I had to go up to central Pennsylvania last week. I haven't been up there for a couple of years, just a few notes on the drive.
They widened the Turnpike to 6 lanes between Carlise and the Blue Mountain tunnel. I'm not sure why they did that, as there's not more traffic in that section than in the section to the east, which does pass by Harrisburg, the state capital. The section west of Carlise has no significant grades, not does it pass by any heavily populated areas. Your toll dollars at work? Not that I'm complaining as a driver, the road was empty and very pleasant to drive, even sharing it with the 18-wheelers.
They're doing some kind of construction work on the Tuscarora Mountain tunnel. On the ride out, they closed on of the tubes, so it was 2 lanes through the tunnel, sort of a flashback to my 1968 bus trip out with the Boy Scouts, except that there was little traffic this time, and we breezed right through. On the drive back, both tubes were open, and there was no construction going on. Any information about the project, what they are doing and when we can expect it to be done?
On the way out, we had some stiff headwinds. They chopped about 10-15% off my fuel economy.
The EZ-Pass system seems to be working differently than the last time I drove the Turnpike. For one thing, they specify 5 mph through the lane rather than 10 mph. I think most people blow through at higher speed. Instead of a green light that reassures you that the system correctly read your transponder, there's nothing, except a flash that suggests they're taking a picture of your license plate. Does that mean my transponder is not recognized and I can expect a ticket with penalty in the mail, or is this just a routine transaction? Personally, I don't see why they need to take a picture of every car that passes through, that seems a little to much like creepy Stasi-style surveillance. All they really need to know is whether you've made a valid toll payment.
Say what you will about the Turnpike, it's a breeze to drive compared to I-83 between Harrisburg and just south of York. I wish they could have transferred some of that money that they used for the necessary (in my opinion) extra lanes to making some real improvements on I-83. Mainly to redo the exit ramps and put in acceleration and deceleration lanes. Also, it might be nice to have some space between the edge of the left lane and the jersey barrier. And, of course, the pavement is rough in places and needs to be redone. And that interchange at Mt. Rose Road in York, that's still being dug up, and I remember that they were digging that up 5 or 10 years ago. What are they doing there and how long is it going to take to finish the job? Also, the speed limit might be 65 mph (except going around York), but if you get stuck behind an 18-wheeler going up a stiff grade (and there are lots of stiff grades on this route), you will drop to 50 or maybe even slower.
That road has some serious traffic, aside from fixing the road to meet modern interstate standards, it would probably really be helpful to build some kind of rail line to connect Harrisburg, York, and Baltimore. Of course, it will be real expensive to build because of the hilly terrain, and the fact that the old railroad route (now a popular rail-trail) doesn't pass through the built-up area anymore, and so wouldn't be as useful as a route that parallels I-83 more closely.
They widened the Turnpike to 6 lanes between Carlise and the Blue Mountain tunnel. I'm not sure why they did that, as there's not more traffic in that section than in the section to the east, which does pass by Harrisburg, the state capital. The section west of Carlise has no significant grades, not does it pass by any heavily populated areas. Your toll dollars at work? Not that I'm complaining as a driver, the road was empty and very pleasant to drive, even sharing it with the 18-wheelers.
They're doing some kind of construction work on the Tuscarora Mountain tunnel. On the ride out, they closed on of the tubes, so it was 2 lanes through the tunnel, sort of a flashback to my 1968 bus trip out with the Boy Scouts, except that there was little traffic this time, and we breezed right through. On the drive back, both tubes were open, and there was no construction going on. Any information about the project, what they are doing and when we can expect it to be done?
On the way out, we had some stiff headwinds. They chopped about 10-15% off my fuel economy.
The EZ-Pass system seems to be working differently than the last time I drove the Turnpike. For one thing, they specify 5 mph through the lane rather than 10 mph. I think most people blow through at higher speed. Instead of a green light that reassures you that the system correctly read your transponder, there's nothing, except a flash that suggests they're taking a picture of your license plate. Does that mean my transponder is not recognized and I can expect a ticket with penalty in the mail, or is this just a routine transaction? Personally, I don't see why they need to take a picture of every car that passes through, that seems a little to much like creepy Stasi-style surveillance. All they really need to know is whether you've made a valid toll payment.
Say what you will about the Turnpike, it's a breeze to drive compared to I-83 between Harrisburg and just south of York. I wish they could have transferred some of that money that they used for the necessary (in my opinion) extra lanes to making some real improvements on I-83. Mainly to redo the exit ramps and put in acceleration and deceleration lanes. Also, it might be nice to have some space between the edge of the left lane and the jersey barrier. And, of course, the pavement is rough in places and needs to be redone. And that interchange at Mt. Rose Road in York, that's still being dug up, and I remember that they were digging that up 5 or 10 years ago. What are they doing there and how long is it going to take to finish the job? Also, the speed limit might be 65 mph (except going around York), but if you get stuck behind an 18-wheeler going up a stiff grade (and there are lots of stiff grades on this route), you will drop to 50 or maybe even slower.
That road has some serious traffic, aside from fixing the road to meet modern interstate standards, it would probably really be helpful to build some kind of rail line to connect Harrisburg, York, and Baltimore. Of course, it will be real expensive to build because of the hilly terrain, and the fact that the old railroad route (now a popular rail-trail) doesn't pass through the built-up area anymore, and so wouldn't be as useful as a route that parallels I-83 more closely.