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History The Ghost Highway-the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Steve Ray, May 13, 2009.

  1. publicenemy1925
    Joined: Feb 4, 2007
    Posts: 3,187

    publicenemy1925
    Member
    from OKC, OK

    Hauntingly cool.
     
    Steve Ray likes this.
  2. so.ill.
    Joined: Feb 24, 2007
    Posts: 311

    so.ill.
    Member

    are you aloud to go exploring? or do u have to go stealth?
     
  3. Algon
    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Posts: 1,129

    Algon
    Member

    You may like this... We have a local byway that while annoying and a block from part of our bike trail, I don't fully blame them for riding down. Its out of the beaten path route, nothing back there but a strip mine and a construction supply place for the most part. The problem is these fools run three and four wide down the road so there is no where to go if you come up on them going over a hill and there is traffic driving the other way.

    I've seen some them go from riding the berm to clumping together, blocking the road on purpose so you can not pass them. They tried it on a county asphalt truck once and wound up in the ditch when the driver down shifted and hit the throttle in response.:D
     
  4. notebooms
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 2,077

    notebooms
    Alliance Member

    completely awesome. Thanks for posting this.

    -scott noteboom
     
  5. hemi guy 53
    Joined: Dec 30, 2007
    Posts: 266

    hemi guy 53
    Member
    from colorado

    thanks i really needed that. its always nice to escape for just a LITTLE BIT.
     
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  6. vncruiser
    Joined: Mar 5, 2005
    Posts: 541

    vncruiser
    BANNED

    Traveled that road in 1961 in my dad's '57 Fairlane from St Louis to Baltimore....My brother was 3 or 4 at the time and all he kept saying was " I need more tunnel"....my mom still talks about that....
     
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  7. Can't wait to hear the cab stacks on my truck echo through the Lehigh Valley Tunnel on the way to the Pocono Drag Lodge reunion.
     
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  8. Labold
    Joined: Nov 1, 2007
    Posts: 1,219

    Labold
    Member

    I think you are on to something here.
    Would be a fun hang out spot for a show/get together.
     
    Steve Ray likes this.
  9. T.W.Dustin
    Joined: Nov 18, 2008
    Posts: 883

    T.W.Dustin
    Member

    cool post - been a long time since I was on that highway. I didn't realize part of it was abandoned.
     
  10. HONESTHERMAN
    Joined: Apr 27, 2009
    Posts: 293

    HONESTHERMAN
    Member

    Very good Thread. Interesting. Thanks for the info.
     
  11. Abomination
    Joined: Oct 5, 2006
    Posts: 6,719

    Abomination
    Member

    From my huge collection...

    ~Jason

    [​IMG]

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  12. Steve Ray
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 693

    Steve Ray
    Member

    Sounds like a great idea. Try contacting the people who operate the trail: http://www.pike2bike.org/ They're a non-profit; maybe they'll do it for a donation. Yeah, a benefit show!

    Abomination, thanks for sharing your collection! Very cool.

    Then:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Now
     
  13. HotRodDean
    Joined: Jan 11, 2007
    Posts: 249

    HotRodDean
    Member

    Wow...that place is sssooooo cool...and kinda spooky too...
     
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  14. threebarspinner
    Joined: Jun 29, 2008
    Posts: 4

    threebarspinner
    Member

    Cool Pictures. I hope to explore this stretch of road someday. Rode through here in 1965 when I was 8. I remember passing through the two bypassed tunnels. I wondered what happened to them years later when I drove through this area myself.
     
  15. DeepSea Fish
    Joined: Sep 6, 2008
    Posts: 81

    DeepSea Fish
    Member

    This road should be opened back up. Just for pre -68 cars. Just to keep it the way it was.
     
  16. Greezy
    Joined: May 11, 2002
    Posts: 1,440

    Greezy
    Member

    I run the Pike quite often. Seeing the pics of the service areas from the 40's I see they are the original buildings still in use at some plazas. They are now tearing down the old plazas and rebuilding. I d say the tunnels havent been touched much since then either with big areas of tiles missing. Interesting thread.
     
  17. Joe T Creep
    Joined: Jan 1, 2003
    Posts: 1,145

    Joe T Creep
    Member Emeritus

    WOW. I love stuff like this. Great post. Thanks so much.
     
  18. OoltewahSpeedShop
    Joined: Oct 18, 2007
    Posts: 3,103

    OoltewahSpeedShop
    Member

    Very cool history. Does anybody know what is gonna happen to it?
     
  19. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    Awesome post! Thanks for sharing! Urban exploring is way cool.

    Should be featured on one of my favorite shows; "Cities of the Underworld" on the History Channel.
     
  20. DocWatson
    Joined: Mar 24, 2006
    Posts: 10,273

    DocWatson
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I am fascinated by 'urban decay', something we dont get here in Oz. As soon as something is closed down its gone. About the best are a few stretches of highway that has been bypassed but nothing remotely as interesting as this!
    It blows my mind that they would just leave it all behind, I know a group (In the US)that 'investigates' old buildings (Ok, there ghost hunters), they have been spending time at an abandoned hospital, the place closed and everyone walked out. There is still medical records in there!
    Crazy stuff.
    I love it,
    Doc.
     
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  21. GlenC
    Joined: Mar 21, 2007
    Posts: 757

    GlenC
    Member

    Doc, there's a section of the highway between Sydney and Wollongong that was bypassed when they built a big new one maybe 30 years ago. It's south of Sutherland but before Helensburg, I can't remamber any more detail than that. I used to have fun on the old two lane road in the Willys, lots of twisty bits, then I used to see it sort of hiding in the bushes as I cruised the highway. I don't think they could close it completely, there were a few odd houses in the bush, so I guess it'd still be there.

    Cheers,Glen.
     
  22. skidsteer
    Joined: Mar 19, 2007
    Posts: 1,251

    skidsteer
    Member

    an ABANDONED tunnel? I'm on my way there, as we speak.
    Also, check out the one just north of Exit 159 on I-81 at Nuangola, Pa -- an old abandoned, sealed railroad tunnel. Also, there's a junkyard off the same exit that has plenty of rusted 40's and 50's hulks.
     
    Steve Ray likes this.
  23. Very cool post. Nice pictures and a cool story. I've been down the PA Turnpike, but I didn't know they bypassed a stretch like that!




    Oh yeah... I'll second that! Same goes for Globe, AZ.... don't ask how I know.... :rolleyes:
     
  24. Honey
    Joined: Feb 11, 2009
    Posts: 16

    Honey
    Member

    That is cool, it reminds me of the first time I drove on Route 66 out of Shamrock, TX. There was grass growing in the cracks in the pavement, it was the oddest thing to see grass growing on the road.
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2009
  25. Ghost28
    Joined: Nov 23, 2008
    Posts: 3,200

    Ghost28
    Member

    Really nice thread. My kind of place...ghost
     
  26. plym49
    Joined: Aug 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,802

    plym49
    Member
    from Earth

    I drive the 'best' remaining section of that road every day. A climbing ess curve; decreasing radius on the last turn when going downhill. Nicely banked, too. Handling test each time.

    But wasn't the Interboro Parkway in NYC (between Brookly and Queens) also one of the first? Also still in use with great ess curves (through the cemetary!). I remember when the center guard rail was a piece of 3" pipe mounted at ground level.
     
  27. Gaters
    Joined: Dec 29, 2007
    Posts: 566

    Gaters
    Member

    I love stuff like this. Just so weird that all the time and money spent and it was abandoned.

    I didn't read all the posts but did a new highway bring this to extinction?

    Thanks for the cool post.
     
  28. Al Napier
    Joined: Feb 6, 2007
    Posts: 400

    Al Napier
    Member
    from Central CT

    >>>But wasn't the Interboro Parkway in NYC (between Brookly and Queens) also one of the first?>>>

    I was under the impression that the Merritt Parkway (originally called the Merritt Highway) in CT was supposedly the first actual, limited access, divided highway built in the US.

    Regardless, GREAT story on those tunnels. Thanks for sharing, cool story :)

    Al in CT
     
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  29. Jim N
    Joined: Oct 27, 2003
    Posts: 12

    Jim N
    Member

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