Pennsylvania Turnpike (South Midway) - Pennsylvania Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The marker reads: "This is one of the original service plazas for the nation's first long-distance superhighway. On October 1, 1940, the Turnpike opened, stretching 160 miles from Irwin to Carlisle. The Turnpike Commission had been created in 1937; construction utilized the old South Pennsylvania Railroad's right-of-way and tunnels. By 1957 the Turnpike spanned 360 miles across the State and extended 110 miles north to Scranton."

South Midway was the flagship service plaza of the original 160-mile turnpike. So named because it was at the midpoint between Carslile and Irwin, it was by far the largest of all the service plazas. It was notible for its elegent dining room and trucker's dormatory. It was connected by a tunnel to the smaller North Midway service plaza, located directly accross the turnpike. The tunnel allowed westbound motorists to take advantage of South Midway's full service dining facilities.

Marker Name: Pennsylvania Turnpike County: Bedford Date Dedicated: 10/01/1990 Marker Type: Roadside Location: South Midway Service Plaza, just W of Turnpike Exit 11, Bedford Category: Transportation, Roads Website: [Web Link]

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