interstate 99

Interstate 99 is a part of the US Interstate highway system. It is an intrastate only road in Pennsylvania, although the Pennyslvania and New York transportation departments plan to extend the interstate to Painted Post, New York at Interstate 86. Its southern terminus is at Bedford, Pennsylvania at Interstate 76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) and its northern terminus (as of 2004) is near State College, Pennsylvania at Interstate 80.

Length

None

I-99 is also known as the (Congressman) Bud Shuster Byway, or as the Appalacian Thruway.

Interstate 99 intersects Interstate 80 just north of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. The construction is almost finished, but one section (near Skytop, just west of State College, Pennsylvania) has not yet been completed due to complaints from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Acidic runoff from unearthed pyritic rock is leaking into the groundwater and nearby creeks. Thus, the highway (to become the future I-99) between Skytop and I-80 has been temporarily designated as US 220.

It appears certain that Interstate 99 will extend north of Interstate 80 in the future, following the US 15 corridor into New York, where it will meet Interstate 86.

Interstate 99 may also be extended in the future further south along US 220 to Cumberland, Maryland and Interstate 68.

The end of I-99 at I-70/I-76 involves a pair of complex intersections and a quarter-mile (400 m) drive on Business Route US 220. This unusual configuration is common at interchanges between the Pennsylvania Turnpike and other freeways.

Congressman Bud Shuster wrote the number of I-99 into law with the National Highway Designation Act of 1995. Several other Interstates (including future Interstate 66 in Kentucky and Interstate 86 in New York) have since had their designations written into law.

Located east of Interstate 79 and west of Interstate 81, Interstate 99 is the bane of many road enthusiasts who treasure an orderly and sequential numbering system for Interstate highways. According to numbering guidelines, the lowest odd numbers are on the West Coast and the highest numbers are on the East Coast. Several north-south routes, including Interstates 81, 83, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, and 97, all lie east of Interstate 99.

For another example of an Interstate route with a non-standard designation, see Interstate 238.

9999

Word Browser