Interstate 78

Interstate 78 is an interstate highway in the eastern United States. It runs from Bordnersville, Pennsylvania at Interstate 81 in the west to New York City, New York in the east.

Table of contents

1 Length
2 Major Cities Along the Route
3 Intersections with other Interstates
4 Spur Routes
5 Notes

Length

In New Jersey, I-78 forms the Newark Bay Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike. Between the end of the Turnpike and the Holland Tunnel, I-78 continues for five blocks on 12th and 14th streets of Jersey City, New Jersey. This section of I-78 has traffic lights; I-70 and I-78 are the only two main-line interstate highways with this feature. Originally, I-78 was going to cross Manhattan, but didn't because putting six lanes of asphalt across New York City, New York is prohibitively expensive and culturally insensitive.
None of I-78's spurs actually intersect it. A 7.2 mile gap exists in Union County, New Jersey between I-78 and I-278. At 0.72 miles, I-878 is the shortest three-digit interstate in existence; it is unsigned. (I-395 in Maryland is the shortest signed three-digit interstate -- see Interstate 95.)
In the future, I-78 may continue along U.S. Highway 22 from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and ultimately, to Interstate 77, and maybe even Interstate 70. If it had happened, it would form a corridor between New York City, New York and Columbus, Ohio.
It is possible that they might build a western I-78 in California, as California has exhausted its list of Interstate 80 spurs. If that happens, there would be some justification to renumber Interstate 238 to an I-80 or I-78 spur.