The Old PA Pike master plan has been updated.
A Glimpse of America After the Apocalypse!
- The tunnels were originally built in the late 19th century by a railroad company
- The PA Turnpike, opened in 1940, adapted the tunnels as part of its original highway
- In 1968 a two mile stretch of the highway, including two original tunnels, was bypassed and abandoned.
- This path, then known as “Abandoned PA Turnpike”, was acquired in 2001 by The Southern Alleghenies Conservancy
- Starting in 2017 new plans are being developed to make “The Old PA Pike” a national destination!
About Us
In 1968 the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (TPC) bypassed the Ray’s and Sidling Hill tunnels and 11 miles of pike.
This section of the highway was completely abandoned by traffic and occasionally used by the TPC to train snow plow drivers, prototype rumble strips, road reflectors, reflective road pant, do vehicle crash, roll over, truck brake distance, road sign distance visibility tests and also for storage of jersey barriers.
In 2001, the PA Turnpike Commission sold the abandoned trail to the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy (SAC), a non-profit nature group preserving the environment in South Western and South Central Pennsylvania, covering Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, and Somerset counties.
Now plans are underway to convert this abandoned section of the PA turnpike into a multi-use trail and recreational destination.
Articles and Blogs
1951 Chevy Infomercial on the PA Turnpike
This 1951 “Road to Romance” video short by Chevrolet looks at the majestic Pennsylvania countryside as viewed from the “Pennsylvania Turnpike Highway of Tomorrow”, which was quite a big deal before the Interstate Highway project of the 1950s and 1960s. Pennsylvania Turnpike from Movie Memories on Vimeo.
Trail Usage Survey
Please fill out the below Trail Usage Survey as thoroughly and accurately as possible.
Choir in Sideling Hill Tunnel
Although it is hard to see the below video, the beautiful sound of a Mennonite Gospel choir reverberates through the Sideling Hill Tunnel. The video was captured in October 2015 by Jeffrey Shubert who was bike riding with his family when he heard the choir on the other end of the tunnel. Approximately 30 choir …
Contact Us
Web or Technical Issues
Ric Albano
ric@33dimensions.com