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

US Route 62 and US Route 180 in the Guadalupe Mountains

By
US Route 62/US Route 180 between El Paso, Texas and Carlsbad, New Mexico passes through the Guadalupe Mountains.  The Guadalupe Mountains comprise the highest peaks of Texas which are largely protected as part Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  The automotive highway through the Guadalupe Mountains was constructed in the late 1920s as part of Texas State Road 54.  US Route 62 was extended from Carlsbad through the Guadalupe Mountains to El Paso during 1932.  US Route 62 was joined in the Guadalupe Mountains by US Route 180 in 1943.  The Guadalupe Mountains comprise a portion of the 130 mile "No Services" zone on US Route 62/US Route 180 between El Paso-Carlsbad. Part 1; the history of US Route 62 and US Route 180 in the Guadalupe Mountains The Guadalupe Mountains lie within the states of Texas and New Mexico.  The Guadalupe Mountains essentially is a southern extension of the larger Rocky Mountains.  The Guadalupe Mountains is the highest range in Texas with the peak elevati
Post a Comment
Read more

Paper Highways; unbuilt California State Route 100 in Santa Cruz

By
This edition of Paper Highways examines the unbuilt California State Route 100 in Santa Cruz. The History of Unbuilt California State Route 100 The route that became CA 100 was added to the State Inventory in 1959 as part of the Freeway & Expressway System as Legislative Route 287 .  According to CAhighways.org the initial definition of LRN 287 had it begin at LRN 5 (CA 17) and was defined over the below alignment to LRN 56 (CA 1) through downtown Santa Cruz. -  Ocean Street -  2nd Street -  Chestnut Street For context the above alignment would required tearing down a large part of the densely populated Santa Cruz.  A modern Google imagine immediately reveals how crazy an alignment following Ocean Street, 2nd Street, and Chestnut Street would have been. LRN 287 first appears on the 1960 Division of Highways State Map . In 1961 the definition of LRN 287 was generalized to; from LRN 5 via the beach area in Santa Cruz to LRN 56 west of the San Lorenzo River. 
Post a Comment
Read more

New Mexico State Road 7 (Carlsbad Caverns Highway)

By
New Mexico State Road 7 is approximately a seven-mile highway in the Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County. New Mexico State Road 7 connects US Route 62/US Route 180 at Whites City to the visitor center of Carlsbad Caverns National Park via Walnut Canyon. The so-called Carlsbad Caverns Highway to the National Park visitor center complex was constructed following the designation of the namesake National Monument in 1923. The current iteration of New Mexico State Road 7 was designated by the New Mexico State Highway Commission during June 1929. A proposal once was once floated to connect New Mexico State Road 7 to a cavern drive which would have been blasted into Big Room. Part 1; the history of New Mexico State Road 7 What are now Carlsbad Caverns was explored in the Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County by local Jim White during 1898.  White explored the caverns via a homemade ladder and named several of the more notable rooms.  The name "Carlsbad Caverns" was derived from the
Post a Comment
Read more