The city proper is served by three interstate spur routes off the rough beltway formed by I-76 (PA Turnpike) to the north and east, I-79 to the west and I-70 to the far south. The three interstate spurs form what locals refer to as the "parkways". The Parkway East is I-376 from downtown through the university district and Squirrel Hill to Monroeville, where it meets with the turnpike (I-76). The Parkway West and Parkway North both connect to I-79 to the west of downtown and are signed I-279. Instead of terminating at I-79 the "Parkway West" is the only parkway to continue its interstate-like travel without an interstate shield. It continues on to the Airport and beyond to Beaver and New Castle as 22/30 and then PA 60. Congress has passed legislation in 2006 to sign this area as I-376 (a continuation of the interstate from downtown Pittsburgh and thus having 279 strictly run from I-79 south into downtown). The re-signing of the parkway west is slowly moving forward pending some road improvements such as wider exit ramps and the extension of emergency lanes that are demanded by a interstate signing.
The interstate system links Pittsburgh from many cities. If coming from the east or west, your best bet into the city is the I-76, the Pennsylvania Turnpike. From the west, take exit 28-Cranberry to I-79 and then I-279. From the east, take exit 57 to I-376. From the north or south, take I-79. I-70 also comes within the metro area from central Ohio and Maryland. I-80 also skirts the far northern suburban counties of the region.
Within the metro area several limited-access turnpike spur routes have been completed recently including the Mon-Fayette Expressway linking the historic "Steel Valley" area to State Route 51 in Jefferson Hills (and eventually to Monroeville). PA Route 66 in nearby Greensburg offers a quick jump on the eastern side of the metro from I-70/I-76 (Turnpike mainline) junction area to the Kiski Valley in the northeast, and the newly completed Findlay connector offers quick access from the airport terminal to points west and south of the airport such as Steubenville, Ohio, and Wierton and Wheeling, West Virginia. PA 65 along the northern section of the city of Pittsburgh, PA 28 along the Allegheny Valley from downtown through the Oakmont and 76/Turnpike area to beyond Kittaning in Armstrong County and PA 60 from the I-279/79 junction through the airport area and up through Beaver to New Castle and I-80 are all toll-free state limited access highways in the region. US 22 from Robinson through to the Findlay airport connector and on to the West Virigina panhandle and east-central Ohio offers toll free interstate like travel as well.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Pittsburgh
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Pittsburgh - updated Apr 2024
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Pittsburgh Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
