midway travel plaza pa turnpike

North Midway Travel Plaza

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Pennsylvania Turnpike

Mile Marker 147.3

Bedford, PA 15522

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Service stations are always a welcomed sight for weary travelers. This on is ok as expected. Bathrooms are clean. Food court is adequate to fill your tummy.

This facility had everything I needed food and a clean bathroom fantastic. It was fairly easy to get in and out also.

This a nice small service plaza right on the Pennsylvania turnpike, the restrooms are nice and well kept clean, the Subway restaurant is good at this service plaza as well.

No selection for restaurants...and when I'm willing to stop at subway they have an "out of order" sign taped to the front of the ordering counter. Not an "sorry we are closed" - out of order. Seriously pathetic. I've seen this twice. And when they are open, the wait is long while they are doing whatever they are doing in the back, and then they are rude like you are interrupting them. Get another restaurant in here, or better staff.

A reliable resting place along the Pennsylvania Tuenpike. There's a good amount of seating and parking and a lot of restrooms; they are adequately clean. I've been to the Starbucks a few times and all the staff I've encountered have been pretty friendly; service is pretty quick too. Overall, not a bad place to stop.

Seating area

Parking lot

I think it's funny how I was made to go back out to my truck and get a mask that I simply forgot when an employee of this facility in the west bound side at 6:45 in the morning can drink coffee and not have a mask on . I have no problem playing by the rules but I wish the employees would play by the rules.

The grill at this location is another example of the absolutely terrible service you get at PA turnpike plazas. Stay away

According to the sign on your way into the rest stop, this was one of the original highway rest stops in America. I love history and random trivia, so I found that to be quite interesting. Due to its age, it has a lot more character than the typical rest stop, but it also makes it a little more challenging to navigate. All the food and eating areas are right when you walk in with a seating area to the right. The bathrooms are down a narrow hallway to the left. If there is a line at the convenience store/hershey/Cinnabon stand, you have to navigate your way through a stream of people to get to the restrooms. The nice thing is that they were clean and they were plentiful. Overall, a clean and efficient stop along the Turnpike.

Decent enough stop on a limited access highway. This one however has not been revamped yet. It's still stuck in maybe the 1980s? The inside of this particular stop is set a bit strangely and is definitely in need of a revamp. They have fit way too many things inside such a small space. I mean they still have one of those sun room type of seating areas. One of those spaces that makes you feel like you're sitting outside, but in actuality it looks like you are just in a brown bubble. I did enjoy my Sbarro, even if the workers there seem to think they had better things to do. Maybe I should save that for a review for that particular location. The bathrooms were just as cramped as the rest of the place. And I was confused by the one narrow entrance. Everyone that stopped had to go through this one entrance. Talk about congestion, and not on the highway.

Why are all of the service plazas on the PA turnpike inferior to just about every other states service plazas? Yes it's (relatively) clean, yep there's restrooms, and a tres expensive gas station. Options for food here are basically subway or Starbucks. Not that I needed food as this was merely a pit stop but just sayin. There's some kind of little convenience store that sells some chips, soda, and whatnot. But at least get an Auntie Anne's or- gasp as all the plazas in Ohio have- Panera. Come on PA- you can do better...

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Midway turnpike service plazas.

• Location: Bedford Pennsylvania Regional Essays: Western Pennsylvania Ridge and Valley Bedford County Bedford and Vicinity Types: turnpikes tollbooths plazas (squares) tunnels Styles: Georgian Revival Materials: brick (clay material)

What's Nearby

Lu Donnelly et al., " Midway Turnpike Service Plazas ", [ Bedford , Pennsylvania ], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/PA-01-BD14 . Last accessed: May 23, 2024.

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Buildings of Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania , Lu Donnelly, H. David Brumble IV, and Franklin Toker. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2010, 379-379.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike was the first modern, limited-access highway in the United States. The dream of a high-speed roadway without railroad crossings or intersecting roads was revolutionary in the 1930s; only the Autobahn in Germany had achieved it. The completed turnpike, today one of sixteen in the nation, cut in half the time it took to travel from the New Jersey coast to the Ohio border. The first section of its 359 miles opened in October 1940 and was touted as the “allweather” road joining Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, with no grade steeper than 3 percent. The route chosen followed the path of the South Pennsylvania Railroad begun fifty years earlier, but halted with several of its tunnels partially bored and a significant portion of its roadway already carved out of Pennsylvania's tree-covered mountains. The turnpike began as a four-lane highway, narrowing to two lanes at each of its seven original tunnels. In the 1960s, three of the tunnels were bypassed, and four were expanded with a parallel tunnel cut into the mountains to ease the traffic congestion. By 1968, the Pennsylvania Turnpike was four lanes of uninterrupted traffic flowing across the state. It passes through eight western Pennsylvania counties: Huntingdon, Fulton, Bedford, Somerset, Westmoreland, Allegheny, Beaver, and Lawrence. Two major bridges over the Beaver and Allegheny rivers and two major tunnels, the Allegheny and Tuscarora, carry the road 180 miles across southwestern Pennsylvania.

Under contract with the Standard Oil Company of Pennsylvania, eleven gas stations and service plazas were built along the first 160 miles of the turnpike between Carlisle and Irwin. The stone-clad buildings, reminiscent of Pennsylvania's classic three- to-five-bay houses, projected a homelike, welcoming appearance with their white-painted shutters and wood-paneled interiors. Howard Johnson's ran the original South Midway restaurant and the other coffee-shop lunch counters, which quickly expanded into full-service restaurants as the road's popularity increased. The two-and-one-half-story Georgian Revival South Midway plaza in Bedford County, which was designed as the flagship facility of the turnpike, retains elements of its original interior features, including two wood-paneled dining rooms; the other plazas have been adapted to fast food companies' requirements.

The final two sections of the turnpike joining the midsection to the borders east and west were completed when Governor James Duff and Richard K. Mellon pushed them through with favorable financing from Mellon Bank. A very low bid submitted for automotive and food services by the Mellon-financed Gulf Oil Company ensured that when both extensions were completed by 1951, Gulf and Howard Johnson's provided the service stations and food.

The buildings associated with the turnpike range from service plazas and maintenance structures to tollbooths and offices. Most of the office structures are buff brick with flat roofs, though there are several red brick maintenance buildings and several remaining stone-faced service plazas. Oddly, the design of the plazas diverged completely from the tollbooths. The original hexagonal tollbooths and their small associated buildings were modern and sleek, completely unlike the residential look associated with the plazas. In 1983, automatic ticket dispensers and redesigned tollbooths were installed, but an original hexagonal tollbooth was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Writing Credits

• Location: Bedford, Pennsylvania Regional Overviews: Ridge and Valley , Bedford County , Bedford and Vicinity Types: turnpikes tollbooths plazas (squares) tunnels Styles: Georgian Revival Materials: brick (clay material)

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SAH Archipedia tells the story of the United States through its buildings, landscapes, and cities. This freely available resource empowers the public with authoritative knowledge that deepens their understanding and appreciation of the built environment. But the Society of Architectural Historians, which created SAH Archipedia with University of Virginia Press, needs your support to maintain the high-caliber research, writing, photography, cartography, editing, design, and programming that make SAH Archipedia a trusted online resource available to all who value the history of place, heritage tourism, and learning.

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Historic pa turnpike midway service plazas.

2 comments :

I have a similar postcard of the exterior of the westbound Midway (operated by Howard Johnson’s) and another of the interior’s gift shop. I’d be happy to post them here if you’re interested.

My grandfather, Robert Leyburn, helped design these first rest stops back in the ‘50’s. I used to ride with him as a child to inspect progress. I’m so very glad their beauty and history has been preserved!!

We are with you on your road trip

Applegreen Travel Plazas already has over 80 locations and counting in three key areas: The Mid-West, across Indiana and Ohio; The Northeast - New York, New Jersey, Maine, Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Wherever your journey takes you Applegreen is with you on your way!

Come and visit us to discover the ultimate roadside retail experience across the United States

Whether you are on your way to see the family, going on vacation or just hitting the road for an adventure, let Applegreen be your rest stop along the way!

A Hamilton New Jersey Turnpike

Mile Post 111.6 South, Exit 18E, Secaucus NJ 7094

Allentown Pennsylvania Turnpike

5052 Cetronia Road, Allentown PA 18106

Amityville – 36003

648 NY-110, Amityville, NY 11701, USA

Angola New York State Thruway

Angola Service Area, New York State Thruway, Mile Post 447 East & West, Angola, NY 14006

Ardsley New York State Thruway

Ardsley Service Area, New York State Thruway, Mile Post 6 North, Hastings-On-Hudson, NY 10706

Ashaway – 44001

206 Main Street, Ashaway, RI, USA

Atlantic City Garden State Parkway

Mile post 41.4 Garden State Pkwy , Galloway NJ 8205

Barre – 25018

2 Summer Street, Barre, MA, USA

Barrington – 33004

491 Calef Highway, Barrington, NH, USA

Bellows Falls – 50001

154 Rockingham Street, Bellows Falls, VT, USA

Blue Mountain Pennsylvania Turnpike

203 Blue Mountain Plaza , Newburg PA 17240

Blythewood – 45003 Wilson Blvd

10328 Wilson Blvd, Blythewood, SC, USA

Bowmansville Pennsylvania Turnpike

1350 Reading Road , Bowmansville PA 17517

Branford NB I-95

I-95 Branford NB Service Plaza, Interstate 95, Branford, CT, USA

Branford SB I-95

I-95 Branford SB Service Plaza, Interstate 95, Branford, CT, USA

Brookdale South Garden State Parkway

Garden State Pkwy Bloomfield 7003

Cayce – 45012 Knox Abbott Drive

200 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce, SC, USA

Chapin – 45007 Columbia Avenue

648 Columbia Avenue, Chapin, SC, USA

Cheesequake Garden State Parkway

Mile Post 124 Garden State Parkway South Amboy NJ 08879

Chittenango New York State Thruway

Chittenango Service Area, New York State Thruway, Mile Post 266 West, Chittenango, NY 13037

Clara Barton New Jersey Turnpike

N Stumpy Road , Pedricktown NJ 8067

Clarence New York State Thruway

Clarence Service Area, New York State Thruway, Mile Post 412 West, Clarence, NY 14031

Clifton Springs New York State Thruway

Clifton Springs Service Area, New York State Thruway, Mile Post 337 East, Clifton Springs, NY 14432

Columbia – 45008 Two Notch Road

7460 Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45010 Monticello Road

5901 Monticello Road, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45018 North Main Street

3403 North Main Street, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45019 Bush River Road

2216 Bush River Road, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45020 Two Notch Road

8501 Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45021 Two Notch Road

2902 Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45022 North Trenholm Road

6951 North Trenholm Road, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45030 Devine Street

4452 Devine Street, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45033 Garners Ferry Road

7911 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45035 Bluff Road

2022 Bluff Road, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45040 Forest Drive

4800 Forest Drive, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45045 Longreen Parkway

1231 Longreen Parkway, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45054 Two Notch Road

8404 Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45055 Forest Drive

2501 Forest Drive, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45057 Elmwood Avenue

1000 Elmwood Avenue, Columbia, SC, USA

Columbia – 45058 Greystone Boulevard

321 Greystone Boulevard, Columbia, SC, USA

Commodore Perry Ohio Turnpike

888 North County Road 260 Clyde OH 43410

Concord – 33002

417 South Main Street, Concord, NH, USA

Cumberland Maine Turnpike

Cumberland Service Plaza, Mile 56 Southbound, Cumberland Center, ME, USA

Cumberland Valley Pennsylvania Turnpike

13 Burgners Road, Carlisle PA 17015

Darien NB I-95

I-95 Darien NB Service Plaza, Darien, CT, USA

Darien SB I-95

Darien Service Plaza, Connecticut Turnpike, Darien, CT, USA

Delaware House JFK Memorial Highway

530 JFK Memorial Highway, Newark DE 19702

DeWitt New York State Thruway

Mile Post 280 East, NY State Thruway, Syracuse 13206

East Patchogue – 36005

770 Montauk Highway, East Patchogue, NY, USA

Elgin – 45028 Spears Creek Church Road

595 Spears Creek Church Road, Elgin, SC, USA

Elgin – 45046 Spears Creek Church Road

586 Spears Creek Church Road, Elgin, SC, USA

Erie Islands Ohio Turnpike

1012 N Sandusky County Rd #260, Clyde 43410

Ernie Pyle Indiana Toll Road

I-80/90 East Bound, (Mile Post 126), Howe, 46746

Fairfield NB RT-15

RT. 15 Fairfield NB Service Plaza, Congress Street, Fairfield, CT, USA

Fairfield NB I-95

I-95 Fairfield SB Service Plaza, Round Hill Road, Fairfield, CT, USA

Fairfield SB RT-15

RT. 15 Fairfield SB Service Plaza, Merritt Parkway, Fairfield, CT, USA

Fairfield SB I-95

Fairlee – 50003.

535 U.S. Route 5, Fairlee, VT, USA

Forked River Garden State Parkway

76 Garden State Pkwy Forked River 8731

Framingham Massachusetts Turnpike

115 Massachusetts Turnpike Framingham 1701

Frank Farley Atlantic City NJ Atlantic City Expressway

Mile Marker 20 Atlantic City Expressway Hammonton 8037

Gaston – 45043 US-321

5221 US-321, Gaston, SC 29053

Gene S Porter Indiana Toll Road

Indiana Toll Road Westbound, (Mile Post 126), Howe, 46746

Gilbert – 45017 Augusta Highway

4329 Augusta Highway, Gilbert, SC, USA

Gray Maine Turnpike

Mile 59 Northbound, 385 Portland Road, Gray 4039

Great Lakes II Ohio Turnpike

Ohio Turnpike, 2000 Edgerton Road, Broadview Heights 44147

Greenwich NB RT-15

RT.15 Greenwich SB Service Plaza, Merritt Parkway, Greenwich, CT, USA

Greenwich SB RT-15

Grover cleveland new jersey turnpike.

Mile post 92.9 North NJ tpke Sewaren 7077

Guilderland New York State Thruway

Mile Post 153 East, NY State Thruway, Schenectady 12303

Hempstead – 36006

797 Peninsula Boulevard, Hempstead, NY, USA

Hickory Run Pennsylvania Turnpike

256 Danner Road, Jim Thorpe 18229

Hicksville – 36001

118 Newbridge Road, Hicksville, NY, USA

Highspire Pennsylvania Turnpike

300 Industrial Lane, Middletown 17057

Indian Castle New York State Thruway

Mile Post 210 West, NY State Thruway, Little Falls 13365

Indian Meadows Ohio Turnpike

21738 Co Road M-50, West Unity 43570

Irmo – 45002 Broad River Rd

11047 Broad River Rd, Irmo, SC 29063, USA

Irmo – 45005 Lake Murray Boulevard

1127 Lake Murray Boulevard, Irmo, SC, USA

Irmo – 45013 Broad River Road

7409 Broad River Road, Irmo, SC, USA

Irmo – 45014 Dutch Fork Road

1301 Dutch Fork Road, Irmo, SC, USA

Irmo – 45034 Broad River Road

7701 Broad River Road, Irmo, SC, USA

Iroquois New York State Thruway

Islip – 36004.

540 Islip Avenue, Islip, NY, USA

James Cooper New Jersey Turnpike

Milepost 39 North Mt. Laurel 8054

John Fenwick New Jersey Turnpike

Mile Marker 5.4 North New Jersey Turnpike Penns Grove 8069

Joyce Kilmer New Jersey Turnpike

Between 8A and 9 North Mile Marker 78.7 Milltown 8850

Junius Ponds New York State Thruway

Mile Post 324 West, NY State Thruway, Clyde 14433

Kennebunk North Maine Turnpike

Mile 25 Northbound Maine Turnpike North Kennebunk 4043

Kennebunk South Maine Turnpike

Mile 25 Southbound Maine Turnpike South Kennebunk 4043

King of Prussia Pennsylvania Turnpike

381 W Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia 19406

Kittery – 23001

286 U.S. 1, Kittery, ME, USA

Knowlton Travel Christopher Columbus Highway

19 Simpson Rd Columbia 7832

Knute Rocknie Indiana Toll Road

4004 E CR 700, Rolling Prairie, 46371

Lawn Pennsylvania Turnpike

7 Bachmanvillee Road, Lawn 17041

Lexington – 45006 Augusta Road

5035 Augusta Road, Lexington, SC, USA

Lexington – 45015 Longs Pond Road

222 Longs Pond Road, Lexington, SC, USA

Lexington – 45016 Augusta Road

5019 Augusta Road, Lexington, SC, USA

Lexington – 45023

1212 West Main Street, Lexington, SC, USA

Lexington – 45024

1819 South Lake Drive, Lexington, SC, USA

Lexington – 45025

226 Longs Pond Rd, Lexington, SC 29072, USA

Lexington – 45026 U.S. 378

784 U.S. 378, Lexington, SC, USA

Lexington – 45031 Augusta Road

4379 Augusta Road, Lexington, SC, USA

Lexington – 45037 Augusta Highway

2374 Augusta Highway, Lexington, SC, USA

Lexington – 45038 Longs Pond Road

351 Longs Pond Road, Lexington, SC, USA

Lexington – 45041 Old Cherokee Road

1005 Old Cherokee Road, Lexington, SC, USA

Lexington – 45048 Platt Springs Road

5143 Platt Springs Road, Lexington, SC, USA

Lexington – 45053 Sunset Boulevard

4035 Sunset Boulevard, Lexington, SC, USA

Lexington – 45056 South Lake Drive

1910 S Lake Dr, Lexington, SC 29073, USA

Lexington – 45059 Sunset Boulevard

4301 Sunset Boulevard, Lexington, SC, USA

Ludlow – 50002

143 Main Street, Ludlow, VT, USA

Ludlow East Massachusetts Turnpike

862 Massachusetts Turnpike, MILE POST 55 EASTBOUND, Ludlow 1104

Ludlow West Massachusetts Turnpike

MASS Turnpike MILE POST 56 West, Ludlow MA 1056

Madison NB I-95

I-95 Madison NB Service Plaza, North Ave, Madison, CT, USA

Madison SB I-95

I-95 Madison SB Service Plaza, South St, Madison, CT, USA

Malden New York State Thruway

Mile Post 103 North, NY State Thruway, Saugerties 12477

Middle Ridge Ohio Turnpike

Milepost 139.5 – Westbound, 46402 Middle Ridge Road, Amherst 44001

Milford NB I-95

CT Service Plazas Milford I-95, CT Northbound, I-95 Northbound, Milford, CT, USA

Milford SB I-95

I-95 Milford SB Service Plaza, Connecticut Turnpike, Milford, CT, USA

Modena New York State Thruway

Mile Post 66 South, NY State Thruway, Newburgh 12589

Mohawk New York State Thruway

Mile Post 172 East, NY State Thruway, Amsterdam 12010

Molly Pitcher New Jersey Turnpike

NJ Tpke Cranbury 8512

Monmouth Garden State Parkway

100 Garden State Parkway Wall Township 7719

Montvale Garden State Parkway

172 Garden State Pkwy Montvale 7645

Montville SB I-395

I-395 Montville SB Service Plaza, Connecticut Turnpike, Montville, Uncasville, CT, USA

N Midway Pennsylvania Turnpike

1152 Shed Road, BedfoRoad 15522

N Somerset Pennsylvania Turnpike

179 N Plaza Access Road, Somerset 15501

New Baltimore New York State Thruway

Mile Post 127 North & South, NY State Thruway, New Baltimore 12087

New Canaan NB RT-15

RT. 15 New Canaan NB Service Plaza, Gerdes Road, New Canaan, CT, USA

New Canaan SB RT-15

RT. 15 New Canaan SB Service Plaza, Merritt Parkway, New Canaan, CT, USA

New Stanton Pennsylvania Turnpike

724 New Stanton Plaza Road, Hunker 15639

North Haven NB RT-15

RT. 15 North Haven SB Service Plaza, Banton Street, North Haven, CT, USA

North Haven SB RT-15

RT. 15 North Haven SB Service Plaza, Banton Street, North Haven, New Haven, CT, USA

North Stonington – 9001

560 Providence-New London Turnpike, North Stonington, CT, USA

Oakmont Travel Plaza Pennsylvania Turnpike

2000 Eastern Ave, Verona 15147

Oneida New York State Thruway

2000 Eastern Ave, Verona PA 15147

Ontario New York State Thruway

Mile Post 376 West, NY State Thruway, Le Roy 14482

Orange NB RT-15

RT. 15 Orange NB Service Plaza, Wilbur Cross Parkway, Orange, CT, USA

Orange SB RT-15

RT. 15 Orange SB Service Plaza, Wilbur Cross Parkway, Orange, CT, USA

Pattersonville New York State Thruway

Mile Post 168 West, NY State Thruway, Pattersonville 12137

Pelion – 45004 Edmund Highway

7909 Edmund Highway, Pelion, SC, USA

Pembroke New York State Thruway

Mile Post 397 East, NY State Thruway, Corfu 14036

Peter J Camiel Pennsylvania Turnpike

5 Marsh Road, Elverson 19520

Plainfield NB I-395

I-395 Plainfield NB Service Plaza, East Pkwy, Plainfield, CT, USA

Plainfield SB I-395

I-395 Plainfield SB Service Plaza, Interstate 395, Danielson, CT, USA

Plainview – 36002

797 Old Country Road, Plainview, NY, USA

Plattekill New York State Thruway

Mile Post 65 North, NY State Thruway, Wallkill 12589

Ramapo New York State Thruway

Ramapo Service Area, New York State Thruway, Mile Post 33 South, Sloatsburg, NY 10974

Richard Stockton New Jersey Turnpike

New Jersey Turnpike Post 58.7 South Yardville 8620

S Midway Pennsylvania Turnpike

410 Shadyside Dr, BedfoRoad 15522

S Somerset Pennsylvania Turnpike

327 Industrial Park Road, Somerset 15501

Schuyler New York State Thruway

Mile Post 227 West, NY State Thruway, Frankfort 13340

Scottsville New York State Thruway

Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway, West Henrietta 14586

Seneca New York State Thruway

7029 Aldridge Rd, Victor 14564

Sidling Hill Pennsylvania Turnpike

3744 Noth Hess Road, Waterfall 16689

Sloatsburg New York State Thruway

Mile Maker, New York State Thruway, 33 North Sloatsburg 10974

Springfield – 25003

1830 Wilbraham Road, Springfield, MA, USA

Sterling – 25019

205 Worcester Road, Sterling, MA, USA

Sturbridge – 25010

236 Rte 15, Sturbridge, MA, USA

Thomas Edison New Jersey Turnpike

Mile Post 92.9 NJ Tpke Woodbridge 7095

Tiffin Rivers Ohio Turnpike

21747 Co Road M, West Unity 43570

Towpath II Ohio Turnpike

Ohio Turnpike, 10037 Broadview Road, Broadview Heights 44147

Ulster New York State Thruway

Mile Post, New York State Thruway, 96 South Ruby 12475

Valley Forge Pennsylvania Turnpike

1495 Valley Forge Road, Wayne 19087

Vauxhall Garden State Parkway

1 Vauxhall Rd Union 7083

Vermilion Valley Ohio Turnpike

7998 Leavitt Road Amherst OH 44001

Vince Lombardi New Jersey Turnpike

116E NJ Tpke Ridgefield 7657

Walt Whitman New Jersey Turnpike

700 NJ Tpke New Jersey Turnpike Cherry Hill 8034

Warners New York State Thruway

Warners Service Area, New York State Thruway, Mile Post 292 West, Warners, NY 13164

West Columbia – 45032 Main Street

697 Main Street, South Congaree, SC, USA

West Columbia – 45039 North 12th street

100 North 12th Street, West Columbia, SC, USA

West Columbia – 45042 Airport Blvd

1928 Airport Blvd, West Columbia, SC, USA

West Columbia – 45047 Sunset Boulevard

3809 Sunset Boulevard, West Columbia, SC, USA

West Gardiner Maine Turnpike

I-95 Exit 102 Northbound West Gardiner 4345

Wethersfield – 9002

1881 Berlin Turnpike, Wethersfield, CT, USA

Wilbur Shaw Indiana Toll Road

676 CR 425 East Rolling Prairie IN 46371

Woburn – 25007

325 Washington Street, Woburn, MA, USA

Woodrow Wilson New Jersey Turnpike

75 NJ Tpke, Hamilton Township NJ 8620

Worcester – 25009

350 Greenwood Street, Worcester, MA, USA

Give yourself a break!

Wouldn’t it be nice to know where you’ll be taking a rest along the way? Why not check out the Applegreen sites along your road trip?

That way you can plan your breaks in advance and give yourself something to look forward to – with less “Are we there yet?” from the back seats!

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• Utilities Installation
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• Doors & Windows
• High-Performance Coatings
• Acoustical Ceilings
• General Site Work
• General Contractors
• CaptiveAire Manufacturing Facility
• Bedford Airport Hangar
• Sideling Hill Service Plaza
• South Midway Service Plaza
• Omni Bedford Springs: Interior Refurbish
• Omni Bedford Springs: Clubhouse
• Flight Simulator Facility
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South Midway Service Plaza Project

South Midway Service Plaza is a recent project Clark Contractors, Inc completed. The plaza is one of 17 24-hour service plazas situated along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The project scope was extensive, requiring our team to design, prepare the site, construct the plaza and install all systems and amenities. The outcome — a place that offers travelers a modern and efficient place to fuel up, rest and have access to convenient amenities, including:

• Dining and convenience facilities
• WiFi access
• Modern family restrooms
• Dog walk area
• Tesla electric supercharger

Service Plaza Construction Process

At Clark Contractors, Inc, we understand how crucial it is to design, construct and complete projects within time and budget. The service plaza construction process encompassed:

• Design and project management : The team started the construction process by focusing on the specific needs and objectives and considering the budget.  Effective management  was key in ensuring our teams performed due diligence from start to finish.
• Excavation and demolition:  A crucial step included excavating the area and demolishing the existing structure safely and efficiently so construction could begin. 
• Structure and foundation laying:  Our contractors  laid concrete foundations  and focused on the structural components of the site utilities to ensure a robust and sustainable design. The team handled asphalt paving,  masonry , structural framing,  cold-formed metal framing  and  thermal and moisture protection , using industry best practices and the highest quality control.
• External installations:  The expert contractors installed storefronts, aluminum entrances, sectional doors and  doors and windows , focusing on the practical and curb appeal.
• Interior work:  To provide a pleasing and functional space to a would-be high-traffic plaza, the team completed drywall, acoustical ceiling installations, paintings and high-performance coatings efficiently while adhering to cost allocations.
• Essential system installation:  We oversaw the   plumbing , sprinkler,  HVAC  and  electrical and security system  installations, ensuring efficiency without compromising quality. 

The result is a contemporary, easy-on-easy-off service plaza, offering travelers rest, reprieve and the opportunity to use pristine amenities 24/7. Clark Contractors achieved all these advantages by keeping the project on track and within budget from design to completion.

Contact Clark Contractors, Inc for Your Upcoming Projects

For three generations, we’ve been known for quality, commercial construction management and keeping projects on schedule and budget. We offer technical knowledge and construction services for  retail properties ,  manufacturing plants  and other commercial developments.

With  over 72 years of industry experience , we’re committed to service excellence and have expertly completed thousands of commercial contracting projects.

Contact us online today  or call 814-623-9400 with the details of your upcoming construction projects. We’ll be with you from start to finish. 

Site Navigation:

• The PA Turnpike at PA Road Pics Index
• Breezewood in The Fall, The Abandoned PA Turnpike as seen by Bernie Newman
• Holy Turnpike! St. John's Church in New Baltimore
• The Abandoned Tunnels circa 1981/82
• Quemahoning Tunnel
• Original New Stanton Interchange Ramps
• Lehigh Tunnel Construction 1989-1991
• Vintage PA Turnpike Photo Collection

Sources & Links:

• Mike Austing
• John Bibber
• (1) Hoffman, Tom. 'Re: Midway Service Plazas Page Online.' Personal e-mail, July 20, 2002.
• PA Turnpike History @ PAHighways.com ---Jeff Kitsko
• Pennsylvania Turnpike ---Joseph Topinka
• Official PA Turnpike Webpage

Vintage Snapshot: Midway Plaza, Pennsylvania Turnpike, Dec. 1963 – Heading To Florida?

Taking a break on their holiday trip with the Airstream. Somewhere warm, I assume? The ’61 Ford wagon is sitting pretty level, thanks to that load distributing hitch.

I’ve got lots of memories of this and the other turnpike plazas on the PA, Ohio and Indiana turnpikes, especially from my hitchhiking days . I used to ask my rides to drop me off at the closest plaza before they got off the turnpike, as many of the exits were really dead. I learned this the hard way one bitterly cold night…

It was late at night and my ride pulled off on an exit that was in the middle of nowhere in Indiana. He left me off just outside the little toll house. It was a clear starry night in January, and about zero degrees. I stood there shivering in my feeble Army surplus jacket all night long; maybe only one or two cars came by, and they did not pick me up. I was getting a bit concerned about hypothermia. There was no place to go; the exit went to some little town that was like 10 or 15 miles away.

At about 4AM I asked the guy in the tool booth if I could come in and warm up for a few minute. No way.

I squatted on me feet and pulled my jacket around my legs. If it hadn’t been for the thick Icelandic wool sweater under the jacket, I’m not sure I would have survived.

Around 7AM the first car of the day came. I must have looked desperate enough, as the middle-aged man in a Ford sedan stopped and invited me in. I’ve never been more thankful to get into a warm car. He asked me how long I’d been there.  All night.

At the next plaza, he pulled off and said he wanted to buy my breakfast. I can still remember sitting at the counter chowing down the hot eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast and coffee. I was so appreciative. He was my guardian  angel.

After that experience, I always asked turnpike rides what exit they were getting off at, and looked at the signs to make sure they let me off at the last plaza before they got off. I would approach folks who looked like they’d be relatively more amenable about a ride, which was better than standing out at some dead exit, especially in the winter and at night.

Here’s a shot of Midway, including the HoJo, from the 1940s.

43 Comments

Rick Sebak of WQED spotlighted the Midway Plaza HoJo in a special called “Pennsylvania Diners & Other Roadside Restaurants.”

It was pretty cool to see all the HoJo items collected over the years, and see the tunnel that connected the two plazas beneath the Turnpike

We drive the PA Turnpike quite often visiting family in Jersey, as well as on our trips to New England and out to Maryland – service hours have gotten shorter for the available options at the Turnpike rest stops, with many of the restaurants inside closed up by the afternoon. These days I’m thankful for Breezewood and the easy access to Sheetz for hot coffee and a nosh that isn’t from 7-11.

If anyone gets to walk the abandoned part of the PA Turnpike, it’s amazing how small the footprint was of the original rest areas.

That entire video is a gold mine! Thanks for sharing! I have fond childhood memories of road trips piled into my family’s Buick Century to see grandparents in Clearfield County, PA. My dad would typically stop at the Hickory Run Plaza on the Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike, as it was more or less the halfway point from our home. I laugh to think of it now, but it all seemed so exotic to me at the time – all those cars and trucks from faraway places – going through the Lehigh Tunnel! Exciting stuff for a kid. One thing’s for certain: various segments of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-80 can present some of the most hair-raising winter weather driving this side of the Rockies. It can humble the most experienced drivers.

Wow. I had been wondering if the tunnel still existed and if so, did it still lead to anything on the other side (as the footprint of the north side building has changed). It looks very narrow and dark. Even if the security issue could be solved, it could not be reopened to the public today without a lot of ADA accessibility work.

I cannot imagine saying no to someone freezing for hours right next to me as I worked in a toll booth on an empty night. There is just a basic level of humanity that was completely ignored. That was really awful.

I was cross the Great Divide on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park on a late Autumn day, and I drove into a snow storm at about 10,000 feet coming down on the Western slope. The visibility was nearly zero and I creeped along in one of my old Plymouth Valiants. Anyway, I made out a human form ahead of me and immediately stopped to rescue them. They couldn’t have been more grateful and by the sound of his English – clearly spoke German. So to his suprise, I began speaking to him in German as well and I took him down out of the snow storm, down to the town of Grandby.

I just got caught hiking by the snow storm and was lost up there. At that time of year, there were few cars and I am very grateful to have been able to be there when he needed to be rescue.

I have been trapped by snow storms during my years of mountain adventures and I know the fear and stress of being surrounded by silent falling snow and being slowly smothered and buried by it. Half the fear is the silence of it all. One could easily fall asleep and die in those situations. I have been rescued more than once and that is what people do. Nature wants you dead. When you leave civilization, you need to remember that.

So I am pretty horrified by the complete lack of humanity and compassion exhibited by the toll booth operator. Even a serial killer wouldn’t be interested in killing you when they are in a state of hyperthermia like that. That was nuts.

That pretty much sums up how I felt. It was a brutal night, the two of us out there in the middle of nowhere; one inside a warm toll booth, the other outside looking in.

THE PHOTO: A great snapshot of a moment! There’s a ’64 Ford parked out front, so Christmas-time 1963 seems just right—the season dampened a bit by the Kennedy assassination in late November.

The ’61 wagon, I suppose, has the 292 V-8 (wouldn’t there be emblems for one of the larger “Thunderbird” engines?) and I see those two big clamp-on fender mirrors for a better view to the rear. I trust everyone got where they were going OK…

HITCHIKING: Your stories always fascinate me, Paul—I did far less of that, but it was the same era. You give your readers a nice feeling for your one long, cold, quiet and lonely night. My own hitchhiking was always south-to-north from college to home, and I remember once dressing for the moderate southern Ohio weather rather than the snow-belt Great Lakes bluster I was headed for. Brrrrrrr!

I don’t know what Turnpike policy was, but if the toll-taker could have been fired for letting an outsider in, I can’t blame him for refusing. Kindness doesn’t help in the unemployment queue. And it doesn’t pay the bills.

Where those who handle money are concerned, employers often set the bar very high.

I understood that at the time. I wasn’t angry at him; just aware of the reality of the situation.

If I had died of hypothermia there, I wonder how that would have been seen?

Luckily it did not happen Paul, and here we are at CC. Now to the question you ask. How would the death from Hypothermia of the unknown hitchhiker be seen? I can’t answer that. I’m pretty sure however, had that frozen vagabond not been seen, he would have been smelt, just a few short hours after the mid-January thaw began.

Paul, not to be rude but you created your own problem. You didn’t have a plan and relied on other people to provide you with transportation, food, and lodging. Essentially you expected other people to bail you out of a situation that you created.

Well Toad ;

Few if any haven’t made errors in judgement over their lives .

That’s where wisdom comes from : bad judgement .

I look back and am amazed I’m still alive .

As someone who has had to be rescued more than once, I find your postition inexcusable and callous. No one plans to be trapped in deadly weather, because weather changes and we cannot control the weather. We are all human and depend upon one another for survival. From toddlers, we naturally exhibit altruism and empathy. Those are natural emotions that have helped humanity survive this long.

However, I’m wondering about how human you and some of these other postings are.

You would let a young man suffer because “it was his fault”? You would let some government policy prevent you from possibly saving a life? What a horrible way of thinking. I was raised a Christian, so I must disagree. Many other religions would also disagree with your heartlessness as well.

Interesting responses.

I didn’t say I would let him suffer, I just noted that as a privileged young man he chose his situation and expected other people to essentially bail him out when made poor choices. He wasn’t a poor starving person who had no other options, he was a privileged (middle class white American male) who put himself in a situation voluntarily and expected other people to provide him necessities when those choices turned out badly.

Noting that is not callous, just a dose of reality.

He wasn’t a poor starving person who had no other options, he was a privileged (middle class white American male) who put himself in a situation voluntarily and expected other people to provide him necessities when those choices turned out badly.

I left home when I turned 18 had no further financial support from my family. I was on my own. And I was essentially broke at the time.

As I said in my other comment, I did not “expect” anything. There’s no expectations when hitchhiking. You simply let the world know that you’re looking for a ride.

Your comments are starting to get presumptuous and judgmental. I recommend we end this comment thread.

Toad, technically, you’re right, in that I ended up in that situation by my own doing by hitchhiking. This is how young people learn. Hitchhiking involves some risk, even more so in the dead of winter. I’ve always been comfortable with taking certain risks. And the potential consequences.

I didn’t feel entitled to be let into the toll booth to warm up. But I thought I’d ask, as I’ve found out there’s basically two kinds of people in the world: those that can empathize with the human condition (which invariably involves frailty) and those that don’t.

I didn’t bitch or moan about him (or the rules of the game) then and now. I accepted them, and sucked it up.

I didn’t “expect” anything; hitchhiking is putting yourself out there and seeing what happens, not expecting. And I certainly didn’t expect that driver to pull into that plaza and buy me breakfast.

I remember being very impressed by these Pennsylvania Turnpike service plazas as a little kid. My family rarely traveled, but occasionally we’d take a drive somewhere and would stop at the service plaza closest to Philadelphia (near Denver, PA, about an hour west of where we lived). I’d see folks on long trips like this and would just be amazed at how people from all over the country would come together at these places. For a little kid who often daydreamed about far-away places, this was exciting stuff.

And also, I can’t help thinking – driving a 1960s Ford towing an Airstream, in a snowstorm, couldn’t have been fun. I hope they enjoyed Florida when they got there!

Those old rest stops were beautiful but Midway is the prettiest: built of local fieldstone with those beautiful rolling mountains in the background. Though many of them had gotten pretty shabby by the 21st century. In 2007-2009, I did a lot of driving between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and watched as most of the old rest stops were demolished and replaced with newer ones that were a lot more comfortable but lacked the same charm.

The PA Turnpike is a really beautiful drive, at least from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg. Try it sometime in late October when the leaves are changing.

Pretty scenery from Breezewood to Pittsburgh, but harrowing to drive. Heavy traffic, narrow lanes, constant construction, huge rigs barreling down hills and crawling up. Even worse in the winter, with frequent snow squalls and zero temps.

Not quite like a drive some years back on I-70 across Kansas. 400 of the most stress free miles one could possibly drive. Light traffic, nary a hill and practically perfectly straight. Loafing along at 80 is a breeze and you can cross the state in little more than five hours.

It’s gotten a lot better over the last couple of decades. Yes, the median is very narrow, but there’s super-tall Jersey barrier almost everywhere now.

There are also climbing lanes for the trucks on the long, steep upgrades, and the winding section west of the Allegheny Tunnel has largely been bypassed.

Last, the never-ending road construction seems to be a thing of the past.

Oh no “210”, the eternal construction continues , alive and well.

It’s pretty “nerve jangling” most of the time , on that stretch now a days. Considering the “insane” tolls now , it’s almost unbelievable. Started riding along “Rt 30 (Lincoln Hwy) from Breezewood to “Rt 220”. Connects to tpke @ Somerset. Save’s a bit on the toll. Traffic , generally, moves along. Don’t lose much time. Still some of those “iconic” murals, oddities, in existence along “30”. The stretch of Rt 30 from Somerset area to Greensburg is a bit less friendly or I’d just stay on “30”. As the “tpk tolls” are due to rise , yet again, in January 2023, Rt 30 may look less uninviting.

We used to bypass the Turnpike westbound from Breezewood by taking US Route 30 through Bedford and then taking PA State Route 31 over Allegheny Mountain into Somerset, then getting back on the Turnpike there.

Never did much Hitchhiking, Was lucky, I suppose, always had a car. Did pick up plenty of hikers. Hwy 244 (now 270) and Hwy 40 (now I-64) near and through St. Louis was sometimes seemingly lined with folks, usually young kids like myself, trying to get somewhere. Often it was the same destination as my friends and I, a Concert in one of the larger venues. Sometimes they were passing through to far distant destinations. This was from the late 60s through the mid 70s. By 1980, hitchhiking seemed to become more dangerous for both hiker and or driver.

Wonderfully written article, which, of course, leaves me with the mental thunderbolt of, “Hitchhiking? That was at least fifty years ago.”

A much kinder, gentler, and more trusting time when you could go anywhere by virtue of your thumb. And even if you had long hair, as long as you looked clean and non-threatening you’d have a fairly good chance of getting a ride.

Accommodations? I always preferred graveyards to sleep in, at least it guaranteed you’d be left alone for the night. And between 1968-1973 I covered a lot of ground on the weekends. Always got home safely, had a few mild adventures in the process, but nothing seriously life threatening.

I still pick up hitchhikers, mostly on my regular drive to and from Port Orford, which is in a relatively remote area and feels a bit like a time warp. I picked up one guy twice now, in the same spot, who had his truck stolen. The first time was to go see his truck after it had been found. The second time was to go and get it. I think he was a bit surprised to see me pick him up both times; what are the odds?

I’ve picked up one guy near PO three times now.

And I picked up another guy near PO in the rain; we’ve become friends now. Very interesting guy my age who’s lived most of his adult life outdoors in the woods, mining old creeks and foraging for edibles and such. He’s got lots of great stories, and I may go take him down to the Sierras next summer to a spot where he’s convinced pack rats have hoarded goal in a big pile of rocks.

I very well might still pick up a hitchhiker if I encountered one, but I have to say that it’s probably been 10 years since I’ve seen one. And I even still frequent some of the areas where hitchhikers I know were common.

Which reminds me that at least around here nearly all of those places where one used to encounter hitchhikers are now occupied by folks standing with signs attesting to their needs, and asking for charity. Makes sense, given that both hitchhikers and people looking for handouts depend upon spots where cars come to pause; but it’s somewhat disturbing to see the changed usage of the same locations over the years.

I’m obviously glad that things ultimately turned out ok that winter night at the toll both in PA; but I also think that it’s 50-50 as to whether you wound up with the booth attendant you did who wouldn’t let you in to warm up versus one you didn’t who would have been willing to bend the rules and at least let you in for a short while. I think that a lot of people, regardless of the rules, would have cut you a break. As John Prine said, “Some Humans Ain’t Human”….but I like to think that the flip side to that is many humans are (good).

You better believe I pick up someone in need. While I do know that a stranger could be dangerous, and I do not pick someone up when I am with my kids, I would rather be the man who helps others, than the frighted lemming who scurries away.

Just a month ago, my wife and I found a young man along the road and we discovered that he was trying to get to a new job at Walmart. He was wearing his uniform. His rusted out Toyota truck ran out of gas. He had no money. We picked him up. Bought him a can of gas, returned him to his truck and even phoned Walmart to tell them that he would be late to his new job.

That is what you do. As an adult, you help those in need. You cannot live in fear of the unknown. It is only with courage we can all live together, right?

Right yes .

However, those in charge of things have a vested interest in keeping you scared because a scared populace is more easily controlled .

I work hard at teaching our foster boys that fear is un American .

So true. our corrupt rulers want a scared and divided population. Unfortunately, too many of us buy into what they are selling instead of fighting back.

One is in charge of one’s life. No one is keeping one from being a caring human being. No one ordered you to fall in love with your spouse. No one told you to love your family. No one is ordering you to post here.

No one keeps you from being who you are, except yourself. You choose your fears and excuses from being who you are.

“No one keeps you from being who you are, except yourself. You choose your fears and excuses from being who you are.”

That’s a very simplistic and incorrect view .

Maybe Paul needs to create a hitch hiker’s journal thread so others who have done it will share their stories good and bad .

When I was a youngster in the late 1960’s into the early 70’s, we’d pick up the PA turnpike at Carlisle,PA. on trips from NY to North of Bedford, PA in our ’65 Impala to visit the Grandparents.

When Route 80 was completed and opened in NJ and PA in the 1970’s, we stopped using the turnpike.

Nowadays, the tolls have gotten so high on the Turnpike, I avoid it completely

You and a lot of us!

My gosh, Paul – what a nightmare. I came to comment about what a great, nostalgic picture the lead shot was and was thoroughly unprepared for the reading. You should have a similar breakfast at the same time of year, every year, to commemorate not dying that night.

I’m glad all my hitch-hiking has been in warmer climates/seasons Ive been soaked thru in the rain a few times but never nearly frozen.

I too remember turnpike trips with pit stops at the plazas in Pop’s then new 1959 Peugeot .

Different times for sure ~ I hitch hiked all over California when first I arrived .

The Midway Plaza was a common stopping place when I traveled from Pittsburgh to college in the Philly area in the early 1970s. It’s called “Midway” because of its location on the halfway point of the original PA Turnpike section between Irwin and Carlisle, PA (near Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, respectively).

Even though many of the stone buildings used for the rest areas were torn down and replaced, the one at Midway still stands today. Of course Howard Johnson’s is long gone.

Great feature! Your splendid depiction of waiting and freezing at a Pa. TP gateway brought back several memories of doing the same. In 1971 and ’72, a Navy friend and I hitchhiked home to Pa. from New Jersey a number of times. When our helo squadron would get back to our home base in Lakehurst, we’d hit the road. At first, we would wear our woolen dress blue uniforms which was a mistake. We may as well been wearing Charlie Manson masks. On one winter trip, we waited unsuccessfully, just outside a TP toll booth for quite a few hours. Thoroughly frozen. Eventually a semi driver pulled over and we crammed into his cab over. I’m nearly certain that a toll booth employee helped us out on that one. It had just started sleeting in earnest. Eventually we both somehow bought cars and then were transferred to a Fla. home base. I stopped to pick up hitchhikers many times both before and after those days.

The TP service plazas were a treat in the 60’s and 70’s. I’ve likely stopped at most of the old ones a time or two. My memories of the HoJo’s are that they had more than acceptable burgers and a good Reuben. I’ve read that in the earlier days of uncompleted Pa. TP, it had no speed limits. It was said that the service plazas were full of overheated and cracked block Ford V8’s. Evidently, it was a trend to take the family out for a Sunday high speed jaunt from one end to the other and return.

Another hitchhiking thread. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/auto-biography/auto-biography-the-hitchikers-guide-to-the-galaxie-500-and-other-rides/

I did my share. A couple of notable occasions.

When I was living in the Sierras in a small town, and came across a young woman. In the snow. Barefoot. I picked her up and she practically screamed for a place to sleep for the night. Attractive young lady, I took her home but I relegated her to the couch when she asked where was she going to sleep. Gave her a ride back to… near where her boyfriend was beating her up (I’m guessing) Oh well.

And Florida. Actually had good and bad, but the toll booth attendant who insisted I sleep out in the rain overnight when nobody was picking me up stood out. He said he would call the cops if I dared try to sleep under the overhang around the toll station. This was a building, perhaps 20X30, with maybe an 8 foot overhang, but he wanted me out in the rain. Funny what you remember 50 years later… There were some good people there too, but sitting in the rain makes for memories.

Enjoyed the hitchhiking story and accompanying reminiscences. I was hitchhiking from Cleveland to CT in August of 1980 and had my scariest ride ever: I had to threaten violence on the guy to make him pull over. I got dropped off outside of Rochester on I-90 and the hitchhiking was grim. Every car seemed to be a station wagon filled with kids and beach toys, and no room for a stranger. I remember idly noticing a sign for the next rest stop and I think it said seventeen miles away and I wound up walking into that place (I always believed in walking while hitching to demonstrate I was trying). Sore feet, hungry, desperate, I started asking for rides in the parking lot. I had just gotten my umpteenth refusal and a young guy jumped out of a cherry red convertible and motioned me inside and said he’d buy me lunch and give me a ride. Had a great ride a few more hours to the east and then he dropped me off, but it somehow changed my fortunes as I made Hartford by late that night.

Change that brown station wagon to a slightly older blue Ford wagon and that could almost be a shot from my family’s photo album. In September 1961 my father was transferred from northeast PA. to Mobile, AL. Except for my parents, none of my sisters nor myself had ever gone more than 75 miles from home and had rarely eaten at a restaurant. We would travel from PA to Alabama over the Christmas holidays in 1961/1962 before moving back to PA “permanently”. I remember stopping a few times at plazas like this that year, and several other years in my childhood. The inside of our wagon was always so cold in winter so stopping for a meal was always a big treat…getting to order nearly anything on the menu.

The Midway plaza was the Bedford exit. We grew up there. Dad and Mom would take us to HoJo’s for lunch on Sundays for the fried clams. The building is still there.

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Places inside North Midway Service Plaza

Coffee Shop · $$

Interstate-76 W, Milepost 147.3 (at North Midway Service Plaza)

"Iced espresso with whole milk and Sweet & Low. Addicted!"

Pizza · $

Pennslyvania Turnpike - Exit 146 Eastbound Milepost 147.3 (PA Turnpike)

"Pizza was very fresh. NOM NOM NOM!"

Fuel Station

North Midway Travel Plaza

"Turnpike fuel stop at Midway on 76 West"

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Busy Memorial Day Weekend on Pennsylvania Turnpike Kicks Off Summer Travel Season

Busy Memorial Day Weekend on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Kicks Off Summer Travel Season

Travelers should plan ahead, prepare for increased traffic and pay attention to the road.

MIDDLETOWN, PA — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) is preparing for the start of the summer travel season and reminding drivers to ramp up for seasonal travel. 

During the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend, from May 23 through May 27, the PA Turnpike projects 2.9 million motorists will head to their holiday destination via the Turnpike. This year’s forecast reflects a 1.5% increase from the same period in 2023.

Travelers should note the traffic breakdown over the five-day period starting Thursday, with Friday slated to be the heaviest travel day:

While travelers may be excited to get away for the long weekend, the PA Turnpike emphasizes that drivers be courteous on the road to help them focus on getting to their destinations safely.

Pennsylvania State Police Troop T will have increased patrols over the holiday weekend to respond to incidents as they unfold, ensure motorists are practicing proper driving habits and take action against illegal or unsafe behaviors such as speeding, aggressive and distracted driving.

The PA Turnpike will have an increased number of GEICO Safety Patrol safety teams  throughout the roadway that are there to respond to travelers in need of assistance. All roadway construction and maintenance projects will be suspended beginning Thursday, May 23 at 3 p.m. until Monday, May 27 at 11 p.m. to ensure as many lanes are open as possible.

Those heading west Sunday should note traffic could be slower in the Somerset to New Stanton corridor from 3 to 5 p.m. as the Run for the Wall   veteran’s organization is hosting a vehicle motorcade that will traverse the Turnpike. More than 300 motorcyclists traveling from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. and the Flight 93 National Memorial, Somerset County, will travel west from the Somerset Interchange, exit 110, starting at approximately 3:25 p.m. Sunday. The motorcade is planning a fueling stop at the New Stanton Service Plaza, milepost 77, around 3:55 p.m. before exiting at the New Stanton Interchange, exit 75, and continuing onto Interstate 70 toward their final destination at the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial in Illinois.

While traveling through an active work zone this summer, motorists may see speed limit enforcement signs. This is part of the statewide Work Zone Speed Safety Camera  (WZSSC) program, which the Pennsylvania Legislature recently made permanent  as part of the state’s commitment to public safety. In work zones with a WZSSC vehicle, electronic speed timing devices detect and record vehicles exceeding work zone posted speed limits by 11 mph or more. Violators receive a warning on a first offense and fines for any following offenses. During the five-year pilot program, there was a 38% reduction in speeding in work zones (1 mph or more over the speed limit), a 47% reduction in excessive speeding in work zones (11 mph or more over the speed limit), and work zone crashes declined by up to 50% when a speed enforcement vehicle was present.

In addition to planning your trip for off-peak hours, visit Ramp up for Seasonal Travel | PA Turnpike  for tips to prepare for traveling on the PA Turnpike as well as understanding the services and amenities along the way.

To report an accident or other emergency on the PA Turnpike, dial *11 via mobile phone. To learn more about PA Turnpike conditions, use one of these resources:

ON THE TURNPIKE

511PA Smartphone App : real-time, hands-free PA traffic advisories

Digital Message Signs: more than 200 boards along the Turnpike

511/ 511pa.com : live, interactive map

Twitter/X: @PATurnpikeAlert

511: dial from any PA roadway for local travel information

Pennsylvania Turnpike Customer Assistance Center: 877-736-6727, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Video of the PA Turnpike for this story can be found here  (a download link is available on the information tab).

Photos for this story can be found here  until May 27.

Media Contacts:

Crispin Havener, 717. 870.2841

Marissa Orbanek, 267.408.5151