View source for Interstate 279

{{short description|Highway in Pennsylvania, United States}}
{{about|the current alignment along Parkway North|the historical alignment on Parkway West prior to 2009|Interstate 376#Route designations prior to 2009|the historical alignment prior to 1970|Interstate 79#History}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox road
| state=PA
| type=I
| route=279
| alternate_name=Parkway North
| map={{maplink-road|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Interstate 279}}}}
| map_custom=yes
| map_notes=I-279 highlighted in red
| length_mi=13.32
| length_ref=<ref>{{cite web |date=December 31, 2021 |title=Table 2: Auxiliary Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways
| url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table02.cfm |access-date=June 6, 2022 |work=FHWA Route Log and Finder List |publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]]}}</ref>
| established=October 2, 1972<ref name=1972news/>
| direction_a=South
| terminus_a={{jct|state=PA|I|376|US|22|US|30|US-Truck|19|dab1=Pittsburgh}} in [[Pittsburgh]]
| junction={{jct|state=PA|PA|65}} in Pittsburgh<br>{{jct|state=PA|I|579|PA|28}} in Pittsburgh<br>{{jct|state=PA|US-Truck|19|dab1=Pittsburgh}} in Pittsburgh<br>{{jct|state=PA|US|19}} in [[Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania|Ross Township]]
| direction_b=North
| terminus_b={{jct|state=PA|I|79}} in [[Franklin Park, Pennsylvania|Franklin Park]]
| counties=[[Allegheny County, Pennsylvania|Allegheny]]
| previous_type=PA 1948
| previous_route=278
| next_type=I 1957
| next_route=280
| spur_type=I
| spur_of=79
}}
'''Interstate&nbsp;279''' ('''I-279'''), locally referred to as '''Parkway North''', is a north–south [[auxiliary Interstate Highway]] that lies entirely within [[Allegheny County, Pennsylvania]]. Its southern end is at [[Interstate 376|I-376]] at the [[Fort Pitt Bridge]] in Pittsburgh, and the north end is in [[Franklin Park, Pennsylvania|Franklin Park]] at [[Interstate 79 in Pennsylvania|I-79]]. It primarily serves at the main access route between [[Pittsburgh]] and its northern suburbs.

== Route description ==
[[File:2022-05-15 12 12 37 View north along Interstate 279 (Parkway North) just north of Exit 8 in Ohio Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.jpg|thumb|left|I-279 northbound past the Camp Horne Road interchange in Ohio Township]]
[[File:Interstate 279.JPG|thumb|left|View of I-279 from the Swindell Bridge, roughly {{Convert|2|mi|km|spell=in}} north of Downtown Pittsburgh]]

The southern terminus of I-279 is at [[Interstate 376|I-376]] in [[Downtown Pittsburgh]]. It runs concurrently with [[U.S. Route 19 Truck (Pittsburgh)|U.S. Route&nbsp;19 Truck]] (US&nbsp;19 Truck) from its southern terminus to exit&nbsp;4. (US&nbsp;19 Truck continues on I-376 west.) I-279 crosses the [[Fort Duquesne Bridge]] over the [[Allegheny River]], providing easy access to [[Heinz Field]] and [[PNC Park]]. [[Interstate 579|I-579]] intersects I-279 but is only accessible by southbound traffic; likewise, traffic from I-579 can only head northbound on I-279 by the I-279 Interchange. I-279 features two reversible [[high-occupancy vehicle lane]]s (HOV lanes), which begin in and near downtown and end at exit&nbsp;5, an interchange with [[U.S. Route 19 in Pennsylvania|US&nbsp;19]]. The road becomes more suburban and rural as it continues to head north. It has two additional interchanges, Bellevue/West View and Camp Horne Road. After Camp Horne Road, there are no exits until its terminus {{Convert|5|mi|km|spell=in}} later. The Interstate terminates at its parent, [[Interstate 79 in Pennsylvania|I-79]]. Like the interchange with I-579, this is also a partial interchange. Traffic on I-279 is only permitted to exit northbound on I-79, while only traffic heading southbound on I-79 can exit on to I-279 south.

The section from exit&nbsp;1B to exit&nbsp;2B is also known as the North Shore Expressway.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/art-architecture/2013/07/21/The-Bridges-of-Pittsburgh-Veterans-Memorial-Bridge/stories/201307210274|title=The Bridges of Pittsburgh: Veterans Memorial Bridge|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="pahwys"/>

== History ==
[[File:I-279 toward Pittsburgh.jpg|thumb|left|I-279, looking south toward downtown Pittsburgh]]

I-279 was first proposed in 1958 to run along what is now I-79 between the current I-376 in [[Carnegie, Pennsylvania|Carnegie]] and the current I-279 in Franklin Park. On October 2, 1972, its route was swapped with I-79, putting I-279 onto its current route, although only the downtown portion and the Fort Duquesne Bridge were built at the time.<ref name=1972news>{{cite news|title=Interstates Renumbered|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15491728/interstates_redone_10272_february/|access-date=November 30, 2017|work=The Pittsburgh Press|date=February 24, 1972|page=8|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}</ref>

In 1973, the designation was extended from downtown over Parkway West (what is now I-376) to I-79.<ref name="pahwys">{{cite web|work=Pennsylvania Highways|url=http://www.pahighways.com/interstates/I279.html |title=Interstate 279|last=Kitsko|first=Jeffrey |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230921084734/http://www.pahighways.com/interstates/I279.html |archive-date= Sep 21, 2023 }}</ref> This section became part of I-376 in 2009, and the I-279 signs were taken down there.<ref>{{cite news|first=Jon |last=Schmitz|date=June 11, 2009|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09162/976662-147.stm|title=Roads unite to form new Interstate 376|publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=2009-06-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013063124/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09162/976662-147.stm |archive-date= Oct 13, 2010 }}</ref>

I-279 from Fort Duquesne Bridge to its current northern terminus in Franklin Park was approved on June 4, 1975, but constructed from 1985 to 1989, opening in its entirety with a Governor [[Bob Casey Sr.]] ribbon-cutting on September 16, 1989.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OakcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=imMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2481%2C2546984|title=Parkway North passes 1st tests as use speeds up |first1=Mary |last1=Kane |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=Sep 18, 1989 |via=Google News Archive Search|access-date=29 September 2014 }}</ref> From 1997 to 2003, various ramps, the Fort Pitt Bridge, and nearby tunnels were reconstructed. A direct connection from I-279 south to I-376 east was opened in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gribblenation.com/swparoads/connector/ | title=The I-279/376 Downtown Connector | last=Prince | first=Adam | work=GribbleNation |date=January 26, 2004 |first2=William |last2=Lawson |others=Kitsko, Jeff |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309152446/http://www.gribblenation.com/swparoads/connector/ |archive-date= Mar 9, 2021 }}</ref>

A tragedy occurred on the reversible HOV lanes in 1995 when a negligent highway worker failed to close the outbound gates, leading to a head-on collision that killed six. In 2006, to help prevent a repeat of this incident, automatic ""fast-acting" gates" were activated at the southern entrances to these HOV lanes in Downtown Pittsburgh.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06139/691433-147.stm |title=New HOV gates start Monday on Parkway North |publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=2006-05-19 |access-date=2010-06-01 | first=Joe | last=Grata |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110522083604/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06139/691433-147.stm |archive-date= May 22, 2011 }}</ref>

=== Unearthed cemetery ===
During the last phases of construction of I-279 in 1987, a long-forgotten [[cemetery]] dating from the 19th century was unearthed near the site of the current I-279/[[Interstate 579|I-579]] split. Archeologists spent four months exhuming the graves for cultural studies at the [[Smithsonian Institution]], putting the [[Pennsylvania Department of Transportation]] (PennDOT) significantly behind schedule. It was determined that the graves belonged to [[Switzerland|Swiss]] and [[German Confederation|German]] immigrants that were members of a local church located next door to the cemetery in what was then [[Allegheny, Pennsylvania|Allegheny City]], with 727&nbsp;graves buried at the {{convert|0.5|acre|ha|adj=on}} site between 1833 and 1861. The graves were forgotten about by 1911 when the church did an addition to the building and had the foundation unintentionally go through about 15&nbsp;graves, with the [[churchyard]] housing the cemetery later becoming a [[parking lot]] in 1950. Aside from a pair of [[Stillbirth|stillborn]] twins, none of the graves were identified, and archeologists were unable to find any living descendants due to the obscurity of the cemetery. The remains were reburied with one marker at the church's current cemetery in the [[Troy Hill (Pittsburgh)|Troy Hill]] section of Pittsburgh in 2003 after the Smithsonian Institution finished studying them; the congregation itself disbanded in 1984 after PennDOT bought the church property via [[eminent domain]] for I-279 and only had 21&nbsp;members at that point. Today, it is the largest number of 19th century graves ([[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] graves notwithstanding) ever studied archeologically in the US.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/lost-pittsburgh-cemetery-lives-on-in-memories-699883/ | work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | title=Lost Pittsburgh cemetery lives on in memories |first1=Diana |last1=Nelson Jones | date=August 19, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012012929/http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/lost-pittsburgh-cemetery-lives-on-in-memories-699883/ |archive-date= Oct 12, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://old.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20031028cemetery1028fnp2.asp |title=New burial site for 727 souls will be blessed |date=October 28, 2003 |first1=Patricia |last1=Lowry |website=Post-Gazette |access-date=2013-08-19 |archive-date=2013-12-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211211046/http://old.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20031028cemetery1028fnp2.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Exit list ==
{{PAinttop|old|county=Allegheny
| location_ref=<ref name="penndot-vlog">{{Cite web |url=http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/VideoLog/ |title=Video Log |publisher=[[Pennsylvania Department of Transportation]] |access-date=July 16, 2016 |archive-date=April 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410072156/http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/videolog/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| length_ref=<ref name="PennDOT SLD">{{cite report|author=Bureau of Maintenance and Operations|url=http://www.penndot.gov/ProjectAndPrograms/ResearchandTesting/RoadwayManagementandTesting/Pages/RMS-Annual-SLDs-By-County.aspx|title=Roadway Management System Straight Line Diagrams|date=January 2016|edition=2015|publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Transportation|access-date=July 16, 2016}}
*[http://www.dot.state.pa.us/public/Bureaus/BOMO/RM/RITS/Annual%20Electronic%20SLDs%20by%20County/District%2011/Allegheny%20Without%20Pipes.pdf Allegheny County]
</ref>
| exit_ref=<ref name=newexits376>{{cite web |author= Staff |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 11-0 |url= http://www.dot.state.pa.us/public/Districts/District11/traffic/I-376_Exits.pdf |title= I-376 Corridor New Exit Numbers |date= August 19, 2009|access-date=July 16, 2016}}</ref>}}
{{PAint|old
| location=Pittsburgh
| lspan=14
| feet=0
| old={{hlist
| 8{{refn|name=sequential-exit|group=lower-alpha|Sequential exit number before replaced with milepost-based exit number<ref name=newexits>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/mileageb.pdf|title=Pennsylvania Exit Numbering|access-date=July 16, 2016|publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Transportation}}</ref>}}
| 6A{{refn|name=milepost-exit-79|group=lower-alpha|Milepost-based exit number from former southern terminus at I-79<ref name="newexits" />}}
}}
| exit=–
| road={{jct|state=PA|I|376|name1={{jct|state=PA|US|22|US|30|US-Truck|19|dab3=Pittsburgh|dir3=south|noshield=yes}} / [[Fort Pitt Bridge]]|city1=Downtown Pittsburgh|city2=Monroeville|location3=[[Pittsburgh International Airport]]}}
| notes=Southern terminus; southern end of US 19 Truck concurrency; exit 70C on I-376
| type=concur
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=1652
| old={{hlist
| 10<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" />
| 6C<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
}}
| exit=1A
| type=incomplete
| road={{jct|state=PA|location1=[[Convention Center (Pittsburgh)|Convention Center]]|location2=[[Strip District, Pittsburgh|Strip District]]|road|Fort Duquesne Boulevard}}
| notes=Southbound left exit and northbound entrance
}}
{{jctbridge|old
<!--
| feet=1247
| feet2=2620
-->
| mile=0.236
| mile2=0.496
| bridge=[[Fort Duquesne Bridge]] over the [[Allegheny River]]
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=2607
| feet2=4240
| mspan=2
| old={{hlist
| 11A<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" />{{refn|name=northbound|group=lower-alpha|Northbound}} / 12<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" />{{refn|name=southbound|group=lower-alpha|Southbound}}
| 7A<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
}}
| exit=1B
| type=incomplete
| road=[[North Shore (Pittsburgh)|North Shore]]
| notes=Left exit northbound; no northbound entrance; southern end of HOV lane
}}
{{PAint|old
| mile=none
| old={{hlist
| 11B<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" /><ref name="northbound" group="lower-alpha" /> / 12<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" /><ref name="southbound" group="lower-alpha" />
| 7B<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
}}
| exit=1C
| road={{jct|state=PA|to2=yes|PA|65|US|19|dir1=north|name1=[[Ohio River Boulevard]]}}
| notes=Left exit and entrance northbound; US&nbsp;19 not signed southbound; southern terminus of PA 65
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=5383
| old={{hlist
| 13<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" />
| 7C<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
}}
| exit=1D
| type=incomplete
| road={{jct|state=PA|PA|28|dir1=north|road|Chestnut Street&nbsp;/ Ohio Street|city1=Etna}}
| notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=5798
| old=–
| exit=♦
| type=hov
| road=9th Street
| notes=Southbound left exit and northbound entrance
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=6529
| old=–
| exit=♦
| type=hov
| road={{jct|state=PA|I|279|dir1=south|name1=[[U.S. Route 19 Truck (Pittsburgh)|US 19 Truck]] south}}
| notes=Southbound exit only
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=8856
| old=–
| exit=♦
| type=hov
| road=[[PPG Paints Arena|PPG Arena]]
| notes=Southbound left exit and northbound entrance
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=9744
| old={{hlist
| 14<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" />
| 8A<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
}}
| exit=2A
| type=incomplete
| road={{jct|state=PA|I|579|dir1=south|name1=[[Veterans Bridge (Pittsburgh)|Veterans Bridge]]}}
| notes=Northern terminus of I-579; southbound exit and northbound entrance
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=10084
| old={{hlist
| 15<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" />
| 8B<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
}}
| exit=2B
| type=incomplete
| road={{jct|to1=to|state=PA|PA|28|road|East Ohio Street}}
| notes=Southbound exit and northbound entrance; exit originally designated as East Street until December 2017
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=15329
| old={{hlist
| 16<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" />
| 9<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
}}
| exit=3
| type=incomplete
| road=Hazlett Street
| notes=Northbound exit and entrance
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=20242
| old={{hlist
| 17<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" />
| 10<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
}}
| exit=4
| type=incomplete
| road=East Street
| notes=Southbound exit and entrance; exit originally designated as Venture Street until December 2017
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=21550
| old={{hlist
| 18<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" />
| 11<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
}}
| exit=4
| type=concur
| road={{jct|state=PA|US-Truck|19|dab1=Pittsburgh|dir1=north|name1=McKnight Road|road|Evergreen Road}}
| notes=Northern end of US&nbsp;19 Truck concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance<br>HOV: northbound exit and southbound left entrance
}}
{{PAint|old
| township=Ross
| ctdab=Allegheny
| lspan=3
| feet=28875
| old={{hlist
| 19<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" />
| 12<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
}}
| exit=5
| road={{jct|state=PA|US|19|name1=Perrysville Avenue}}
| notes=HOV: northbound left exit and southbound left entrance
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=29227
<!-- SR8103 0760/0546 -->
<!-- SR6279 0090/0760 -->
| type=hov
| place=Northern terminus of HOV lanes
}}
{{PAint|old
| feet=38565
| old={{hlist
| 20<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" />
| 14<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
}}
| exit=7
| road=[[Bellevue, Pennsylvania|Bellevue]], [[West View, Pennsylvania|West View]]
| notes=
}}
{{PAint|old
| township=Ohio
| ctdab=Allegheny
| feet=44407
| old={{hlist
| 21<ref name="sequential-exit" group="lower-alpha" />
| 15<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
}}
| exit=8
| road={{jct|state=PA|Belt|Green|name1=Camp Horne Road}}
| notes=
}}
{{PAint|old
| location=Franklin Park
| feet=70261
| old=20<ref name="milepost-exit-79" group="lower-alpha" />
| exit=–
| road={{jct|state=PA|I|79|dir1=north|city1=Erie}}
| notes=Northern terminus; exit 72 on I-79
}}
{{jctbtm|old|keys=hov,incomplete}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

== See also ==
*{{Portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}
*{{Portal-inline|Pennsylvania}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{AttachedKML|display=title,inline}}
{{commonscat}}
* [http://www.kurumi.com/roads/3di/ix79.html#279pa I-279 on Kurumi.com]
* [https://www.aaroads.com/interstate-guide/i-279-pa/ Interstate Guide – I-279]
* [https://www.pahighways.com/interstates/I279.html Pennsylvania Highways: I-279]
* [https://www.aaroads.com/guides/i-279-pa/ I-279 at AARoads.com]
* [https://www.alpsroads.net/roads/pa/i-279/ Pennsylvania Roads - I-279]

{{3di|79}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:79-2}}
[[Category:Auxiliary Interstate Highways]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Interstate 79|2]]
[[Category:Transportation in Pittsburgh|Interstate 279]]
[[Category:Transportation in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania|Interstate 279]]
[[Category:Roads with a reversible lane]]