Pennsylvania Highways
Pennsylvania's Dearly Departed Interstates


Interstate 70S

Western Terminus: Zediker Station Road in Zediker
Eastern Terminus: I-80S in New Station
Length: 35.10 miles
Name: None
Counties: Washington and Westmoreland
Former Designations: None
Decommissioned: 1964
Replaced By: I-70
History: Signed in 1957.
Map: 1960 Department of Highways
Links: Interstate 70

Interstate 876

Southern Terminus: Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh
Northern Terminus: PA 380 in Pittsburgh
Length: 0.70 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

Interstate 178

Southern Terminus: Spring Street in Allentown
Northern Terminus: I-78/US 22 in Allentown
Length: 2.17 miles
Names: None
County: Lehigh
Former Designations: None
Decommissioned: 1971
Replaced By: 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: Allentown Spur Route - Steve Anderson
Interstate 178
- Scott Oglesby
PA 378:  Bethlehem Spur - Chris Sampang

Interstate 378

Southern Terminus: Broad Street in Bethlehem
Northern Terminus: I-78/US 22 in Bethlehem
Length: 3.34 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
Bethlehem Spur Route - Steve Anderson
Interstate 378 - Scott Oglesby
PA 378:  Bethlehem Spur - Chris Sampang

Interstate 179

Southern Terminus: I-79 and I-90 four miles north of McKean
Northern Terminus: US 19 in Kearsarge
Length: 3.04 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

Interstate 479

Southern Terminus: Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh
Northern Terminus: PA 380 in Pittsburgh
Length: 0.70 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

Interstate 80N

Western Terminus: I-80 in Carlisle
Eastern Terminus: New Jersey state line in Easton
Length: 111.00 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

Interstate 80S

Western Entrance: Ohio state line in Enon Valley
Eastern Terminus: I-76 at Exit 6 in Monroeville
Length: 56.70 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 Pittsburgh Interchange.

Maps: 1963 Department of Highways - Valley Forge to New Jersey
1971 Department of Transportation - Ohio to Monroeville
Links: Interstate 76
Pennsylvania Turnpike

Interstate 180

Southern Terminus: PA 10/PA 23 in Morgantown
Northern Terminus: US 422 in Reading
Length: 11.40 miles
Name: Morgantown Expressway
County: Berks
Former Designations: None
Decommissioned: 1963
Replaced By: I-176
History: Signed in 1958.  The Interstate 180 designation is currently assigned to a spur off Interstate 80 into Williamsport.
Map: 1963 Department of Highways
Links: Interstate 176
Interstate 180 - Scott Oglesby

Interstate 280

Western Terminus: I-80S at Exit 24 in King of Prussia
Eastern Terminus: New Jersey state line at the Delaware River Bridge
Length: 32.90 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 then moved to the Turnpike in 1958.
Map: 1963 Rand McNally
Links: Interstate 276
Pennsylvania Turnpike
Interstate 280 - Scott Oglesby

Interstate 480

Southern Terminus: I-95 in Essington
Northern Terminus: I-280 in Plymouth Meeting
Length: 20.60 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

Interstate 680

Western Terminus: I-80S in Philadelphia
Eastern Entrance: New Jersey state line at the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia
Length: 7.20 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

Interstate 81E

Southern Terminus: I-80 in Crescent Lake
Northern Terminus: I-81 in Scranton
Length: 28.10 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

Interstate 81S

Southern Terminus: I-80 in Crescent Lake
Northern Terminus: I-81 in Scranton
Length: 28.10 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

Interstate 82

Western Terminus: I-81 in Scranton
Eastern Entrance: New Jersey state line in Stroudsburg
Length: 45.90 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: The proposed designation from 1957 to 1958 for the current I-80, I-380, and I-84/I-380 corridor.
Links: Interstate 80
Interstate 84
Interstate 380

Interstate 495

Southern Terminus: I-95 in Essington
Northern Terminus: I-280 in West Conshohocken
Length: 15.50 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

Interstate 695

Southern Terminus: I-95 in Eastwick
Northern Terminus: I-76 in Philadelphia
Length: 6.94 miles
Name: Cobbs Creek Expressway
Counties: Delaware and Philadelphia
Former Designations: None
Decommissioned: 1977
Replaced By: Never built
History:
Proposed in 1964 and 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

Interstate 895

Southern Entrance: New Jersey state line at the Burlington-Bristol Bridge in Bristol
Northern Terminus: I-95 at Exit 26 in Bristol
Length: 2.47 miles
Names: None
County: Bucks
Former Designations: None
Decommissioned: 1980
Replaced By: 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 September 02, 2019.
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.