Skip to main content

The Abandoned New Stanton Interchange Ramps

For nearly 50 years, the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange with Interstate 70 and US 119 in New Stanton has been a rather free-flowing double trumpet, grade separated interchange between the two freeways.  But for the first 23 years of the turnpike, this interchange was vastly different.  It was the only non-trumpet interchange within the system (excluding termini points) and featured very tricky and gridlock causing left turns within the interchange.  (See image on right).  With the birth of the Interstate Highway System in the mid-1950s, new freeways were built and in many cases the Turnpike kept the original interchange using local roads to connect to the new freeways.  Interchanges with what would become I-81, I-176, I-80, I-70 in Breezewood, and I-79 were left with the original design.

Meanwhile in the 1950's, the state began building a freeway that ran from New Stanton west towards Washington.  This freeway, signed PA 71, was built to connect those in the industrial Mon Valley to the Turnpike.  Opened to the Turnpike by 1959, the amount of traffic using this interchange increased substantially.  It was in October of 1963 that the PTC began a construction project that would cost $1.6 million to completely replace the interchange.  A little over a year later on November 12, 1964, the new New Stanton interchange officially opened to traffic. (1)  This was the first turnpike interchange to be completely replaced, and it also was the first interchange that was reconfigured to provide direct Interstate-to-Interstate traffic.

For years, the were still remnants of the old interchange configuration left.  However, over the past two decades Turnpike mainline widening, construction and tie in to PA Turnpike 66, and the modernization of Interstate 70 in New Stanton has slowly removed pieces of what once was.  In 2003, Bernie Newman captured a number of photos showing the remnants of the old New Stanton interchange.  His photos are below.


The original eastbound New Stanton offramp (Bernie Newman)
A long view of the eastbound offramp.  It is amazing the condition of these old ramps after nearly 40 years.  (Bernie Newman)
The onramp onto the eastbound lanes of the Turnpike.  Recent construction of a new viaduct has created an elevation change from where the onramp would have met the highway.  (Bernie Newman)


The on-ramp to the Turnpike comes at you in this photo.  (Bernie Newman)
A wider shot showing both eastbound ramps.  The ramps are curving to go underneath the Turnpike.  (Bernie Newman)

A ground shot of the surprisingly in good condition pavement used for the ramps.  (Bernie Newman)
Along US 119, the ramps are also found.  Construction of the current New Stanton interchange and the later addition of a connection to PA Turnpike 66 has over time overtaken the ramps to US 119 and the former toll facilities.  (Bernie Newman)
Site Navigation:
Sources & Links:
  • (1) Cupper, Dan. "The Pennsylvania Turnpike: A History.  55th Anniversary Edition."  Lebanon, PA: Applied Arts, 1995. 38-39.
  • Bernie Newman

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The 1915-era Teilman Bridge (the only known Concrete Pony Truss Bridge in California)

The Teilman Bridge is a semi-abandoned structure over Fresno Slough west of Burrell siding near the intersection of Elkhorn Avenue and Elkhorn Grade.  This structure is the only known Concrete Pony Truss Bridge constructed in California and was designed by Ingvart Teilman.  Teilman's Bridge would open in late 1915 when the Elkhorn Grade was the primary road between Fresno and Coalinga.  The structure would be replaced in 1991 but was left standing as it carries pipelines over Fresno Slough.  Part 1; the history of the Teilman Bridge In the early Twentieth Century the most direct highway between Fresno and Coalinga followed the Elkhorn Grade.  The Elkhorn Grade began at Fresno Slough a short distance west of Burrell siding.  From Fresno Slough the Elkhorn Grade followed a generally southwestern course through San Joaquin Valley into the Kettleman Hills towards Coalinga.   The Elkhorn Grade can be seen on the  1914 C.F. Weber map of Fresno Coun...

The Dummy Lights of New York

  A relic of the early days of motoring, dummy lights were traffic lights  that  were  placed  in the middle of a street intersection. In those early days, traffic shuffled through busy intersections with the help of a police officer who stood on top of a pedestal. As technology improved and electric traffic signals became commonplace, they were also  originally  positioned on a platform at the center of the intersection. Those traffic signals became known as  " dummy lights "  and were common until  traffic lights were moved  onto wires and poles that crossed above the intersection.  In New York State, only a handful of these dummy lights exist. The dummy lights  are found  in the Hudson Valley towns of Beacon and Croton-on-Hudson, plus there is an ongoing tug of war in Canajoharie in the Mohawk Valley, where their dummy light has been knocked down and replaced a few times. The dummy light in Canajoharie is currently...

Prunedale Road (Monterey County)

Prunedale Road is a short 2.6-mile-long frontage corridor of US Route 101 in the namesake Monterey County community of Prunedale.  Prior to 1932 US Route 101 bypassed Prunedale in favor of the San Juan Grade to the east.  Prunedale Road along with nearby Moro Road served as an alternative connecting highway between Salinas and San Juan Bautista.  Following the realignment of US Route 101 onto the Prunedale Cutoff the former through route along Prunedale Road would be rendered as a western frontage.   Part 1; the history of Prunedale Road Prunedale Road is located in and is named after the Monterey County community of Prunedale.  Said community was founded near the junction of San Migeul Canyon, Langley Canyon and Echo Valley.  Watsonville settler Charles Langley (namesake of Langley Canyon) was one of the prominent early community settlers.  The Prunedale Post Office would open for the first time in 1894 but would close by 1908.  Early agricu...