The Schuylkill Expressway is a horrible highway, designed and built before transit engineers had a better sense of what smart practices where. There are too many sharp curves, changes in the number of lanes, on and off ramps in the wrong places, etc. But there really isn't much to be done about it. Even though I'm a car hater I'd actually be fine with spending a bunch of money to make it better, but given the geography and adjacent development, the amount of money needed to make even small improvements would be yuge.
But opening up the shoulders? A massive problem with the highway is that an accident will shut the whole thing down for miles. True to some extent of any highway, but even more true given the poor design of this one. Take away the shoulders and you take away any reasonable way for clearing accidents.
Oh well. I rarely drive it. Give the people what they want, I guess.
