Interstate 95 is Finally Complete

[RedAngie]

61 years after construction started, you can now drive from Miami. Florida to the Canadian border at Houlton, Maine staying on Interstate 95 the entire way. The final missing link opened this past weekend, a connection at the intersection of 95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike north of Philadelphia.

The problem arose from a 25+ mile stretch of the planned route through New Jersey that was never built. Wealthy and influential NIMBYs in the area, some with considerable political clout, lobbied to kill the project. In addition, the existing New Jersey Turnpike Authority didn't want a competing toll-free road drawing away traffic and revenues.

The most logical solution was mired in red tape for over 25 years. For reasons that amount to bureaucratic ineptitude and incompetence, an interchange between I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike was never built while I-95 was being constructed in the 1970's. Finally the interchange was approved and construction started about 2012. It opened to traffic on Saturday, September 22.

The violet line is the planned route that was never built.

The light blue line is the solution. Before it opened, you needed to follow the red line north, loop around Trenton, NJ, go back south, then head east on 195 (not in red) to join the New Jersey Turnpike (95).

(The red route is mislabeled as 195; it's really the continuation of 295.)

http://www2.philly.com/philly/busin...bucks-highway-finished-turnpike-20180921.html

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/new...yover-Openings-in-Bucks-County-493986001.html

 

[winterman]

Interesting. I had no idea that it wasn't already complete.

 

[Klayfish]

So the turnpike ends and becomes I-95? I very rarely went that far east on the Turnpike, so not as familiar with that end of it. I always used Rt 1. The timeline is a lot like the Blue Route out there...took decades to get built and was already obsolete by time it opened.

 

[tazdev3225]

I am just happy that some of the construction on I95 will be coming to an end. Traffic has been a nightmare.

 

[Skippy918]

I always thought I-95 and the NJ turnpike were one in the same. We used to drive from NY to MD and took th NJ turnpike to Delaware.

 

[RedAngie]

So the turnpike ends and becomes I-95? I very rarely went that far east on the Turnpike, so not as familiar with that end of it. I always used Rt 1. The timeline is a lot like the Blue Route out there...took decades to get built and was already obsolete by time it opened.

The easternmost several miles of the PA Turnpike are now designated I-95 instead of I-276. Those miles are still the turnpike. The stretch between the new interchange and King of Prussia (Schuylkill Expressway) is still I-276. The remainder of the turnpike to Ohio is I-76.

I always thought I-95 and the NJ turnpike were one in the same. We used to drive from NY to MD and took th NJ turnpike to Delaware.

The northernmost NJ Turnpike (Exit 10 and north) was always 95. The 95 designation was extended south to Exit 7A in the early 90's. 95 is now extended south to Exit 6. South of there to Delaware is not 95.

For long distance travelers not going to Philadelphia or SE Pennsylvania, the NJ Turnpike remains the quickest route.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I didn't realise the only part not completed was in Jersey but in counterpoint to the NIMBY claim made in the article I'll note what Robert Moses did with good intentions to the Bronx in pushing through his vision of the Cross Bronx Expressway which is designated as part of I-95. The borough and established neighborhoods
in it's path were literally torn apart precipitating it's economic decline for generations to come. The Bronx is just now almost 60 years later coming back and it was all started by a highway that in it's final iteration was known to be too small even when being built. I don't drive but the man does and he refuses to travel over that portion of I95 and as frugal as I can be I agree that we bypass it and pay in money and time to take an alternate route (Hudson Bridge via Westside Highway) to avoid it; better on the pysche.

 

[RedAngie]

I didn't realise the only part not completed was in Jersey but in counterpoint to the NIMBY claim made in the article I'll note what Robert Moses did with good intentions to the Bronx in pushing through his vision of the Cross Bronx Expressway which is designated as part of I-95. The borough and established neighborhoods
in it's path were literally torn apart precipitating it's economic decline for generations to come. The Bronx is just now almost 60 years later coming back and it was all started by a highway that in it's final iteration was known to be too small even when being built. I don't drive but the man does and he refuses to travel over that portion of I95 and as frugal as I can be I agree that we bypass it and pay in money and time to take an alternate route (Hudson Bridge via Westside Highway) to avoid it; better on the pysche.

Yeah, Robert Moses claimed the Cross Bronx would eliminate blighted neighborhoods and revitalize The Bronx, but most of the route went through stable middle class areas. And most of the displaced residents were renters who received little or no assistance in finding other housing.

I wrote a paper on Robert Moses in college. It was mostly about his role as president of the 1964-65 World's Fair, but mentioned some of the other things, both good and bad, that he was responsible for.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Took you East Coasters long enough. We got 5 done in 1979.

As for Nimbys, in San Francicso, the Nimbys won. Virtually none of the several proposed 25 miles of freeways from 1951 remain. Few were even built. Imagine instead of the beautiful waterfront they have now there was an ugly double deck concrete monstrosity.

 

[mom2travel]

interesting. I never realized it wasn't actually connected, though might have if I really thought about it. Have friends and family in that area so familiar with 195 & 295.

and boy, that would be a REALLY long drive!

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Several other planned sections of I-95 were never built. That's why 95 travels on beltways around Washington DC and Boston instead of thru the downtown areas.

And the newly opened interchange only helps drivers wishing to remain on 95. Those wanting to go in other directions on the highways still need to exit and travel on local streets to make connections.