If there's anything we Pennsylvanians love, it's complaining about our roads. From constant construction, to precarious navigation around rugged terrain, to the wear and tear of weather and idiot drivers, the roads of our commonwealth offer much to lament. In today's episode, however, Hannah deep dives into the history of one road PA is actually pretty proud of: the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Not only does this road bear the honor of being America's first superhighway, but it also carries a secret: 13 miles of crumbling highway winding through the Pennsylvania countryside, a section of road which has sat abandoned for over half a century.
What Happened Here?
Tune in to find out!
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Sources Used For This Episode:
1. Uncovering PA: https://uncoveringpa.com/abandoned-pa-turnpike
2. Wikipedia:
- Sideling Hill Tunnel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideling_Hill_Tunnel
- Ray’s Hill Tunnel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rays_Hill_Tunnel
- Laurel Hill Tunnel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Hill_Tunnel
- PA Turnpike: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Turnpike
- Abandoned PA Turnpike: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abandoned_Pennsylvania_Turnpike
3. PA Turnpike History.com https://www.paturnpike.com/about-us/turnpike-history
- Timeline: https://www.paturnpike.com/about-us/turnpike-history/interactive-timeline
4. Washington Observer-Reporter:
5. Jeannette News Dispatch: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rPpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xUINAAAAIBAJ&pg=2600,5170278&dq=pennsylvania-turnpike+tunnel&hl=en
6. "Breezewood, Pennsylvania: The Most American Place on Earth," by Ed Simon for Belt Magazine: https://beltmag.com/breezewood-pennsylvania-most-american-place-earth/
7. Know Your Meme: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/breezewood-pennsylvania
8. Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0030123,-78.2259096,1175m/data=!3m1!1e3