 Interstate 78 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 I-78 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byPennDOT andDRJTBC | ||||
| Length | 77.95 mi[1] (125.45 km) | |||
| Existed | 1957–present | |||
| History | Completed in 1989 | |||
| NHS | Entire route | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  I-81 inUnion Township | |||
| Major intersections | ||||
| East end |  I-78 at theNew Jersey state line | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Pennsylvania | |||
| Counties | Lebanon,Berks,Lehigh,Northampton | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Interstate 78 (I-78) is a major east–westInterstate Highway stretching fromUnion Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, in the west to theHolland Tunnel andNew York City in the east. InPennsylvania, I-78 runs for about 78 miles (126 km) from the western terminus atI-81 in Union Township east to theNew Jersey state line nearEaston inNorthampton County.
Much of I-78 west ofAllentown predates theInterstate Highway System as a freeway upgrade ofU.S. Route 22 (US 22), which runsconcurrently with I-78 betweenBethel Township andUpper Macungie Township. The Interstate, originally planned asInterstate 80N (I-80N), was supposed to continue its concurrency with US 22 to the New Jersey state line but was realigned to the south due to local opposition.
Two auxiliary routes,Interstate 178 (I-178) andI-378, were also planned as spurs into Allentown andBethlehem respectively, but I-178 was never built and I-378 becamePennsylvania Route 378 (PA 378) since it did not connect to I-78.
_just_east_of_Exit_23_in_Upper_Bern_Township%2c_Berks_County%2c_Pennsylvania.jpg)
I-78 begins at an interchange withI-81 inUnion Township inLebanon County, heading east as a four-lanefreeway. In Lebanon County, I-78 is known as the 78th Division Highway.[2] The road passes underPA 72 and turns northeast through a mix of farmland and woodland, crossing theSwatara Creek intoSwatara Township. The freeway continues through agricultural areas with some trees, curving east and enteringBethel Township. I-78 passes north ofFredericksburg and comes to an eastbound exit and westbound entrance with the northern terminus ofPA 343. Following this, the freeway passes through more rural areas with some nearby development and reaches a westbound exit and eastbound entrance withUS 22 (William Penn Highway). At this point, US 22 becomesconcurrent with I-78 and the median of the freeway narrows from a grassy median to aJersey barrier.[3][4]
I-78/US 22 entersBethel Township inBerks County and heads east-northeast through agricultural areas to the south of theBlue Mountain ridge, coming to adiamond interchange withPA 645 north ofFrystown. The road continues through farmland with some warehouses and reaches a diamond interchange withPA 501 north ofBethel. The freeway heads through a mix of farms and woods, passing to the south ofGrimes Airport and coming to aright-in/right-out interchange with Court Street eastbound and Frantz Road westbound; this interchange has no access across the freeway. I-78/US 22 soon reaches a diamond interchange with Midway Road as it passes through more rural land, coming to a diamond interchange withPA 419 south ofSchubert. Past this interchange, the road runs through a mix of farms and woods, crossing theLittle Swatara Creek intoUpper Tulpehocken Township. The freeway reaches a diamond interchange withPA 183 north ofStrausstown and continues through agricultural areas with some woodland. I-78/US 22 crossesNorthkill Creek intoUpper Bern Township and comes to a diamond interchange with Mountain Road north ofShartlesville.[3][5] At this point, I-78/US 22 becomes the CMSgt. Richard L. Etchberger Memorial Highway, in honor ofRichard Etchberger.[6] Following this interchange, the road heads northeast through farm fields with some trees and homes and crosses intoTilden Township.[3][5]
In Tilden Township, the freeway continues northeast and reaches apartial cloverleaf interchange withPA 61 in a business area that includes a 250,000-square-foot (23,000 m2)Cabela's store. Past PA 61, I-78/US 22 comes to a bridge over theReading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad'sReading Division line and theSchuylkill River. Upon crossing the river, I-78/US 22 enters the borough ofHamburg and passes through residential areas, coming to a diamond interchange at North 4th Street that serves Hamburg. The road leaves Hamburg forWindsor Township and heads through agricultural areas with some woods and homes, curving to the east. Farther east, the parallel Blue Mountain ridge heads further north from the freeway. I-78/US 22 crosses intoGreenwich Township and comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange withPA 143 north of the borough ofLenhartsville. The CMSgt. Richard L. Etchberger Memorial Highway name for I-78/US 22 ends at this interchange. Past this interchange, the road crossesMaiden Creek and runs through a mix of farm fields and woodland. Farther east, the freeway reaches a diamond interchange withPA 737 south ofKrumsville. The road continues east through rural land with some nearby development, passing through the northern corner ofMaxatawny Township.[3][5]
_in_Upper_Macungie_Township%2c_Lehigh_County%2c_Pennsylvania.jpg)
I-78/US 22 entersWeisenberg Township inLehigh County, where the freeway becomes the Walter J. Dealtrey Memorial Highway[7] and continues east through farms and woods in theLehigh Valley, passing north ofNew Smithville. The road passes south of warehouses and comes to a diamond interchange withPA 863.
Following this interchange, the freeway heads to the south of more warehouses and runs through more rural areas with some homes, crossing intoUpper Macungie Township. I-78/US 22 runs between farm fields to the north and warehouses and industrial development to the south before it comes to acloverleaf interchange withPA 100 in a business area inFogelsville. After the PA 100 interchange, the freeway widens to six lanes and heads east through industrial areas, coming to a bridge overNorfolk Southern Railway'sC&F Secondary railroad line before curving northeast. InKuhnsville, US 22 splits from I-78 at an eastbound exit and westbound entrance by heading northeast on a freeway called the Lehigh Valley Thruway. From here, I-78 continues east-southeast as a four-lane freeway, passing residential subdivisions with some commercial development. The freeway continues southeast and passes overI-476 (Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension) before it comes to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with thePA 309 freeway.[3][8]
At this point, PA 309 becomes concurrent with I-78 and the freeway entersLower Macungie Township, widening to six lanes and running past commercial development to the southwest of theDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom amusement park. The freeway reaches a partial cloverleaf interchange with the northern terminus ofUS 222 and the southern terminus ofPA 222 at Hamilton Boulevard, which provides access to the cities ofAllentown andReading. Following this interchange, the road crosses intoSouth Whitehall Township and heads east between residential areas to the north and farm fields to the south, before enteringSalisbury Township and passing north ofLehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest. Past the hospital, I-78/PA 309 comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange with the northern terminus of the southern section ofPA 29 atCedar Crest Boulevard before running between residential areas to the north and office buildings to the south. The freeway enters Allentown and runs through woodland, crossingLittle Lehigh Creek before it passes through a small section of Salisbury Township. The road heads back into Allentown and runs near residential areas, passing south ofAllentown Queen City Municipal Airport before it comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange atLehigh Street. I-78/PA 309 runs near industrial areas and passes over Norfolk Southern Railway'sReading Line before coming to a westbound exit ramp serving Emaus Avenue. The freeway passes near neighborhoods before it leaves Allentown for Salisbury Township, where it ascends forestedSouth Mountain. The highway comes to an eastbound exit and westbound entrance with Rock Road that provides a connection toPA 145 inSummit Lawn, where it crosses intoUpper Saucon Township. Following this, the freeway turns southeast and comes to an interchange with the southern terminus of PA 145 inLanark, at which point PA 309 splits from I-78 by heading southeast on a surface road toward the borough ofQuakertown. From here, I-78 turns northeast, narrowing to four lanes with the median changing from a Jersey barrier to a grassy median. The road heads between South Mountain to the northwest and a mix of farm fields, woods, and development to the southeast.[3][8]
I-78 entersLower Saucon Township inNorthampton County and passes overPA 378 as it curves north near residential development. The road turns to the east-northeast and runs between forested South Mountain to the north and farmland and homes to the south, enteringBethlehem. The freeway crosses theSaucon Creek and becomes the border between Bethlehem to the north and the borough ofHellertown to the south before it comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange withPA 412 that serves Bethlehem and Hellertown. Following this interchange, I-78 fully enters Bethlehem before it crosses back into Lower Saucon Township, turning to the northeast and running through wooded areas with some farm fields and homes, heading across theEast Branch Saucon Creek. The road comes to atrumpet interchange with the southern terminus of thePA 33 freeway, which heads north toward thePocono Mountains region. Past this interchange, the freeway crosses intoWilliams Township and continues through rural areas with some development, crossing into the borough ofGlendon. I-78 turns east as it passes south of industrial areas, leaving Glendon for Williams Township. The road comes to a diamond interchange with Morgan Hill Road, which heads north intoEaston and provides access toPA 611 via city streets. Past this interchange, the freeway widens to six lanes and passes near residential and commercial development, coming to a westboundwelcome center and a westbound toll plaza for theInterstate 78 Toll Bridge. From here, I-78 runs through wooded areas and turns southeast, heading onto the Interstate 78 Toll Bridge, which carries the freeway over PA 611 and theDelaware Canal before crossing theDelaware River where I-78 entersNew Jersey.[3][9]
Construction of the freeway betweenLebanon andLehigh counties took place between 1950 and 1970, originally as an upgraded alignment ofUS 22. All of I-78 was completed by 1989. When the Interstate Highway System numbers were first assigned in 1957, the route was planned as I-80N.[10] Prior to the late 1960s, I-78 was to be routed on theLehigh Valley Thruway across toPhillipsburg, New Jersey, continuing the concurrency with US 22; however, because of heavy opposition by residents of Phillipsburg, thePennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and theNew Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) opted to build the new southerly route I-78 follows today.[citation needed]
.svg) Interstate 178 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Allentown, PA |
| Existed | 1950s–1971 |
Interstate 178 (I-178) was a proposed spur from I-78 but was canceled because theLiberty Bell Museum, which had since closed, was in the path of the proposed expressway. Additionally, locals opposed the destruction of Sixth and Seventh Streets to accommodate the highway. The planned northern terminus would have been between the 15th Street and PA 145 interchanges.[11] If built, I-178 would have connectedUS 22, formerly designated I-78, intoAllentown.[12]
This route was shown inRand McNally atlases in the late 1960s but was not included in the 1971 federal Interstate route log.[13] The route was supposed to end nearMuhlenberg College.[14]
.svg) Interstate 378 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bethlehem, PA |
| Existed | 1968–1971 |
I-378 was the designation for a spur route that would extend from I-78 into Bethlehem. At the time, I-78 was to be designated as the Lehigh Valley Thruway, concurrent with US 22. Unlike I-178, the route was built. When I-78 was built as a new route south of this area, I-378 had no direct connection to I-78 and therefore was renumbered to PA 378. The route still remains, as a freeway with exits and their own numbers.
When I-178 and I-378 were planned (and I-378 was built), I-78 was to run the length of the Lehigh Valley Thruway. Later, I-78 was built as a new route south of the Thruway. This was due to opposition to continue the concurrency with the Lehigh Valley Thruway into New Jersey.
_from_the_overpass_for_Pennsylvania_State_Route_737_(Krumsville_Road)_in_Greenwich_Township%2c_Berks_County%2c_Pennsylvania.jpg)
In 2013, PennDOT announced plans to improve a portion of I-78 in easternBerks County. The project will redesign the PA 737 interchange, add truck lanes, widen lanes and shoulders, and raise the height of three overpasses.[15] Construction began in 2015 and is planned to be completed in 2025 at a cost of $412.6 million.[16][needs update] In 2020, a project began to improve the section of I-78 in Hamburg by reconstructing and reconfiguring the PA 61 interchange and widening and rehabilitating the bridges over the Schuylkill River and Port Clinton Avenue. Construction on this project is planned to be completed in December 2025 at a cost of $125.4 million.[17][needs update]
| County | Location | mi[18] | km | Old exit [19] | New exit [19] | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | Union Township | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1B |  I-81 south –Harrisburg | Western terminus | |
| 0.55 | 0.89 | 1A |  I-81 north –Hazleton | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; exit 89 on I-81 | |||
| Bethel Township | 5.85 | 9.41 | 1 | 6 |   PA 343 south –Lebanon,Fredericksburg | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; northern terminus of PA 343 | |
| 7.90 | 12.71 | 1 | 8 |    US 22 west toPA 343 –Lebanon,Fredericksburg | Western end of US 22 concurrency; westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| Berks | Bethel Township | 10.21 | 16.43 | 2 | 10 |  PA 645 –Frystown | |
| 12.68 | 20.41 | 3 | 13 |  PA 501 –Bethel | |||
| 14.67 | 23.61 | 4 | 15 | Grimes | Right-in/right-out connections only; access via Court Street/Frantz Road; no tractor trailers | ||
| 15.40 | 24.78 | 5 | 16 | Midway | Access via Midway Road | ||
| 16.58 | 26.68 | 6 | 17 |  PA 419 –Rehrersburg | Access toConrad Weiser Homestead | ||
| Upper Tulpehocken Township | 18.65 | 30.01 | 7 | 19 |  PA 183 –Strausstown | ||
| Upper Bern Township | 22.71 | 36.55 | 8 | 23 | Shartlesville | Access via Mountain Road | |
| Tilden Township | 29.11– 29.35 | 46.85– 47.23 | 9 | 29 |  PA 61 –Pottsville,Reading | ||
| Hamburg | 30.19 | 48.59 | 10 | 30 | Hamburg | Access via North 4th Street | |
| Greenwich Township | 35.23 | 56.70 | 11 | 35 |  PA 143 –Lenhartsville | ||
| 40.27 | 64.81 | 12 | 40 |  PA 737 –Kutztown,Krumsville | Access toKutztown University of Pennsylvania | ||
| Lehigh | Weisenberg Township | 44.96 | 72.36 | 13 | 45 |  PA 863 –Lynnport,New Smithville | |
| Upper Macungie Township | 49.26– 49.55 | 79.28– 79.74 | 14 | 49 |  PA 100 –Trexlertown,Fogelsville | Signed as exits 49A (south) and 49B (north) | |
| 50.89 | 81.90 | 15 | 51 |        US 22 east toI-476 /Penna Turnpike NE Extension /PA 309 north –Lehigh Valley International Airport | Eastern end of US 22 concurrency; eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
| Lower Macungie Township | 53.67 | 86.37 | 53 | PA 309 north toI-476 /Penna Turnpike NE Extension –Tamaqua | Western end of PA 309 concurrency; westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| Lower Macungie–South Whitehall township line | 54.12– 54.51 | 87.10– 87.73 | 16 | 54 |   US 222 south /PA 222 north (Hamilton Boulevard) | Signed as exits 54A (south) and 54B (north) westbound; northern terminus of US 222; southern terminus of PA 222 | |
| Salisbury Township | 55.41 | 89.17 | 17 | 55 |  PA 29 south (Cedar Crest Boulevard) | Northern terminus of PA 29 | |
| Allentown | 57.20 | 92.05 | 18 | 57 | Lehigh Street | ||
| 57.63 | 92.75 | 18B | 58 | Emaus Avenue south | Westbound exit only | ||
| Upper Saucon Township | 58.83 | 94.68 | 19 | 59 |  ToPA 145 –Summit Lawn | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; access via Rock Road | |
| 59.92– 60.30 | 96.43– 97.04 | 20 | 60 | PA 145 north /PA 309 south to South 4th Street –Quakertown | Eastern end of PA 309 concurrency; no eastbound access to PA 145; signed as exits 60A (south) and 60B (north) westbound | ||
| Northampton | Bethlehem | 66.36 | 106.80 | 21 | 67 |  PA 412 –Hellertown,Bethlehem | Access toLehigh University andWind Creek Bethlehem |
| Lower Saucon Township | 71.04 | 114.33 | 71 |  PA 33 north toUS 22 –Stroudsburg | Southern terminus of PA 33; access toLehigh Valley International Airport andPocono Mountains | ||
| Williams Township | 75.00 | 120.70 | 22 | 75 |  ToPA 611 –Easton,Philadelphia | Access via Morgan Hill Road; access toCrayola Attractions andLafayette College | |
| Rest area and welcome center (westbound) | |||||||
| Delaware River | 77.10 | 124.08 | Interstate 78 Toll Bridge (westbound toll) | ||||
| — |  I-78 east –New York City | Continuation intoNew Jersey | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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 Interstate 78 | ||
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