A visit to the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike

A visit to the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike - October 2004

In October 2004, Pennsylvania Highways webmaster and friend of the blog, Jeff Kitsko, hosted a road meet centered on the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike in Breezewood. I was fortunate to attend. What is unique about this trip to the abandoned highway is that we actually were able to drive on the old turnpike 36 years after it was bypassed. We also were able to walk into the offices and ventilation areas of the tunnels for a unique perspective of the old highway. Co-blogger Doug Kerr also was at the meet and some of his photos are included below.

From the start of our trip in Breezewood and looking back towards the Breezewood Interchange and the start of the abandoned Turnpike. (Doug Kerr)

Entrance to the western portal of Ray's Hill Tunnel. At a length of only 2,532 feet, only one set of exhaust fans - at the eastern portal - was needed.

After exiting the tunnel, autumn traveling motorists journeyed through a chute of color towards the Sideling Hill Tunnel, then the longest in the system.

Near the western portal of Sideling Hill is this stone culvert built for the South Penn Railroad.

A look inside the Sideling Hill Tunnel. You can see why many bikers and walkers decide to turn around and not make it to the other side. (Doug Kerr)

A view from the upstairs offices located inside the western portal of the Sideling Hill Tunnel. The cars give a great demonstration of how two lanes of Turnpike traffic would merge into one entering the tunnel.

Inside the Sideling Hill Tunnel and doorway leading to upstairs. (Doug Kerr)

Graffiti is rampant inside the tunnel. (Doug Kerr)

Looking back towards the eastern portal of Sideling Hill Tunnel, which is over 6700 feet long!

A look at the abandoned pike from near the site of the former Cove Valley Travel Plaza.

Site Navigation:

Return to Pennsylvania Turnpike Collection Index

Sources & Links:

Doug Kerr
Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike ----Brian Troutman

Comments

Warren Taylor said…

I'm also visiting this site regularly, this web site is really nice and the users are genuinely sharing good thoughts.

2:24 AM

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l

Ghost Town Tuesday; Mannfield, FL and the stairway to Hell

Back in 2015 I went searching the Lecanto Sand Hills for the original Citrus County Seat known as Mannfield. Unlike Centrailia in Hernando County and Fivay in Pasco County I did find something worth seeing. Mannfield is located in the Lecanto Sand Hill section of Withlacoochee State Forest somewhat east of the intersection of Citrus County Route 491 and Mansfield Road. Mannfield was named after Austin Mann and founded in Hernando County in 1884 before Citrus County Split away. In 1887 Citrus County was split from northern Hernando County while Pasco County was spun off to the south. Mannfield was selected as the new Citrus County seat due to it being near the county geographic center. Reportedly Mannfield had as many as 250 people when it was the County Seat. The town included various businesses one might include at the time, even a sawmill which was common for the area. In 1891 Citrus County voted to move it's seat to Inverness which set the stage for the decline of M

The National Road - Pennsylvania - Great Crossings Bridge and Somerfield

West of Addison, US 40 crosses the Youghiogheny River at what once was the town of Somerfield. When crossing the current modern two lane bridge, you many not realize that it is actually the third to cross the Yough at this site. The first - a stone arch bridge - was known as the Great Crossings Bridge. Built in 1818, this three arch bridge was part of the original National Road. The name Great Crossings comes from the men who forded the Youghiogheny here - George Washington and George Braddock. (1) If you cross the bridge at the right time, this historic bridge and what was once the town of Somerfield will appear out from underneath this massive man-made lake. Historical Postcard showing the 'Big Crossings' bridge and Somerfield. Image submitted by Vince Ferrari. The Great Crossings Bridge was located in the town of Somerfield. Somerfield, originally named Smythfield until 1827, would develop as a result of the National Road. (1) Somerfield would go through va

Gribblenation

Search This Blog