Site Navigation Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont     Interstate 76 Schuylkill Expressway West Interstate 76 - Schuylkill Expressway West Traffic from Interstate 76 westbound, Pennsylvania 291 northbound, and the Oregon Avenue on-ramp converge in this northward facing scene near the Philadelphia Gas Works and Sun Oil plants. Row homes line Vare Avenue, a westbound frontage road, along the Schuylkill Expressway. Upcoming is the Exit 346C slip ramp onto Vare Avenue north. Photo taken 04/10/04. Interstate 76 westbound consists of six overall lanes between the Oregon Avenue and Pennsylvania 291 (S. 26th Street) interchange and the Exit 346B off-ramp onto S. 34th Street. Pictured here is the departure of Exit 346C onto Vare Avenue ahead of its intersection with New Hope and Mifflin Streets. Photo taken 04/10/04. There are no cross-street crossings of Interstate 76 between Oregon Avenue and S. 34th Street. Vare Avenue and Warfield Street provide access to both roadways as they parallel the Schuylkill Expressway. Exit 346B for University Avenue and the Civic Center composes a slip ramp from Interstate 76 west onto the adjacent S. 34th Street north. Photo taken 04/10/04. Westbound reassurance shield for Interstate 76 posted on the bend between Moore Street and Patton Drive. Parallel Vare Avenue becomes S. 34th Street to the right. Photo taken 04/10/04. Interstate 76 westbound narrows to two lanes at the Exit 346B off-ramp. Attached to a pedestrian bridge is a pair of reflective overheads with button copy lettering. The S. 34th Street ramp carries motorists northward underneath the Schuylkill Expressway to Reed Street, Wharton Street, and Grays Ferry Road before transitioning into University Avenue across the Schuylkill River itself. Photo taken 04/10/04. Merging onto S. 34th Street northbound from Interstate 76 westbound Exit 346B. S. 34th Street splits into two components here. The western branch skirts underneath the freeway carrying Expressway motorists northward to University Avenue and Grays Ferry Road. The eastern branch intersects Dickinson Street near Stingers Park before becoming an on-ramp to Interstate 76. Photo taken 04/10/04. Traveling S. 34th Street northbound as it passes under the Schuylkill Expressway. Intersecting the surface street from the right is Reed Street. Grays Ferry Road is two blocks ahead and the University of Pennsylvania resides just north of the River along University Avenue. Photo taken 04/10/04. Interstate 76 westbound passes over Grays Ferry Road before crossing over the Schuylkill Expressway en route to South Street (Exit 346A). Crossing the freeway above is the AMTRAK and SEPTA Regional Rail line from central Philadelphia westward to the suburbs. Exit 346A departs the freeway in 0.25 miles for South Street and the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. Photo taken 04/10/04. Now west of the Schuylkill River, Interstate 76 approaches the left-hand off-ramp onto South Street (Exit 346A). An on-ramp brings University Avenue traffic onto the Expressway ahead of the upcoming ramp departure. Exit 346A represents an older style Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI). The ramps are all on the left-hand side of the freeway similar to the junction of U.S. 422 and U.S. 222 Business & Pennsylvania 10 in Reading. Photo taken 04/10/04. South Street crosses the Schuylkill River from central Philadelphia in the background as Exit 346A leaves Interstate 76 westbound. The street itself begins at the intersection of Spruce and S. 33rd Street adjacent to Franklin Field of the University of Pennsylvania. From there the east-west roadway intersects Interstate 76 before entering central Philadelphia. East of Broad Street (Pennsylvania 611), South Street bustles as an urban street mall with various shops, night clubs, bars, and other amenities. Photo taken 04/10/04. The skyline of Philadelphia represents the backdrop beyond the South Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River. Photo taken 04/10/04. Interstate 76 hugs the Schuylkill River west of downtown Philadelphia. The urban freeway offers striking views of the downtown skyscrapers in either direction. Philadelphia itself is the 5th largest city in the United States. Photo taken 04/10/04. In short proximity to the South Street SPUI is the Exit 345 off-ramp for 30th Street Station. 30th Street Station is a large transit terminal serving both AMTRAK and the SEPTA Regional Rail line system. The Exit 345 off-ramp itself links Interstate 76 with Chestnut Street one block east of 30th Street itself. The Schuylkill Expressway passes underneath part of the 30th Street Station ahead. Photo taken 04/10/04. Another look at the downtown skyline at milepost 345 of Interstate 76 westbound. One Liberty Plaza and Two Liberty Plaza are the signature skyscrapers of the City of Brotherly Love. The tallest structure however is the One Pennsylvania Plaza high rise. Photo taken 04/10/04. Drawing near the 30th Street off-ramp of Exit 345 on Interstate 76 westbound. Pictured here is the Walnut (30th Street) Street on-ramp to the Schuylkill Expressway eastbound. Walnut Street crosses the Schuylkill River to the right. Photo taken 04/10/04. Peering northeastward at the Walnut Street Bridge and downtown Philadelphia. Photo taken 04/10/04. Exit 345 peals away from Interstate 76 westbound for 30th Street Station and Chestnut Street. The interchange also serves nearby Pennsylvania 3 (Market Street & John F. Kennedy Boulevard). Pennsylvania 3 links downtown Philadelphia with West Chester. Departing next is the eastbound beginning of Interstate 676 (Vine Street Expressway) and U.S. 30 (Exit 344). Photo taken 04/10/04. Approaching the Exit 344 off-ramp for Interstate 676 & U.S. 30 east (Vine Street Expressway) and Central Philadelphia. The Schuylkill Expressway passes under the 30th Street Station structure and Pennsylvania 3 between Walnut Street and Interstate 676. Photo taken 04/10/04. Interstate 76 westbound reemerges from 30th Street Station. An on-ramp descends onto the Schuylkill Expressway westbound from Pennsylvania 3 (Arch Street) adjacent to the Interstate 676 & U.S. 30 eastbound ramp to the Vine Street Expressway. Photo taken 04/10/04. Interstate 676 shields are posted on the Interstate 76 eastbound ramps to the Vine Street Expressway. These first reassurance shields were posted between 2001 and 2004. The Vine Street Expressway once carried the Interstate 76 mainline as Interstate 676 followed the Walt Whitman Bridge and southern portion of the Schuylkill Expressway. The designations were swapped in the 1970s. Photo taken 04/10/04. Upcoming exits sign posted on Interstate 76 westbound at Spring Garden Street. Ramps from Interstate 676 west & U.S. 30 merge onto the Schuylkill Expressway just ahead of the pictured overpass. Spring Garden Street links west Philadelphia to Fairmount Park. Use the Girard Avenue (U.S. 13 & 30 west) off-ramp for Fairmount Park. Photo taken 04/10/04. Continuing northward on the Schuylkill Expressway through Fairmount Park. Visible is the Girard Street Bridge (U.S. 13), part of Boat House Road, and more of Fairmount Park. Photo taken 04/10/04. 0.20-mile overhead for the U.S. 30 westbound split from Interstate 76 west at Exit 342. U.S. 30 follows Girard Avenue from U.S. 13 (N. 34th Street) to Lancaster Avenue through west Philadelphia. To the east U.S. 13 crosses the Schuylkill River to N. 33rd Street along the eastern boundary of Fairmount Park. Photo taken 04/10/04. Interstate 76 & U.S. 30 westbound partition at Exit 342. The off-ramp curves over the Schuylkill Expressway to adjacent N. 34th Street. From there U.S. 13 & 30 travel a short distance to Girard Avenue and the Philadelphia Zoological Gardens. Photo taken 04/10/04. A parting shot of the Philadelphia downtown skyline from the Exit 342 off-ramp of Interstate 76 west. Again visible is Boathouse Row in addition to Lemon Hill and the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial Garden of Fairmount Park. Photo taken 04/10/04. Interstate 76 remains through Fairmount Park en route to Exit 341 with Montgomery Drive and West River Drive. The upcoming diamond interchange intersects Montgomery Drive, and east-west roadway between Belmont Avenue and West River Drive. Photo taken 10/11/01. The Schuylkill Expressway continues to follow the path of the Schuylkill River as it passes through the Exit 341 interchange with Montgomery Drive. Fairmount Park began as part of the property of American patriot Robert Morris in 1770. He first used the land for farming and gardens. Between that time and 1851, the lands remained undeveloped overall and unspoiled by the industrial landscape south of there. In 1851 the city acquired much of the land and on September 28, 1855, Fairmount Park was dedicated by the City Council for use as public parkland. Photo taken 10/11/01. Still within Fairmount Park, Interstate 76 enters the tri-level interchange with U.S. 1, the Roosevelt Expressway. Built partially as a freeway and overall as an urban arterial, U.S. 1 travels northeast from the Schuylkill Expressway to Northeast Philadelphia. U.S. 1 otherwise joins Interstate 76 for a short overlap between the "Expressway" and E. City Line Avenue. Exit 34 is now signed as Exit 340B. Photo taken 07/05/00. Interstate 76 Pennsylvania reassurance shield posted after the directional interchange with Interstate 476 & Pennsylvania 23 at West Conshohocken. The four-lane freeway continues in an east-west fashion between Conshohocken and Valley Forge before Interstate 76 joins the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Photo taken 08/15/04. Exit 330 resides just west of Interstate 476 and serves the Gulph Mills community. Pictured here is the Pennsylvania 320 (Holstein Road) off-ramp from the Schuylkill Expressway westbound. The westbound off-ramp ends at adjacent Balligomingo Road ahead of the Pennsylvania 320 intersection. Pennsylvania 320 travels southward underneath Interstate 76 along Trinity Lane between Holstein Road and S. Gulph Road. Gulph Road parallels Interstate 76 westward to King of Prussia with an interchange of its own at Exit 327 and the King of Prussia Mall. Photo taken 08/15/04. 1.75-mile overhead for the upcoming King of Prussia junction with U.S. 202, U.S. 422, and Gulph Road. Reconstructed between 2001 and 2004, the interchange saw a major upgrade to handle the freeway to freeway movements between Interstate 76 and the U.S. 202 and 422 Expressways. Photo taken 08/15/04. Exits 328B/A serve U.S. 202 (Dekalb Pike) and the Chester County seat of West Chester. U.S. 202 travels southwest from Interstate 76 as a full freeway to West Chester itself and junction U.S. 322. Northward the highway transitions into a surface arterial adjacent to the sprawling King of Prussia Mall. Photo taken 08/15/04. Now 0.75 miles out from the Interstate 76 & U.S. 202 interchange, motorists are advised of the Schuylkill Expressways interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 276). U.S. 422 westbound stems north from U.S. 202 as the Schuylkill Expressway Extension to Pottstown and Reading. Photo taken 08/15/04. Auxiliary overhead for Exits 328A and 327. Exit 328A serves U.S. 202 southbound and the parallel Swedesboro Road. Swedesboro Road represents the pre-freeway alignment of U.S. 202 between King of Prussia and Howellville. Exit 327 features a direct connection with King of Prussia's Mall Boulevard. The King of Prussia Mall includes eight department stores, 40 restaurants, and 365 speciality shops. Photo taken 08/15/04. The new interchange configuration at King of Prussia segregates the ramp movements from the mainline via a collector/distributor roadway setup. All traffic that does not depart via the Exit 328B/A & 327 c/d roadway defaults onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike system (Interstate 76 west to Harrisburg or Interstate 276 east to Bristol). Photo taken 08/15/04. A look at the previous configuration of the Schuylkill Expressway approach to the U.S. 202 & 422 King of Prussia interchange. Note the construction barriers in place and the narrow travel lanes. The foliage to the right that once shrouded the adjacent industrial building was removed for the roadway widening. Photo taken 10/11/01. Two lanes depart Interstate 76 west for U.S. 202 and Mall Boulevard/Gulph Road. U.S. 202 intersects the eastern terminus of U.S. 422 (Schuylkill Expressway) just west of Exit 328. Northward the federal highway follows the Dekalb Pike into the city of Norristown. Photo taken 08/15/04. Exit 328B immediately departs Interstate 76 westbound at the c/d roadway split for U.S. 202 north (Dekalb Pike). Multiple traffic lights line the Dekalb Pike between the freeway and Schuylkill River crossing into Norristown. Several entrances are in place along U.S. 202 for the adjacent King of Prussia Mall as well. Passing overhead is a modern truss bridge for the Norfolk Southern Railroad system. The span was put in place October 2002 as part of the overall King of Prussia improvement project of Interstate 76 and U.S. 202.1 Photo taken 08/15/04. View of the old collector/distributor roadway configuration of Interstate 76 westbound at Exits 328B/A and 327. Note the erroneous exit numbering for U.S. 202 north as Exit 328A. Traveling westbound exit numbering suffixes are to count downward toward A rather than be lined alphabetically. Photo taken 10/11/01. New directional ramps replace an antiquated full cloverleaf interchange for the movements of Exit 328A (U.S. 202 south to U.S. 422 north) and Mall Boulevard & Gulph Road. In addition to the redesign here, the northernmost miles of the U.S. 202 freeway between Pennsylvania 252 and King of Prussia saw upgrading to include new lane configurations, pavement, signing, and sound barriers. Thus the nearby junction with U.S. 422 also is improved. Photo taken 08/15/04. Interstate 76 westbound at the original cloverleaf ramp for U.S. 202 (Exit 328A) southbound for West Chester and U.S. 422 north to Pottstown. Construction was well underway to upgrade the cloverleaf interchange at the time of the photograph. The exit numbers were corrected between 2001 and 2004. Photo taken 10/11/01. Construction continued on Interstate 76 westbound to the Mall Boulevard (Exit 327) off-ramp. Exit 327 features direct ramps to the King of Prussia Mall to/from Interstate 76 westbound. Eastbound Interstate 76 utilizes ramps onto nearby Gulph Road. Gulph Road skirts between Interstate 76 and the King of Prussia Mall between Exit 327 and U.S. 202 (Dekalb Pike). Photo taken 10/11/01. Entering the Pennsylvania Turnpike system on Interstate 76 westbound at Valley Forge. The overheads here include an Interstate 476 shield direcly overlaying the former Pennsylvania 9 designation for the Northeast Extension. Westward Interstate 76 next meets Pennsylvania 100 near Downingtown. Interstate 276 eastbound begins to the right and intersects Germantown Pike and Interstate 476 as its first interchange complex. Photo taken 10/11/01. Scenes Pertaining to Interstate 76 Original button copy sign posted at the Gulph Road eastbound on-ramp to Interstate 76 westbound at King of Prussia. The short ramp links the east-west road with the U.S. 202 southbound on-ramp to the Schuylkill Expressway. Interstate 76 joins the Pennsylvania Turnpike at junction Interstate 276 west of the on-ramp. Photo taken 01/00. Pre-Interstate signage at the Passyunk Avenue interchange (Exit 347B) of the Schuylkill Expressway. As of October 13, 2001, all signage had been replaced with modern Interstate 76 based signage. Len Pundt writes (12/11/00) that the intersection is the corner of Passyunk and Oregon Avenues. The top photo is looking east-bound on Passyunk Avenue. The middle photo is looking west-bound on Passyunk Avenue. The bottom photo is looking roughly northbound from Oregon Avenue. What is truly notable about these signs is that the Schuylkill Expressway formally runs east-west, not north-south. Originally, the expressway was designated north-south, which is the direction in which it actually runs in the city. When it was connected to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and designated Interstate 76, however, it was re-designated east-west, like the rest of Interstate 76 in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. These signs are believed to date to the original construction. All photos taken July 5, 2000. Sources: 1 - Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) @ PhillyRoads.com Page Updated September 15, 2004.