About 2 summers ago, I was on a road trip that brought me across Pennsylvania. I was driving somewhere between Wheeling, WV and Harrisburg. Somewhere among the tunnels and the mountains, I distinctly remember seeing what were two ≈15-20 feet tall concrete statues, perhaps carved into the mountains themselves. The carvings were of workmen, in a very WPA-era art style. I have looked high and low to try and find/identify these statues, but can’t find anything. While I was tired after a long day of driving (STL->Harrisburg) I don’t think I imagined them. At this point I’m almost convinced they were the ghosts of workers who died making the tunnels or something. Does anybody know about what I saw?

Comments

labiokses OP t1_jb7rn26 wrote on March 7, 2023 at 1:50 AM

#2,176,066

Looking back it could have been carvings inside the tunnels but I’m not sure.

SquintyB t1_jb7wwtj wrote on March 7, 2023 at 2:31 AM

#2,176,234

I drive from Washington pa to Philly pretty regularly and I don't know what you're talking about. There's nothing like that I am aware of

woodcuttersDaughter t1_jb7z3kf wrote on March 7, 2023 at 2:48 AM

#2,176,298

I’ve driven 70 to Wheeling from Pgh and Pgh to all points east on 76 dozens of times. I have never seen anything like you describe. There isn’t anything inside the tunnels on the turnpike.

Optimal_Spend779 t1_jb80u0b wrote on March 7, 2023 at 3:01 AM

#2,176,346

Replying to labiokses (#2,176,066)

Maybe above a tunnel entrance? I feel like that sounds vaguely familiar to me while driving through WV

thehoagieboy t1_jb8kxe5 wrote on March 7, 2023 at 6:10 AM

#2,176,985

Is it possible that you were on the blue route and saw the hill griffin?

egJohn t1_jb9cgat wrote on March 7, 2023 at 12:15 PM

#2,177,685

there are some amazing wpa-style bas relief carvings on the George Westinghouse bridge on route 30 just east of Forest hills.

IamSauerKraut t1_jb9vvrs wrote on March 7, 2023 at 2:58 PM

#2,178,474

Replying to thehoagieboy (#2,176,985)

Radnor is just a wee bit west of Hbg, non?

I think there may be something at the entrance to one of the tunnels. Now have this eyeworm...

Castor_and_Pollux123 t1_jb9z9dr wrote on March 7, 2023 at 3:21 PM

#2,178,637

There used to be two concrete sculpture towers visible on I-78, near Easton. You could see them when travelling west. I don't know if they're still there.

labiokses OP t1_jbakl7o wrote on March 7, 2023 at 5:41 PM

#2,179,619

Replying to thehoagieboy (#2,176,985)

Yeah, that wasn’t on the path we took.

labiokses OP t1_jbakngu wrote on March 7, 2023 at 5:41 PM

#2,179,622

Replying to egJohn (#2,177,685)

It might have been something like this but we weren’t coming from Pittsburgh.

labiokses OP t1_jbakoyt wrote on March 7, 2023 at 5:42 PM

#2,179,628

Replying to Castor_and_Pollux123 (#2,178,637)

Interesting, but these were east of where we were.

labiokses OP t1_jbakr1r wrote on March 7, 2023 at 5:42 PM

#2,179,629

Replying to woodcuttersDaughter (#2,176,298)

Are there statues or carvings in the mountains at some point?

labiokses OP t1_jbakt5a wrote on March 7, 2023 at 5:42 PM

#2,179,632

Replying to Optimal_Spend779 (#2,176,346)

Yeah that’s what I remember, outside the entrance to some tunnel

Optimal_Spend779 t1_jbast12 wrote on March 7, 2023 at 6:33 PM

#2,179,996

Replying to labiokses (#2,179,632)

I just did the drive through WV up through Pittsburgh like 6 months ago, I suggest researching along I-77 area in WV! I think it was somewhere in that area, maybe near Flatwoods.

SWPenn t1_jbdy8vt wrote on March 8, 2023 at 10:32 AM

#2,184,530

Replying to labiokses (#2,179,622)

I was thinking of the sculptures on the Westinghouse Bridge, too. They are amazing. If you were going from Wheeling to Harrisburg, were you traveling on I-70 and then got on the turnpike at New Stanton? The Westinghouse Bridge would be route 30, which can get you to the turnpike, too.

labiokses OP t1_jbexlr2 wrote on March 8, 2023 at 3:48 PM

#2,186,093

Replying to SWPenn (#2,184,530)

Honestly those look really familiar, but I remember having a conversation with my road tripping partner about going through Pittsburgh, and we decided against it. I don’t think we would have been that far north. But man those do look familiar, I wonder if there’s another set of those somewhere?

What did I see - large concrete statues on I-70/76