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How Breezewood Got That Way
If you travel frequently through Pennsylvania, or between the mid-Atlantic and the Midwest, Breezewood needs no introduction. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, this image might:
It has become a meme, particularly among Internet critics of capitalism: a half mile of commercial excess in the mountains of Pennsylvania, far from any population centers or tourist attractions. Yet, the origins of Breezewood have more to do with governments trying to outsmart each other than corporate greed.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike was built in the 1940s, one of the first expressways in the country. When the Interstate System was proposed in the late 1950s, most of it was grandfathered into the system as Interstate 76. Another interstate, I-70, was planned to run from Baltimore and Washington west to Utah by way of Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Denver. To cross the Appalachians, it was to double up with I-76 and use the existing Pennsylvania Turnpike.
However, to prevent states from funneling interstate traffic onto toll highways, the federal government forbade states from building interstate connections that ended at a toll road. This left the commonwealth of Pennsylvania with two options it found unpalatable: using solely state money to build the interchange with the eastern leg of Interstate 70, or eliminating tolls on the Turnpike entirely. So, in its wisdom, the state decided to end Interstate 70 at the Lincoln Highway (U.S. Highway 30), and direct I-70 traffic onto the Lincoln Highway to a nearby, pre-existing exit with the Turnpike. Technically, interstate travelers had the option of continuing onto the Lincoln Highway for free.
This created a sort of unofficial, mandatory rest stop along Interstate 70. Businesses, from local mom-and-pops to multinational corporations, rushed in to take advantage. The Internet loves to argue about it, but Breezewood is nothing more than a state government’s attempt to get around the strings the federal government put on an offer of highway money. Still, if you insist on finding something sinister in Breezewood, you can start with the next town going east on the Lincoln Highway:
Man, Cocaine Mitch is everywhere.
Published in General
I spent many a comfortable evening a the TA truckstop in Breezewood. When I was spending my life driving an 18 wheeler from one end of the country to the other, I found the dearth of truck stops with decent parking and actual showers to be one (of several) acutely aggravating factors in delivering freight to the northeast. Breezewood’s TA truckstop, with it’s abundant parking, safe and well lit parking lot, a comfortable and spacious restaurant, nice amenities and good showers (I think you could bathe for around $15 when I came off the road) was a treat otherwise relegated to a couple of decent truckstops (one in New Hamphire and one in Connecticut) that stood out in an otherwise horrendous environment for truckers.
From what I have read, things have gotten worse for truck drivers since you left the occupation, Dave. Some cities figure this will be a greener planet if there are fewer trucks, so they have reduced the number of places that trucks can park, making it even more difficult for drivers to find a place to rest. I don’t know how these people think goods are going to be delivered to their cities if they diminish the number of trucks. I understand California in particular is making it even harder to make a living hauling freight.
There were times when – if I could have figured out how to logistically make it work – I would have stopped at an appropriate border, opened the trailer doors, backed up and slammed the brakes to empty the contents from the trailer and then let the locals figure out how they were going to get the stuff to their store shelves.
If only…
A few years ago @concretevol wrote a very popular post where he offered to answer people’s questions about concrete. I could see a great discussion if you were to write a post, Dave, inviting people to ask questions about driving trucks.
Once Breezewood was established, it then became a place that could and did employ lobbyists to continue its existence. Even though the Interstate rules eventually got relaxed, Breezewood successfully resisted plans to modernize the intersections.
Here is a story about it: http://www.gribblenation.org/2018/02/will-we-ever-see-breezewood-bypass.html
Now that the PA Turnpike no longer has tool booths (it uses electronic tolling), constructing more direct ramps would be a simpler and less costly option.