilizing 85 miles of thestill-incomplete Turnpike. The training exercise to prevent the "capture"of a theoretically "under siege" Bedford took eight hours and 15 minutes. This was partially from equipment breakdowns and partially from aneight mile detour around the Blue and Kittatinny Mountain Tunnels due towork still going on in that area. National Guard maneuvers over the Turnpike onAugust 6, 1940. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)Later in the month of August,Walter Jones, commissioner of the PTC, organized a two-day motorcade for175 guests, including US congressmen and senators from as far away as California. The tour began in Harrisburg on August 25 and the caravan began headingwestward at 10:30 AM the next morning. The group stopped along theway to inspect toll booths, tunnels, ventilation fans, the Clear Ridge Cut,and for lunch at 1 PM at the Midway service plaza, while the Bedford SpringsOrchestra performed. Jones, unable to attend due to illness, telephonedthe group from Washington when its members arrived in Pittsburgh for a banquetat the Duquesne Club.With no dedication still decidedupon, bondholders began getting anxious. Many of them started to pointout that each day the highway was not in operation, was another day its debtwould not be closer to retirement. At least a half dozen dedicationdates had been proposed and eventually scrapped. Some newspapers beganto suspect politics were at fault since 1940 was a presidential electionyear. Whether it was partisan politics at force or not, it was truethat scores of public officials of both parties rallied against Roosevelt'scontroversial campaign for a third term.Of all of the work taking placein the days leading up to the opening, one thing still had not been workedout: toll rates. On September 11, the Commission approved the firstfare schedule which was approximately $.01/mile for automobiles, or $1.50for the 160 mile trip from end to end, and $2.50 round-trip. Tollsfor trucks were based on weight and vehicle class, which was the resultof the toll collector's inspection of tire size, ranging from $3 to$10. PMTA unhappy with the toll rates, urged its members to boycottthe Turnpike.The commissioners gathered again,with Jones in attendance, on Monday, September 30. It was that afternoonthat he announced that the Turnpike would open for business at a minute pastmidnight Tuesday morning. With no ribbon-cutting, no ceremony, andno Roosevelt, the highway of tomorrow would be here today. Fort Littleton Interchange before its opening.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission) OPEN FORBUSINESSEven though Walter Jones gaveless than 12 hours notice that America's first superhighway would open, wordbegan to spread quickly. The news of the grand opening spread fromradio station reports that were broadcast throughout the afternoon, and by6 PM motorists began lining up at toll booths to become the first orone of the first to travel the futuristic highway.As soon as word got out, travelersand truckers alike altered their plans, with some making special trips fromas far away as New York and West Virginia to ride the Turnpike. A familydrove 150 miles out of their way, and still managed to get fourth place inline at the western terminus in Irwin. While all the excitement ofthe opening was going on, the first 50 attendants got prepared to dotheir job. Later Lee Rishel, superintendent of fare collection, recalledthat the order for their uniforms hadn't arrived in time for the opening. So the only official looking clothing they wore was a uniformhat. Motorists line up at Irwin, waiting for midnight.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)Even before the official wordcame down, it had been speculated that the opening was nearing. A watchmanat the Carlisle Interchange had to turn away some 600 motorists from 6 AMto 2 PM on September 30, the day the official announcement was made. Reportscirculated about what people were doing to become the first on the highway.One man had waited four days at the Somerset Interchange, a Philadelphia-boundtrucker since Sunday morning, and a ballet troupe from Boston heading toOklahoma had been waiting at the New Stanton Interchange since early thatMonday morning.As the hours up to the grand openinglingered, some motorists slept to pass the time. A couple from Virginiahad claimed first in line at Irwin, but after five hours had passed, decidedto leave to get something to eat. When they came back, they found twocars had taken first and second place. In the final hours leading upto midnight, motorists at Irwin and New Stanton tried to buy tickets early,but were denied by the good-natured attendants.As midnight drew nearer, theexcitement of the crowds that had gathered at each entrance became heightened. The night added to the drama of the opening, with the shiny blue tollbooths gleaming in the light from floodlights, which made a reporter fromthe Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph comment that they were "lighted like the entranceto a beautiful exposition." Turnpike's chief engineer, fifth from right, autographed this photo:"Opening Pennsylvania Dream Highway, Oct. 1st, 1940,Sam Marshall, Chief Engineer." (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)Finally, the moment people werewaiting for had finally come.Attendants waved the lines ofvehicles forward, began stamping, and handing out the first yellow toll tickets.However, before the motorists could head down into the history books, localofficials congratulated them and reporters interviewed them. The sceneat the western terminus in Irwin resembled a New Year's celebration withdrivers honking their horns and cheering. Spectators and well-wishers upon the openingat the Irwin Interchange.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)At the other end of the highway,where more than 100 people and 40 vehicles had gathered, the scene was thesame. The Harrisburg Telegraph captured the event: "At midnight,two black cats ambled across the gleaming cement. A minute later, aticket-seller dropped his arm in the gesture of an automobile race-starter,and traffic was under way." The first traveler to pass through theCarlisle booths was Homer D. Romberger, a feed and tallow dealer from Carlisle,who traveled 47 miles to Fort Littleton. Mr. Romberger happened tobe one of the many who came to the ground breaking ceremonies on the Eberlyfarm just 23 months earlier. He was handed a ticket by R. H. Pastorius ofHummelstown, one of four on duty. Other Turnpike firsts occurred atCarlisle: the first out-of-state traveler, Bruce Carroll, on a journeyback to his home in Ohio, the the first commercial vehicle on an interstatejourney bound for Steubenville, Ohio, and the first heavy truck loaded withpotatoes (symbolic of Pennsylvania's agricultural heritage) all entered atthat toll plaza. In total, 20 cars and four trucks passed thru theplaza at Carlisle in the first hour of operation.Back at the Irwin Interchange,the first driver to pass through the Irwin toll plaza was Carl A. Boe ofMcKeesport. He received his ticket from Morris Neilberg of Pittsburgh,one of three attendants on duty. Just after getting his toll ticket, he waswaived down by two men from Greensburg: Frank Lorey and Dick Gangle. They were aiming to be, and were, the first hitchhikers on the Turnpike;a practice later banned by law. A father from Pittsburgh with hisschool-aged son and daughter, Michael and Mary Costello, made an overnightround-trip for the fun of it. Their father said as they waited in lineat Irwin, "We filled the tank with gas and the car full of sandwiches. Ipromised to have the kids back in time for school tomorrow."With the excitement dying down,the crowds going home, and the night lingering, the first drivers on eachend began reaching the opposite side of the Turnpike. When they finallyreached the other side, they told stories of traveling 80 and sometimes 90MPH, while not having to worry about cross-traffic.Speaking of the high speeds beingachieved on the new Turnpike, it happened to be a distinctive feature that there was no set speed limit. In July 1940, a testcar managed to do 102 MPH and then Governor Arthur James agreed that thenormal statewide limit of 50 MPH would not apply. However, the attorneygeneral convinced the governor that it would be in the best interest of thestate if there was a speed limit on the Turnpike, and a week before the highwayopened, it was announced that a 50 MPH limit would be imposed. Thedecree was flatly ignored by both motorists and the troopers patrolling thehighway. People entering the highway who asked the attendants what the limitwas, their response was simply "Drive carefully." It soon became apparentthat the only limitations were nerve and common sense. An Ohio trucker whoexpected to get a speeding ticket told this story: "I was going downone of those grades at 70 to 80 miles an hour. I looked in the mirrorand saw a white car following me. I didn't know whether I was going to getarrested, so I pulled off the road as though to take a rest. The whitecar pulled off, too. An officer got out and asked me, 'How do you likethe road?' I said, 'It's very nice - I guess I get a ticket.' The coptold me, 'No, we aren't interested in the speed limit. As long as youstay on your own side and watch yourself, we won't bother you.'" Ifonly that kind of attitude still prevailed.One motorist who arrived in theearly morning at the Carlisle toll plaza, reported that he traveled the entire160 miles in two hours and ten minutes, an average of 74 MPH. Others whotook longer, from anywhere between 2 hours 30 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes,still managed to beat the usual time to travel between Harrisburg and Pittsburghof five and one-half hours via the two-lane Lincoln (US 30) or William Penn (US 22) Highways. It turned out that the new toll highway was not only a faster and easierride that these two highways, but also shorter: by about five miles comparedto US 30 and about 18 miles compared to US 22. A driver managed to coverthe 78 and one-half miles from Bedford to Carlisle in only 52 minutes, with an averagespeed of 91 MPH.Traveling the highway at highspeeds wasn't the only time saving way to accomplish the distance, but evenat moderate speeds the highway would still save time. One trucker commentedthat he was able to cover in four hours what it normally would take ten, savingsix hours and 20 gallons of gasoline. With all the time savings beingdiscussed, there was still one complaint with the Turnpike: it didn't goon to Pittsburgh. Merle Foust, who was traveling from Somerset to Irwin,said, "It just ends where it should be starting."Some travelers got so excitedabout the experience to driving the Turnpike, that they forgot to keep aneye on the fuel gauge. An attendant at the Carlisle(now Plainfield) Service Plaza reported that four cars had run out of gas, and he helpedone of the drivers to push his car to the pumps. And some travelersdid not want to partake of the the joy of driving the highway. A motoristfrom New York threatened to sue the PTC over the dime fare he was chargedwhen he unwittingly entered the Turnpike. He got on at the Middlesexramps and tried to make a U-turn two miles later at the Carlisle toll plaza.Even though he protested that the highway was not sufficiently signed, a statetrooper ordered him to pay the dime toll and leave via the Carlisle ramp. On the topic of out of state travelers, it was noted that about halfof the vehicles using the Turnpike on the first day of operation were fromoutside of Pennsylvania. And from those, about half of the states inthe country were represented.As the first day of operationcame to an end, it was reported that 1,550 vehicles had entered the Turnpikeat Irwin, and more than 1,900 at Carlisle. The log at the Bedfordheadquarters of the Pennsylvania Motor Police Turnpike Division noted: "Noaccidents, no arrests, and no unpleasantness."Soon after the opening, PennsylvaniaGreyhound Lines reported that it would begin long-haul intercity bus routesover the new highway. Prior to the Turnpike, it would take close to9 hours to travel between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh utilizing US 22. Nowthe company was offering twice a day service taking only five and one-quarter hours whichincluded a rest stop at Bedford. The Motor Bus Society reports thatGreyhound was the first commercial account for the Turnpike. The PublicUtility Commission, the agency responsible for regulating railroad and highwaytransportation commerce, granted the company intrastate rights to use theTurnpike with stops at Bedford and Somerset. The provision is thatthis new service did not have a negative impact on its existing routes. SomersetBus Company was also granted rights to utilize the Turnpike for service betweenSomerset, Irwin, and Pittsburgh with stops at Donegal and NewStanton. Advertisements like this began to appear inthe Harrisburg newspapers.(State Library of Pennsylvania)Still protesting the truck tollrates, the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA) continued to urgeits members to boycott the new Turnpike while they kept negotiating fora reduction. They pleaded with the PTC that many operators could not affordthe rates. However, the advantages in delivery time, fuel savings, and drivercomfort proved to be a more attractive point and within weeks, interstateand intrastate trucks without regulatory limitations became drawn to theTurnpike by the thousands. TRAFFIC POINTS OF ENTRANCE AND EXIT There are eleven (11) Interchanges located at selected points along the Turnpike route. These Interchanges have been strategically located so that they offer convenient connections with existing highways. The following diagrams show the eleven (11) points of exit and entrance with a brief description of the traffic flow for each. Each Interchange, as shown, is self-explanatory through the use of directional arrows and appropriate description for each direction of traffic--for entering and leaving the Turnpike. If there are any questions relative to reaching your destination they will be answered by the ticket-office or service station attendant.  This interchange makes a direction connection with U. S. Route No. 30 (Lincoln Highway). Traffic to and from the Turnpike for points of destination are shown by the directional arrows. The ticket office at the western terminus is located directly across the Turnpike proper on 6 traffic lanes. All other ticket offices, except at Carlisle Interchange, are located off the Turnpike on spur lanes provided for entrance and exit. (MILE 0)  This Interchange, being located on the heavily traveled U. S. No. 119, will serve to expedite traffic east and west across Pennsylvania from southwest to the east and vice-versa. Note ticket office is off the Turnpike proper. Follow directional arrows for correct guidance. (MILE 8) New Stanton Gas Station (W-B) MILE 11  This Interchange being located in a mountainous region and in the heart of a vacation-land serves as a direct connection to the nationally known town of Ligonier twelve miles north of this point. The annual Rolling Rock Horse Show is held in this community. (MILE 24) Laurel Hill Tunnel--4,541 feet MILE 33 Laurel Hill Gas Station (E-B) MILE 36  Somerset Interchange is located north and adjacent to the town and will serve as a direct connection to north-south traffic traveling on U. S. Route No. 219. Directional arrows point out destinations and mileage from this Interchange. (MILE 43) Somerset Gas Station (W-B) MILE 45 Allegheny Tunnel--6,070 feet MILE 56 New Baltimore Gas Station (E-B) MILE 63  The Interchange is located at the mid-point between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. It makes a direct connection to the heavily traveled U. S. Route No. 220 for north-south traffic and is only two miles north of the nationally known resort town of Bedford. (Considerable traffic will flow from the south through Bedford to this Interchange for east-west destinations.) (MILE 79) Midway Gas Station (E-B/W-B) MILE 80  The Interchange is conveniently located with a direct connection to the Lincoln Highway--U. S. Route No. 30. It will absorb and discharge a considerable volume of traffic using Pa. Route No. 126, which leads directly south into Maryland and Virginia, as well as from the normal flow of traffic on the Lincoln Highway proper. (MILE 96) Rays Hill Tunnel--3,532 feet MILE 98 Sideling Hill Tunnel--6,782 feet MILE 103 Cove Valley Gas Station (W-B) MILE 105  The above traffic facility located near Ft. Littleton on U. S. Route No. 522 will serve a north-south influx of traffic desiring direct connections with east-west destinations. It is anticipated that considerable hauling of coal from the famous Broad Top Coal Fields will use this Interchange for east-west distribution. (MILE 115) Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel--5,326.5 feet MILE 120 Path Valley Gas Station (E-B) MILE 121  The Willow Hill Interchange is provided to serve several connecting valleys throughout this area, which, during various seasons of the year receives a great amount of tourist travel on Pennsylvania Route No. 75. (MILE 124) Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel--4,727 feet MILE 131 Blue Mountain Tunnel--4,339 feet MILE 132  Blue Mountain Interchange is located two miles east of the Blue Mountain tunnel, making a direct connection with Pennsylvania Route No. 944, for points south by way of the Shenandoah Valley, and traffic from other routes such as the Lincoln Highway passing through Chambersburg, which is only fourteen miles south of this Interchange. (MILE 134) Blue Mountain Gas Station (W-B) MILE 136 Carlisle Gas Station (E-B) MILE 152  This Interchange is located north and adjacent to the historic town of Carlisle which in reality is the gateway to the west for traffic from all points east, as shown above. The 4-lane ticket office is located directly across the Turnpike proper, as is the ticket office at Irwin. Traffic desiring to proceed westward from this Interchange will follow the directional arrows as noted. (MILE 157)  The present eastern terminus of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is located at Middlesex, just two miles beyond the Carlisle Interchange, making a direct connection with U. S. Route No. 11 for points north and east, as shown. No ticket booth was provided for this Interchange due to its close proximity to Carlisle. When the Turnpike is extended to Philadelphia this Interchange may be eliminated. The foresight and discretion show by the Commission in its planning will prove economical. (MILE 160) †All distances to tunnels are given to middle of each tunnel. No crossing of center strip. No U turns. In emergency, park on the right-hand shoulder; you will be served with gas by the attendant from the opposite side. *W-B indicates Gas Stations for Westbound traffic O N L Y. **E-B indicates Gas Stations for Eastbound traffic O N L Y. A MAGIC CARPETTHROUGH THE ALLEGHENIESThe weekend of October 5 and 6was the first chance many people got to traverse this gem of a highway forthe first time. Even though the day turned out to be pleasant in termsof the weather, it would not be as pleasant for the Turnpike Commission. The amount of traffic in the morning was light, but by afternoon thenumbers grew with after-church and after-Sunday dinner motorists flockingto the interchanges and throwing them into pandemonium. Three of theinterchanges ran out of passenger-car toll tickets and had to resort to givinglight truck tickets or hand-written notes. Hexagonal toll booths on the original Turnpike.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)The largest problem that occurredwasn't trying to get traffic onto the highway, but trying to get the trafficoff the Turnpike. Traffic would back up for miles at all of theinterchanges waiting to get off, as the time to collect the ticket and tolland giving change when needed took longer than handing a motorist a ticket.The attendants were so busy that they couldn't even break for lunch, andsome were seen eating a sandwich with one hand while handing out ticketswith the other. Employees of the PTC expecting to go out for a cruise withtheir families were pressed into service directing traffic at the Carlisle Interchange. The jams were so bad that all 59 Pennsylvania Motor Policeofficers assigned to the Turnpike were on duty trying to ease the back-ups. A traveler from Johnstown said he waited four hours and 50 minutesin line to leave at Somerset. Back-ups at Bedford and Carlisle totaled sixand three miles respectively. The tunnels also saw the same amountof congestion as two lanes went into one to go through them. However, thePTC not only did a booming business in terms of toll revenue, but also fromsales at the Standard stations with 50,000 gallons sold thatday.The Bedford Gazette observed thatmany travelers did not intend to travel the entire length of the highway,but rather a small portion was the cause for the traffic jams. Manypeople entered at Irwin and planned to exit at Somerset, with their returntrip back over the Turnpike. However, when the approached the interchangeand witnessed the hundreds of cars backed-up, decided to continue on to Bedford. Then arrived there to find the jam up even worse than the one at Somerset. According to the Harrisburg Evening News, Carlisle Pike (US 11) was"black with automobiles traveling to and from the turnpike." Harrisburgpolice had to work a double shift to handle the traffic in the downtown thatspilled over from the Turnpike. The jams began to ease between 10:30 PM andmidnight, with early estimates ranging from 10,000 to 12,000 vehicles. However,when the tickets were finally counted, the total came to 27,000 with onlyone minor accident reported. Curved viaduct east of New Stanton.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)After the hectic weekend had passed,Governor Arthur James became the first celebrity to take a ride down theTurnpike on October 8. He was returning to Harrisburg after visitingan ill friend at the Mayo Clinic. The Governor flew to Chicago wherehe took a Pennsylvania Railroad train to Pittsburgh, then he drove to thecapital at 50 MPH which he himself decreed the maximum to be on the highwayjust weeks earlier. Four hours later he arrived at the Carlisle tollplaza and declared the Turnpike to be "a peach of a road." He also commentedon what is now called "highway hypnosis" by saying he had "the most somnolenttrip I've ever taken" and suggested that "(t)hey ought to give everybodya cup of coffee before they go onto the Turnpike to keep them awake." Forthose wondering, his toll was waived: "They told me I'm the only manprivileged to sign my name."At the same time the governorwas doing his own test drive, the Commission was gearing up for the comingweekend. Workers added temporary toll booths and asphalt lanes at allof the interchanges except Irwin's, and more toll tickets were printed. Its a good thing too, because on the second Sunday of operation, 30,000vehicles passed through the toll plazas but without the congestion of theprevious weekend. There was some trouble getting from the booths ontothe state highways and into the towns near the interchanges. In the end,the towns came out on top with motels, tourist homes, and restaurants packedwith travelers. The same business that worried the Turnpike would takebusiness off of US 30. Some motorists still did not understand theexpressway concept. One drove the wrong way on an exit ramp at Middlesexand wound up in a minor accident, and another pulled up to the Carlisle tollplaza asking how to get onto the Turnpike.The Turnpike officials releasedthe figures showing that in just four days of operation, the highway hadcarried 24,000 vehicles or about 6,000 a day. That was nearly doublethe number that was forecasted but the Turnpike's own traffic planners. With the weekend numbers of tourists and sightseers added to that,the number jumped to 150,000 for the first 15 days of operation, or about10,000 per day. Many of these trips were one-time curiosity trips,and were unlikely to mirror any trend in a normal day ofoperation.The number defied the dire predictionsthat the US Bureau of Public Roads, predecessor to the Federal HighwayAdministration, gave of 715 cars a day. Their position was not onlyanti-toll highway but also against intercity limited access highways, eithertoll or free. At the same time Pennsylvania was building their highway,President Franklin Roosevelt asked the Bureau's director, Thomas H. MacDonald,to conduct a study into building six national toll highways: three east-westand three north-south. MacDonald believed that toll highways would never attractenough customers to repay their construction costs, and instead backed theimprovement of urban highways as more important. However, he did agreethat a national system of highways was useful, but only ones with two laneswould be needed for much of the distance. This at a time when the totaldistance of four-lane highways measured 11,000 miles, among the three millionmiles of highways in existence in the United States. The results ofthe study were in a report to Congress titled Toll Roads and Free Roads. In Bruce E. Seely's 1987 book titled Building the AmericanHighway, he noted that the Bureau's report "attacked a national systemof toll superhighways as wasteful, presenting traffic estimates that showedthat only 3,346 of the proposed 14,336 miles required more than two lanes. Only 547 miles, it predicted, would return more than 70 percent ofthe receipts needed to retire the construction bonds, and only the 172 milesfrom Philadelphia to New Haven (Conn.) might break even. BPR analystsassumed that public resistance to tolls would deter traffic and that limitedaccess would prevent superhighways from serving the local traffic that formedthe majority of all trips, even if motorists wished to use them. TheBPR simply believed toll highways were unprofitable."The study separated the six tollhighways into 75 segments and estimated that the portion comprised of theTurnpike would rank no higher than 19th in traffic volume. The majorityof cars owned at the time belonged to families with an income of no morethan $1,500/year. The report said, "The cost of gasoline consumed ona trip may amount to a little more than a cent a mile. To the motorcar ownerwith an income of less than $1,500 a year, a toll of one cent per mileis likely to appear as a 100 percent increase in his cost of operation. Hewould view this as an additional cost that he is not likely topay."Of course, the traffic countsproduced by the Turnpike that confounded the critics, is what Phil Pattoncited in his 1986 book Open Road. "The BPR had no notion thatthe construction of new superhighways, like the introduction of such inventionsas the telephone and the auto itself, might create its owndemand."One of the effects of the Turnpike'ssuccess was how it altered the course of national highway policymaking.MacDonald's thinking was based more on the transportation needs of 1930sAmerica, before two factors of long distance motoring that would grow inthe post-war United States: rise of the trucking industry, and recreationaltravel. In the end, MacDonald was so wrong about toll highways that hisagency lost clout in setting the federal government's highway agenda, andmarked a historic turning point. From that time on, the decisions wouldbe made increasingly by officials sensitive to the voters, rather than justthe engineers. With the vigor of the Turnpike's success on their side, Rooseveltand Congress went back to the drawing board with the information containedin Toll Roads and Free Roads. This would eventually become theblueprint for today's Interstate Highway System.The impact of a superhighway availableto carry goods safely was felt by a 19-year-old Bill Yocum. He wasa truck driver who hauled Chrysler automobiles from Detroit to the port atBuffalo to Washington, DC. K.U.K. Auto Transit of Williamsport, the companyhe worked for, avoided operating over the shorter but mountainous US 30,and preferred to use US 6 through the northern tier of Pennsylvania, thendown the Susquehanna River valley to Harrisburg. US 22 was not considereda statewide trucking corridor because of a low-clearance underpass in Huntingdon. When the Turnpike opened, the company began using it and Yocum gotto experience the highway's first winter first hand. "I can remembersitting in one of the Turnpike restaurants with other drivers on a snowynight, and our conversation was about the fact that we wouldn't be out drivingat all if it weren't for the Turnpike. These winter nights when ordinarilytruckers would simply have to tie up." Yocum would later become presidentof the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA), commented that the highwaycut a full day off the round-trip journey between Detroit andWashington. Winter maintenance in the early days.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)He also commented on when truckscarrying flammable or explosive cargo were allowed to travel through thetunnels, after traffic was stopped in both directions. The practice wasstopped less than a year after the highway opened, whether due to traffic disruptionor because of the hazard. Ever since then, those types of cargo havebeen prohibited from using the tunnels.It wasn't only the truckers whowere impressed, but also the motoring public. One of them on October31, 1940, wrote on a Turnpike postcard mailed from Camp Hill to Pittsburgh: "We came through the tunnels. The lights make them like a fairy land." Even a Ford Motor Company publication exalted the highway as "theclosest the average American comes to breaching the sonic barrier is whenhe eases himself behind the wheel of the family car (no doubt implying aFord) and has a go at the Pennsylvania Turnpike."  Early tunnel illumination with recessed lighting. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)  One of many ads exalting the benefits of the Turnpike. (PTC) At the end of 1940, the traffictotals looked like this: 514,231 cars, 48,170 trucks, and 2,409 buses. From these users, the total revenues equaled $562,464, but it didn'tmean that these drivers had adjusted to the skills needed for high-speed,quick reaction situations. It definitely did not compensate for thefact that cars of the time were not built to go 80 MPH, or even 60 MPH forthat matter. Magazines at the time reflected this in stories they didabout the Turnpike. Fortune noted: "The Turnpike is the firstAmerican highway that is better than the American car. As such, it will representthe maximum in road construction for many years. It is proof against everyroad hazard except a fool and his car." Engineering News-Record notedthis: "Excessive speed on the Pennsylvania Turnpike has been checked moreby the experience...that cars and tires do not stand up under high sustainedspeed...than by any other means." Tire blowouts and engines overheatingwere common along the highway. It was not speed or a tire blowout,but icy conditions that led to the first fatality on the Turnpike when ArthurB. Turner, 66, of Bethlehem lost control of his car and struck a center bridgepier one and one-half miles west of Donegal. He was pronounced of dead of a skull fractureafter being admitted to Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg.The year of 1941 brought abouta resolution between the PTC and the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Associationover the toll rates for trucks. A plan for reduced tolls was agreedupon, which meant that carriers that were volume users would get a discountof as high as 20%, and monthly fleet billings were also madeavailable.April 15, now known as income taxday, was instead a welcome day in the year 1941. On that day, GovernorJames signed Act 10 which implemented a 70 MPH speed limit for personalautomobiles, and a truck speed limit that varied between 50 and 65 dependingon the size and weight. The only decrease in the speed limit alongthe Turnpike was at the tunnels, when it dropped to 35 MPH. Clear Ridge Cut(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)With the Turnpike level of servicewell established, the media and public both looked toward the benefit ofextending the comforts of superhighway travel east to west and north to south. Even before the first car tires made contact with the Turnpike, ChairmanJones his own proposal for a 1,800-mile, $860 million system of toll expresswaysfrom Richmond, Virginia to Boston; Philadelphia to St. Louis (incorporating theTurnpike); Pittsburgh to Chicago and Indianapolis to Chicago which lookedsimilar to the Pennsylvania Railroad system map. Jones wrote of this vision,"However advantageous, it is hardly possible that any of the states willbe able to contribute much to the development of a national system ofsuper-highways...our task is a national one and the understanding of thisneed must be brought to the attention of Congress in a convincing manner. A little under two decades later, the Interstate Highway Act woulduse this information to establish a 90%/10% federal-state cost-sharingformula.Although he had planned an expansionto points outside of the Commonwealth, the most important extension planningwould be for intrastate highways. Four months before the Turnpike openedfor business, Governor James signed Act 11 which authorized a extension eastwardto Philadelphia. In an message to the state legislature on January7, 1941, Governor James asked the law makers to get federal approval to "extendSkyline Drive from Front Royal, Va., along the crest of the Pennsylvaniamountains, to the Delaware Water Gap...and second, that the federal governmentgive consideration to a new superhighway for Pennsylvania to extend fromour ocean port at Philadelphia to our lake port at Erie." With theTurnpike open for less than a year, on June 11, 1944 he signed Act 54 whichauthorized the Western Extension.This was based more on the performanceof the highway so far. In the first 12 months of operation, 2.4 millionvehicles, nearly twice the projection of 1.3 million, passed through tollplazas up and down the system. However, this volume would start totrail off as the United States was pulled into World WarII. THE MARCH TOWARFrom the day when the Turnpikewelcomed its first customers, the thoughts in the back of people's mindswere of what was occurring across the Atlantic. Reports of Britain'sfive hour bombing of Berlin and Germany's latest bombing of London sharedthe front page with the highway's opening. With the specter of warlooming over the US, changes came swiftly to the Turnpike. The numberof troop and material movements increased, while the number of civilian tripsdecreased. Military convoy on the Turnpike.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)The Federal Office of DefenseTransportation imposed a 35 MPH speed limit on all highways beginning inDecember 1941, with war supply movements exempted. Gasoline and tire rationingbegan in March 1942. It didn't take long after those two major impedimentsto travel to show up in toll receipts. Use of the Turnpike fell awhopping 70% from 2.1 million in 1941 to just 581,000 in 1943.The number of trucks on the highwayincreased from 48,000 in 1940 to about 300,000 in 1942, and remained consistentthrough the war. Not only did revenue drop, resulting in the PTC dippinginto financial reserves to pay the bond obligations, but also the numberof troopers patrolling the highway. Some went off to war and otherwere not required as the level of traffic did not warrant the level ofsupervision that pre-war traffic did. From the initial 59 troopersthat were brought on when the highway opened, the number fell to 48 in 1941,26 in 1942, 20 in 1943 and 1944. The men who pumped the gas at theservice plazas also heard Uncle Sam's call to arms. Just like in everyother "home front" duty, women replaced the men at the pumps. One of the manywomen who took overat the pumps. (PTC)Even with the decreased numberof troopers on the Turnpike, there was one place their numbers increased:the tunnels. With the possibility of sabotage, special details of themotor police were posted at the entrances to inspect any vehicles that appearedto be or whose driver acted suspicious.Many publications hailed the Turnpikeas a savior to the world during the war. The Highway Builder, thePennsylvania construction industry's magazine said, "Should the conflagrationnow destroying Europe ever blaze across the Atlantic to sear these shores,the Pennsylvania Turnpike would ably demonstrate its ability to carry adequatelythe heavy gear of war." Another magazine said, "Over the PennsylvaniaTurnpike (costing less than one battleship) a great army could be rushedeastward from beyond the mountains in the shortest possible time." Seeingthe potential military value of the Turnpike, in 1944, Congress passed abill that outlined a national system of limited-access highways which becamea basis for the Interstate highway act that would be passed a decadelater. EXPANSIONYEARSWhen the boys came back from thefront, the nation was ready to get back to normal. The Pennsylvania TurnpikeCommission was also looking forward to a normal pace, which meant gettingready for the return of civilian use and reviving plans to expand the system. A setback occurred when Walter Jones, the first chairman and architectof a plan for a 1,800-mile-long system of toll expressways that would serve 40%of the nation's population, had fallen ill and resigned in 1942 and theneffective on September 1, 1943, his commission seat. Three dayslater he died. Two other original members, Frank Bebout and CharlesT. Carpenter, died earlier. In 1946, Governor Edward S. Martin filledthe vacancies, and the new commission picked up from where Jones leftoff. Walter Jones' original plan for a 1,800-mile-longsystem of Eastern and Midwestern toll highways.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)In 1946, the same year tire rationingended, the highway handled 2.4 million vehicles, which was about the samenumber that used it in its first year. The same year, the Commissiondecided to do some financial "housekeeping." The Commission decidedto issue new bonds with their financier Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company. The new two and one-half percent interest rate would help raise capital to retire theold bonds. There was one problem: this arrangement restricted the useof all revenue to the original Turnpike section.To get around this stipulation,the PTC set up three separate operating and accounting divisions, each withits own bond issues to get extensions to Philadelphia and Ohio underway.The last piece of the puzzle was to get legislation to approve this, whichoccurred in 1947 when Governor James H. Duff signed a law that merged theproposed eastern and western extensions and the existing highway into onebody. This piece of legislation was known as the Trust Indenture ofJune 1, 1948. A total of $87 million worth of bonds were sold to helpget the Philadelphia Extension going, which was a 100-mile-long section from Middlesexto King of Prussia. Ground breaking ceremonies took place on September 28,1948 in York County. All this was happening as more people flockedto the original highway. In 1949, before any of the extensions opened,the Turnpike handled 3.8 million vehicles which was three times what theplanners envisioned. Governor James Duff and his wife Jean TaylorDuff with the first shovel of earth at the groundbreaking for the Philadelphia Extension.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)Pennsylvania's success with thetoll highway concept influenced other states to follow suit. Maine became thefirst in 1945, when it authorized a 47-mile-long project paralleling US 1. The other states that followed included Colorado, Florida, Indiana,Kansas, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas,and West Virginia.In 1946, the Turnpike was recognizedby a competitor: the Pennsylvania Railroad. In a corporate historypublished for the PRR's centennial, authors George H. Burgess and Miles C.Kennedy told of William Vanderbilt's South Pennsylvania Railroad: "Nearly100 years later, when the South Penn(sylvania)'s name was almost forgotten...muchof the old right of way, with its grading and uncompleted tunnels, wouldfit into a scheme for a superhighway between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, soat last events went through the full cycle...now highway vehicles supplythe competition for which the South Penn(sylvania) Railroad wasdesigned."For construction workers buildingthe Philadelphia Extension, the project was not a daunting task. Theydid not have to endure excavating tunnels through mountains as workers didon the original Turnpike; however, they did have to deal with the SusquehannaRiver. Engineers designed a 4,526-foot-long bridge, with steel girdersresting on concrete piers. The $5 million bridge was supplied and erectedby the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, whose Steelton plant is where the easternend of the bridge passed through. However, only the handrails werefabricated at that plant. In all, 28 contracts were awarded to 17 companiesfor the construction of the extension, which took two years to build likethe original Turnpike. The Philadelphia Extension opened to trafficon November 15, 1950 with the exception of the Gettysburg Pike Interchangewhich opened on February 1, 1950. To accommodate the extension, theoriginal mainline toll plaza that extended across the highway was demolishedand the ramps to Carlisle closed. The Middlesex Interchange was upgradedwith a new toll plaza and ramps, and renamed the Carlisle Interchange.  Former eastbound off-ramp to the traffic circle in Carlisle west of PA 34.  Looking across the traffic circle at the off-ramp. On the right is Cave Hill Road, which was the on/off-ramp to/from the Turnpike. With the extension's opening, the eastern terminus of the Turnpikenow lay only 15 miles northwest of Philadelphia's central business district.By the end of 1950, even without the contribution of traffic from the newextension, the Turnpike had handled 4.4 million vehicles.  The Susquehanna River bridge under construction. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)  W.E. Rauth is the first to enter at Valley Forge. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)  Looking east over the newly opened Susquehanna River bridge. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission) The Western Extension proved tobe another challenge for engineers and construction workers alike. Theright of way covered more rugged territory than the Philadelphia Extensiondid, and crossed two major rivers. A 2,180-foot-long bridge was constructedover the Allegheny River at Oakmont, and a 1,540-foot-long bridge over theBeaver River north of Beaver Falls. The extension opened in sections: Irwin to Pittsburgh on August 7, 1951; then from Pittsburgh to theGateway Interchange on December 26, 1951. The only exception was theBeaver Valley Interchange which opened on March 1, 1952. When thissection opened to traffic, it dumped torrents of traffic onto Petersburg, Ohio which would last three years until the Ohio Turnpike opened on December1, 1954.  Construction on the bridge over the Allegheny River. (Bessemer & Lake Erie RR)  Opening of the Western Extension at the Pittsburgh Interchange on August 7, 1951. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission) Just as the changes at Carlislewere needed for the Philadelphia Extension, the same had to be done at Irwin. However, this time, the original booths were not demolished as thenew extension passed to the east of them. Connecting ramps and an overpasswere constructed to and from the toll plaza.The engineers who designed thesetwo extensions modified the designs that were used for the original Turnpike. Adjustments to the concrete used for the roadway and an additionalsub-base was laid for better drainage. Larger service plazas wereconstructed, and as early as 1946, some of the older plazas were expandedto handle more people and a full meal service instead of just a coffee-shopmenu. Pittsburgh based Gulf Oil secured the rights to provide gasolineat the service plazas on both extensions, and as Standard Oil did, subcontractedthe restaurant services to Howard Johnson's. The overpasses also changeddesign from concrete arched bridges to all steel construction on the WesternExtension. The design specifications also differed on the extensions: Philadelphia has grades of two percent and curves of three degrees, and the Westernhas grades of three degrees and curves of four degrees. A far cry from the original'sspecifications of grades of three percent and a maximum curve of six degrees.The year's traffic count reflectedthe growth of traffic using the Turnpike. Even with the Western Extensionbeing open for six days of 1951, the traffic count was 7.4 million with theaddition of the Philadelphia Extension. It would not be until bothextensions were open for an extended period, stretching 327 miles acrossthe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, that the count would be pushed to 11 millionvehicles.With the completion of the WesternExtension, the only logical way to expand was to New Jersey. A 33-mile-longsection from the Valley Forge exit to Bristol and a proposed crossing ofthe Delaware River. With a bridge, travelers could access the New JerseyTurnpike, thus making it possible to travel from New York City to the Ohio line. In May and June of 1951, Governor John S. Fine signed a bill to constructthe Delaware River Extension and a joint toll bridge with the New JerseyTurnpike.Everything seem fine; however,there was a problem. The 1948 indenture under which the Philadelphiaand Western Extensions were financed allowed additional expansions. The problemwas work could not start on a new extension until the previous project wasopen to traffic for two years, which would mean waiting until 1954 to beginfinancing. Governor Fine signed a bill in August of 1951 to movethe timetable up, so he signed the Indenture of September 1, 1952. Itwas a supplement to the bill of 1948 and was intended to be used for futureexpansion.To finance the Delaware RiverExtension, the PTC issued $65 million worth of bonds in September of 1952.The current configuration at the Valley Forge Interchange had to be convertedfrom a terminus to an "off-line" interchange. It was built to connectto a future highway that would connect the Turnpike to Philadelphia: theSchuylkill Expressway.The 1,224-foot-long bridge overthe Schuylkill River was the longest structure on the extension. On August23, 1954, the Delaware River Extension opened to the Norristown and WillowGrove Interchanges. The remaining interchanges opened as follows: Fort Washington on September 20, Philadelphia on October 27, DelawareValley on November 17.While the celebration of the openingwas taking place, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission was not only lookingto building the Delaware Bridge but also a spur to Scranton. The proposalof a spur to Scranton was not a new idea, it had been authorized as earlyas 1947. In 1954, the commission combined the financing of both projectsinto one $233 million bond.The ground breakings for bothproposals were held on March 25, 1954 for the Northeast Extension and June22, 1954 for the Delaware River Bridge. The bridge was constructedand jointly financed by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the PennsylvaniaTurnpike Commission. It cost $27,200,000 and opened on May 23, 1956at 11:30 AM when Governors George M. Leader of Pennsylvania and Robert B.Meyner of New Jersey met in the middle of the span to cut the ribbon. Thebridge is 135 feet above the Delaware River because of the ship traffic thatutilizes the river. The significance of the bridge is that it would soonbe possible to travel between Maine and the Indiana-Ohio border (and soonto Chicago with the completion of the Indiana East-West Toll Road) withoutencountering a traffic light, cross street, or grade crossing.The first section of the NortheastExtension opened on November 23, 1955. Its initial 37 miles openedfrom an interchange east of the Norristown Interchange to the Lehigh Valley Interchange. Interchanges atLansdale and Quakertown opened later on December3 and December 10, respectively. From the Lehigh Valley Interchange,another ten miles opened to a temporary interchange at Emerald on December28, 1955. Work was still taking place to build the two-lane, 4,461-foot-long tunnel through Blue Mountain. It was named Lehigh Tunnelso as not to be confused with the tunnel through the same mountain on themainline Turnpike. It would been named after commission chairmanThomas J. Evans if he hadn't been convicted of conspiracy to defraud the PTC of$19 million on July 25, 1957. Construction of the Lehigh Tunnel.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)On April 1, 1957, the NortheastExtension was opened to the Wyoming Valley Interchange near Wilkes-Barre.At this time, the temporary interchange at Emerald closed. Thelast 16 miles to Scranton opened on November 7, 1957. With the opening,it brought the Northeast Extension's total length to 110 miles, and the totalsystem length to 470 miles.With all the excitement over bondissues and expansion, people forgot about one point. The original plannersanticipated that the Turnpike would retire its debt by 1954 and thus be turnedover to the state as a free highway. But those pioneers of superhighway planningcould not foresee postwar economic inflation, rise in traffic flow, and theneed to expand. Railroad-like signalsindicated the 45 MPHspeed limit on bridges.(PTC)The Northeast Extension was notthe only branch to be proposed. Many extensions were drawn in the 1940sand 1950s, and even some received legislation. In a 1954 Turnpike brochurewas the sentence. "When finally completed, the Pennsylvania Turnpike willconsist of more than 750 miles." Some Turnpike maps even had over1,000 miles as a target length.Here is a list of the proposed routes the Turnpike Commissionconsidered: A continuation of the Northeast Extension to the New York state line, near Binghamton. Some of the initial grading can still be seen at the Clarks Summit Interchange. The first proposal for the Scranton extension showed an interchange with the mainline at a point east of Harrisburg, and later maps showed it as far east as the Delaware River Bridge. A connection from Chester near the Delaware state line, to the mainline north of Philadelphia. It was to be known as the Chester Extension or Philadelphia Loop Extension. A spur from Harrisburg to Gettysburg and the Maryland state line, to be known as the Gettysburg Extension. A connection from a point on the main line north of Pittsburgh to Erie to be known as the Northwestern Extension, and another running south to the West Virginia state line to be known as the Southwestern Extension. A highway running from the Ohio state line, past Erie, to the New York state line to connect to the New York State Thruway. It would be part of the Northwestern Extension. An east-west highway that would run from Stroudsburg to an unspecified point on the Susquehanna River (some maps showed the terminus at Millersburg). Later maps revised it to be a parallel highway to the main line from Stroudsburg to Sharon. It would be known as the Stroudsburg Lateral Connection.These plans never came to be astoll expressways. By the time 1954 came around, support for toll highways dieddown, and on June 29, 1956 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the InterstateHighway Act. This set up the financing for $25 billion in federal fundingfor a national system of four lane, controlled-access free highways. By offering90% of the funding, states jumped on the bandwagon and abandoned plans fortoll highways.The 1958 Annual Report statedabout the extensions: "In all of the authorized and previously authorizedproposed extensions, the Turnpike Commission is empowered to determine theexact routes with the approval of the Governor and the Secretary of Highways,nevertheless construction cannot be started until the project is determinedto be feasible and has been financed. The feasibility of any of theseextensions will be influenced by the program of the National System of Interstateand Defense Highways." They didn't know that half of it, as eventuallythese extensions were built; however, not all with the help of the InterstateAct. TURNPIKE EXTENSIONS PRIOR TO 1956 Extension Name Highway It Became Scranton Extension:  Philadelphia Loop Extension:  Chester Extension:  Gettysburg Extension:  Northwestern Extension/ Southwestern Extension:  Northwestern Extension:  Sharon to Stroudsburg Lateral Connection:  While the Turnpike Commission waslooking towards expansion, two service plazas were closed in 1957. TheLaurel Hill just east of the Laurel Hill Tunnel and New Baltimore both on theeastbound side of the Turnpike. TUNNELS, TUNNELS,EVERYWHERE A TUNNELAs the Turnpike was preparingto count its 200 millionth vehicle, it was apparent that something had tobe done to bring the growing traffic count under control. Now thatthe annual volume was running at 31 million vehicles, 24 times what the plannersenvisioned, congestion began to grow. The largest contributor to thecongestion were the east-west tunnels. Beginning in 1951, eastboundtraffic would begin to backup at the Laurel Hill tunnel during summer weekends,and by 1958 it was a common sight anytime between June and November. Thejams would stretch as far as five miles back from the mouth of the tunnelwaiting to squeeze from two lanes into two, which made PTC officials looktoward eliminating these bottlenecks. A picture illustrating the dangers of the two-lanetunnels. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)Not a minute too soon either,as the New York Thruway began to slice into the Turnpike's profit. Builtaccording to the new Interstate standards, it was a far cry from two-lanetunnels and narrow median strip on the Turnpike which PTC officials publiclycalled obsolete.If the New York State Thruwaywasn't enough competition for the Turnpike, it got some from another highwayin its own state. On March 19, 1959, the ground breaking for Interstate80/Keystone Shortway took place. Originally proposed as the Turnpike's Sharonto Stroudsburg Lateral Connection, the project was handed over to the Departmentof Highways to be built as part of the Interstate system. Philadelphiacity officials, including Mayor Richardson Dilworth, opposed I-80 becauseit would divert revenue from the Turnpike and freight from the Delaware River'sdocks to New York City's. This was a kind of revival of the trade rivalryof the 1830s between the two seaports.Studies began in the mid-1950sto determine what exactly to do with the tunnels, and the first two studiedwere the Laurel Hill and Allegheny Mountain Tunnels. It focusedon the cost of benefits of building a two-lane parallel tube at both locations,with additional studies conducted for Rays Hill, Sideling Hill, TuscaroraMountain, Kittatinny Mountain, and Blue Mountain.The conclusion of the study usheredin a $100 million program that would last at least a decade. The first orderof business was to construct a three-mile-long bypass over Laurel Hill andaround the tunnel, which would be closed. Construction began onSeptember 6, 1962, and the new alignment complete with a broad median anda truck climbing lane in each direction opened on October 30, 1964. Thenew section became the highest elevation on the Turnpike system at 2,603feet, up from the old record of 2,200 feet in the Laurel Hill Tunnel. A145-foot-deep cut was chiseled out of the mountain top, nearly as deep asthe Clear Ridge Cut that was located on the original 1940 Turnpike east ofEverett. In clearing this cut, 5.5 million cubic yards of earth androck were removed, five times the amount removed at ClearRidge.  Laurel Hill Bypass as indicated on the 1964 official state map. (Pennsylvania Department of Highways)  Blasting at the Laurel Hill Bypass work site.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission) The second project to take placewas the excavation of a second two-lane tunnel at the Allegheny MountainTunnel, which became the westernmost tunnel on the system with the closingof the Laurel Hill Tunnel. For a period, engineers wanted to utilizethe never-completed South Pennsylvania railroad tunnel that lay adjacentto the tunnel. However, it was rejected this time for the same reasons itwas rejected in 1939. The new tunnel cost $8.3 million and was carvedout of the mountain 125 feet south of the original tunnel.  Tunneling operations at Allegheny Mountain. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)  Explosives arrive at the eastern portal of the new Allegheny Mountain Tunnel. (Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)  Inside the new Allegheny Mountain Tunnel. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission) Many improvements over the originaltube were made during the construction of the new tunnel. The most noticeablechange was the brighter interior produced by the white-tile walls and fluorescentlighting. For the Turnpike maintenance crews, it was easier to maintainand clean than the old recessed lighting in the dingy concrete lining. Theventilation was improved with a more powerful system, increased clearances,and a completely new portal building and control center. The new tunnel openedto traffic on March 15, 1965, at which time the old one was closed for a$3 million revitalization project to bring it up to its twin's standards.The original tube reopened on August 25, 1966, and for the first time inthe Turnpike's history, provided a trip through a tunnel not having to endurea merge at the tunnel's entrance.While the opening of the new tunnelat Allegheny Mountain was taking the spotlight, studies were being conductedon what should be done with the remaining tunnels on the system. Paralleltunnels were shown to be the most economical solution to three other sites: Tuscarora Mountain, Kittatinny Mountain, and Blue Mountain. Thefirst spade of dirt to be shoveled in the next round of tunnel constructionoccurred on April 11, 1966 just north of the original Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel when the $9.8 million project began. A week later, ground breakingtook place for a $16.3 million project to bore tunnels south of the originalKittatinny Mountain and Blue Mountain Tunnels.  Excavating operations at Tucarora Mountain. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)  Railcars removing blasted rock from the Blue-Kittitanny Mountain work site. (PTC) With the work on the AlleghenyMountain Tunnel completed, Laurel Hill Tunnel bypassed, and work underwayto "twin" the Kittatinny, Blue, and Tuscarora Mountain Tunnels, attentionfocused on what to do with the remaining two mainline tunnels. A 1961engineering report concluded that the most efficient means of easing thecongestion at the longest and shortest Turnpike tunnels, Sideling Hill (6,782feet) and Rays Hill (2,532 feet) respectively, was to build a new 13.5 milebypass. The commission awarded three contracts from July 1966 to March1967 totaling $17.2 million for the roadway construction and another $2.5million for a new Sideling Hill Service Plaza to replace the Cove Valley ServicePlaza along the section of highway being replaced. The newplaza would be built with crossover ramps allowing it to serve both directionsof travel.  Rays Hill-Sideling Hill bypass as indicated on the 1968 official state map. (Pennsylvania Department of Highways)  Bridge construction along the new bypass. The land in the background has been cleared for the new Sideling Hill service plaza. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)  The new Turnpike alignment passing over the Sideling Hill Tunnel. (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission) As for design standards, the sameused at Laurel Hill's bypass were also utilized in this project. Engineerskept the three percent grade, a wide median strip, and a third truck-climbing lane ateach end of the new roadway. Going from west to east, the new alignment loopssouth of the existing highway, then crossed over to the north above SidelingHill Tunnel which is six tenths of a mile longer than the 1940alignment.These projects, the new tunnelsat Tuscarora, Kittatinny, and Blue Mountain and the Sideling Hill-Rays Hillbypass, opened to traffic on the same day: November 26, 1968. Whilethe new tunnels were put into service, the original tunnels at those threesites were taken off-line to undergo a combined $11 million rehabilitation. Just as when the new Allegheny Mountain Tunnel opened, traffic wasdiverted through the new one while the old one was closed. Resurfacing the Turnpikein the 1950s, as the originalpavement began wearingout. (PTC)As the work on the tunnel situationwas going on, the commission looked at the strain the interchanges were under,as many had not been enlarged since the highway opened in 1940. In October1963, a $1.6 million construction project to replace the New Stanton Interchangebegan. The old interchange which required drivers to make left turnsacross traffic both within the layout and onto US 119 caused relentless trafficjams. On November 12, 1964, the new interchange opened with connections to I-70and US 119, and became the first to be replaced, not justexpanded. The original layout of the New Stanton Interchangeafter the Turnpike first opened. Quitea drastic change from the current interchange. (Sidney Koch)New Stanton was not the onlyinterchange where capacity was increased. The Gateway Interchange hadthree more lanes added to bring its total to 11, the Pittsburgh Interchange'sincreased to 10 lanes, and a new Harrisburg East plaza was built to providedirect access to Interstate283 and PA 283. All three projects cost more than $3.2 millionand were completed in 1969. The Harrisburg East Interchange as seen from thePTC headquarters.With the new Rays Hill-SidelingHill bypass construction also involved a new Breezewood Interchange. The$3.1 million project increased the number of lanes from four to ten, to easetraffic using new Interstate70. Part of the old highway became the new access highway to US 30and the town.Another interchange to be replacedwas the Exit 286/Reading-Lancaster, which cost $2.7 million. The reason forthe new configuration was that US 222 was being upgraded to an expresswayon a new alignment east of the original interchange. Most of the busiestinterchanges in the system were rebuilt, if not replaced, or enlarged withthe addition of more lanes as traffic counts grew. A good example ofthis was the Perry Highway Interchange, now Cranberry, was enlarged becauseof the opening of Interstate79. New interchange layout for US 222. (Pennsylvania TurnpikeCommission)If the rebuilding of interchanges,building parallel tunnels, and bypassing tunnels was not enough, the commissiondecided on an even greater task. As the suburbs of Philadelphia beganto grow, so did the traffic on the Turnpike through those communities completewith morning and evening rush hours. There needed to be a means ofgetting people on and off the Turnpike with minimal delays at the toll booths,and one was devised in 1968. In that year the Michael Baker, Jr. Inc.,the Turnpike's consulting engineers, conducted a study on the practicalityon rebuilding the easternmost 47 miles of the mainline from the Morgantown Interchange to the Delaware River Bridge. The conclusion amounted toa $386 million price tag, which was a little hard for the PTC to swalloweven with the expected toll revenue. Therefore, the commission and engineerslooked at scaling back the plans to $14 million to convert the ticket systemto a pay as you go system. Soon, a consultant report came out whichstated the project was "assigned the highest priority by the commission andwill be completed as soon as practical."A project of a lesser scale wasalso taking place during the mid to late 60s. As earlier mentioned,the Turnpike used to have a grass median and no guide rail to prevent carsfrom crossing into oncoming traffic. With more traffic using the Turnpike,the danger of more accidents like that increased. So the commissiondecided to pave over the median and place a steel guardrail down the middlewhich was finished in 1965 on the mainline, and on April 14, 1969 on theNortheast Extension.In 1965, the 25th anniversaryof the opening, the New York Times ran a story on the highway and commentedon the fact that the toll rate had never increased since 1940. Other statessuch as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio, whose toll highways hadopened after the Turnpike, had to raise rates. Unfortunately, inflation caughtup with the highway and on September 1, 1969, the PTC raised the passenger-carrate from 1 cent/mile to 1.9 cents/mile which was the first increase in 29years of operation. BELL BOTTOMS, GAS LINES, ANDTMIThe 1970s found the commissionfinishing projects and looking to new ones. The most important projectwas the tunnel bypass program. The original Tuscarora Mountain Tunnelhad just reopened in October 1970 after being refurbished. The finalsteps in the process, the reopening of the refurbished Kittatinny Mountainand Blue Mountain Tunnels, took place on March 18, 1971. Four twintunnels had replaced the original seven two lane tunnels, and for the firsttime since the highway opened a traveler would not have to squeeze into asingle lane to go through a tunnel.To see what became of the bypassedtunnels, see the PennsylvaniaTurnpike's Abandoned Sections page. TUNNELS BEFORE BYPASSING/TWINNING  The eastern approach to the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel. (Sidney Koch)  The eastern portal of the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel. (Sidney Koch)  The eastern portal of the Rays Hill Tunnel. (Sidney Koch)  The eastern portal of the Blue Mountain Tunnel. (Sidney Koch)  The eastern portal of the Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel. (Sidney Koch)  The eastern approach to the Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel. (Sidney Koch)  The eastern portal of the Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel. (Sidney Koch)  The eastern portal of the Sideling Hill Tunnel. (Sidney Koch) A fly landed in the PTC's "ointment"on August 26, 1970 when Interstate 80 openedto traffic from New Jersey to Ohio. The Turnpike needed to modernizeto stay competitive with its new free route. Even seasoned trafficspecialists couldn't accurately predict the effect that the opening wouldhave on revenue. One study stated that it would cut revenue by $12million a year, at a time when the highway's annual revenue was more than$70 million. It also said that vehicles would drop from 53 millionto 49 million vehicles, but it exceeded that mark by five million in the fiscalyear 1971-72.With the two-lane tunnels eitherbypassed or "twinned" on the main line, attention turned to the NortheastExtension's Lehigh Tunnel. A 1970 engineer study recommended constructionof a parallel two lane tunnel with a cost of $14 million, even after severalalternate routes around the mountain had been considered. The studyhad shown that a bypass would cost $14 to $47 million and add six to eightmiles to the system. The Turnpike Commission chose the tunneloption.These plans were a mere drop inthe bucket compared to the greatest proposals of all, rivaling even theconstruction of the original Turnpike. The "Engineering Report on TurnpikeImprovements 1970-1990" envisioned a project that would add four more lanesto the current right of way of the original Turnpike. The $1.1 billionproject would create four separate roadways, split by direction and vehicle: two highways in both directions, one for cars and another for trucks. The "Dual-Dual" design would require a 400 foot right of way, witha median of 64 feet between the car and truck lanes in the same directionand a minimum of 80 feet between the eastbound and westbound lanes. Ten milesof this highway would cost as much as the original 160-mile-long Turnpike hadcost in 1940. This "mega-Turnpike" would have an 80 mile per hour designspeed, holographic road signs, and an electronic icy-road warning system. From Irwin to the Allegheny Tunnel and from Carlisle to the Blue MountainTunnel, the Turnpike would utilize the original highway, with two to five milebypasses here and there to straighten out the alignment, new interchangesat Bedford and Donegal, and the Midway service plaza would be closed anda new one constructed five miles to the east. At the tunnels, the newhighway would traverse bypasses, or more parallel tunnels. The moststriking of this project would have been the abandonment of the eight mileclimb to the Allegheny Tunnel. The highway would be routed over nearby ridge tops. Cars would take a bypass over the mountain, while truckswould still utilize the tunnel. Finally, the proposal stated that a10 lane roadway would be needed for the New Stanton to Breezewood corridor.The report also offered a $356 million compromise plan to upgrade the mostheavily used section to eight lanes and a design speed of 70 miles per hour.The report admitted that the improvements were "principally non-revenueproducing, although they must be made to meet the present and future needsof the system." The eight lane "super-turnpike" conceptual drawing.(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)Unions were introduced to theTurnpike when new legislation went into effect. By early 1972, theTeamsters Union became the bargaining agent for both field and central officeemployees. In 1972, the commissioner's consulting engineer complemented bothsides on the "transition from a non-union to a union facility with nointerruption in service to the Turnpike patron. The job protectionprovided to the Turnpike employee is a major achievement and benefit to bothsides. An employee no longer must worry about his position during electionyears and the commission will retain (staff) in whom time and money havebeen invested for training." In nearly 50 years of union representation,there has never been a work stoppage or strike.It wasn't I-80 that claimed asignificant drop in usage, it was the first Arab oil embargo of 1973-74. Many motorists did not want to be stranded without an open gas stationnearby, so many opted to stay home. Vehicle volume dropped from 57million in 1973 to 55 million in 1974 and 1975. Not until 1976 didthe total rise back to 57 million. During this time period, a federally mandatedspeed limit of 55 was imposed, and was enforced on the Turnpike beginningon December 2, 1973.The Turnpike continued to seeimprovements, although not to the extreme of the ten lane highway envisionedin the 1970-1990 plan. On April 10, 1974, the new Reading-Lancaster Interchange opened.On August 1, 1978, the PTC decidedto increase passenger car toll rates from 1.9 cents a mile to 2.2 cents amile. With the fuel embargo easing, the commission also looked to constructtruck climbing lanes at three locations: the east approach to the AlleghenyTunnel, the Jacobs Creek area west of Donegal, and the Indian Creek areawest of the Laurel Hill bypass. Work began just as the second oil crisishit the United States. Traffic dropped from a then record of 66 millionvehicles in 1979 to 62 million in 1980. The toll increase had helpedto keep revenue steady.Pennsylvania was cast into thenational spotlight in March 1979, when an accident occurred at the Three MileIsland Nuclear Power Plant only five miles south of the Susquehanna RiverBridge. The accident began at 4 AM on March 28, when a huge jet of steamspurted out of TMI-2's reactor building. The reactor had just come onlinein December 1978, and was the same design as the reactors of the ShippingportNuclear Power Plant near Beaver. The problem was a loss of coolant from aworker shutting off both auxiliary feedwater valves at once. Upon a callto the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at 8:45 AM that day, a team of inspectorsfrom the King of Prussia office sped down the Turnpike to Harrisburg, van lightsflashing. On March 29, radioactive gas was vented to the surrounding areaat 7:35 AM. Upon the release, Governor Richard Thornburgh warned thepopulace to stay indoors and added, "I am advising pregnant women andpreschool-age children to leave the area within a five-mile radius of the ThreeMile Island facility until further notice. We have also ordered theclosing of any schools within this area. I repeat that this and othercontingency measures are based on my belief that an excess of caution isbest. Current readings are no higher than they were yesterday." During this time, a hydrogen bubble formed in the containment building and hadto be vented as well, and was which reduced its size by half by April 2 of whatis was on Friday. On April 9, Thornburgh lifted the advisory he announcedon March 30, and the crisis was over with only a partial meltdown of thereactor's core. For more, see the ThreeMile Island page.Before the decade, much like disco,came to an end, the Turnpike showed up in pop music. A rock band outof Harrisburg named themselves "The Pennsylvania Turnpike." Later,radio stations began to play a country song entitled "Pennsylvania Turnpike,I Love You." It was written by Vaughn Horton, and recorded by a groupcalled Dick Todd and the Appalachian Wildcats. THE DECADE OF DECADENCEAh, the 1980s, who can forget: Pac-Man Fever, Trickle Down Economics, Rubix Cube, big hair, and themusic that lives on in commercials. Or when that new channel calledMTV came on and showed something called "music videos" all day. Well,just as times changed in society, they also changed on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Gone the way of bell bottoms and eight-track tapes also went the familiarHoward Johnson's restaurants that were fixtures at the service plazas sincethe Turnpike opened. The 1980s were a time when people had to eat andeat quickly. Some of the plazas offered a fast food and a sit-downrestaurant. Drive thru windows were added at some locations. Amongthe names that began to appear were: Arby's, BurgerKing, Hardee's, McDonald's, Popeye's and Roy Roger's. More extensivemenus were introduced at Bob's Big Boy, King' | |
