What many people in the Philadelphia region refer to as the “Blue Route” or I-476, once generated controversy in Montgomery County.  

The highway which links the western suburbs to the Pennsylvania Turnpike underwent planning after President Eisenhower introduced the Interstate Highway System in 1956 as part of the Federal-Aid Highway Act, writes Victoria Ke Lie for The Philadelphia Inquirer.  

When the Blue Route was first proposed in 1957, homeowners along the route, along with Bryn Mawr College voiced their opposition. In addition to the Blue Route, engineers also came up with the Green Route, (west of the Blue Route) and the Red, or Yellow Route (east of the Blue route.)  

However, Montco residents wanted the Blue Route to be more west than the Green Route. The Blue Route’s official name is the Mid-County Expressway or the Veterans Memorial Highway. Around 80,000 to 100,000 of drivers travel the Blue Route each day.  

Read more about the Blue Route in The Philadelphia Inquirer.  

I-476 is considered one of the worst traffic hotspots in the nation.