 Interstate 176 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgantown Expressway | ||||
 I-176 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Auxiliary route ofI-76 | ||||
| Maintained byPennDOT | ||||
| Length | 11.345 mi[1] (18.258 km) | |||
| Existed | 1964–present | |||
| NHS | Entire route | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |    I-76 Toll /Penna Turnpike nearMorgantown | |||
| Major intersections |  PA 10 near Morgantown PA 724 inCumru Township | |||
| North end |  US 422 nearReading | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Pennsylvania | |||
| Counties | Berks | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Interstate 176 (I-176) is a spur route of easternI-76 inBerks County, Pennsylvania. I-176, known as theMorgantown Expressway, travels from thePennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) nearMorgantown north toU.S. Route 422 (US 422) inCumru Township inBerks County, a suburban township just outside the city ofReading. The entire length of the highway is just over 11 miles (18 km).
_just_south_of_Exit_11_in_Cumru_Township%2c_Berks_County%2c_Pennsylvania.jpg)
I-176 begins at theMorgantown Interchange with thePennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) near the community of Morgantown inCaernarvon Township, Berks County. The highway heads north from atrumpet interchange with the turnpike as a four-lanefreeway called the Morgantown Expressway. After passing through the former location of a toll plaza for traffic entering and exiting the turnpike, the freeway comes to an interchange withPennsylvania Route 10 (PA 10) that provides access to Morgantown to the south. At this interchange, the freeway turns to the west, with a southboundrunaway truck ramp just past the southbound exit ramp for PA 10. I-176 heads into the borough ofNew 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 betweenRobeson 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 overAllegheny Creek andPA 568 before it comes to a northbound exit and entrance with the parallel PA 10 to the east inGreen Hills. From here, the freeway continues through woodland with nearby development and passes over PA 10 prior to enteringCumru 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 adiamond interchange withPA 724 and passes overNorfolk Southern Railway'sHarrisburg Line #1 and theSchuylkill River Trail as it heads west of industrial areas. I-176 reaches its northern terminus at a trumpet interchange with theUS 422 freeway southeast of the city ofReading.[2][3]
.svg) Interstate 180 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Caernarvon Township–Cumru Township |
| Existed | 1963–1964 |
Interstate 176 was originally conceived to provide an Interstate connection from the Pennsylvania Turnpike toReading, largely due to the prevalence of the city's coal industry. Construction began on the highway in 1961, with the first section from exits 7 to 11 opening in 1962, and the remaining section opening in 1963.[4]
At the time of its opening, the highway was originally known asInterstate 180 (I-180) or the "Reading Spur" when the Pennsylvania Turnpike was designated as I-80S, but was redesignated to its present-day number in 1964 when the turnpike was redesignated as I-76.[5]
_from_the_overpass_for_Shiloh_Road_in_Caernarvon_Township%2c_Berks_County%2c_Pennsylvania.jpg)
Prior to 1996, I-176 did not have a direct connection to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Motorists wanting to access I-176 had to travel through Morgantown onPA 10 andPA 23 before entering I-176 northbound to Reading at a traffic light, similar to that found whereI-70 enters the turnpike inBreezewood. In September 1984, thePennsylvania Turnpike Commission announced plans to replace the Morgantown Interchange to create a direct connection from the turnpike to I-176. Groundbreaking for the new interchange was held on February 28, 1989. The new interchange was built 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of the old one, and merged onto the turnpike from the north, rather than the south. Apartial cloverleaf interchange was built north of the new toll plaza to provide access to PA 10, which the old interchange provided direct access to.[6] The new interchange opened on September 18, 1990, completing the first phase of the Morgantown connector.[7] Construction on a new stretch of freeway to connect I-176 to the new Morgantown Interchange began in 1994, which opened on September 27, 1996.[8] The original alignment of I-176 into Morgantown was kept intact, now as a spur numbered SR 2089[3] connecting exit 2 to PA 23.
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 theVietnam War,Persian Gulf War,Iraq War, andWar in Afghanistan.[9]
The entire route is inBerks County.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Old exit [10] | New exit [10] | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caernarvon Township | 0.000 | 0.000 | – | – | I-76 Toll /Penna Turnpike –Philadelphia,Harrisburg | Southern terminus; exit 298 (Morgantown) on I-76 / Penna Turnpike | |
| 0.201 | 0.323 | 1A | 1 |   PA 10 toPA 23 –Beckersville,Morgantown | Signed as exits 1A (east) and 1B (west) northbound; PA 23 not signed southbound; last southbound exit before toll | ||
| 1.275 | 2.052 | 1B | 2 |  ToPA 10 south /PA 23 –Honey Brook | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via SR 2089; access toPhoenixville andLancaster | ||
| Robeson–Cumru township line | 7.884 | 12.688 | 2 | 7 |  PA 10 toPA 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 | |||||||
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