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PA Turnpike Travel Plaza Reconstruction


charlier

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Saw on the news this morning that the PA Turnpike is closing two of it's travel plazas (Plainfield, Blue Mountain) effective today (09/06/11). The third travel plaza (South Somerset) will close on 09/12/11).

Here is a link to the reconstruction schedule: The Pennsylvania Turnpike - Service Plazas

Looks like Plainfield (MM 219.1) and South Somerset (MM 112.3) are on the Eastbound side while Blue Mountain (MM 202.5) is on the West Bound Side.

For those AACA Members coming to Fall Hershey this year (and in 2012 & 2013) it would be prudent to explore your options for fueling, etc. keeping in mind the closed travel plazas.

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Wayne, I agree some of the travel plazas had character at one point. Steve is also right in that some had transformed into dumpy (and that is being kind in some cases). I have yet to stop at one of the new PA Turnpike travel plazas as the ones I stop at are still the "old" ones.

One of the PA Turnpike Plazas out in western PA was very small IIRC. Getting to the fuel pumps with my trailer in tow as not pretty. Hopefully that is one of the plazas that will be enlarged when it is reconstructed.

With the cost of the new travel plazas being $150 million or so, no doubt the old slate roofing material will not be cheap!

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With the cost of the new travel plazas being $150 million or so, no doubt the old slate roofing material will not be cheap!

I did work for those guys as a consultant ecologist before I was hired by the PA-DER. I was appalled at what they spent their money on, and how much. We had one guy who was paid 40 hours a week to review new interchange plans (none of which would ever be built, something we already knew then). That task that usually took him less than 3 hours/week. The consulting firm I worked for used the rest of his hours to pad other projects. Those reviews were continuous, year-round, repeating for virtually each road crossing every few years.

For decades the single largest expenditure they had was for hauling cash in a fleet of little vans. Somehow the savings in that expenditure from using electronic billing (EZ-Pass) never resulted in lower tolls. Go figure!

The PA Turnpike Commission probably spends $150 million on executive lunches. I would NEVER expect to get $150 million worth of material from a $150 million PA-Turnpike Commission expenditure. Unlike elected officials with a public budget, they have no reason to keep a close eye on the purse strings.

I use US-22 accross PA whenever possible. It used to be 30 miles shorter, but 30 minutes longer, to Harrisburg from the Pittsburgh-East Interchange. (US-22 is a more direct east-west route than the turnpike, which dips WAY south and back north again.) It has been MUCH improved since, and is mostly 4 lane the whole way now with only a few towns on route. It would be a VERY difficult tow route, however, with several steep hills and a winding course n places.

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Also, on the Pa turnpike, make sure everything is tied and strapped down. Wow, what a rough road. The Ohio turnpike is glass smooth compared to the Pa turnpike.

I'm still vibrating from my trip across it last week.........................

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As a trucker I need to give a tip. On the PA turnpike when you approach the toll both you'll notice a metal strip in the pavement. These are axle scales. Creep across them because if you go too fast and hit the brakes bouncing the scale you could bump yourself into a higher weight class and more money.

You'll notice the steel haulers doing this, especially owner operators who have to pay their own tolls.

In the old days we actually rubbed the curb on the right side to try to get a lower weight class. Some toll takers let you get away with it but some made you go around again.

Of course this only applies to trailering where you might be borderline on weight.

impala

Edited by impala (see edit history)
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