I-90 enters Pennsylvania from Ohio in Springfield Township, Erie County, heading east as a four-lane freeway through rural areas of fields and woods. The road has an eastbound rest area before it reaches an interchange with US 6N near West Springfield. The next exit is for PA 215 near East Springfield. The freeway enters Girard Township and curves to the northeast. I-90 passes through a corner of Platea before it crosses back into Girard Township and interchanges with PA 18. The roadway continues through more rural areas and crosses Elk Creek. The highway crosses into Fairview Township, where it has an exit for PA 98. I-90 curves more to the east and heads into McKean Township. Here, it has an interchange serving PA 832. The highway passes through more rural areas with some nearby development and reaches a cloverleaf interchange with I-79, which provides access to the city of Erie to the north. A short distance past I-79, the freeway enters Summit Township and heads northeast to an interchange with US 19 in a commercial area. I-90 runs through wooded areas with nearby suburban development and comes to the PA 97 interchange near Presque Isle Downs & Casino. The highway passes through a corner of Greene Township prior to entering Millcreek Township, where it has an exit for PA 8. The roadway briefly crosses back into Greene Township before it heads into Harborcreek Township. Here, I-90 has an interchange with PA 290/PA 430 that provides access to Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The freeway heads back into rural areas of farms and woods, coming to the PA 531 exit. I-90 crosses into Greenfield Township, where it has a trumpet interchange with the western terminus of I-86. The roadway enters North East Township and continues through more rural land. The freeway reaches an interchange with PA 89, which provides access to the borough of North East to the north. Farther northeast, the highway passes through agricultural areas and comes to an interchange serving US 20 near State Line. I-90 has a westbound welcome center before it comes to the New York border, where it continues east into that state as part of the tolled New York State Thruway.
History
What is now I-90 was originally planned as part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike system in the 1950s. With the creation of the Interstate Highway System in 1956, this road would be dropped from the turnpike system and would be built as a part of I-90. I-90 was completed through Pennsylvania by 1960. In 2007, a major pileup forced a 15-hour closure of the entire stretch of I-90 in Pennsylvania due to winter storm whiteout conditions.
