Projects: Blue Route Mythology

Blue Route Mythology / Excavations form the Asphalt Era 

Interstate 476 (locally known as the Blue Route) is a 21 mile stretch of highway which connects I-95 with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Philadelphia’s western suburbs.  

The Blue Route was perhaps the most controversial highway ever built in Pennsylvania. Originally conceived in 1927, the Blue Route was configured and reconfigured during the rising environmental concerns of the 1960’s. Construction began in early 1970, then was halted by litigation which continued for nearly 20 years. By 1988 when construction resumed, amid continuing protests, the roadway had taken on a mystique of its own, with proponents somewhat incredulous that they would see a completed highway in their lifetimes. 

The epic quality of the construction as it transformed the Delaware and Montgomery County landscapes along with time I spent in Italy, formed the subtext of the photographs.