Delmarva Highways :: The Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike (Breezewood, PA)

Your humble webmaster takes a journey into the mountains... and visits one of the most talked about places in the highway enthusiast realm, as...

It has been said that one is not truly a "road geek" until they post a page with a few pics of the abandoned section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Breezewood. I guess this makes me official.

On Saturday, October 16, 2004, 18 members of the 2004 SWPA meet got to experience something that the public hasn't been able to do since 1968... driving the abandoned turnpike. Members of the meet toured both of the abandoned tunnels (Ray's Hill and Sideling Hill), the abandoned Cove Valley service plaza, and got some insight on the origins of the abandoned South Penn Railroad... who's right-of-way and tunnels that were mostly built in 1885 were adapted and reconstructed to serve the turnpike in 1937.

SWPA '04 Meet Attendees:
(Taken in front of the western portal of the Sideling Hill tunnel)
Top Row (L to R): Corey Dukes, Doug Kerr, John Bibber, David Slauenwhite, Ed Szuba, Chris Curley
Middle Row (L to R): Jeanette Lasher, Eric Lasher, Bruce Cridlebaugh, Jeff Kitsko, Sharri Szuba, Brian Powell, Christy Curley, Brian Troutman, Oscar Voss
Bottom Row (L to R): Adam Prince, Brian Polidoro, Russ Love

	Eastern terminus of the abandoned turnpike, in Breezewood. The PA Turnpike Commission is still using the property for equipment storage.
	An original 1930s turnpike overpass over US 30.
	One of the few remaining white guardrail brackets left... this one on the US 30 overpass.
	Overpass over Oregon Road. Note the level of detail in the decorations in the concrete. Also note the condition of the concrete. It's quite brittle... and is rapidly crumbling.
	A PA Turnpike elevation marker, on the Oregon Road overpass. The actual elevation has worn off.
	Near the Oregon Road overpass... looking west toward the Ray's Hill tunnel.
	Approaching the Ray's Hill tunnel... looking west.
	A path in the woods shows the alignment of the partially constructed South Penn Railroad... approaching the Ray's Hill tunnel.
	Eastern portal of the Ray's Hill tunnel.
	Looking east from the Ray's Hill tunnel portal... toward Breezewood. You can see how the 4 lane highway became 2 lanes to enter the tunnel.
	Western portal of the Ray's Hill tunnel. Note the lack of a ventilation building. Ray's Hill tunnel was so short that only one side needed ventilation fans.
	Just outside of the Ray's Hill tunnel... looking west toward Sideling Hill.
	Looking at the sweeping curve... approaching the Sideling Hill tunnel.
	Looking east... toward Ray's Hill.
	Approaching the eastern portal of the Sideling Hill tunnel.
	A close-up of the eastern portal. You can see where the letters marking the Sideling Hill tunnel used to be mounted on the ventilation building.
	Looking inside the eastern portal of the Sideling Hill tunnel. The boxes along both walls, as well as the holes in the ceiling, used to house recessed lighting.
	Raised lane separator entering the tunnel. Sideling Hill was the only of the 2 tunnels that featured this.
	The big ventilation fans that kept air moving inside the tunnel. These are located in the eastern portal.
	From the ventilation shaft above the tunnel, looking down to the roadway through a hole that used to house recessed lighting.
	Electrical controls and mechanical workings of the ventilation fans, in a control room above the tunnel.
	The western portal of the Sideling Hill tunnel.
	Just to the right of the turnpike (when heading westbound) shows a partially constructed grade for the South Penn Railroad, constructed in 1884, and abandoned shortly thereafter.
	Taken from the turnpike median... looking eastbound toward the Sideling Hill tunnel.
	Looking eastbound... at a traffic divider at the Cove Valley Service Plaza. Note the electrical conduit in the second picture, and the recessed lighting in the third picture.
	A worn paint line on the pavement. Looking westbound.
	From the exit... looking toward the abandoned service plaza.
	Another ramp... either for cars or trucks into the plaza.
	The grassy area is where the service plaza building stood.
	These areas are where the islands for the Esso gas pumps were located. Underground fuel tanks still remain below the concrete... and are filled with sand.