Cove Valley Service Plaza
 The abandoned plaza, an empty expanse of concrete | |
| Direction | Westbound |
|---|---|
| Mile | Near 172 |
| County | Fulton |
| State | Kalmont |
| Opened |
1 October 1940 (Opening of the Turnpike) |
| Closed |
26 November 1968 (Closing of the Abandoned Turnpike) |
Cove Valley Service Plaza is an abandoned service plaza on the abandoned stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between Ray's Hill Tunnel and Sideling Hill Tunnel. It is also known as the Lost Plaza (although several other former Turnpike service plazas have also been closed).
Cove Valley is on the northern side of the road, and thus serviced westbound traffic. The "gap" in the service plaza system was filled by the new Sideling Hill plaza, built nearby on the new alignment of the Turnpike. The access road for employees of the Sideling Hill plaza is in fact very near the access point for the abandoned road and the Lost Plaza.
Rediscovery and Condition
The first recorded visit to the Lost Plaza by Septempontians took place on 7 August 2004 when Shawn Knight, Alan Caum, Gracie Gollinger, and Jackie Cipa visited it on their way to reclaiming Sideling Hill Tunnel.
Cove Valley is now an empty expanse of pavement to the north side of the old Turnpike. There is a large "island" of trees and grass, which is the former location of the main plaza building. Very little remains of the building: some reinforced concrete, with rusty rebar sticking out, and a few pieces of old shielding for electrical wiring, are visible on the surface in the "island".
Visiting Cove Valley
Cove Valley may be reached by following the same directions one follows for reaching the eastern portal of Sideling Hill Tunnel.
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