Dangerous Roads in Pennsylvania:
Do You Have a Truck Accident Lawsuit?
There are many major highways and expressways running through PA, as the state is situated as a gateway to the Midwest and is also part of the Northeastern corridor of the United States. Not all roads are created equally; some dangerous roads and interstate highways are treacherous.
Interstate 70 was the first interstate highway project in the United States that runs from Utah to Baltimore. I-70 runs east-west across the southwest part of Pennsylvania. Half of the route runs concurrent with I-76 along the PA turnpike. Amazingly, I-70 has a traffic signal where it heads south to Maryland.
Dangerous Road-The 38 miles of I-70 between Washington, PA and New Stanton, PA is sub-standard and used to be Pennsylvania route 71. It is characterized by sharp curves, limited sight distance, narrow shoulders, and lack of merge lanes at interchanges. Traffic on clover leaf ramps must weave in the right through lane of traffic due to the lack of a third lane for entering and exiting traffic. Other on and off ramps effectively function as right in/right out creating a nerve wracking entrance if traffic is approaching. The speed limit is 55 mph.
I-79: Interstate 79 designated from I-77 in West Virginia to PA Route 5 and PA Route 290 in Erie. I-79 is the primary route through western PA, aka Raymond P. Shafer Highway; and West Virginia, where it’s know as the Jennings Randolph Expressway; and a corridor to Buffalo, NY and the Canadian border.
Dangerous Roads--Despite the somewhat rugged terrain, the road is relatively flat. Most of the highway is at an elevation of about 1,000 to 1,200 feet above sea level, with some lower areas near both ends and higher areas near Sutton, West Virginia. In the hillier areas, this flatness is achieved by curving around hills, along ridges, and in or partway up river valleys.
Auxiliary routes in PA are 279 and 579.
The longest route crossing Pennsylvania from east to west is Interstate 80, which begins in Teaneck, New Jersey and runs west through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, & California.
I-80 covers nearly 3,000 miles, covering just over 300 of those miles in PA and nearly 70 miles in New Jersey. I-80 passes many major cities in PA, NJ, and NY, including:
Sharon, Pennsylvania
Clarion, Pennsylvania
Du Bois, Pennsylvania
Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Williamsport, Pennsylvania (via Interstate 180 (Pennsylvania)
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania
Paterson, New Jersey
New York City, New York (via Interstate 95)
I-80 intersects I-79 in western Pennsylvania where it connects Erie to the north and Pittsburgh to the south.
There are also I-80 alternates, including:
Interstate 280 is a spur near Toledo, Ohio.
Interstate 480 is a loop through the southern parts of Cleveland, Ohio.
Interstate 680 connects downtown Youngstown.
Interstate 180 is a spur to Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Interstate 380 runs near Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and Scranton, PA.
Interstate 280 runs from Parsippany, NJ (and Troy Hills) through downtown Newark, near Jersey City.
Interstate 81 runs from Tennessee to the New York/Canadian border and largely traces the Appalachian Mountains running parallel to the older route 11. Though mostly rural, it’s used as a trucking corridor to bypass I-95 to the east.
I-81 is a major north-south corridor in PA serving Carlisle and Chambersburg boroughs where they meet the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Around Harrisburg, I-81 becomes the northeast part of Capital Beltway then serves Wilkes-Barre and Scranton north to the state line.
Interstate 83 enters Pennsylvania southeast of New Freedom passing to the east of Shrewsbury and running due north towards York where it has a business route through downtown.
North of PA route 295, I-83 is known as the Susquehanna Expressway. It maintains this name as it passes to the south and west of Valley Green, continuing north towards Harrisburg. South of Harrisburg, I-83 interchanges with I-76, the PA turnpike.
Dangerous Roads--After merging with PA 581, I-83 is known as the Harrisburg Expressway which turns due east within the merge and crosses the Susquehanna River south of Harrisburg's central business district, passing through Paxtang before encountering a difficult interchange with I-283 and US 322. Within the interchange, I-83 exits from itself, with each direction of traffic following a one-lane ramp.
Interstate 90 is the United States’ longest interstate comprised of nearly 3,100 miles from sea to shining sea (Seattle to Boston) highway in the United States at nearly 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers).
I-90 goes from the Ohio state line through Erie, PA’s downtown loop then leaves PA for NY.
Interstate 99 is a partially completed main route of the Interstate Highway System in central PA. Currently, all of I-99 runs concurrent to US 220.
When construction on I-99 is completed, the southern part of the route will be at an interchange with I-68 in Cumberland, Maryland and the northern part will be at an interchange with I-86 in Corning, New York.
Interstate 376 is an auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System in PA. It runs from downtown Pittsburgh (I-279) east to a junction with the PA turnpike (I-76). I-376 forms the east half of the Penn-Lincoln Parkway, known as the Parkway East. The Parkway West runs west from downtown Pittsburgh to Imperial. I-376 is a total of six lanes for most of its length. However, it is only four lanes through the Squirrel High Tunnel, a major cause of congestion
Are you or a loved one the victim of a truck accident on a dangerous road in PA? Talk to Jim Ronca, truck accident lawyer about a truck accident lawsuit before it’s too late. Find out what your options are and fight back!
Mr. Ronca is a truck accident attorney with over 20 years of legal
experience. He has twice been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.