PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania Turnpike

This is a.....History of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.......Information Page. Special interests include the turnpike "Tunnels" and" Bridges"!..........Anyone with information about the turnpikes history is welcome to use the message board and submit your! message. Wait for the sound portion to load! Wait for the sound portion to load! Pennsylvania Turnpike History

Posted by Pennsylvania Turnpike History E-Mail,E-Mail Your Information on the Pa Turnpike Here to be added to the database.Thank You!

New information on the abandoned Turnpike Tunnels


The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is planning to use the old tunnels again!
But this time they will be used for a high speed train route to Link Pittsburgh with Philadelphia!


I will update you on the new Train as details become available.
Stay Tuned!


Listed below are other areas of interest along the
PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE
Americas First Superhighway!

The Quemahoning Tunnel is part of the William Vanderbuilt railroad days.It was planned for use buy the Pennsylvania Turnpike but bypassed instead.You can find it buy pulling off at mile number 106.5 and looking on the west side of the road
Re: Pennsylvania Turnpike

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: I rode the abandoned pa turnpike from breezewood to hustontown. It is 20 miles of riding on the old route before they rerouted the highway.They rerouted it to bypass the rays hill tunnel and the sideling hill tunnel. Riding on this old road reminds me of the twighlight zone. imagine a nuclear war that wipes out everything and your on your bike looking for society. you will see more deer than people. the tunnels are a trip to say the least. rays hill tunnel is 4,500ft. any bikable. then later you get to sideling hill and unless you have 1 million candlepower forget it. we drove around it a nd biked the rest. after we were done we drove it. sideling was amazing how long it was it must be 6,000ft. you cant see the other end until about 3/4 way through.


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• Mitchell Dakelman on July 03, 1997 at 13:40:18:

In Reply to: Re: Pennsylvania Turnpike posted by Sideling Hill Tunnel

: I hope my E mail works as this is the first time I am using it! I have been a fan of the Pennsylvania Turnpike for many years and have collected photos, films and memorabilia pertaining to the road, built in 1940. The rays Hill Tunnel and Sideling Hill Tunnel were respectively, the shortest(about 3500 feet) and the longest(6782 feet). Both were abandoned in 1968 when a new bypass opened. I have been exploring the old road since 1973 and have had several opportunities to ride over this section with Turnpike officials in my car. I have photos of all 7 original Turnpike tunnels during the original construction, beginning in 1939, to what they look like today. All, but Allegheny were part of the old South penn railroad. You can still see some old remnants of the old railroad today. I'll be on the entire east-west Turnpike in a few weeks and will definitely stop at the old tunnels. See you on THE WORLD'S GREATEST HIGHWAY!


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•Re: Pennsylvania Turnpike John Walker

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I found The"Allegheny Mountain Tunnel"that William Vanderbuilt started to complete.It is located at the eastern portal of the"New Allegheny Tunnels"about 90 feet north of the westbound lane and above the new tunnels.Buy the looks of the Vanderbuilt tunnel you can tell that it was started after orders were given to single lane the tunnels.Ialso found that most of the origional wood reinforcement caved in,unlike the Quemahoning Tunnel


I live in Dillsburg about ten miles south of Camp Hill on Rt.15. I was born in Ligonier and my grandparents lived in Gettysburg. In my younger years my family made the trip back and forth on weekends. I counted the tunnels as we passed thru them. I realized when I was about four that one was missing from the count. About four years later I was short two more! I visit Ligonier now and then and wanted to see them again and show my son what they used to look like. If you've got any more pictures I'd like to see them. Let me know how you make out in your search for the others!
If you get off at Breezewood you'll be at Route 30 and you'll see the old road which leads to the tunnels. If you want to go to Route 115 take Route 30 east and you'll pass under the old Turnpike and later the new Turnpike. You can also access Sideling Hill Tunnel from taking Oregon Trail Road which comes at the little underpass when you begin to parallel the new Turnpike. Take a left, go under the Turnpike and take a right. You'll go into a forest and eventually see the old Turnpike. You'll pass under the old Turnpike then come to Oregon Camp. If you walk through the camp site you'll eventually come to the approach to Sideling Hill. I wish to advise you that technically this part of the Turnpike is a private road, owned by the Turnpike Commission. I have been told that the State Police patrol this section from time to time due to vandalism at the tunnel sites. Technically you are also trespassing although all of the locals know about it and out there for a hike. I will be doing The History of the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the National Canal Museum in Easton. You'll see everything you want to know about the South Penn and the Turnpike. There will be a like of interesting photos and films in my presentation.See you on THE WORLD'S GREATEST HIGHWAY!

The Quemahoning Tunnel is part of the William Vanderbuilt railroad days.It was planned for use buy the Pennsylvania Turnpike but bypassed instead.You can find it buy pulling off at mile number 106.5 and looking on the west side of the road I rode the abandoned pa turnpike from breezewood to hustontown. It is 20 miles of riding on the old route before they rerouted the highway.They rerouted it to bypass the rays hill tunnel and the sideling hill tunnel. Riding on this old road reminds me of the twighlight zone. imagine a nuclear war that wipes out everything and your on your bike looking for society. you will see more deer than people. the tunnels are a trip to say the least. rays hill tunnel is 4,500ft. any bikable. then later you get to sideling hill and unless you have 1 million candlepower forget it. we drove around it a nd biked the rest. after we were done we drove it. sideling was amazing how long it was it must be 6,000ft. you cant see the other end until about 3/4 way through. In Reply to: Re: Pennsylvania Turnpike posted by Sideling Hill Tunnel I have been a fan of the Pennsylvania Turnpike for many years and have collected photos, films and memorablia pertaining to the road, built in 1940. The rays Hill Tunnel and Sideling Hill Tunnel were respectively, the shortest(about 3500 feet) and the longest(6782 feet). Both were abandoned in 1968 when a new bypass opened. I have been exploring the old road since 1973 and have had several opportunities to ride over this section with Turnpike officials in my car. I have photos of all 7 original Turnpike tunnels during the original construction, beginning in 1939, to what they look like today. All, but Allegheny were part of the old South penn railroad. You can still see some old remnants of the old railroad today. I'll be on the entire east-west Turnpike in a few weeks and will definitely stop at the old tunnels. See you on THE WORLD'S GREATES HIGHWAY! John Walker Post your Message!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This message board designed by Joseph Topinka of Irwin,Pa........412-863-8006.................The next board will include the original postcards and pictures of the Turnpike..........."Americas FIRST Superhighway! Joe, Thank you for responding to my message regarding the Laural Hill Bypass. I am very interested in the old tunnels of the PA turnpike and also other "ancient" modes (canals and railroads) of transportation. In response to you question as to where I live, I live in Eastlake, Ohio, about 15 miles east of Cleveland. I work for a service company that is based in Homestead, Pa., and, on occasion, I travel the turnpike to work in central or eastern PA. I service projection and sound equipment in Movie theatres. During the last couple of years, my work has taken me as far east as Reading, during which I travelled through all of the tunnels on the turnpike. I have worked in Somerset, and I routinely travel to Indiana Univ. in Indiana. Last year, I installed some sound equipment at a drive-in theatre in Latrobe, and had some discussions with the theatre personel who told me that they go hunting not too far from the turnpike and know the location of the old Laural Hill tunnel. As for myself, I have been aware that I am on the tunnel bypass section of the road, but, when driving by myself, it is difficult to know exactly where the bypass starts. I have looked for it recently, but, with traffic and all of the "crazy" drivers on the road, it's easy to go past and not see the cut off of the old road. I also hope to someday locate the Quamahoning Tunnel, and the original Allegehny Tunnel. The Ray's Hill/Sideling Hill cut offs are pretty obvious, both at Breezwood and at the Eastern end, just east of the plaza. I would like someday to do some hiking and exploring in the area of the old road, but. I have tried to obtain  printed material regarding the Turnpike but have been somewhat limited in what is available. I  have copies of booklets called "Vanderbilt's Folly" by William Shank, and " A Turnpike History" by Dan Cupper. I have found a book listed on the Cuyahoga County Library computer system called "Guidebook To The Geology of PA Turnpike" by Arthur Cleaves. I have not had the opportunity to see this book yet, but, it sounds very interesting. In conclusion, let me say that I, and my family are very interested the history of travel. We have visited many railroad museums, and hiked many canal towpaths during our vacations. During many of our trips we have travelled on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, therefore, I would be greatful for any and all information that you would care to send, or guide me to. Once again, thank you for getting back to me. Yours Truly, Walter Schilling ============================================================================ ======== Walter Schilling (wschill@ibm.net) (waltersch@juno.com) Field Engineer, Ultratech, Inc. Lakeland Civic Band, Tuba Player ============================================================================ In response to your e-mail, I live in Grove City, PA, and while I don't get many opportunities to ride on the turnpike (maybe once a year on the entire "original" road, if I'm lucky), I did take my son, Ben, to see all the abandoned tunnels a couple of years ago.  I can barely remember trips to Harrisburg in the late 50's and early sixties to visit my grandparents, and a trip on the turnpike was always a special event since there were only a handful of limited access "super-highways" in the country then, and none with tunnels like the turnpike. I appreciate your posting of the east portal of the old Sideling Hill tunnel and I am presently using a "reversed" copy of it as my screen background. 
Pa. Turnpike - Tunnels near Breeze Wood were used for emission testing by Mobil Corp. in the early seventies. Fuel was blended (the new no-lead) and transported to Breeze Wood ,where test were carried out in the tunnels,so emmissions could be measured. I was at the installation at Paulsboro, NJ that blended developed the fuels. They were blended in small amounts compared to a refinery blend and shipped in drum lots to Breezewood.  It was part of my responsbility to insure that the drums and trucked were in compliance with existing DOT regulations. - Brings back a few memories although a bit fuzzy.  If I refcall the trip had to be made via Baltimore and route 70 rather than the "Pike" because of the HAZMAT regulations prohibitting flammable liquids in the tunnels. A bit longer and slower trip than the TP. Last night our PBS station had a program about the interstate highway system and its development, which prompted me to check out a item of interest hence this contact.  Hope I am of help. Feel free to respond. ---------- From: Joseph W.Topinka,Irwin,Pa.412-863-8006 To: eandpbrown@snip.net Subject: Turnpike Tunnel Testing
Old Turnpike Pictures
Rt 30 History

Imagine A "History of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Museum". It could be located at the Western Portal of the Rays Hill Tunnel. It is the spot where Andrew Carnegie posed for a picture of him and the tunnel workers. The tunnel is located about 3 miles from Breezewood .Access is easy where Rt. 30 crosses the old road bed. The commision could also "Restore the road to 1940 style" complete with all the signs,toolbooth,guard rail,concrete road,etc.Then they could have a movie room to show pictures and video of the old road .

This message board designed by Joseph Topinka of Irwin,Pa........412-863-8006.................The next board will include the original postcards and pictures of the Turnpike..........."Americas FIRST Superhighway!