Pennsylvania Turnpike: The Abandoned Superhighway

A slide show devoted mainly to the stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike that was bypassed in 1968 and abandoned for years until the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy purchased it for development as a biking and hiking path. This 10-mile stretch of American transportation history is a treasure to behold. I have plans on May 13th (West Virginia Primaries!) to take my daughter and her friend out to ride our bikes through the Rays Hill Tunnel and to drive on down to the old Cove Valley Service Plaza to look for the old bathroom tile embedded in the grass before riding up to the Sideling Hill Tunnel, then on to the Sideling Hill Travel Plaza for some Starbucks. Good times, good times!

Music in the video is "Light At the End of the Tunnel" by Keith Whitley, both the version from the "Wherever You Are Tonight" CD and Version 2 from the "Demos, Volume 3" compilation.

For a slightly better viewing experience, it is recommended that you add the following sequence of characters to the end of this video's URL in your browser: &fmt=18
...and then refresh.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Pennsylvania
• Turnpike
• Sideling
• Rays
• Laurel
• Hill
• Tunnel
• Breezewood
• Keith
• Whitley

[MAMsMom97]

@Bertisevil666 Fortunately, I've only ever experienced rush hour in Squirrel Hill and Monroeville on the east side of town. That was bad enough.

[geeayevette]

If you ever wish to do a followup on this piece of history, I'd appreciate seeing it. But..

But, can you eliminate the 'silk screen' effect, and next time photograph pictures in sharp focus, and in direct sunlight?

Reason: Your interpretation is very artfully done. But I wish the imagery was as close to 'being there' as possible..short of having to travel there myself. Would you be so kind to accomodate me (us?) in the future? Thank you, and have a Rainbow Day!!

[MAMsMom97]

@geeayevette Hopefully, all the professional photographers whose work was represented here read your post. Also, if you read, this video was posted 3 years ago, before YouTube made all the upgrades to their videos and provided the choices to users for playback quality that they offer now, so this was uploaded in basic 240p. You can view my other video that features me, my daughter, and her friend on our first bike ride on the old turnpike. That may be a better experience for you... maybe.

[Darkfloyd73]

ive heard about this trunpike. it was never finished for some stupid reason. complete waste of taxpayers maney to build a turnpike and then pull the plug on short notice. millions of taxpayers dollars for something that was never finished. i do find it funny how its now i bike path....

[Bertisevil666]

@losky1 Try driving in the Pittsburgh tubes during rush hour, It's like a third world roadway free for all. Makes the parkway in NYC look positively sedate.

[dwetick]

The turnpike is the most dangerous road in the US. I drove it for 2 years and survived. I have not been on it in the last 40 years and I know that I have not missed anything.

[losky1]

Well.....if they had to close 4 out of 7 tunnels due to increasing traffic and maintenance, at today's cost it may of been in the Billions for the state to keep them opened. Pennsylvania was probably losing money even before they were closed. Could you imagine the traffic congestion with 4 two lane tunnels in 2011?? Impassible! That's what it would be.

[tmklunk]

where is this located ?

[Kevin69415]

For me personally this song holds a special place in my heart !! It was the song that we played at my fathers' funeral back in 1997 !  May he rest in peace ! Thank-you so very much Keith .

[boxer3087]

too bad they can't fix up the Blue, Kittatinny and Tuscarora tunnels... they look like shit on the inside.

[bcschmerker]

Well done on a future pedestrian and bicycle trail. Out here in California, I'd like to see East Bay Regional Parks begin surveying the currently-closed Oakland & Antioch tunnel to see whether it can be rebuilt for a pedestrian/bicycle trail (it last carried rail traffic in 1963, when the Western Pacific was ripping up its tracks and wiring).