Radio Smart Talk for Wednesday, September 28:

The Interstate 81 Corridor.  It looks much different than when construction began on the highway 50 years ago.  Then, the major north-south highway in the south central part of the region was U.S. Route 11 that ran through boroughs like Chamberburg and Carlisle, but then branched off along the Susquehanna River.  I-81 was built on farm land and even today traverses mostly rural areas.  It's one reason many truckers drive I-81 rather than I-95 that goes through major metropolitan areas on the east coast.

Even though most of the I-81 corridor may still be rural today, it looks much different.  That's because housing developments, shopping centers and warehouses have sprung up along the interstate.  Traffic, especially heavy truck traffic, is a constant.  At some places on I-81 every third vehicle is a truck.

On Wednesday's Radio Smart Talk, we'll focus on the I-81 Corridor -- it's past and especially it's future.  Our guests will be Dr. Paul Marr, a professor of geography and earth science at Shippensburg University and Kirk Stoner, the Planning Director in Cumberland County.

Marr and Stoner will speak on transportation corridors and their impact on land use Thursday night at Shippensburg University's Memorial Auditorium as part of the South Mountain Speakers Series. 

Listen to the program: