Interstate 79 | ||||||||||
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Route information | ||||||||||
Length: | 343.24 mi (552.39 km) | |||||||||
Major junctions | ||||||||||
South end: | I‑77 in Charleston, WV | |||||||||
I‑68 near Morgantown, WV I-70 in South Strabane Township, PA I-376 near Carnegie, PA I-76 / Penna Turnpike in Warrendale, PA I-80 in Findley Township, PA I-90 in McKean, PA |
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North end: | Bayfront Parkway in Erie, PA | |||||||||
Location | ||||||||||
States: | West Virginia, Pennsylvania | |||||||||
Counties: |
WV: Kanawha, Roane, Clay, Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Harrison, Marion, Monongalia PA: Greene, Washington, Allegheny, Butler, Lawrence, Mercer, Crawford, Erie |
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Highway system | ||||||||||
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Interstate 179 | |
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Location: | Erie |
Existed: | November 12, 1958–1968 |
Interstate 279 | |
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Location: | Pittsburgh |
Length: | 13.5 mi (21.7 km) |
Existed: | September 16, 1989– |
Interstate 79 (abbreviated I-79) is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States, designated from Interstate 77 in Charleston, West Virginia to Pennsylvania Route 5 and Pennsylvania Route 290 in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is a primary thoroughfare through western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and makes up part of an important corridor to Buffalo, New York, and the border with Canada.
In West Virginia, Interstate 79 is known as the Jennings Randolph Expressway. In the three most northern counties it is signed as part of the High Tech Corridor. For most of its Pennsylvania stretch, it is known as the Raymond P. Shafer Highway.
Except at its northern end, I-79 is located on the Allegheny Plateau. Despite the somewhat rugged terrain, the road is relatively flat. Most of the highway is at an elevation of about 1000 to 1200 feet (300 to 360 m) above sea level, with some lower areas near both ends and higher areas near Sutton, West Virginia. In the hillier areas, this flatness is achieved by curving around hills, along ridges, and in or partway up river valleys. From Sutton, West Virginia north, Interstate 79 generally parallels the path of U.S. Route 19.