Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south Interstate Highway, stretching from Dandridge, Tennessee, northeast to Fisher's Landing, New York, at the Canada–United States border. In Pennsylvania, I-81 runs for 232.76 miles (374.59 km) from the Maryland state line northeast to the New York state line near Hallstead and is called the American Legion Memorial Highway. The interstate enters the state near the borough of Greencastle, serving the boroughs of Chambersburg and Carlisle, before reaching Harrisburg, the capital. After that, it climbs into the Pocono Mountains to run through the Wyoming Valley, then exits into New York. It is the longest north–south Interstate in Pennsylvania.[2]
 Interstate 81 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Legion Memorial Highway | ||||
 I-81 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by PennDOT | ||||
| Length | 232.76 mi[1] (374.59 km) | |||
| NHS | Entire route | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  I-81 at the Maryland state line near Greencastle | |||
| North end | I-81 at the New York state line near Hallstead | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Pennsylvania | |||
| Counties | Franklin, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Schuylkill, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Susquehanna | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
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I-81 enters Pennsylvania at the Maryland state line about 13 miles (21 km) south of Chambersburg; it also has its first exit at the state line, junctioning with Pennsylvania Route 163 (PA 163) there. In Chambersburg at exit 16, it meets U.S. Route 30 (US 30; the Chambersburg Pike to Gettysburg). About a mile (1.6 km) north of Carlisle at exit 52, it meets US 11, which connects to the Pennsylvania Turnpike/I-76 (halfway between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh), since I-81 has no direct interchange with I-76.[3][4] The stretch of US 11 connecting I-81 to I-76 is known locally as the "Miracle Mile" since it contains plenty of traveler services including restaurants, gas stations, lodging, truck stops, and shops.[5] From here, I-81 travels in an almost precisely east–west direction for the next 37 miles (60 km) (until exit 89). At exit 59, it has an interchange with the western terminus of PA 581. I-81 becomes the Capital Beltway from exit 59 to exit 70. At exit 67, the road comes to a stack interchange with US 22 and US 322; US 322 merges with I-81. Exit 70 is the eastern terminus of the US 322 concurrency and the northern terminus of I-83 and is located in Colonial Park. For the entire segment between the Mason–Dixon line and I-78, I-81 runs through the Great Valley. North of Harrisburg between I-83/US 322 and I-78, the highway passes near Hershey and Fort Indiantown Gap.[3][4]
At milemarker 89, I-81 meets the western terminus of I-78; I-78 picks up the eastward route through the Great Valley and heads toward Allentown and New York City, while I-81 turns back northward, cutting through Blue Mountain at Swatara Gap. From milemarkers 141 to 146, I-81 passes near the city of Hazleton. At exit 151, I-81 meets I-80. As motorists enter Wilkes-Barre at milemarker 165, I-81 merges with PA 309 for five miles (8.0 km). At exit 175, I-81 meets with PA 315, which connects to I-476 (Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension). In Scranton at milemarker 185, there is a short freeway called the President Biden Expressway, which heads into downtown Scranton. At milemarker 187, I-81 is at the Throop Dunmore Interchange, which consists of I-84, I-380, and US 6. US 6 merges with I-81 for seven miles (11 km) from milemarkers 187 to 194. At milemarker 194 is the northern terminus of I-476. The last exit in Pennsylvania is exit 230, which is PA 171 near Hallstead. I-81 reaches the New York state line four miles (6.4 km) north of exit 230.[3][4]
History
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A toll highway along the present-day I-81 corridor through Pennsylvania was planned in the 1950s. The section from Scranton to the New York state line was planned as a continuation of the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. A new extension of the turnpike between Harrisburg and Scranton was also proposed. After the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 was passed, plans were changed to build a free Interstate Highway rather than a toll road. The first section to be built ran from PA 347 in Dunmore to US 11 in northern Scranton, this section opening in 1960. All of I-81 in Pennsylvania was completed by the 1970s. Construction cost nearly $443 million (equivalent to $2.68 billion in 2023[6]).[2]
On May 9, 2013, a tanker crashed and caught fire at the interchange between I-81 and US 22/US 322 in Harrisburg. The fire damaged the bridges carrying westbound US 22/US 322 and a ramp over I-81. At least one of those bridges, carrying US 22 eastbound over I-81 and several ramps, and possibly another, the ramp carrying traffic from I-81 northbound to US 22/US 322 westbound, would have to be demolished and replaced. The fire resulted in about 10 miles (16 km) of I-81 being closed in both directions, with traffic being diverted along the southern portion of the Capital Beltway.[7][8] The highway was not fully reopened until the evening of May 13.[9]
Future
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This section needs to be updated. (September 2024) |
Scranton Beltway
editOn April 28, 2016, plans were announced for a Scranton Beltway to use the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension (I-476) as a bypass for I-81 around the heavily congested segment through Scranton and its suburbs. The turnpike between the two I-81 interchanges carries an average of 10,000 vehicles per day versus 80,000[10] on the parallel segment of I-81. This project will build two high-speed connections between I-476 and I-81: one south of Scranton in Dupont and one north of Scranton in South Abington Township. Tolls on the connections will be paid with E-ZPass or toll by plate. Construction of this project is expected to cost $160 million.[11] In 2021, design work on the project resumed, with construction expected to begin in 2025.[12]
New interchange in Chambersburg
editOn October 24, 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) released their plans for a new exit 12 on I-81, at Guilford Springs Road, estimated to cost around $23 million.[13] The purpose for the exit is to improve access for trucks to the various distribution warehouses south of Chambersburg, such as Target.[14] As such, Guilford Springs Road will be widened to three lanes as a part of this project. PennDOT has started obtaining environmental clearances and will start to seek rights-of-way in 2020 from approximately 7-10 properties. PennDOT will look at bids for construction starting in 2023.[13][needs update]
Exit list
edit| County | Location | mi | km | Old exit [15] | New exit [15] | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | Antrim Township | 0.00 | 0.00 | – | – |  I-81 south – Hagerstown | Continuation into Maryland |
| – | 1 |  PA 163 – State Line | Southbound ramps are in Maryland | ||||
| 2.50 | 4.02 | 2 | 3 |  US 11 (Molly Pitcher Highway) | |||
| Greencastle | 4.80 | 7.72 | 3 | 5 |  PA 16 – Greencastle, Waynesboro | Serves Whitetail Ski Resort | |
| Guilford Township | 9.70 | 15.61 | 4 | 10 |  PA 914 – Marion | ||
| 12.20 | 19.63 | – | 12 | Guilford Springs Road | Planned interchange; bidding set to start in 2023 | ||
| Chambersburg | 14.00 | 22.53 | 5 | 14 |  PA 316 (Wayne Avenue) | Serves Chambersburg Business District | |
| 15.60 | 25.11 | 6 | 16 |  US 30 (Lincoln Way) | Serves Gettysburg | ||
| 16.70 | 26.88 | 7 | 17 | Walker Road | Serves Norland Avenue and Wilson College | ||
| Greene Township | 19.80 | 31.87 | 8 | 20 |  PA 997 – Scotland | Serves Penn State Mont Alto and Letterkenny Army Depot | |
| Southampton Township | 24.10 | 38.79 | 9 | 24 |  PA 696 (Fayette Street) | ||
| Cumberland | Southampton–Shippensburg township line | 28.40 | 45.71 | 10 | 29 |  PA 174 (King Street) | Serves Shippensburg University |
| Penn Township | 36.80 | 59.22 | 11 | 37 |  PA 233 – Newville | Serves Park and Ride Lot | |
| South Middleton Township | 43.90 | 70.65 | 12 | 44 |  PA 465 – Plainfield | Serves Carlisle Fairgrounds | |
| Carlisle | 45.50 | 73.23 | 13 | 45 | College Street | Access via Walnut Bottom Road; serves Penn State Dickinson Law | |
| 46.40 | 74.67 | 14 | 47 |  PA 34 (Hanover Street) | Signed as exits 47A (south) and 47B (north) southbound; serves Dickinson College, Mount Holly Springs, and Gettysburg | ||
| South Middleton Township | 47.90 | 77.09 | 15 | 48 |  PA 74 (York Road) | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; serves U.S. Army War College | |
| South Middleton–Middlesex township line | 48.40 | 77.89 | 16 | 49 |  PA 641 (High Street) | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; serves U.S. Army War College | |
| Middlesex Township | 51.50 | 82.88 | 17 | 52 |     US 11 to I-76 / Penna Turnpike – New Kingstown, Middlesex | Signed as exits 52A (north) and 52B (south) northbound | |
| Silver Spring Township | 56.70 | 91.25 | 18 | 57 |  PA 114 – Mechanicsburg | ||
| Hampden Township | 59.00 | 94.95 | 19 | 59 |     PA 581 east to I-83 / US 11 – Camp Hill | I-83 not signed southbound | |
| 60.70 | 97.69 | 20 | 61 |  PA 944 (Wertzville Road) | |||
| East Pennsboro Township | 64.60 | 103.96 | 21 | 65 |  US 11 / US 15 – Enola, Marysville | Signed as exits 65A (south) and 65B (north); serves Central Penn College | |
| Susquehanna River | 65.30 | 105.09 | George N. Wade Memorial Bridge | ||||
| Dauphin | Susquehanna Township | 65.80 | 105.89 | 22 | 66 | Front Street – Downtown Harrisburg | Serves Harrisburg University, Harrisburg Transportation Center, and City Island |
| Harrisburg | 67.00 | 107.83 | 23 | 67 |     US 22 / US 322 west to PA 230 east (Cameron Street) – Lewiston, State College | South end of US 322 concurrency; signed as exits 67A (east) and 67B (west); serves Harrisburg Area Community College | |
| Susquehanna Township | 68.70 | 110.56 | 24 | 69 | Progress Avenue | Serves Widener University Commonwealth Law School | |
| Lower Paxton Township | 69.60 | 112.01 | 25 | 70 | I-83 south / US 322 east to I-76 / Penna Turnpike – South Harrisburg, Hershey, York | North end of US 322 concurrency; northern terminus of I-83; serves Harrisburg International Airport and Lancaster | |
| 72.30 | 116.36 | 26 | 72 | To US 22 – Paxtonia, Linglestown | Access via Mountain Road; signed as exits 72A (south) and 72B (north) northbound; US 22 not signed southbound | ||
| West Hanover Township | 76.60 | 123.28 | 27 | 77 |  PA 39 – Manada Hill, Hershey | ||
| 80.30 | 129.23 | 28 | 80 |  To PA 743 – Grantville, Hershey | Access via Bow Creek Road; serves Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course | ||
| Lebanon | East Hanover Township | 85.10 | 136.96 | 29 | 85 |   PA 934 south – Annville, Fort Indiantown Gap | Northern terminus of PA 934; signed as exits 85A (south) and 85B (north) northbound; serves Lebanon Valley College |
| Union Township | 88.50 | 142.43 | – | 89 |   I-78 east – Allentown | Western terminus and exit 1 on I-78 | |
| 90.10 | 145.00 | 30 | 90 |  PA 72 – Lebanon | Access via Fisher Avenue | ||
| Schuylkill | Pine Grove Township | 99.30 | 159.81 | 31 | 100 |  PA 443 – Pine Grove | |
| Tremont Township | 104.10 | 167.53 | 32 | 104 |  PA 125 – Ravine | Access via Molleystown Road | |
| Frailey Township | 106.60 | 171.56 | 33 | 107 |  US 209 – Tremont, Tower City | ||
| 111.30 | 179.12 | 34 | 112 |  PA 25 – Hegins | |||
| Foster Township | 115.90 | 186.52 | 35 | 116 |  PA 901 – Minersville, Mount Carmel | ||
| Butler Township | 118.40 | 190.55 | 35A | 119 | Highridge Park Road | Serves Schuylkill Highridge Business Park, Heckscherville, and Gordon | |
| Frackville | 123.70 | 199.08 | 36 | 124 |  PA 61 – Saint Clair, Frackville | Signed as exits 124A (south) and 124B (north) | |
| Mahanoy Township | 130.70 | 210.34 | 37 | 131 |  PA 54 – Hometown, Mahanoy City | Signed as exits 131A (east) and 131B (west) | |
| Delano Township | 133.50 | 214.85 | 38 | 134 | Delano | Access via Lakeside Avenue | |
| Kline Township | 137.60 | 221.45 | 39 | 138 |  PA 309 – McAdoo, Tamaqua | ||
| Luzerne | Hazle Township | 141.10 | 227.08 | 39A | 141 |  PA 424 east to PA 309 | Western terminus of PA 424 |
| 142.50 | 229.33 | 40 | 143 |  PA 924 – Hazleton | Serves Humboldt Industrial Park | ||
| Sugarloaf Township | 145.20 | 233.68 | 41 | 145 |  PA 93 – West Hazleton | Serves Penn State Hazleton | |
| Butler Township | 150.50 | 242.21 | – | 151 |  I-80 – Bloomsburg, Stroudsburg | Signed as exits 151A (east) and 151B (west); exit 260 on I-80 | |
| Dorrance Township | 154.20 | 248.16 | 42 | 155 | Dorrance | Access via Blue Ridge Trail | |
| Nuangola | 158.70 | 255.40 | 43 | 159 | Nuangola | Access via Church Road | |
| Hanover Township | 163.90 | 263.77 | 44 | 164 |   PA 29 north – Nanticoke | Southern terminus of northern segment of PA 29 | |
| Wilkes-Barre Township | 164.70 | 265.06 | 45 | 165 |  PA 309 south / PA 309 Bus. north – Wilkes-Barre, Mountain Top | South end of PA 309 concurrency; southern terminus of PA 309 Bus.; signed as exits 165A (south) and 165B (north) northbound | |
| 167.90 | 270.21 | 46 | 168 | Highland Park Boulevard – Wilkes-Barre | Serves Mohegan Sun Arena | ||
| Plains Township | 169.80 | 273.27 | 47 | 170 |  PA 115 south / PA 309 north – Wilkes-Barre, Bear Creek | North end of PA 309 concurrency; signed as exits 170A (south) and 170B (north) | |
| Pittston Township | 174.90 | 281.47 | 48 | 175 |   I-476 / Penna Turnpike NE Extension / PA 315 – Pittston, Dupont | Wyoming Valley Interchange (I 476 / Turnpike exit 115) | |
| Avoca | 177.50 | 285.66 | 49 | 178 |  PA 315 south – Avoca, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport | ||
| Lackawanna | Moosic | 179.20 | 288.39 | 50 | 180 |  US 11 / PA 502 – Moosic | No southbound access to US 11 north |
| Scranton | 181.50 | 292.10 | 51 | 182 | Montage Mountain Road / Davis Street | Serves PNC Field and Montage Mountain Ski Resort | |
| 183.90 | 295.96 | 52 | 184 |  To PA 307 / River Street | No southbound exit | ||
| 184.20 | 296.44 | PA 307 (Moosic Street) | Southbound exit only | ||||
| 184.30 | 296.60 | 53 | 185 | President Biden Expressway west | Eastern terminus of President Biden Expressway; serves Steamtown National Historic Site, University of Scranton, and Lackawanna College | ||
| Dunmore | 186.70 | 300.46 | 54 | 186 | Drinker Street | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
| 187.10 | 301.11 | – | 187 |    I-84 east / I-380 south / US 6 east – Milford, Mount Pocono, Carbondale | Throop Dunmore Interchange; south end of US 6 concurrency; western terminus of I-84; northern terminus of I-380 | ||
| 188.10 | 302.72 | 55 | 188 |  PA 347 – Throop, Dunmore | Serves Penn State Worthington Scranton and Marywood University | ||
| Scranton | 189.80 | 305.45 | 56 | 190 | Main Avenue – Dickson City | ||
| 191.00 | 307.38 | 57 | 191 | US 6 Bus. / US 11 (North Scranton Expressway) – Dickson City, North Scranton | Signed as exits 191A (US 6 Bus.) and 191B (US 11) | ||
| South Abington Township | 193.40 | 311.25 | 58 | 194 |  I-476 south / Penna Turnpike NE Extension south / US 6 west / US 11 – Clarks Summit | Clarks Summit Interchange (I-476 / Turnpike exit 131); north end of US 6 concurrency; northern terminus of I-476 | |
| Scott Township | 197.20 | 317.36 | 59 | 197 |  PA 632 – Waverly | ||
| 198.80 | 319.94 | 60 | 199 |  PA 524 – Scott | |||
| 200.50 | 322.67 | 61 | 201 |  PA 438 – East Benton | |||
| Benton Township | 201.60 | 324.44 | 62 | 202 |  PA 107 – Fleetville, Tompkinsville | Serves Keystone College | |
| Susquehanna | Lenox Township | 206.00 | 331.52 | 63 | 206 |  PA 374 – Glenwood, Lenoxville | Serves Elk Mountain Ski Area |
| 211.10– 211.40 | 339.73– 340.22 | 64 | 211 |   PA 92 / PA 106 – Lenox | Signed for PA 92 southbound, PA 106 northbound | ||
| Harford Township | 216.60 | 348.58 | 65 | 217 |  PA 547 – Harford | ||
| New Milford Township | 219.30 | 352.93 | 66 | 219 |  PA 848 – Gibson | ||
| New Milford | 223.50 | 359.69 | 67 | 223 |  PA 492 – New Milford, Lakeside | ||
| Great Bend Township | 230.40 | 370.79 | 68 | 230 |  PA 171 – Great Bend, Susquehanna | ||
| 232.63 | 374.38 | – | – |  I-81 north – Binghamton | Continuation into New York | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||||
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. December 31, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ a b Kitsko, Jeffrey (September 30, 2014). "Interstate 81". Pennsylvania Highways. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ a b c Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (2022). Tourism and Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). 1:475,200. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ "Miracle Mile, Carlisle, PA". Central PA Magazine. May 2002. Archived from the original on December 10, 2007. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ "Governor: 'No clear timetable' for I-81 repairs". Lancaster, Pennsylvania: WGAL-TV. May 9, 2013. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
- ^ Heidenreich, Sari. "PennDOT updates road closures following tanker fire". ABC 27 WHTM. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ^ Snyder, Myles. "PennDOT Begins Reopening of I-81". ABC 27 WHTM. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
- ^ "Changes Coming on Interstate 81?". May 17, 2018.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Turnpike and PennDOT Announce Next Step for Planned I-81-Turnpike Beltway for Scranton Region - Plan to Address Congestion Relief" (Press release). Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. April 28, 2016. Archived from the original on April 10, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^ Murtha, Claudia (December 10, 2021). "Scranton Beltway project design restart announced". Hazleton, PA: WOLF-TV. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Fitch, Jennifer. "Plans for I-81 exit 12 in Pennsylvania revealed to public". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- ^ Hook, Jim. "See plans for proposed I-81 Exit 12 at Guilford Springs Road in Chambersburg". Public Opinion Online. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- ^ a b "Pennsylvania Exit Numbering" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
External links
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