Driving Through the 4 Active Tunnels of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike

This video features a drive through of the 4 active tunnels of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike: Allegheny Mountain Tunnel, Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel, Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel, Blue Mountain Tunnel.

Who doesn’t like a good tunnel… unless you’re claustrophobic? I’ll share my personal reflections in a moment.

But first, a little history… (continues below this video)

The Pennsylvania Turnpike was designed to improve automobile transportation across the mountains of Pennsylvania during the 1930s. It was built along the path of an unfinished railroad project from the 1880s and used six of the railroad’s tunnels.

The turnpike opened on October 1, 1940. The turnpike was touted as “America’s First Superhighway” and was the national standard for superhighway design and engineering.

Currently, the turnpike has four active tunnels that you’ll see in this video. They are the Allegheny, Tuscarora, Kittatinny, and Blue Mountain Tunnels.

The Allegheny Mountain Tunnel is the longest in active use at 1.16 miles or 1.85 kilometers in length.

One experience I had at the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel was a severe weather change from the east side of the tunnel to the west side. It was mid-May and the weather was beautiful with sunny skies. Temperatures were probably in the fifties or sixties. We entered the east side of the tunnel and finally came out on the west side. What was amazing is that we entered a snowstorm as we came out of the tunnel! There were cars spun-out all over the road. It was like playing dodge-cars as I exited the tunnel and proceeded to slide along the highway, narrowly missing several of the cars that were spun-out around me. But for some miracle, I managed not to hit anything and continued on my way.

The Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel measures 1.01 miles or 1.62 kilometers and is the second-longest active tunnel on the turnpike.

Now I want to share some thoughts about some other tunnels in Pennsylvania… specifically in the Pittsburgh area.

As a child, going through the Squirrel Hill Tunnel on the way to Kennywood Park was pretty exciting… almost as fun as the amusement park. I’ll never forget the continuous flash of brake lights as we entered and proceeded through the tunnel.

In college, I remember emerging from the Fort Pitt Tunnel and being greeted with an amazing view of downtown Pittsburgh from the high vantage point overlooking the city below. Seeing the convergence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers to form the Ohio River was, and continues to be breathtaking. As a side note, I met my amazing wife while attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. As of 2023, we’ve been married for 43 years with two daughters, and three grandchildren!

The Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel is approximately 0.89 miles or 1.43 kilometers long.

The Blue Mountain Tunnel is the shortest tunnel in active use at 0.82 miles or 1.32 kilometers in length.

What has been your experience driving through the tunnels of the Pennsylvania Turnpike or those in Pittsburgh?

Have you experienced other tunnels in the U.S. or other countries?

Do you get claustrophobic driving through tunnels?

Please like share your experiences with a comment here.

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[The photo of the view of downtown Pittsburgh is available for purchase from Brad Berkstresser here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1499944885/the-fort-pitt-bridge-and-city-skyline]