Interstate 70 in Pennsylvania

In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, Interstate 70 (I-70) runs east–west across the southwest part of the state serving the southern fringe of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. About half of the route is concurrent with I-76 on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. This is the oldest segment of I-70 in Pennsylvania, having been completed in 1940, and is only one of two segments of I-70 that are tolled, with the other being the Kansas Turnpike. I-70 is one of only a few Interstate Highways to have a traffic signal—in this case, with U.S. Route 30 (US 30) in Breezewood, where it leaves the Pennsylvania Turnpike and heads toward Maryland.[2]

This article is about the section of Interstate 70 in Pennsylvania. For the entire route, see Interstate 70.
For the former Pennsylvania Route 70, see Pennsylvania Route 171.

Interstate 70
I-70 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by PennDOT and PTC
Length167.92 mi[1] (270.24 km)
Major junctions
West end I-70 at the West Virginia state line
  I-79 / US 40 / US 19 / PA 18 in Washington
PA Turnpike 43 in Fallowfield Township
PA 51 in Rostraver Township

I-76 / Penna Turnpike / US 119 / PA Turnpike 66 in New Stanton
US 219 near Somerset
I-99 / US 30 / US 220 in Bedford

I-76 / Penna Turnpike / US 30 in Breezewood
US 522 near Warfordsburg
East end I-70 / US 522 at the Maryland state line
Location
CountiesWashington, Westmoreland, Somerset, Bedford, Fulton
Highway system
← PA 69PA 70 →
← PA 125PA 126PA 127 →

Route description

Two segments of I-70 in Pennsylvania are not designed to modern Interstate standards: a 37-mile segment from Washington to New Stanton, and the aforementioned half-mile signalized segment in Breezewood.

West Virginia to Washington

I-70 enters Pennsylvania from West Virginia, coming into Donegal Township, Washington County. The freeway continues toward the southwest into West Virginia towards the city of Wheeling. The highway continues northeast as a four-lane freeway with a standard-sized median up to Interstate Highway standards through rural areas of woodland and farmland, coming to its first junction at a partial cloverleaf interchange with Pennsylvania Route 3023 (PA 3023), to the southeast of unincorporated village of West Alexander. Past this junction, the freeway begins to parallel US 40 on the northwest side of the road, before it enters a series of winding curves. From here, I-70 heads east to meet a weigh station and a welcome center in the eastbound direction, as well as an interchange with PA 3024 connecting to PA 231 via US 40 in the borough of Claysville.[3]

I-70 through Buffalo Township in Washington County

The freeway curves to a more east-northeasterly direction, where it briefly passes through the borough limits of Claysville, before briefly re-entering Donegal Township. I-70 enters Buffalo Township, where it soon meets a pair of right-in/right-out ramps connecting to PA 221, that serves the unincorporated village of Taylorstown to the northeast, in adjacent Blaine Township. The freeway comes into North Franklin Township before crossing into Canton Township at its partial interchange with US 40 which lacks a westbound entrance; the interchange is adjacent to the Washington Crown Center shopping mall located to the southwest of the interchange. From here, I-70 crosses over an abandoned portion of the Allegheny Valley Railroad's W&P Subdivision line, and enters mixed areas of development on the outskirts of the city of Washington, which is also the county seat of Washington County. After passing through an interchange with Sheffield Avenue serving the industrial and commercial area of Jessop Place, the freeway enters the city limits of Washington, where it comes to a pair of right-in/right-out ramps that connect to PA 18. A short distance later, I-70 enters South Strabane Township and reaches its western junction with I-79 at a directional interchange, which heads north towards the city of Pittsburgh.[3]

I-70 (on top) merges with I-79 going through Washington, Pennsylvania, shown in 2008 before reconstruction and flyover construction

The freeway turns southeast through the interchange and begins a concurrency with I-79. A jersey barrier takes over in the highway's median as it comes to a diverging diamond interchange with US 19 in a commercial area surrounded by strip malls. A short distance later, I-70/I-79 comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange with PA 136 to the northeast of the borough limits of East Washington, that provides access to Washington & Jefferson College; a park and ride lot is located in the northeastern corner of the interchange. Past PA 136, the freeway heads back into rural areas with scattered residences, before reaching the eastern split between I-70 and I-79 at a directional interchange. I-79 turns south towards the city of Morgantown, West Virginia, while I-70 continues east along the original roadway towards the borough of New Stanton in Westmoreland County.[3]

Washington to New Stanton

East of I-79, I-70 downgrades to an expressway substandard of modern Interstate standards. This section of I-70 has several dated design features. The median narrows to the point that there are no shoulders between the median barrier and the passing lanes on both sides. On- and off-ramps at many of the interchanges are substandard in both length and geometry, which requires vehicles to decelerate in the travel lanes before entering the off-ramps, and also necessitates the use of stop signs on the on-ramps instead of yield signs. Several overpasses do not meet minimum clearance requirements, which has resulted in damage to, and from, overheight trucks. Total reconstruction efforts are ongoing that will upgrade most of this segment of I-70 and its interchanges to modern Interstate standards, and various projects are scheduled through the early 2020s.

The first interchange that the freeway meets past I-79 is with PA 519, where the route crosses into Somerset Township. I-70 continues through areas of rural farmland with surroundings of wooded rolling hills, and turns to the east-southeast, coming to interchanges with PA 1055 south of the hamlet of Dunningsville, and McIllvaine Road southeast of the hamlet of Kammerer, in adjacent Nottingham Township, before reaching the borough limits of Bentleyville at the PA 917 interchange, which only contains an eastbound exit and westbound entrance. Shortly afterward, the expressway crosses over Norfolk Southern Railway's Ellsworth Secondary and meets modified right-in/right-out ramps to Wilson Road, which provides complete access to PA 917 and the center of Bentleyville to and from both directions. Following Bentleyville, I-70 enters Fallowfield Township, where it has a complete diamond interchange with PA 481, a westbound exit and eastbound entrance to Twin Bridges Road to the northeast of the hamlet of Lover, and a full cloverleaf interchange with the Mon–Fayette Expressway (PA 43), as the route descends into the valley of the Monongahela River. From here, the expressway curves east-northeast into the borough of Twilight, before crossing into the borough of Speers at the interchange with Maple Drive/Twilight Hollow Road. At this point, I-70 meets PA 88 at a pair of right-in/right-out ramps, prior to crossing over the Monongahela River, as well Norfolk Southern Railway's Mon Line and CSX Transportation's Mon Subdivision on the Belle Vernon Bridge, where the route leaves both Speers and Washington County.[3]

Beyond the Belle Vernon Bridge, the route enters Westmoreland County within Rostraver Township. Here, it has a partial cloverleaf interchange with PA 906, before it crosses into the borough of North Belle Vernon and interchanges with Fayette Street, to the northeast of the borough center. From this point, the expressway heads back into Rostraver Township where it meets PA 201 at a partial cloverleaf interchange northeast of the community of Lynnwood-Pricedale that also provides access to PA 837. I-70 continues through wooded areas with nearby development, reaching an interchange with PA 3011 north of the hamlet of Arnold City in adjacent Washington Township, Fayette County, before coming to a cloverleaf interchange with PA 51 as the route begins to enter the valley of the Youghiogheny River. Past PA 51, the route crosses the Smithton High Level Bridge over the Youghiogheny River and CSX Transportation's Keystone Subdivision, where it enters South Huntingdon Township. From here, I-70 interchanges with PA 3031 north of the borough of Smithton, PA 31 at cloverleaf to the northwest of the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival grounds, and PA 3010 to the southeast of the unincorporated village of Yukon, before it comes into Sewickley Township. In this area, the expressway has an interchange with Waltz Mill Road to the south of the borough of Madison, before it passes through Hempfield Township prior to entering New Stanton. Within the borough limits, I-70 has a dumbbell interchange with PA 3089, before it exits the mainline expressway at a trumpet interchange, to come to a toll plaza for the New Stanton interchange on the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76). At this point, the mainline expressway continues east to a cloverleaf junction between US 119 and the southern terminus of PA 66. I-70 itself passes through the toll plaza and comes to another trumpet interchange, where the Interstate merges onto the eastbound turnpike that heads toward the city of Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania. In the opposite direction, the Pennsylvania Turnpike heads northwest towards Pittsburgh.[3]

Pennsylvania Turnpike concurrency
Main article: Pennsylvania Turnpike

For 86 miles from New Stanton to Breezewood, I-70 shares a concurrency with I-76 along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I-70 passes through a wind farm in Somerset County, and close to the 9/11 Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville. It then intersects I-99 in Bedford County before reaching the eastern end of its concurrency with the Turnpike in Breezewood.[3]

Breezewood to Maryland
View east along the non-freeway portion of I-70 and west along US 30 in Breezewood

I-70 splits from the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the Breezewood Interchange in East Providence Township, Bedford County. The turnpike continues east towards Harrisburg, while I-70 passes through another toll plaza and passes under its own carriageways, before downgrading into another highway substandard of Interstate standards, at a partial trumpet interchange with US 30. Eastbound I-70 merges onto westbound US 30 to form a half mile wrong-way concurrency through the community of Breezewood. This section of I-70 is one of the few instances of where an Interstate highway follows a road that lacks grade separation and includes traffic signals. I-70 follows US 30 west along a five-lane highway with a center turn lane through commercial areas in Breezewood before it splits from US 30 and turns left onto another freeway alignment. US 30, meanwhile, continues west towards the borough of Everett.[3]

Beyond US 30, I-70 heads south and becomes a four-lane limited-access freeway that once again conforms to modern Interstate standards. The median widens, before the freeway crosses over its preceding carriageways and under the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Shortly past the turnpike underpass, there is an interchange with South Breezewood Road before I-70 reverse curves to cross Rays Hill, crossing into Fulton County, and coming to a pair of right-in/right-out ramps with the southern terminus of PA 915 in the unincorporated village of Crystal Spring, in Brush Creek Township. The freeway continues through a valley of farmland and comes to an eastbound rest area on the western slope of Town Hill, which the highway crosses at an oblique angle. In the middle of the mountain crossing, I-70 has another pair of right-in/right-out ramps with the northern terminus of PA 643, and then descends along the length of its eastern slope into another rural valley. Within this valley, the freeway enters Union Township, turns generally more southeast and interchanges with the northern terminus of PA 731, east of the unincorporated village of Amaranth.[3]

Past PA 731, I-70 crosses Sideling Hill and comes into Bethel Township. The route heads through forested and mountainous surroundings in the watershed of Tonoloway Creek, before coming to an interchange with the northern/western end of the highway's concurrency with US 522 in the unincorporated town of Warfordsburg. Southbound US 522 merges onto eastbound I-70 and the two routes run concurrent across the Mason-Dixon line into Washington County, Maryland.[3]

History

Pennsylvania Route 126
LocationWarfordsburg–Breezewood
Existed1928–1964

Pennsylvania Route 71 Alternate
LocationWashington–New Stanton
Existed1957–1963

By 1947, present Interstate 70 across Pennsylvania was included in the planned Interstate Highway System. The route from West Virginia split at Washington, with one branch heading northeast to meet the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Pittsburgh and the other heading east, bypassing Pittsburgh to the south (via a planned bypass of Pennsylvania Route 71) to the New Stanton interchange. The piece south from the Breezewood interchange into Maryland was also in the network.[4] The route between US 30 in Breezewood and US 522 in Warfordsburg was originally known as Pennsylvania Route 126. In 1957, preliminary numbers were assigned; the longer route via Pittsburgh (now Interstate 79 and Interstate 376) became the main line of I-70, while the southern bypass (now I-70) became Interstate 70S.[5] The section of present-day I-70 between PA 519 near Washington and New Stanton was built as a four-lane divided highway known as the "Express Highway"; this road was assigned the temporary PA 71 Alternate designation in 1957 and would be designated as I-70S following the completion of additional connecting roads in the Interstate Highway System.[6][7] On July 15, 1960, I-70 was designated onto the Penn-Lincoln Parkway.[8] A southern extension of Interstate 79 (which had previously only run from Erie south to Pittsburgh) to Charleston, West Virginia in 1963 resulted in changes to I-70. On February 26, 1964, as part of the formation of Interstate 76 (east of downtown Pittsburgh), AASHTO approved a rerouting of I-70 along I-70S. The former I-70 became I-79 from Washington to downtown Pittsburgh and I-76 to and along the Turnpike to New Stanton.[9] This brought the routing of I-70 to its present form.

Future

In 2011, PennDOT began preliminary work for a total reconstruction of I-70 between the West Virginia state line and New Stanton. Approximately $500 million will be spent on this 58-mile segment of highway in order to improve it to modern Interstate standards, half of which will be spent redesigning eight interchanges. Other planned improvements include six overpass replacements, a new roadbed, a wider median, electronic ITS signage, and widening the I-70/I-79 concurrency in Washington to six lanes.[10]

Two noteworthy interchange projects will occur in conjunction with the I-70/I-79 widening. Underway is a reconfiguration of the east/south split between I-70 and I-79, which will eliminate the one-lane, low-speed loop ramp from I-79 northbound to I-70 westbound, replacing it with a two-lane, high-speed flyover ramp.[11] Preliminary design work has also been completed for a redesigned interchange between I-70/I-79 and Murtland Avenue (U.S. 19), and involves replacing the existing substandard cloverleaf in favor of the first diverging diamond interchange in Pennsylvania.[12]

Exit list
CountyLocation[13]mi[14]kmOld exit
[15]		New exit
[15]		DestinationsNotes
WashingtonDonegal Township0.0000.000–– I-70 west – WheelingContinuation into West Virginia
0.7761.24911West Alexander
5.6489.09026 To PA 231 – Claysville
Buffalo Township10.96417.645311 PA 221 – Taylorstown
North Franklin–Canton
township line		14.94024.044415 US 40 (Chestnut Street)
Canton Township16.02725.793516Jessop Place
Washington16.45126.475617 PA 18 (Jefferson Avenue)
South Strabane Township17.54628.238–18 I-79 north – PittsburghWestern end of I-79 overlap; exit 38 southbound
18.59729.929719 US 19 (Murtland Avenue)Diverging diamond interchange
18.94530.489820 PA 136 (Beau Street)
21.08333.930–21 I-79 south – MorgantownEastern end of I-79 overlap; exit 34 northbound; also signed for Waynesburg
Somerset Township24.64339.659925 PA 519 – Eighty Four, Glyde
27.50344.2621027Dunningsville
30.59249.2331131Kammerer
Somerset Township–Bentleyville line32.42152.17712A32A PA 917 – Ginger HillEastbound exit and westbound entrance
Bentleyville–Fallowfield Township line32.78052.75412B32B To PA 917 – BentleyvilleAlso signed for Ginger Hill at westbound exit
Fallowfield Township35.20156.6511335 PA 481 – Monongahela, Centerville
36.39658.5741436LoverWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
37.555–
37.571		60.439–
60.465		15A37A PA Turnpike 43 south – CaliforniaBrownsville posted on supplemental signage
15B37B PA Turnpike 43 north – Pittsburgh
Twilight–Speers line39.87764.1761639Speers
Speers40.24864.7731740 PA 88 – Charleroi, Allenport
Monongahela River40.69765.495Belle Vernon Bridge
WestmorelandRostraver Township40.77665.6231841 PA 906 – Belle Vernon, MonessenThe eastbound exit and entrance ramps are located partially within Fayette County
North Belle Vernon41.52866.8331942North Belle Vernon
Rostraver Township42.08367.72619A42AMonessenWestbound exit only
42.74268.7872043 PA 201 to PA 837 – Donora, Fayette CitySigned as exits 43A (south) and 43B (north) westbound
44.21671.1592144Arnold City
46.47874.79922A46A PA 51 south – Uniontown
22B46B PA 51 north – Pittsburgh
South Huntingdon Township48.95778.7892349Smithton
51.25782.49024A51A PA 31 east – Mount Pleasant
24B51B PA 31 west – West Newton
53.20385.6222553Yukon
Sewickley Township53.92386.78125A54Madison
New Stanton56.97891.69726A & 26B57New StantonRebuilt interchange combining former exits 57B (Hunker) and 57A (New Stanton)
57.56492.640–– US 119 / PA Turnpike 66 north – Greensburg, Connellsville, DelmontI-70 exits itself to toll plaza eastbound; Delmont not signed eastbound
57.76592.964Western end of toll road
57.99293.329–– I-76 west / Penna Turnpike west – PittsburghWestern end of I-76/Penna. Tpk. overlap; I-70 exits turnpike via exit 75 westbound; New Stanton Interchange
Donegal73.292117.952991 PA 31 / PA 711 – Ligonier, UniontownDonegal Interchange
SomersetSomerset Township92.512148.88410110 US 219 – Somerset, JohnstownAccess via PA 601; Somerset Interchange
Berlin105.302–
106.502		169.467–
171.398		Allegheny Mountain Tunnel
BedfordBedford Township128.102206.16011146 I-99 / US 220 – Bedford, Altoona, JohnstownAccess via US 220 Bus.; Bedford signed eastbound; Johnstown signed westbound; Bedford Interchange
East Providence Township144.102231.910–– I-76 east / Penna Turnpike east – HarrisburgEastern end of I-76/Penna. Tpk. overlap; I-70 exits turnpike via exit 161 eastbound; Breezewood Interchange
144.402232.392East end of toll road
146.706236.100Western end of non-freeway section
–– US 30 east – McConnellsburg, Chambersburg, GettysburgEastern end of US 30 overlap; McConnellsburg signed westbound, Chambersburg and Gettysburg signed eastbound
147.000236.574–– US 30 west – Breezewood, EverettWestern end of US 30 overlap
Eastern end of non-freeway section
148.465238.93129149South BreezewoodNo westbound entrance
FultonBrush Creek Township150.948242.92730151 PA 915 – Crystal Spring
155.510250.26931156 PA 643 – Town Hill
Union Township163.007262.33432163 PA 731 south – Amaranth
Bethel Township167.724269.92633168 US 522 north – WarfordsburgWestern end of US 522 overlap
170.281274.041–– I-70 east / US 522 south – HancockContinuation into Maryland
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
  •  U.S. Roads portal
  •  Pennsylvania portal

References

KML is from Wikidata
  1. "Route Log - Main Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 1". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  2. Roig-Franzia, Manuel (November 22, 2001). "The Town That Stops Traffic: Travelers Encounter Way Station as Way of Life in Breezewood". Washington Post.
  3. Google (April 24, 2020). "overview of Interstate 70 in Pennsylvania" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  4. National System of Interstate Highways, August 2, 1947
  5. Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, August 14, 1957
  6. "'Express Highway' Designated As Alternate Route 71 By PDH". The Daily Republican. Monongahela, PA. March 11, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved August 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Gets Temporary Route Designation". The Daily Courier. Connellsville, PA. March 12, 1959. p. 15. Retrieved August 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Designations Of Highways Are Changed". The Evening Standard. Uniontown, PA. July 16, 1960. p. 7. Retrieved August 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Ask the Rambler, Was I-76 Numbered to Honor Philadelphia for Independence Day, 1776?
  10. "I-70 Projects". I-70 Projects. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
  11. (PDF) http://www.i-70projects.com/docs/projectinfo_website.pdf. Retrieved 2013-01-29. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. "PennDOT District 12-0 - Media Release". Dot.state.pa.us. 2012-01-11. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
  13. "Video Log". Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  14. Bureau of Maintenance and Operations (January 2016). Roadway Management System Straight Line Diagrams (Report) (2015 ed.). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  15. "Pennsylvania Exit Numbering" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
Interstate 70
Previous state:
West Virginia		 Pennsylvania Next state:
Maryland
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