The Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike is the common name of a 13-mile (21 km) stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike that was bypassed in 1968 when a modern stretch opened to ease traffic congestion in the tunnels. In this case, the Sideling Hill Tunnel and Rays Hill Tunnel were bypassed, as was one of the Turnpike's travel plazas . The bypass is located just east of the heavily congested Breezewood interchange for Interstate 70 (I-70) eastbound at what is now I-76 exit 161. The section of the turnpike was at one time part of the South Pennsylvania Railroad .
20-519: When the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940, it was known as the "Tunnel Highway" because it traversed seven tunnels: from east to west, Blue Mountain , Kittatinny Mountain , Tuscarora Mountain , Sideling Hill , Rays Hill , Allegheny Mountain , and Laurel Hill . There was one tunnel through each mountain, and the highway was reduced to a single lane in each direction through each tunnel. These tunnels were originally built as part of
40-768: A distinct boundary between a number of Pennsylvania's geographical and cultural regions. To the south of the Susquehanna River gap in the south-central part of the state is the Cumberland Valley , part of the Great Appalachian Valley ; to its northwest side are the southern reaches of the Susquehanna Valley with picturesque streams channeling travel corridors deep into and over the central and western mountains and valleys—the heartland interior counties of Pennsylvania; along
60-575: A governmental body to own the trail before it can give out grants. The Friends of the Pike 2 Bike will continue to run and oversee the trail. In the early 1970s, the emission levels of unleaded gasoline were tested in Rays Hill Tunnel. A Plymouth Satellite was used as the test vehicle. The PTC and PennDOT used the highway to train maintenance workers, as well as for testing of rumble strips . There have also been numerous military uses for
80-713: A shooting range, although warning signs are still posted in the area. In 2008 the highway was used for the filming of the Dimension Films movie The Road starring Viggo Mortensen . The studios mildly restored the exterior of the eastern portal of the Ray's Hill Tunnel when it was used for filming. In 2005, the PTC restricted access to the abandoned turnpike by demolishing an overpass over U.S. Route 30 (US 30) in Breezewood and an overpass on Pump Station Road near
100-545: Is managed by Friends of the Pike 2 Bike, a coalition of non-profit groups (including the SAC) to eventually convert the stretch into a bike trail. The property is officially closed to the public, and no motor vehicles are allowed on the property, but bicycle riders are free to use it at their own risk. The trail requires helmets and lights. The tunnel's entrances have deteriorated due to vandalism, and their signboards were taken sometime between 1981 and 1999. However, tunnel structure
120-546: Is still sound despite not having been maintained for decades. A business plan and feasibility study was completed by Gannett Fleming in 2005. It proposed various ideas to make the trail as accessible as possible for cyclists, hikers, inline skaters, and equestrians. As of November 2007, the trail is in the process of changing ownership to Bedford County . This is in response to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources ' need for
140-766: Is the shortest of the four still in use today. The Blue Mountain Tunnel is 600 ft (180 m) to the east of the Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel , separated by the Gunter Valley. It was originally completed in 1940 with only one two lane section. An additional section was added in the 1960s carrying two additional lanes. 40°08′46″N 77°39′06″W / 40.146°N 77.6517°W / 40.146; -77.6517 Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania) Blue Mountain , Blue Mountain Ridge , or
160-927: The Blue Mountains of Pennsylvania is a ridge of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern Pennsylvania . Forming the southern and eastern edge of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians physiographic province in Pennsylvania, Blue Mountain extends 150 miles (240 km) from the Delaware Water Gap on the New Jersey border in the east to Big Gap in Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania at its southwestern end. Views of Blue Mountain dominate
180-793: The Main Branch Susquehanna , the valleys also lead into the Coal Region of northeast Pennsylvania, the Wyoming Valley , and the distant Poconos . To the south of Blue Mountain lies the Capital Region of Harrisburg and nearby communities, the rich farming country of the Lebanon Valley and Pennsylvania Dutch Country of York and Lancaster counties, the lower half of the Lehigh Valley , and
200-494: The Pennsylvania Turnpike , near the borough of Newburg . Most of the ridgecrest, however, only reaches between 1,400 and 1,700 feet (430 and 520 m) in elevation. The mountain's width varies from 1 to 3 miles (1.6 to 4.8 km). The southwestern end of the mountain is at Big Gap, west of Shippensburg . The mountain ridge continues to the southwest toward Maryland as Broad Mountain. The northeastern end of
220-505: The South Pennsylvania Railroad . The Quemahoning , Negro Mountain , and original Allegheny Mountain tunnels were bypassed during the original construction of the turnpike. By the late 1950s, the turnpike was so heavily used that traffic congestion demanded expansion because bottlenecks at the two-lane tunnels on the Pennsylvania Turnpike became a major problem. Traffic jams formed at each tunnel, especially during
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#1732800872662240-567: The abandoned highway: The Abandoned Turnpike is perhaps the best-known of tunnel bypasses on toll roads. Among the other bypassed tunnels: Blue Mountain Tunnel The Blue Mountain Tunnel is one of two tunnels through Blue Mountain in Pennsylvania , located west of Newburg . It is one of seven tunnels completed for the Pennsylvania Turnpike mainline, and at 4,339 ft (1,323 m) in length,
260-717: The eastern portal of the Sideling Hill Tunnel. Instead, a new Sideling Hill Travel Plaza was built to cater for travelers in both directions of the highway. The turnpike bypass of Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels opened to traffic on November 26, 1968. Today, the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike, as it is commonly known, is a popular tourist attraction. The PTC sold most of the property to the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy (SAC) for $ 1 in 2001. The property
280-549: The highway; the tunnels were considered as a storage area for weapons, as was the open highway for aircraft. The military also used the highway for training soldiers for Iraq in the early 2000s, even after the highway was sold to the SAC. The site of the former Cove Valley Travel Plaza was used as a shooting range for the Pennsylvania State Police . Since the SAC bought the property, the site has not been used as
300-458: The late 2000s on the PTC-owned side of the former Pump Station Road overpass, making the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) section still owned by the PTC a de facto access road to the active turnpike in itself; however, like other access roads along the turnpike, it is off-limits to the public and is only used by the PTC or Pennsylvania State Police. There are three access points to the public section of
320-539: The lower Delaware Valley , both of which extend north through water gaps beyond the ridgeline. Blue Mountain School District , which is named after the mountain range, is located just off PA Route 61 in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania . The ridge of Blue Mountain runs for 150 miles (240 km) through Pennsylvania , reaching an elevation of 2,270 feet (690 m) above sea level just north of
340-405: The site of the old Cove Valley Travel Plaza. The demolition of the overpasses removed the liability and expense of repairing the aging bridges, marked the property lines between the public and the PTC-owned sections of the property, and prevented motorized vehicles from easily entering the abandoned turnpike. The original plans for the removal included an access road, but somewhere along the way, it
360-507: The southern tier of most eastern and central Pennsylvania counties, providing an ever-visible backdrop cutting across the northern or western horizon. Most transport corridors and road beds piercing the barrier necessarily pass through large water gaps , including (west to east) the Susquehanna , Schuylkill , Lehigh and Delaware River valleys or wind gaps , low gaps in the ridge caused by ancient watercourses. The barrier ridge forms
380-487: The summer. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) conducted studies on either expanding or bypassing the tunnels. Following the studies, the PTC decided to construct new tubes at four of the tunnels and bypass the remaining three. The Sideling Hill and Rays Hill tunnels were bypassed by a 13-mile (21 km) new highway, as was the Cove Valley Travel Plaza, which was located on the westbound side of
400-463: Was removed and not known to Pike 2 Bike officials until it was too late. As of 2012, the Friends of the Pike 2 Bike are seeking to obtain grants that will allow the building of an access road and to rebuild the last remaining original toll booth, which was obtained in 2006. The toll booth will collect a parking donation that will be used to pay for site maintenance and upkeep. An access road was built in
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