CONTACT: Renee Vid Colborn
Phone: 717-831-7507
August 6, 2015

 

Pa. Turnpike Celebrates 75th Anniversary with Car Show this Weekend

Classic and custom cars of all kind will be on display at Sideling Hill Service Plaza Aug. 8.

 

MIDDLETOWN, PA. (AUG. 6 2015) — The Pa. Turnpike Commission (PTC) is holding a car show at the Sideling Hill Service Plaza in Fulton County on Aug. 8 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. for car owners and Turnpike travelers alike. The show is being held to celebrate the upcoming 75th anniversary of the opening of the historic Pennsylvania Turnpike — “America’s First Superhighway” — on Oct. 1, 1940.
 
The Sideling Hill Service Plaza is located at milepost 172 between the Turnpike’s Breezewood and Fort Littleton interchanges; it is a dual-access plaza that can be reached by eastbound and westbound motorists alike.
 
The show will include cars from all over the state and even some out-of-state vehicles that drivers want to bring to participate in this unique event commemorating the Oct. 1, 1940 opening of the Pa. Turnpike. More than 100 car owners have already registered vehicles in anticipation of this unique event.
 
“We are anxious to see the many exceptional vehicles that have been registered, and hope more will join us at Sideling Hill Service Plaza for a day of celebration,” says Pa. Turnpike Chief Executive Officer Mark Compton. “We invite travelers who are passing by the plaza to stop in and check out the car show and enjoy the other event offerings.”
                 
The cars will be on display in the front lawn of the plaza where tents will be set up with tables and chairs for those who would like to enjoy music and refreshments provided by HMSHost Corp., the company that reconstructed all 17 service plazas along the Turnpike. The refreshments for car show participants and guests will be sold at special 1940 prices.
 
Sunoco Inc., which redeveloped the fueling stations and convenience stores at the Turnpike service plazas, will be participating with the car show also. Car show participants will receive special rewards from Sunoco the day of the show.
 
Throughout the day, prizes will be given away for correct answers to Pa. Turnpike trivia questions; also, a Turnpike store will be set up so people can purchase commemorative Pa. Turnpike 75th items such as apparel and a coffee-table book featuring Turnpike images through the years. For those who can’t attend the car show, the 75th anniversary items can also be purchased at www.paturnpike.com by clicking on the 75th anniversary logo at the top of the page. The day will end with awards being handed out – including one for people’s choice.
 
Any driver experiencing problems or an emergency should dial *11 on their mobile phone. Drivers can also get traffic alerts before leaving the house by calling 866-976-TRIP (8747) or visiting the live Travel Conditions Map online at www.paturnpike.com/webmap. The Pa. Turnpike’s smartphone app, TRIP Talk, streams audio advisories to iPhone and Android users so they can keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. To download the free app, visit www.paturnpike.com/triptalk.
 
The Pa. Turnpike opened to traffic nearly 75 years ago, receiving nationwide acclaim as an engineering marvel. The Turnpike actually established the national standard for superhighway design and construction more than 16 years before the first U.S. interstate highway. When it opened, the Turnpike ran 160 miles between Irwin, Pa. and Carlisle, Pa. The Sideling Hill Plaza was originally opened on Nov. 26, 1968 and reopened after reconstruction on May 16, 2008.

 

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