Gribblenation

It's often overlooked in Pittsburgh, but for about a decade, there was a road-building renaissance in the region from about 1985 to 1992.  The construction of long-delayed freeways and the closing of some missing links in the highway network occurred during this span.  With the completion of the North Shore and East Street Valley Expressways, Interstate 279 was finished.  Crosstown Boulevard and the Veterans Bridge completed Interstate 579.  The PA 65 Freeway connected the North Shore to Ohio River Boulevard. Finally, in the western outreaches of Allegheny County, another new freeway, known as the Southern Expressway, was completed quickly - just over two years - opened in time for the opening of Greater Pittsburgh International Airport's new midfield terminal.   The Southern Expressway is a seven-and-a-half-mile new freeway that connected the Airport Parkway near Montour Run Road to the Beaver Valley Expressway near Flaugherty Run Road.  While providi...

The roads around Pittsburgh International Airport have a lot of history and intrigue.  The growth of the airport and resulting land acquisitions have changed the routing of many roads in Western Allegheny County.  As the airport grew and traffic around the airport increased, the need for new highways would also change the landscape.  Of course, the fact that this is Pittsburgh means there were also plans for roads that never came to be.  Two of these never built highway plans, the Beaver Valley Expressway (BVE) extension and the full-speed connection to the Southern Expressway at Flaugherty Run Road have traces - specifically ghost ramps - of highways that never came to be. Beaver Valley Expressway Extension: Pavement stubs for a never-built extension of the Beaver Valley Expressway that would have bypassed the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport terminal.  (Adam Prince - October 1998) For nearly three decades, this unused piece of roadway along t...

With Interstate 376 replacing PA 60 from US 22/30 outside of Pittsburgh to Interstate 80 in Sharon, there was some concern on what a short five and a half  mile section of former PA 60 from I-80 to Business US 62 would be.  A detached PA 60? No. A Business Spur I-80 or 376? Not that either.  Instead the state came up with a never before used route designation, PA 760 .  Highway 760 has recently been signed and Joe Gerard was kind enough to send along some photos to myself and Jeff Kitsko. Prior to the designation change, PA 60 ended at Business US 62 in downtown Sharon.  Here is how it looked around 2001 in a photo from John and Barb Bee. Nearly a decade later, it looks like the US 62 shield is the same, but the PA 60 sign has been replaced with its new designation, PA 760. End and Begin for PA 760 and Interstate 376 are now found at the interchange with I-80. So it looks like I need to get to work on updating this page , pronto.  I haven't tou...

On the heels of the photos that Jason Reighard sent me, Ed Szuba and his wife were out and about recently, and took a few more photos from the PA 60 to Interstate 376 conversion.  These photos have some personal interest to me as I spent three and a half years in the area from 1996-99 attending Robert Morris College (now University). These signs at Exit 57 are the signs near Robinson Town Center - leave the area for ten years and you can forget these things.  I-376 and Business Loop 376 shields have now replaced PA 60 shields.  Will PA Turnpike 576 ever become Interstate 576 ?  Who knows. Next up signs around the airport itself. And some signs approaching the western end of Business Loop 376: Further up the road now...I-376 mile markers appear. And finally...when I was at RMC these signs were all text in button copy and had sequential numbering...now they are in Clearview and mileage based numbers for I-376.  What a difference 11 years makes, eh? ...

Jason Reighard sends more signs from the PA 60 to Interstate 376 conversion.  This time from the old PA 60/Business 60 split near Robinson Town Center.  Business I-376 replaces Business PA 60 along the old Airport Parkway.  The corrected signs are found at Exit 51 formerly Exit 3.

Monongahela River flooding closed Interstate 376 in downtown Pittsburgh.  As a result of the closure, a variable message or is it rotating message guide sign that reads West I-376 displayed its other message.  The Road is Closed and all traffic must exit left. (Grant St. - Exit 71A.) Blog Reader Ed Szuba sends along this shot.

Denny Pine sends in some more I-376 signage near the Pittsburgh Airport. As you will be able to see from the photos below, PENNDOT is slowly transitioning PA 60 (north of US 22/30) to I-376. Dual signage exists and directional banners are not included. Or...the EAST and WEST signs haven't come in yet.

As a result of the extension of Interstate 376 , PA 60 has been truncated. It now ends at I-376/US 22/30 in Robinson Township. PENNDOT has recently put up signage marking the new end of PA 60. Jason Reighard was kind enough send along photos of the recently signed new end. However, the I-376 extension has yet to be signed on this section of the Parkway.