Skip to main content

Midway Service Plazas

Image
By
The list can get quite lengthy.  The list of unique features the grandfather of modern highways in the United States has.   Numerous tunnels, abandoned tunnels and roadways in Bedford, Fulton and Westmoreland Counties, St. John's Church in New Baltimore, the stone faced colonial style service plazas and breathtaking scenery.  One set of service plazas located near the Bedford Interchange may be one of the most fascinating.  It is the Midway (North and South) Service Plazas.  The plazas are named "Midway" as they are located at what once was the halfway point of the original 160 mile toll road.  Midway South features a two-story colonial style building.  Midway North was a small one-story facility.  Midway South was rebuilt between 2012 and 2013, the Turnpike kept the old colonial design and stone faced exterior. In 2014, the North plaza was completely raised and rebuilt from the ground up as a more modern facility.  The new North Midway Service Plaza opened in May 2015.

The old North Midway Service Plaza in 2002.

What makes these service plazas more unique is that a tunnel underneath the Turnpike connects the two buildings.  This tunnel, now closed to travelers and the general public, is used for storage space.  The tunnel is no longer accessible at North Midway as the current restroom facilities are now above it.  The tunnels were in fact at one time open to the traveling public.  As late as the mid-sixties, you were still able to cross underneath the turnpike via the tunnel. (1) Below, John Bibber has included some photos of the tunnel.

The Interior of the Midway Service Tunnel.  (John Bibber)

Underneath the former entrance to the North Midway Plaza.  You can see the location of the original stairway.  (John Bibber)
 
This appears to be a current meeting facility or break room on the second floor of the South Midway Plaza.  (John Bibber)

Although both plazas - former homes of Esso Gas and Howard Johnson Restaurants - have undergone numerous modernization projects,  when pulling into the South Midway Plaza, the feel of the 1940's Turnpike still exists.  The quaint intimate facility combines history with the convenience and speed necessary for the modern day traveler.  In fact, not much in the outside cosmetics of the two-story South Plaza has changed when this photo of a young Mike Austing and his family was taken in the Summer of 1951.

(Mike Austing)

Site Navigation:
Sources & Links:
  • Historic PA Turnpike Service Plazas ---Interesting Pennsylvania
  • (1) Hoffman, Tom. 'Re: Midway Service Plazas Page Online.' Personal e-mail, July 20, 2002.
  • Mike Austing
  • John Bibber

d
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kancamagus Highway (NH 112 through the White Mountains of New Hampshire)

By
The Kancamagus Highway is a portion of NH 112 spanning from Conway to Lincoln through the scenic White Mountains of New Hampshire. Locally known as the "Kanc", the 34.5-mile drive is a recognized National Scenic Byway, offering travelers an abundance of history and spectacular beauty in addition to being considered one of the best fall foliage viewing areas in the world. The road opened up one of the last unconquered wilderness areas in New Hampshire, a region that the 1850 state Gazetteer called "unfit for human habitation." The two lane highway links the valleys of the Merrimack, Pemigewasset and Saco rivers, crossing over Kancamagus Pass at 2,855 feet in elevation, winding through some of the most difficult and gorgeous terrain in the state. A number of scenic vistas are found along the way offering remarkable views of the surrounding White Mountains, Swift River, Lower Falls and Rocky Gorge. You will not find services through much of the drive, until you get to
Post a Comment
Read more

Ghost Town Tuesday; Transylvania, Louisiana

By
Back in 2014 I found myself returning home to Florida from Hot Springs National Park.  While passing through East Carroll Parish in Louisiana on US Route 65 I noticed an abandoned school on the side of the highway in a community called Transylvania. Supposedly Transylvania was founded in the early 19th century and was named after the University of the same name in Kentucky.  Supposedly Transylvania has about 700 residents according to the 2000 Census but you wouldn't know it from the total lack of occupied structures.  The earliest map reference I can find showing Transylvania present in East Carroll Parish is from 1878. 1878 Louisiana State Map I really can't find too much substantive information regarding the Transylvania Elementary School but the construction is likely Pre-World War II.  Supposedly the Transylvania Elementary School was abandoned in the late 20th Century and was open to vandals until the property was purchased in 2014. Article Regarding the Transy
Post a Comment
Read more

I-93 Sign Replacement Project Update

By
Decided to beat the Memorial Day rush and traveled up I-93 north of Boston Wednesday afternoon to check out the progress of the two sign replacement projects. Based on webcam images, I new some signs had been replaced at the southern and northern end of the Somerville to Exit 38 segment. Turns out signage has been updated northbound for Exit 28 (MA 28/38), the first sign for Exit 31 (MA 16) (I guess taking advantage of MassDOT closing I-93 between Exits 20 and 28 for Big Dig Tunnel maintenance a couple nights a month) and for Exits 34 to 38. A photographic summary starts with the first re-signed exit: This is the second overhead assembly. The signs are mounted on the previously existing overhead supports that go back to the opening of the lower and upper deck portions of I-93 in the early 1970's. I don't know about using the left hand side simply for an auxiliary sign for the exit, but there isn't much room to place it elsewhere. The next interchange that  has had
3 comments
Read more