The Manayunk Expressway (or alternatively the Manayunk Parkway) was a proposed parkway that was to run along the east bank of the
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It ...
similar to the Moses parkways of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
, first proposed in 1932 by the Regional Planning Federation (predecessor to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission). It was originally designed to connect
Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park is the largest municipal park in Philadelphia and the historic name for a group of parks located throughout the city. Fairmount Park consists of two park sections named East Park and West Park, divided by the Schuylkill River, with ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
with
Norristown. The purpose was to have served as an alternate route to the
Schuylkill Expressway
The Schuylkill Expressway , locally known as "the Schuylkill", is a freeway through southern Montgomery County and the city of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, and the easternmost segment of Interstate 76 (I-76) in the U.S. state of Penns ...
and
Germantown Pike
Germantown Pike (also known as Germantown Avenue for a portion of its length) is a historic road in Pennsylvania that opened in 1687, running from Philadelphia northwest to Collegeville. The road is particularly notable for the "imposing mansi ...
that by 1960 had become congested.
Route description
The Manayunk Expressway was to begin in
Plymouth Meeting,
Montgomery County Montgomery County may refer to:
Australia
* The former name of Montgomery Land District, Tasmania
United Kingdom
* The historic county of Montgomeryshire, Wales, also called County of Montgomery
United States
* Montgomery County, Alabama
* Mon ...
, at the Mid-County Interchange where I-276 (
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's ...
) and
I-476
Interstate 476 (I-476) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway of I-76 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The highway runs from I-95 near Chester north to I-81 near Scranton, serving as the primary north–south Interstate corridor throu ...
(Blue Route/Northeast Extension) currently meet. From here, the road was to head south, bypassing
Conshohocken
Conshohocken ( ; Lenape: ''Kanshihàkink'') is a borough on the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in ...
to the east. The Manayunk Expressway would turn southeast and follow the east bank of the
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It ...
, and there would have also been an intersection to the
Ten Mile Loop expressway. The road would head into
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
and possibly follow the path of the Manayunk Canal.
[ Around ]Gustine Lake Gustine Lake was a small, man-made lake located in the East Falls section of Northwest Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second- ...
, the Manayunk Expressway would have an interchange with US 1
U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...
( Roosevelt Expressway).[ The freeway could have intersected with the Girard Avenue Expressway. The road was to pass through Center City and intersect with ]I-676
Interstate 676 (I-676) is an Interstate Highway that serves as a major thoroughfare through Center City Philadelphia, where it is known as the Vine Street Expressway, and Camden, New Jersey, where it is known as the northern segment of th ...
/US 30
U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longes ...
. The Manayunk Expressway would continue to its terminus at I-76
Interstate 76 may refer to:
Interstate Highways in the United States
* Interstate 76 (Colorado–Nebraska)
* Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey), running through Pennsylvania
Video gaming
* ''Interstate '76
''Interstate '76'' is a vehicular c ...
(Schuylkill Expressway
The Schuylkill Expressway , locally known as "the Schuylkill", is a freeway through southern Montgomery County and the city of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, and the easternmost segment of Interstate 76 (I-76) in the U.S. state of Penns ...
) near the Grays Ferry Avenue / University Avenue exit with possible connections to I-695.[
]
History
The Manayunk Parkway was proposed by the Regional Planning Federation (predecessor to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission) in 1932 to connect Fairmount Park in Philadelphia with Norristown, running along the Schuylkill River. However, this parkway was never built. By 1960, traffic became a major issue on the Schuylkill Expressway, with the Keystone Automobile Club recommending a freeway along the east bank of the Schuylkill River. In 1962, the Pennsylvania Highway Department announced plans for the Manayunk Expressway to be a route extending from current I-276/I-476 in Plymouth Meeting to current I-76 in South Philadelphia.Kelly Drive
A kelly drive is a type of well drilling device on an oil or gas drilling rig that employs a section of pipe with a polygonal (three-, four-, six-, or eight-sided) or splined outer surface, which passes through the matching polygonal or spline ...
being designated a scenic route. In 1969, a shortened version of the Manayunk Expressway called the North Shore Expressway was proposed to run from Plymouth Meeting south to the proposed Ten Mile Loop. Plans for this freeway were eventually dropped.
See also
*
*
*
References
{{reflist
External links
The Roads of Metro Philadelphia: Manayunk Expressway (unbuilt)
Cancelled highway projects in the United States