Interstate 176 (I-176) is a spur route of eastern I-76 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. I-176, known locally as the Morgantown Expressway, travels from I-76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike) in Morgantown north to U.S. Route 422 (US 422) in Cumru Township in Berks County, a suburban township just outside the city of Reading; the entire length of the highway is just over 11 miles (18 km). The highway was originally known as Interstate 180 (I-180) or the "Reading Spur" when the Pennsylvania Turnpike was part of I-80S but was redesignated to its present-day number in 1964 when I-80S became I-76.[2]
 Interstate 176 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgantown Expressway | ||||
 I-176 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Auxiliary route of I-76 | ||||
| Maintained by PennDOT | ||||
| Length | 11.345 mi[1] (18.258 km) | |||
| Existed | 1964–present | |||
| NHS | Entire route | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |   I-76 / Penna Turnpike in Morgantown | |||
  PA 10 / PA 23 in Morgantown PA 10 in Green Hills PA 724 in Cumru Township | ||||
| North end |  US 422 southeast of Reading | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Pennsylvania | |||
| Counties | Berks | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
edit_just_south_of_Exit_11_in_Cumru_Township,_Berks_County,_Pennsylvania.jpg){kind=link}
I-176 begins at the Morgantown interchange with I-76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike) near the community of Morgantown in Caernarvon Township, Berks County. The highway heads north from the trumpet interchange through the toll plaza and continues north as a four-lane freeway called the Morgantown Expressway, coming to an interchange with Pennsylvania Route 10 (PA 10) that provides access to Morgantown to the south. At this interchange, the freeway turns to the west, with a southbound runaway truck ramp just past the southbound exit ramp for PA 10. I-176 heads into the borough of New Morgan and runs through forested areas. The road comes to a southbound exit and northbound entrance with SR 2089, a four-lane freeway that heads south to an intersection with PA 10/PA 23 in Morgantown. This used to be I-176's old alignment before it was realigned between that point and its current terminus at the Turnpike. At this point, the freeway curves to the northwest and forms the border between Caernarvon Township to the west and New Morgan to the east, passing through wooded surroundings as it heads to the west of a landfill. The route turns north and becomes the border between Robeson Township to the west and New Morgan to the east, before fully entering Robeson Township as it continues through forests. I-176 runs through wooded areas with some farm fields, passing over Allegheny Creek and PA 568 before it comes to a northbound exit and entrance with the parallel PA 10 to the east in Green Hills. From here, the freeway continues through woodland with nearby development and passes over PA 10 prior to entering Cumru Township and coming to a southbound exit and entrance connecting to PA 10 to the west. The road heads north-northeast through forested hills, curving to the north. The route reaches a diamond interchange with PA 724 and passes over Norfolk Southern Railway's Harrisburg Line #1 and the Schuylkill River Trail as it heads west of industrial areas. I-176 reaches its northern terminus at a trumpet interchange with the US 422 freeway southeast of the city of Reading.[3][4]
History
edit| Location | Morgantown - Reading |
|---|---|
| History | Original number for I-176 when I-76 was I-80S. |
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_from_the_overpass_for_Shiloh_Road_in_Caernarvon_Township,_Berks_County,_Pennsylvania.jpg){kind=link}
Prior to 1996, motorists wanting to get to I-176 from the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) had to travel through Morgantown on PA 10 and then enter I-176 northbound to Reading at a traffic light, similar to that found on I-70 in Breezewood. Since 1996, a replacement Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange and a new stretch of I-176 have eliminated the need to travel through Morgantown, with the old section, now a spur numbered SR 2089,[4] still maintained as ramps leading to and from exit 2. The entire highway, except for the new direct connection, has a 65-mile-per-hour (105 km/h) speed limit.
In May 2018, I-176 was dedicated as the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Highway, the Persian Gulf War Veterans Memorial Highway, and the Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans Memorial Highway in honor of veterans from the Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Iraq War, and War in Afghanistan.[5]
Exit list
editThe entire route is in Berks County.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Old exit [6] | New exit [6] | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caernarvon Township | 0.000 | 0.000 | – | – | I-76 / Penna Turnpike – Philadelphia, Harrisburg | Southern terminus; exit 298 on I-76 / Turnpike; E-ZPass or toll-by-plate | |
| 0.201 | 0.323 | 1A | 1 | PA 10 to PA 23 – Beckersville, Morgantown | Signed as exits 1A (east) and 1B (west) northbound; PA 23 signed northbound; last southbound exit before toll | ||
| 1.275 | 2.052 | 1B | 2 | To PA 10 south / PA 23 – Honey Brook | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via SR 2089 | ||
| Robeson–Cumru township line | 7.884 | 12.688 | 2 | 7 | PA 10 to PA 568 – Green Hills | ||
| Cumru Township | 10.751 | 17.302 | 3 | 10 | PA 724 – Shillington, Birdsboro | ||
| 11.345 | 18.258 | 4 | 11 | US 422 – Pottstown, Reading | Northern terminus; signed as exits 11A (east) and 11B (west) | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Bureau of Maintenance and Operations (January 2015). Roadway Management System Straight Line Diagrams (Report) (2015 ed.). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 30, 2015.[permanent dead link]
- Berks County[permanent dead link] (PDF)
- ^ Weingroff, Richard. "Was I-76 Numbered to Honor Philadelphia for Independence Day, 1776?". Ask the Rambler. Federal Highway Administration.
- ^ "Overview of Interstate 176" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
- ^ a b Bureau of Planning and Research Geographic Information Division (2016). Berks County, Pennsylvania Highway Map (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
- ^ Vasil, Jim (May 29, 2018). "Interstate 176 renamed in honor of nation's war veterans". Allentown, PA: WFMZ-TV. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
- ^ a b Mallory, Bradley L. (n.d.). PennDOT's Mileage-Based Exit Numbering System (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
External links
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