Pennsylvania Highways: Pennsylvania's Decommissioned Interstates

	Pennsylvania's Dearly Departed Interstates

	Western Terminus:	Zediker Station Road in Zediker.
	Eastern Terminus:	I-80S in New Station.
	Length:	34 miles
	Name:	None
	Counties:	Washington and Westmoreland
	Former Designations:	None
	Decommissioned:	1963
	Replaced By:	I-70
	History:	Signed in 1957.
	Map:	1960 Department of Highways
	Links:	Interstate 70

	Southern Terminus:	Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh.
	Northern Terminus:	PA 380 in Pittsburgh.
	Length:	1 mile
	Name:	Crosstown Boulevard
	County:	Allegheny
	Former Designations:	I-479 (1966 - 1971)
	Decommissioned:	1972
	Replaced By:	I-579
	History:	Signed in 1971.
	Map:	1971 Department of Transportation
	Links:	Interstate 579 Interstate 876 - Scott Oglesby

	Southern Terminus:	Spring Street in Allentown.
	Northern Terminus:	I-78/US 22 in Allentown.
	Length:	2 miles
	Names:	None
	County:	Lehigh
	Former Designations:	None
	Decommissioned:	1971
	Replaced By:	None; never built
	History:	Proposed spur from I-78, which at the time was on the Lehigh Valley Thruway, from 1962 to 1971. The northern terminus would have been between the 15th Street and PA 145 interchanges. The reason for its cancellation was because the Liberty Bell Shrine was in the path of the proposed expressway, and NIMBYs protested the destruction of Sixth and Seventh Streets.
	Map:	1963 Rand McNally
	Links:	Interstate 178 - Scott Oglesby PA 378: Bethlehem Spur - Chris Sampang

	Southern Terminus:	Broad Street in Bethlehem.
	Northern Terminus:	I-78/US 22 in Bethlehem.
	Length:	3 miles
	Names:	None
	County:	Lehigh
	Former Designations:	None
	Decommissioned:	1971
	Replaced By:	PA 378
	History:	Construction began in 1966 with the completed expressway opening to traffic in 1968. When the proposal to reroute I-78 was announced, and the shields came down on the Lehigh Valley Thruway, I-378 was left disconnected from its parent route. PennDOT removed the designation in 1971.
	Map:	1968 Department of Highways
	Links:	PA 378 Interstate 378 - Scott Oglesby PA 378: Bethlehem Spur - Chris Sampang

	Southern Terminus:	I-79 and I-90 four miles north of McKean.
	Northern Terminus:	US 19 in Kearsarge.
	Length:	3 miles
	Names:	None
	County:	Erie
	Former Designations:	None
	Decommissioned:	1959
	Replaced By:	I-79
	History:	Proposed in 1958 as the current Interstate 79 alignment towards Erie, but would have turned to parallel the PA 99 alignment to end in Kearsarge. Shown on General Drafting and Rand McNally maps from 1962 and 1963 respectively.
	Map:	1963 Rand McNally
	Links:	Interstate 79 Interstate 179 - Scott Oglesby

	Southern Terminus:	Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh.
	Northern Terminus:	PA 380 in Pittsburgh.
	Length:	1 mile
	Name:	Crosstown Boulevard
	County:	Allegheny
	Former Designations:	None
	Decommissioned:	1971
	Replaced By:	I-876
	History:	Signed in 1966.
	Map:	1968 Department of Highways
	Links:	Interstate 579 Interstate 479 - Scott Oglesby

	Western Terminus:	I-80 at Carlisle.
	Eastern Terminus:	New Jersey state line in Easton.
	Length:	107 miles
	Names:	None
	Counties:	Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton
	Former Designations:	None
	Decommissioned:	1958
	Replaced By:	I-81: Carlisle to I-78 I-78: I-81 to New Jersey
	History:	Proposed in 1957 as a designation for the Interstate 81 and Interstate 78 corridors from Carlisle to New Jersey.
	Links:	Interstate 78 Interstate 81

	Western Entrance:	Ohio state line northwest of Enon Valley.
	Eastern Terminus:	I-76 at Exit 6 in Monroeville.
	Length:	57 miles
	Name:	Pennsylvania Turnpike
	Counties:	Lawrence, Beaver, Butler, and Allegheny
	Former Designations:	None
	Decommissioned:	1972
	Replaced By:	I-76
	History:	This designation's length and location bounced around Pennsylvania over the span of a decade. From 1957 to 1958, the route would start at Carlisle and head east to King of Prussia, then south to Philadelphia via the Schuylkill Expressway. From 1958 to 1960 the route was changed in eastern Pennsylvania to follow the Pennsylvania Turnpike all the way to New Jersey. Then in 1963, the route was moved back onto the Schuylkill Expressway and then turned onto the Vine Street Expressway to head into New Jersey. Then 1964 to 1972, this designation was used for the section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike from the Ohio state line to Exit 57.
	Maps:	1963 Department of Highways - Valley Forge to New Jersey 1971 Department of Transportation - Ohio to Monroeville
	Links:	Interstate 76 Pennsylvania Turnpike

	Southern Terminus:	I-80S at Exit 22 in Morgantown.
	Northern Terminus:	US 422 in Reading.
	Length:	11 miles
	Name:	Morgantown Expressway
	County:	Berks
	Former Designations:	None
	Decommissioned:	1963
	Replaced By:	I-176
	History:	Signed in 1958. The Interstate 180 is now designated on a spur off Interstate 80 into Williamsport.
	Map:	1963 Department of Highways
	Links:	Interstate 176 Interstate 180 - Scott Oglesby

	Western Terminus:	I-80S at Exit 24 in King of Prussia.
	Eastern Terminus:	New Jersey state line at the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
	Length:	33 miles
	Name:	Pennsylvania Turnpike
	Counties:	Montgomery and Bucks
	Former Designations:	I-80S (1957 - 1958)
	Decommissioned:	1963
	Replaced by:	I-276
	History:	The proposed designation for the Schuylkill Expressway from 1957 to 1958. Moved to the Turnpike in 1958.
	Map:	1963 Rand McNally
	Links:	Interstate 276 Pennsylvania Turnpike Interstate 280 - Scott Oglesby

	Southern Terminus:	I-95 in Essington.
	Northern Terminus:	I-280 in Plymouth Meeting.
	Length:	20 miles
	Name:	Mid-County Expressway
	Counties:	Delaware and Montgomery
	Former Designations:	I-495 (1958 - 1960)
	Decommissioned:	1963
	Replaced By:	I-476
	History:	Proposed number for the Blue Route.
	Map:	1963 Rand McNally
	Links:	Interstate 480 - Scott Oglesby

	Western Terminus:	I-80S in Philadelphia.
	Eastern Entrance:	New Jersey state line at the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia.
	Length:	7 miles
	Name:	Schuylkill Expressway
	County:	Philadelphia
	Former Designations:	I-280 (1958 - 1960)
	Decommissioned:	1963
	Replaced By:	I-676
	History:	Signed in 1960.
	Map:	1963 Department of Highways
	Links:	Interstate 76 Interstate 680 - Scott Oglesby

	Southern Terminus:	I-80 near Pocono Summit.
	Northern Terminus:	I-81 in Scranton.
	Length:	25 miles
	Names:	None
	Counties:	Monroe, Wayne, and Lackawanna
	Former Designations:	I-82 (1957 - 1958) I-81S (1958 - 1964)
	Decommissioned:	1973
	Replaced By:	I-380
	History:	Signed in 1964, but the only sections to see the designation was from Interstate 80 to Exit 22, and again from US 611 to Interstate 81. The portion in between was under construction. The number was decommissioned because AASHO decided to eliminated suffixed Interstate designations.
	Map:	1972 Department of Transportation
	Links:	Interstate 84 Interstate 380

	Southern Terminus:	I-80 near Pocono Summit.
	Northern Terminus:	I-81 in Scranton.
	Length:	25 miles
	Names:	None
	Counties:	Monroe and Lackawanna
	Former Designations:	I-82 (1957 - 1958)
	Decommissioned:	1964
	Replaced By:	I-81E
	History:	Signed in 1958, and shown on Rand McNally maps from 1960 to 1963.
	Map:	1963 Rand McNally
	Links:	Interstate 84 Interstate 380

	Western Terminus:	I-81 in Scranton.
	Eastern Entrance:	New Jersey state line in Stroudsburg.
	Length:	42 miles
	Names:	None
	Counties:	Lackawanna and Monroe
	Former Designations:	None
	Decommissioned:	1958
	Replaced By:	I-81S: Scranton to I-80 I-80: I-81S to New Jersey
	History:	Proposed number from 1957 to 1958 for the current I-80, I-380, and I-84/I-380 corridor.
	Links:	Interstate 80 Interstate 84 Interstate 380

	Southern Terminus:	I-95 in Essington.
	Northern Terminus:	I-280 in West Conshohocken.
	Length:	14 miles
	Name:	Mid-County Expressway
	Counties:	Delaware and Montgomery
	Former Designations:	None
	Decommissioned:	1960
	Replaced By:	I-480
	History:	The proposed designation for the Mid-County Expressway from 1958 to 1960.
	Links:	Interstate 476

	Southern Terminus:	I-95 in Eastwick.
	Northern Terminus:	I-76 in Philadelphia.
	Length:	8 miles
	Name:	Cobbs Creek Expressway
	Counties:	Delaware and Philadelphia
	Former Designations:	None
	Decommissioned:	1977
	Replaced By:	None; never built
	History:	Proposal tabled in 1964. Originally planned to start at I-95 south of Ridley Park, then in 1967 changed to start at I-95 at the Philadelphia International Airport, the expressway would connect to Interstate 76 at Federal Street in downtown Philadelphia. There was talk of it continuing eastward along South Street and being known as the Crosstown Expressway, which would have ended at Interstate 95. Hearings were held throughout the 1960s and 1970s. It was feared that it would create a "wall" between the wealthy areas such as Center City, Rittenhouse Square, and Society Hill to the North, and South Philadelphia. For several years, the Crosstown Expressway was listed on the Philadelphia City budget under "controversial proposals" with no monetary value. The Crosstown Expressway was cancelled in 1974, and removed from the PennDOT map that same year, due to the local opposition, and the Cobbs Creek Expressway was cancelled in 1977 due to PennDOT funding difficulties. The Federal money for the project was diverted to bus purchases and subway rehabilitation.
	Map:	1968 Department of Highways
	Links:	Cobbs Creek Expressway - Steve Anderson Crosstown Expressway - Steve Anderson Interstate 695 - Scott Oglesby

	Southern Entrance:	New Jersey state line over the Burlington-Bristol Bridge.
	Northern Terminus:	I-95 at Exit 35 in Bristol.
	Length:	2 miles
	Names:	None
	County:	Bucks
	Former Designations:	None
	Decommissioned:	1980
	Replaced By:	None; never built
	History:	From 1958 to 1960, this designation was used to mark the Vine Street Expressway. In 1970 the designation was moved to a proposed expressway which would have begun at Interstate 95, crossed the Delaware River, and connected to I-295 and to the New Jersey Turnpike in Burlington County, New Jersey. The six-lane expressway, and new high-level, fixed-span toll bridge, would have replaced the current Burlington-Bristol Bridge. This Interstate would have provided a bypass for travelers to avoid the traffic in downtown Philadelphia. The last map to show this Interstate was in 1977. The project was officially cancelled in 1980 when the Environmental Impact Study prepared by PennDOT was denied.
	Map:	1975 Department of Transportation
	Links:	Burlington-Bristol Bridge - Steve Anderson Interstate 895 - Steve Anderson Interstate 895 - Scott Oglesby
	Back to Pennsylvania Highways Back to Pennsylvania Interstate Highways Page updated November 28, 2005. Content and graphics, unless otherwise noted, copyright © Jeffrey J. Kitsko. All rights reserved. Information courtesy of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Rand McNally, Adam Prince, Steve Anderson, Chris Sampang, and Steven Summers.