Schuylkill Expressway

This article is about the section of Interstate 76 in the Philadelphia area. For the entire route, see Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey).

Interstate 76 marker
Schuylkill Expressway
Map
Schuylkill Expressway highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by PennDOT and DRPA
Length25.2 mi[1] (40.6 km)
Existed1951–present
Component
highways
  • I-76 entire route
  • US 1 between City Avenue and Roosevelt Expressway
  • US 30 between Girard Avenue and Vine Street Expressway
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end I-76 / I-276 / Penna Turnpike in King of Prussia
Major intersections
East end I-76 at the New Jersey state line in Philadelphia
Location
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountiesMontgomery, Philadelphia
Highway system
← PA 75I-76→ PA 76

The Schuylkill Expressway (/ˈskuːkəl/ SKOO-kəl),[2] locally known as "the Schuylkill", is a freeway through southern Montgomery County and Philadelphia. It is the easternmost segment of Interstate 76 (I-76) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It extends from the Valley Forge interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in King of Prussia, paralleling its namesake Schuylkill River for most of the route, southeast to the Walt Whitman Bridge over the Delaware River in South Philadelphia. It serves as the primary corridor into Philadelphia from points west. Maintenance and planning for most of the highway are administered through Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 6, with the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) maintaining the approach to the Walt Whitman Bridge.

Constructed over a period of 10 years from 1949 to 1959, a large portion of the expressway predates the 1956 introduction of Interstate Highway System. The rugged terrain, limited riverfront space covered by the route and narrow spans of bridges passing over the highway have largely stymied attempts to upgrade or widen the highway. With the road being highly over capacity, it has become notorious for its chronic congestion.[3] An average of 163,000 vehicles use the road daily in Philadelphia County,[4] and an average of 109,000 use the highway in Montgomery County,[5] making it the busiest road in Pennsylvania.[6] Its narrow lane and left shoulder configuration, left lane entrances and exits (nicknamed "merge or die"), common construction activity, and generally congested conditions have led to many accidents, critical injuries, and fatalities, leading to the highway's humorous nickname of the "Surekill Expressway" or, in further embellishment, the "Surekill Distressway" or the "Surekill Crawlway".[7]

  1. ^ DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2007, Toggle Measure Tool. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  2. ^ "Accidents, delayed flights and travel headaches across the region". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 16, 2007.
  3. ^ "How PennDOT plans to address congestion as Philadelphia traffic ranks 4th nationwide". 6abc Philadelphia. November 20, 2023. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  4. ^ Traffic Volumes for Philadelphia County (PDF) (Map). PennDOT. 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
  5. ^ Traffic Volumes for Montgomery County (PDF) (Map). PennDOT. 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
  6. ^ "Schuylkill Expressway Work Entering Time of Worst Jams". The New York Times. February 23, 1986. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2007.
  7. ^ "Penn students propose a plan to connect their campus to the Schuylkill". November 30, 2006. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2014.