| State: | PA |
| Header Type: | hist |
| Pittsburgh Pike | |
| History: | Chartered in 1805 Completed on May 20, 1818 |
| Direction A: | West |
| Terminus A: | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Direction B: | East |
| Terminus B: | Harrisburg, PA |
| System: | 19th Century Turnpikes |
The Pittsburgh Pike was an early toll road in the United States.
The road was chartered as the Harrisburg and Pittsburgh Turnpike in 1805, and upon completion on May 20, 1818,[1] it enabled travelers to go from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania over the Allegheny Mountains, cutting freight rates in half because wagons increased their capacity, speed, and certainty.
It cost 4850$/mi to build. Private interests contributed 62 percent of the capital; the government of Pennsylvania provided the remaining amount.[2] In 1814, the company was broken up into five constituent parts:
Of these turnpikes, the first four were included in the Lincoln Highway, and later PA 1 and US 30. The Chambersburg and Harrisburg was not included in any major auto trails, but was included in PA 13, and later US 11