Pennsylvania Highways Blog

Today at the ribbon-cutting event for the Mon-Fayette Expressway, not only did I pick up several free bottles of water compliments of the Turnpike Commission, I picked up something I haven't seen in years: a system map.

The PTC's belt-tightening in the recent years led to them not printing a map, but it is evident by looking at this one. The 2011 is much smaller than its 2004 ancestor and this change is summed up by a note below the legend:

To conserve natural and fiscal resources, our Travel Guide and Map is half the size of earlier editions. The new size also responds to a shift in how travelers -- in an age of online maps and GPS devices -- use printed maps today.

In addition, the map is not a PennDOT official with the Turnpike System highlighted in green with a white-on-green Keystone shield denoting the route number which has been the standard since the 1980s. It seems, with these two changes, that the Turnpike map is returning to its roots as ones from the 60s and 70s were printed by Rand McNally and General Drafting.

The main map of Pennsylvania has images of postcards of the Turnpike at the top of the map and in the corner a mention of the 70 years of the Turnpike, which was celebrated the previous year. One change I like is that the background of the border states are not pink or purple as they were on the 2004 map.

The back side of the map still includes information on the Turnpike such as E-ZPass, toll information (just like the first run of tickets this year, there is no fare schedule), and commercial trucking information. There strip maps for the system, but the insets of cities that the Turnpike passes through are gone. These are the map updates since the 2004 edition:

Allegheny County/Washington County
PA Turnpike 576 completed between I-376 and US 22

Beaver County/Lawrence County
I-376 replaced PA Turnpike 60

Fayette County
PA Turnpike 43 completed from Exit 15 to Exit 22

Fayette County/Washington County
PA Turnpike 43 under construction from US 40 to PA 88

The cover features three postcards of various sections from the original Turnpike with the logo of the 70th anniversary in the middle. You can view the strip maps at the Turnpike's page.

Today I stopped at the welcome center on I-70 at the Maryland state line in Warfordsburg and picked up a copy of the latest official state highway map. I am surprised PennDOT even bothered to print one this late in the year that isn't a "B" version, especially since there will be a new governor come Tuesday. These are the changes since the 2009 edition, all of which involve the extension of I-376:

Allegheny County/Pittsburgh Inset
I-376 extended west beyond I-279 to multiplex with US 22/US 30 and replace PA 60 and Interstate Business Loop 376 replaced Business PA 60

Beaver County/Lawrence County/New Castle Inset
I-376 replaced PA 60 and PA Turnpike 60

Mercer County
I-376 replaced PA 60 and PA 760 replaced PA 60 from I-80 to Sharon

There are two mentions of the new 511 system: one on the back cover under the list of welcome centers and another at the top next to the legend.

Rarely do I find an error on the official maps, but this year there is a blatant one near the junction of the Penn-Lincoln Parkway and PA 60 west of Pittsburgh. A US 22/US 322 shield is located where there should be, and last year was, a US 22/US 30 shield.

It has the same dimensions as the previous year's and this year's cover features a view of Johnstown from the Inclined Plane station above the city in Westmont. You can view the map at PennDOT's GIS page.

This past weekend I stopped at the welcome center on I-70 at the Maryland state line in Warfordsburg and picked up a copy of the latest official state highway map. These are the changes since the 2007 edition:

Berks County/Chester County
PA 82 removed between Elverson and Birdsboro

Blair County/Centre County/State College Inset
I-99 completed from Bald Eagle to State College and indicated from there to I-80

Fayette County
PA Turnpike 43 completed between Exit 15 and Exit 22 and shown under construction between Exit 22 and PA 88

Jefferson County
Exit 90 on I-80 completed and PA 830 rerouted to end there rather than at US 322

Lehigh County/Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Inset
US 222/Trexlertown Bypass completed from PA 100 to I-78

Tioga County
US 15 finished from PA 287 to New York and PA 287 extended along old US 15 to Lawrenceville

New Castle Inset
US 224 extended eastward on State Street and Falls Street

It has the same dimensions as the the previous year's and this year's cover is of an Amish buggy driving on one of the newly designated Civil War Trails.
You can view the map at PennDOT's GIS page.



If the Departments of Transportation and Tourism would have waited, they could have given a shout out to our three professional sports teams that won championships in the past year much like NCDOT did on their 2007 cover for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Last month I received a copy of the latest official state highway map from the Map Sales office just before the state shut down over not being able to pass a budget. These are the changes since the 2006 edition:

Allegheny County/Washington County/Pittsburgh Inset
PA Turnpike 576 completed between US 22 and PA 60

Berks County
US 222 indicated as complete now with the red expressway stripe between PA 272 and Shillington

Fayette County
PA Turnpike 43 under construction north of US 40 from US 119 to Brier Hill

Tioga County
US 15 under construction from PA 287 to the New York state line

Altoona Inset
Osgood Drive completed on the eastern side of I-99/US 220 between Exit 32 and Exit 33

New Castle Inset
PA 65 removed between PA 108/PA 168 and Business US 422

It has the same dimensions as the the previous year's and this year's cover features a view of America's Most Livable City, with a man creating a mural in chalk on the West End overlook. You can view the map at PennDOT's GIS page.

I received in the mail a copy of the newest official state highway map. These are the changes since the 2005 edition:

Erie County/Erie Inset
PA 290 now shown on the Bayfront Connector and East 12th Street

Jefferson County
PA 949 extended south from Corsica to Summerville

Lehigh County/Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Inset
PA 100 now signed on the Trexlertown Bypass

Mifflin County
Northern Lewistown Bypass completed and Business US 22 replaces US 22 through the borough

Tioga County
US 15 under construction from PA 287 to the New York state line

Seems that practically every state agency has some advertisement on the back of the map now. I am surprised our new Gaming Commission doesn't have an ad to get you ready to drop some money at our casinos...whenever we get them. I guess it will come in a future edition.