Schuylkill Expressway

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This article is about the section of Interstate 76 in the Philadelphia area. For the entire route, see Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey).

Interstate 76 marker

Schuylkill Expressway

Map
Schuylkill Expressway highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by PennDOT and DRPA
Length25.2 mi[1] (40.6 km)
Existed1951–present
Component
highways
  • I-76
    entire route
  • US 1 between City Avenue and Roosevelt Expressway
  • US 30 between Girard Avenue and Vine Street Expressway
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end
I-276 / Penna Turnpike in King of Prussia
Major intersections
East end
I-76 at the New Jersey
state line in Philadelphia
Location
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountiesMontgomery, Philadelphia
Highway system
←
PA 76

The Schuylkill Expressway /ˈskuːkəl/,[2] locally known as "the Schuylkill", is a freeway through southern Montgomery County and Philadelphia. It is the easternmost segment of Interstate 76 (I-76) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It extends from the Valley Forge interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in King of Prussia, paralleling its namesake Schuylkill River for most of the route, southeast to the Walt Whitman Bridge over the Delaware River in South Philadelphia. It serves as the primary corridor into Philadelphia from points west. Maintenance and planning for most of the highway are administered through Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 6, with the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) maintaining the approach to the Walt Whitman Bridge.

Constructed over a period of 10 years from 1949 to 1959, a large portion of the expressway predates the 1956 introduction of Interstate Highway System; many of these portions were not built to contemporary standards.[citation needed] The rugged terrain, limited riverfront space covered by the route and narrow spans of bridges passing over the highway have largely stymied later attempts to upgrade or widen the highway. With the road being highly over capacity, it has become notorious for its chronic congestion.[citation needed] An average of 163,000 vehicles use the road daily in Philadelphia County,[3] and an average of 109,000 use the highway in Montgomery County,[4] making it the busiest road in Pennsylvania.[5] Its narrow lane and left shoulder configuration, left lane entrances and exits (nicknamed "merge or die"), common construction activity, and generally congested conditions have led to many accidents, critical injuries, and fatalities, leading to the highway's humorous nickname of the "Surekill Expressway" or, in further embellishment, the "Surekill Distressway" or the "Surekill Crawlway".[6]

Route description

Montgomery County

Schuylkill Expressway westbound approaching the US 202/US 422 interchange in King of Prussia

The Schuylkill Expressway begins at the

Dale Secondary railroad line and continues east-southeast as a four-lane road between residential areas to the southwest and commercial areas to the northeast. The freeway heads east and comes to a westbound exit and entrance with South Gulph and South Henderson roads. The Schuylkill Expressway curves southeast near wooded areas of homes before coming to an interchange with Pennsylvania Route 320 (PA 320) in the community of Gulph Mills. This interchange has an eastbound exit and entrance and a westbound exit. Within this interchange, the highway passes over SEPTA's Norristown High Speed Line and crosses Gulph Creek. Past the PA 320 interchange, I-76 continues east-southeast through woodland near residential development, heading into Lower Merion Township. The freeway enters West Conshohocken and comes to an interchange with I-476 that also has ramps providing access to PA 23 and serving West Conshohocken and Conshohocken.[7][8]

Schuylkill Expressway eastbound at the Manayunk Bridge

Past the I-476 interchange, the Schuylkill Expressway heads east and comes to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance providing access to PA 23 and Conshohocken, passing near residential and commercial development. The freeway passes over PA 23 and leaves West Conshohocken for Lower Merion Township, where it heads through wooded areas and runs on top of a cliff, with Norfolk Southern Railway's

Kelly Drive.[7][8]

Philadelphia

Schuylkill Expressway eastbound entering the 30th Street Station structure in Philadelphia

Past the City Avenue interchange, I-76 enters

Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, the Schuylkill River Trail, and the Schuylkill River to the east. The freeway curves to the southwest, with CSX Transportation's Trenton Subdivision heading east away from the road and CSX Transportation's Harrisburg Subdivision railroad line beginning to run parallel. I-76 comes to a diamond interchange with Montgomery Drive that provides access to Fairmount Park and serves the Mann Center for the Performing Arts. Following this, the Schuylkill Expressway narrows to six lanes and turns to the southeast, running through more of the park with the railroad tracks, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, the Schuylkill River Trail, and the Schuylkill River parallel to the northeast. The freeway passes under CSX Transportation's Harrisburg Subdivision and comes to an interchange with US 13 and US 30 at Girard Avenue. Within this interchange, the highway passes under the Pennsylvania Railroad, Connecting Railway Bridge that carries Amtrak's Northeast Corridor railroad line across the Schuylkill River before heading under the Girard Avenue Bridge that carries US 13 (Girard Avenue) across the river. US 30 becomes concurrent with I-76 on the Schuylkill Expressway at this point and the road heads south, with the Philadelphia Zoo to the west and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, the Schuylkill River Trail, and the Schuylkill River still parallel to the east. The freeway turns southeast and runs between Amtrak's Northeast Corridor to the southwest and the river drive, trail, and river to the northeast, with Boathouse Row on the opposite bank of the river. The Schuylkill Expressway comes to an eastbound exit and westbound entrance with Spring Garden Street, which heads east across the Schuylkill River toward the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The freeway continues south, heading east of Amtrak's Penn Coach Yard, and comes to an interchange with the western terminus of I-676, which heads east along with US 30 on the Vine Street Expressway into Center City.[7][13]

Schuylkill Expressway westbound at I-676/US 30, the Vine Street Expressway, in Center City Philadelphia

Following this, I-76 narrows to four lanes and heads south between the Amtrak yard to the west and the Schuylkill River to the east. The road comes to an interchange with Market Street (PA 3) and 30th Street that provides access to 30th Street Station that serves Amtrak, SEPTA Regional Rail, and NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line along with the Cira Centre and University City. At this point, the Schuylkill Expressway dips below street level and runs in a tunnel sandwiched between 30th Street Station and the city's former main Post Office facility to the west and the river to the east, with Schuylkill Avenue running at street level above the tunnel and intersecting John F. Kennedy Boulevard (PA 3 west), Market Street (PA 3 east), Chestnut Street, and Walnut Street. Past the interchange, the freeway returns to ground level and runs southwest between Amtrak's Northeast Corridor to the northwest and the Schuylkill River to the southeast, coming to an interchange with South Street that has left exits and entrances. I-76 continues southwest alongside the river, with athletic fields belonging to the University of Pennsylvania to the northwest of the road. The Schuylkill Expressway passes under the Schuylkill Arsenal Railroad Bridge that carries CSX Transportation's Harrisburg Subdivision across the river before coming to an eastbound exit and westbound entrance providing access to University Avenue.[7][13]

Following this, the freeway passes over the Schuylkill River on the Schuylkill Expressway Bridge and heads into South Philadelphia. The highway passes over CSX Transportation's Philadelphia Subdivision railroad line and heads south-southwest near urban residential and commercial areas, reaching a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with 34th Street just south of Wharton Street that provides access to Grays Ferry Avenue. I-76 widens to six lanes and continues south near urban development, curving southeast and running between the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions oil refinery and Philadelphia Gas Works to the southwest and urban neighborhoods to the northeast and reaching an eastbound interchange for 28th Street and a westbound interchange with Vare Avenue and Mifflin Street. The Schuylkill Expressway comes to an interchange with Passyunk and Oregon avenues that also has an eastbound exit and westbound entrance to 26th Street that provides access to PA 291 and Philadelphia International Airport. At this point, I-76 narrows to four lanes and turns south, with a CSX Transportation railroad branch parallel to the west and CSX Transportation's Harrisburg Subdivision parallel to the east. This marks the point heading eastbound where the DRPA maintains the road. The freeway makes a sharp turn to the east and passes under the Harrisburg Subdivision, heading near commercial areas and coming to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with the eastern terminus of PA 291 at Penrose Avenue, providing access to Philadelphia International Airport. The Schuylkill Expressway continues east near urban residential neighborhoods and reaches an interchange with PA 611 (Broad Street). From here, I-76 widens to six lanes and passes north of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex and Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, coming to an interchange with 7th Street and Packer Avenue that has an eastbound exit and entrance and a westbound exit. A short distance later, the freeway comes to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance providing access to I-95 and Front Street. Immediately after, the road has a westbound toll plaza for the Walt Whitman Bridge. The freeway heads onto the seven-lane Walt Whitman Bridge, which carries it over Front Street, I-95, Conrail Shared Assets Operations' Swanson Street Industrial Track, industrial areas in the Port of Philadelphia, Christopher Columbus Boulevard, the Philadelphia Belt Line Railroad, and finally the Delaware River. At this point, the Schuylkill Expressway ends and I-76 continues into New Jersey.[7][13]

History

The split of the Schuylkill Expressway and Vine Street Expressway in 1973
The Schuylkill Expressway eastbound at I-676/US 30 at the Vine Street Expressway in Center City Philadelphia in 2022

Plans for a limited-access highway along the west bank of the Schuylkill River originated in 1932, as part of a proposed cars-only parkway system for the Philadelphia area similar to the contemporary system being built in New York City. The "Valley Forge Parkway" was to have run from Fairmount Park to Valley Forge State Park (now Valley Forge National Historical Park) with plans for a later extension to Reading via Pottstown. However, planning for the proposed parkway system stalled and the plan was eventually abandoned.[citation needed]

Planning for today's expressway began in 1947, when the city of Philadelphia approved plans to develop a highway connecting Philadelphia with the terminus of the planned Philadelphia Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Valley Forge. The highway was designed by engineers Michael Rapuano, who had previously aided in the design of the Garden State Parkway, and Bill Allen of Gannett Fleming. The new expressway largely followed the earlier planned parkway route from Valley Forge to Fairmount Park, while also extending into southern Philadelphia and across the Delaware River into New Jersey. Two alternatives were proposed south of University City: one routing would continue along the west bank of the river into Southwest Philadelphia to its confluence near Philadelphia International Airport, where it would tunnel underneath the Delaware to Paulsboro, New Jersey; the other would cross the Schuylkill south of University City and bisect South Philadelphia, crossing the Delaware River into Gloucester City, New Jersey. Planned expansions of the airport in the path of the former proposal led to adoption of the routing through South Philadelphia.[citation needed]

Construction of the road began in 1949. The road was completed in stages, with a short segment near King of Prussia opening in 1951 along with the turnpike's Philadelphia Extension, with the section from

City Avenue opened in 1954. The Walt Whitman Bridge opened in 1957. The expressway was completed through Fairmount Park in 1959, and, in 1960, the entire expressway was complete with the opening of the segment through University City.[citation needed
]

Pennsylvania Route 43 marker

Pennsylvania Route 43

LocationKing of Prussia–Philadelphia
Length27.5 mi (44.3 km)
Existed1951–1964

Interstate 80S marker

Interstate 80S

LocationKing of Prussia–Philadelphia
Existed1958–1964

Interstate 680 marker

Interstate 680

LocationPhiladelphia
Existed1958–1964

The Schuylkill Expressway was initially designated as PA 43 and was cosigned with

US Bicentennial in 1976; however, these plans were also shelved due to local disapproval. A scaled-down widening project was successfully undertaken from 1969 to 1972 to widen a short section of the road to six lanes through Fairmount Park.[citation needed
]

Schuylkill Expressway westbound past the I-476 interchange in West Conshocken

In the almost seven decades since its opening, congestion on the expressway has steadily increased. Plans to expand the expressway to eight lanes by building an upper deck, including

high-occupancy toll lanes, were advocated by former Pennsylvania House Speaker John Perzel, but never came to fruition.[citation needed] PennDOT completed a scaled back version of a $23.7-million (equivalent to $32.9 million in 2023[18]) project to add 29 webcams on the Schuylkill Expressway between the Conshohocken Curve and Passyunk Avenue.[19]

On the afternoon of June 8, 2011, a section of the Schuylkill Expressway near Grays Ferry Avenue buckled from temperatures around 100 °F (38 °C), causing lane closures. The closed lane of the road was later reopened temporarily until full repairs could be made.[20]

Exactly three months later, on September 8, 2011, heavy rains caused by Tropical Storm Lee caused a rockslide in the vicinity of the Conshohocken Curve, flooding near Belmont Avenue, and a mudslide by Girard Avenue. For hours, motorists were stuck at various locations in both directions between I-476 and Girard Avenue until the mess could be cleaned up.

In May 2011, the new westbound entrance at South Gulph and South Henderson roads in King of Prussia was completed and in November the westbound exit was completed. The new interchange cost $10.5 million (equivalent to $14 million in 2023[18]) and used money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.[21]

PennDOT has installed

variable speed limit signs along the Schuylkill Expressway, where the speed limit can be lowered due to factors such as inclement weather or accidents as well as to manage traffic flow. The variable speed limit signs were activated on April 8, 2021.[22] The project incorporates variable-message signs to alert motorists to traffic congestion ahead. It could also coordinate with SEPTA to provide motorists with real-time mass transit information to give commuters an option to exit the highway and use public transportation to finish their trip at some point. There are also future plans to coordinate traffic signals on roads leading to the Schuylkill Expressway and install ramp meters on entrance ramps to the highway. PennDOT is in the preliminary stages of studying plans to use the right shoulder of the Schuylkill Expressway as a travel lane in certain sections during peak periods; construction of these lanes is not expected to begin until sometime in the mid-2020s.[23]

Exit list

Mileposts and exit numbers reflect the entire length of I-76, which is concurrent with the Pennsylvania Turnpike from the Ohio state line to the Valley Forge Interchange.

CountyLocationmi[1]kmOld exit[24]New exit[24]DestinationsNotes
Northeast Extension north – Harrisburg, Allentown, New Jersey
Exit number not signed; western terminus of Schuylkill Expressway
Valley Forge Toll Plaza (eastern end of closed toll system)
327.55527.1425327North Gulph Road / Village Drive – Valley ForgeEastbound exit and entrance; access to Valley Forge National Historical Park
327.70527.38Mall BoulevardWestbound exit and entrance; access to King of Prussia shopping mall and Valley Forge Casino Resort
327.98527.8326328
US 422 west / Swedesford Road – West Chester, King of Prussia, Pottstown
Signed as exits 328A (south) and 328B (north); access to Valley Forge National Historical Park
–329King of Prussia, NorristownWestbound exit and entrance; access via South Gulph Road / South Henderson Road
330.30531.5727330 PA 320 – Gulph MillsNo westbound entrance; access to Villanova University and Rosemont College
I-476 to PA 23 – Chester, Plymouth Meeting, Conshohocken
Signed as exits 331A (south) & 331B (north); access to PA 23 via Matsonford Road; no westbound access to PA 23
West Conshohocken332.61535.2829332
 To PA 23 – Conshohocken		Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; access via Matsonford Road; originally planned western terminus of the proposed Ten Mile Loop
Lower Merion Township337.39542.9830337GladwyneWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; access via Hollow Road
338.73545.1331338Green Lane / Belmont AvenueAccess to Manayunk and Roxborough
St. Joseph's University
Kelly Drive
Access to Germantown and Wissahickon Park
340.92548.6634340B
 US 1 north to Roosevelt Boulevard		Eastern terminus of US 1 concurrency; access to Northeast Philadelphia
342.55551.2835341Montgomery Drive / Martin Luther King Jr. DriveAccess to
West Fairmount Park and Mann Music Center
; no commercial vehicles
343.73553.1836342
East Fairmount Park
344.57554.5337343Spring Garden Street / Haverford AvenueEastbound exit and westbound entrance
345.04555.2938344
Central Philadelphia
Eastern terminus of US 30 concurrency; western terminus of I-676
345.36555.8039345 Market Street (PA 3) / 30th Street – 30th Street StationAccess via Schuylkill Avenue; access to Drexel University; Market Street signed eastbound
346.04556.9040346ASouth StreetLeft exit; access to University of Pennsylvania
346.80558.1241346BGrays Ferry Avenue / University AvenueGrays Ferry Avenue signed eastbound; originally planned eastern terminus of the proposed Five Mile Loop[citation needed]
347.41559.1042346C28th Street / Vare Avenue / Mifflin Street28th Street signed eastbound; Vare Avenue and Mifflin Street signed westbound
348.01560.0743A347A


 To
I-95 south / PA 291 (Penrose Avenue) – International Airport
Access via South 26th Street; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
43B347BPassyunk Avenue / Oregon AvenueSigned as exit 347 westbound; Oregon Avenue not signed westbound
349.14561.8944348
 PA 291 west (Penrose Avenue)		Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; eastern terminus of PA 291
349.65562.7145349
Sports Complex
350.14563.5046350
 Packer Avenue / 7th Street to
I-95
I-95 signed eastbound; 7th Street signed westbound; no westbound entrance
350.53564.1247351
I-95 / Front Street – Trenton, Chester, Airport
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; exit 19 on I-95
Delaware River351.98566.46Walt Whitman Bridge (westbound toll)
––
I-76 east – Atlantic City
Continuation into New Jersey
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ^ a b DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2007, Toggle Measure Tool. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  2. ^ "Accidents, delayed flights and travel headaches across the region". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 16, 2007.
  3. ^ Traffic Volumes for Philadelphia County (PDF) (Map). PennDOT. 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
  4. ^ Traffic Volumes for Montgomery County (PDF) (Map). PennDOT. 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
  5. ^ "Schuylkill Expressway Work Entering Time of Worst Jams". The New York Times. February 23, 1986. Retrieved March 24, 2007.
  6. ^ "Penn students propose a plan to connect their campus to the Schuylkill". November 30, 2006. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Google (February 7, 2017). "overview of Schuylkill Expressway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Highway Map (PDF) (Map). PennDOT. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 5, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  9. ^ "MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO UNVEIL NEW VIDEO MONITORING CAPABILITY FOR AREA HIGHWAYS". Montgomery County Press Release. April 13, 2004. Retrieved March 24, 2007.
  10. ^ "Conshohocken Curve". WPVI. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  11. ^ "Rain Closes expressway east of Conshohocken Curve". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Associated Press. August 2, 2009.
  12. ^ "Rains flood region". Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  13. ^ a b c Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Highway Map (PDF) (Map). PennDOT. 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  14. ^ Official Map of Pennsylvania (back) (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1960. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  15. ^ a b "Was I-76 Numbered to Honor Philadelphia for Independence Day, 1776?". Ask the Rambler. Federal Highway Administration. January 18, 2005. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
  16. ^ Official Map of Pennsylvania (back) (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1970. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  17. ^ U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee (June 20, 1972). "U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee Agenda Showing Action Taken by the Executive Committee" (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. p. 425. Retrieved October 16, 2014 – via Wikisource.
  18. ^
    Gross Domestic Product deflator
    figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  19. ^ Mucha, Peter (March 14, 2008). "PennDot readies Web cams for Schuylkill Expressway". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  20. WCAU-TV
    . Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  21. ^ Nussbaum, Paul (November 4, 2011). "New I-76 ramp opens in King of Prussia". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  22. ^ Chirico, Jeff (April 8, 2021). "PennDOT activates variable speed limit signs along Schuylkill Expressway to help balance traffic". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  23. ^ Simansky, Matt; Taff, Brian (April 30, 2019). "What you can do to improve congestion on the Schuylkill Expressway". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  24. ^ a b "Pennsylvania Exit Numbering" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2007.

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