The covers on the 'official' maps from this decade were very attractive drawings. The Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940, the first four lane limited access highway in the United States. It ran from Irwin near Pittsburgh to Middlesex just west of Harrisburg and was built largely on the right-of-way of an abandoned rail line. The turnpike was modeled after the autobahns constructed in Germany in the 1930's. The inclusion of turnpike maps starts here. These were issued irregularly, sometimes yearly and sometimes not, and sometimes with more than one item per year.

	1940 This official map repeats the 1939 cover design, although the map is updated.
	1940 The Pennsylvania Turnpike, Harrisburg to Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. This is a 16 page booklet with a two page map in the middle showing the pike, dated January 1940. This is likely the first public map (i.e. leaving aside planning and construction materials) of the pike issued, probably at the dedication.
	1940 The Pennsylvania Turnpike, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, Courtesy of Standard Oil Co. of Penna. Printed August, 1940. A 16 page booklet that is one of the first turnpike items distributed to the public and presumably paid for by Standard Oil. It contains a map showing a ‘proposed’ system of superhighways for the northeast and a short description of the pike. Much more interesting are several pages ( 10-12, 13-14, 15-16) of drawings of the turnpike interchanges. Remember, no high speed road like this had been built in the United States before and interchange design for smooth traffic flow was crucial to the turnpike operation.
	1941 The lady sewing the flag on this official map is, of course, Betsy Ross of Philadelphia.
	1941 Map of Pennsylvania Turnpike. An early 9 x 16 inch map stamped May 25, 1941, which is the date used here. It is a map of the turnpike and Harrisburg and it is not clear if issued by the state or the city.
	1942 SPORTSMAN'S MAP OF PENNSYLVANIA, published by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Division of Lands, Harrisburg, Pa. 1942. No official map was issued, however the Game Commission put out this road map showing state game lands.
	1943 The 1943 official map is identical to 1941 except for a sticker bearing the name of the new governor Edward Martin, who took office in January, 1943. He slapped a sticker with his name on the old 1941 map and reissued it.
	1944 No official map issued.
	1945 DETOUR BULLETIN issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Highways. Information effective...September 21 to October 19, 1945. Detours are numbered and printed at the bottom of the map, which only covers about half the sheet. It is made as a poster with a blank verso (except for a mailer address), and is 31 x 23 inches. The earliest of these detour bulletins seen was dated 1925 and they were apparently issued up to around 1950. No official map issued in 1945.
	1946 This official map has a drawing of Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
	1946 The Pennsylvania Turnpike, published by Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. This is an 8 page booklet printed April, 1946, on greenish paper with an 8 x 8 inch map of the turnpike.
	1947 The new governor James Duff, who took office in January, 1947, did the same thing Martin had done in 1943. He slapped a sticker with his name on the 1946 official map and reissued it. There was a later printing of this map which left the date off the cover.
	1947 Pennsylvania Turnpike, published by Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. This is an 8 page booklet printed December, 1947, so almost a 1948 date. It is the same as the 1948 version below.
	1948 This official map cover is a drawing of the state capitol at Harrisburg.
	1948 Pennsylvania Turnpike, published by Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. This is an 8 page booklet printed July, 1948, with an 8 x 8 inch map of the turnpike, similar to the 1946 map.
	1949 This is an attractive official map cover drawing. The artist, alas, is not identified.
	1949 Pennsylvania Turnpike, published by Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. This is an 8 page booklet printed August, 1949, with an 8 x 8 inch map of the turnpike; and again similar to the 1946 map.