Interstate 99 at 30

When it comes to the entirety of the Interstate Highway System, Interstate 99, when fully completed, is nothing more than 161 miles of a roughly 48,000-mile system (0.3% of total length).  Yet, to more than just a handful of people, the number '99' rubs them the wrong way.

Interstate 99 follows the path of two US Highway Routes - US 220 from the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Bedford north to Interstate 80 and then to US 15/Interstate 180 in Williamsport.  It then follows US 15 from Williamsport north to Interstate 86 in Corning, New York.

Interstate 99 runs with US 220 through much of Central Pennsylvania. (Doug Kerr)

US 220 from Cumberland, Maryland to Interstate 80 and US 15 north of Williamsport were designated part of the Appalachian Highway System in 1965.  Construction to upgrade both corridors progressed steadily but slowly.  In 1991, the two corridors were included as a National High Priority Corridor.  The route from Cumberland to Corning consisted of High Priority Corridor Number 9.

How We Got 99:

The number '99' is the brainchild of the late Pennsylvania Congressman Bud Shuster.  Shuster, known for his prowess on the House Transportation Committee, represented the state's 9th District, which included the Greater Altoona Area. In the 1995 National Highway System Designation Act, Shuster legislated the "Interstate 99" designation for US 220 and US 15 from Bedford, PA to Corning, New York.  The legislation, passed in November 1995, was the first instance of an Interstate Highway number being written into law.

Shuster chose the number 99 because it was "catchy," but it also could be tied to his youth living in Glassport, PA.  A former Pittsburgh Railways Streetcar line that ran from Glassport to nearby McKeesport - was Route 99 Evans Ave./Glassport. (1)  The line changed to Route 98 in the 1950s and would stop operating in 1963.

Shuster, who over the previous 15 years had 'earmarked' money to upgrade US 220 to an Interstate grade freeway, was praised locally but criticized nationally. 

The I-99 Blowback:

After President Clinton signed the National Highway System Act into law on November 28, 1995, the first Interstate 99 sign was in place in less than one week.  On Friday, December 1, 1995, at the 17th Street Interchange in Altoona - Shuster and Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Brad Mallory unveiled the first I-99 sign.

Shuster was present for a sign unveiling ceremony three days after I-99 was written into law. (2)

Within the road enthusiast hobby, Interstate 99 was "via non grata."  Dislike of the highway and Shuster became a common topic in hobby forums.  The most common complaint was that Interstate 99 should run west of Interstate 95 - violating the logic and standards of the highway numbering grid.  Others directed their ire towards Shuster and how he legislatively decided the number and more than just a handful of Anti-Interstate 99 websites were made.

William F. Yurasko ran one of those Anti-I-99 websites.  His site was named Pennsylvania's Destination of the Day in June of 1998.  Yurasko said about his site, "It was a fun thing to do at the time.  Even some of my professors liked it."  

The first person who may have protested Interstate 99's designation went up the entire chain of command to President Bill Clinton.  Matthew P. Klimek wrote to Clinton in November 1996.  Klimek wrote of his displeasure of 99's designation - due to it being east of Interstate 95 and not following the logic of the highway numbering system grid.  He was disappointed in the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) response that they "...[did] not believe an occasional inconsistency will cause any difficulty for the traveling public."  Klimek saw that the "...numerical missassignment (sic) of Interstate Highway 99 into central Pennsylvania is rather insulting to former President Eisenhower..." (3)

Klimek proposed that Interstate 99 be assigned Interstate 580.  He also suggested that Interstate 83 continue northwards to Rochester, New York, Interstate 88 continue south and west from Binghamton, NY to Williamsport, PA, and Interstate 188 from Richmondville to Clifton Park, New York. (3)

The White House forwarded his letter back to the FHWA where they returned a response on December 7, 1996.  An FWHA administrator explained that Congress assigned the number by law and that they had no choice but to accept 99.  The administrator also expressed "...regret that the designation of 'I-99' has caused you so much concern." (4)

But it's not just citizens or roadgeeks that wrote to the FHWA about Interstate 99.  State Government staff did as well.  In October 2002, a staffer of a Pennsylvania State Senator e-mailed the FHWA and asked if "I-99, now under construction in Central Pennsylvania, out of numerical sequence by design?" (5)

The FHWA responded that because I-99 was written into law - they have to oblige - and all Interstate standard segments will be approved as Interstate 99.  The FHWA staffer also said that they "...receive[d] some expressions of concern about "99" being out of sequence, but any change in the numbering of I-99 would require a statutory change." (5)

Where We Are Today:

While most of the general public has moved on from Shuster and Interstate 99 within the road community, there is the occasional gripe or question about Interstate 99.  Jeff Kitsko, webmaster of pahighways.com, hasn't had a question or complaint about I-99 in over a decade.

"It seems to be more in the road community - that people bring up 99," he said. "And it's just why? It's been around for three decades."

While there are still people who want to change the number, the answer will remain the same - it's been legislatively designated.  Any number change can only be made through Congress.

Interstate 99 in 1997. (PennDOT)

When Interstate 99 was first signed in late 1995, the highway stretched roughly 52 miles from Bedford to a town called Bald Eagle. It would be another 13 years before Interstate 99 was extended in length northwards.

Between 1995 and 2008, miles of future Interstate 99 between Bald Eagle and Interstate 80 were opened to traffic.  The Interstate's progress hit a snag on a mountaintop west of State College.  At Skytop Mountain, construction crews unearthed a significant amount of pyritic rock.  The rock when exposed to air and water dissolves into a sulfuric acid-like liquid. (6)  The runoff, if not mitigated, would be an environmental disaster to streams, wells, and fish. 

Interstate 99 approaching Skytop Mountain.  You can see the pyritic rock mitigation just beyond the overpass.  (Doug Kerr - 2009)

The construction at Skytop Mountain exposed approximately one million cubic feet of pyritic rock.  Mitigation and clean-up delayed construction for years and cost over $80 million. (1) Interstate 99 was finally completed through State College and extended to Interstate 80 in 2008.

Part of the reason for the Skytop Mountain problems came from Shuster himself.  In the 1995 law that gave Interstate 99 its name, Shuster also included riders that allowed the highway planning, design, and construction to bypass various federal oversights and reviews. (1)

A major interchange connecting Interstates 80 and 99 is currently under construction.  In 2014, New York signed 12 miles of Interstate 99 from the Pennsylvania State Line to Interstate 86 in Corning.

Interstate 99 first appeared in New York in 2014. (Dan Murphy, 2022)

In October 2024, Pennsylvania received approval to sign nearly 60 miles of Interstate 99 from Williamsport to the New York State Line.   All that remains to complete Interstate 99 is a 24-mile gap along US 220 from Interstate 80 near Lock Haven to Interstate 180 in Williamsport.  Maybe then, the Interstate 99 story will be completed.

Sources & Links:

• Interstate 99 @ PAHighways.com ---Jeff Kitsko
• Interstate 99 @ AARoads.com
• (1) Hamill, Sean D. "Road Stirs Up Debate, Even on Its Name." New York Times. December 27, 2008.
• (2) Swayne, M.L. "U.S. 220 Now I-99." Tyrone Daily Herald. December 4, 1995. Page 1.
• (3) Klimek, Matthew P. (November 7, 1996) Letter to President Bill Clinton. Retrieved from AASHTO Route Numbering Archive.
• (4) Slater. Rodney A. Federal Highway Administration. (December 24, 1996) Letter to Matthew P. Klimek. Retrieved from AASHTO Route Numbering Archive.
• (5) Weingroff, Richard. Federal Highway Administration. "Re: I-99" e-mail. October 8, 2002. Retrieved from AASHTO Route Numbering Archive.
  
• (6) "Geological problems still plague I-99." The Daily Collegian. March 29, 2007.
• William F. Yurakso