Mid-October Update for Local Interchange Project
Bellefonte, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) provided a mid-October update today for its Local Interchange/Route 26 project in Centre County. The work zone, located along I-80 near the Bellefonte/161 interchange, may affect traffic flow.
Drivers should be aware of the potential for the following traffic impacts:
• The contractor will continue overnight paving on I-80 westbound from 7:00 PM Sunday, October 17, until 6:00 AM daily. The right (travel) lane will be closed, and traffic will follow the temporary crossover. The contractor expects this schedule and traffic pattern to remain in effect through mid-week.
• As early as Tuesday, October 19, the contractor will complete paving between mile markers 165 and 161, at which point they will close the mainline of I-80 westbound to remove remaining barrier. Traffic will follow the left/crossover lane until barrier removal is complete.
• On I-80 eastbound, PennDOT reminds drivers that the left (passing) lane is closed. Concrete barriers divert traffic onto the travel lane and outside shoulder. PennDOT urges motorists to watch for parked construction vehicles on the eastbound shoulder between mile markers 162 and 164.
Work this season includes completion of basin construction in the median, completion of northern ramps, full depth reconstruction of I-80 westbound bridge piers and northern abutment, and construction of the connector road between I-80 and Route 26.
The I-80/Route 26 local interchange project is east of Bellefonte and is part of a long-awaited safety-improvement in Centre County. HRI, Inc. of State College is the contractor on this $52 million project, which will run through October of 2022. Up-to-date information is available on the project page at
www.penndot.gov/jacksonvilleroad
The local interchange project is the first phase of a three-phase project to build local access, a high-speed interchange connection between I-99 and I-80, and complete improvements to Jacksonville Road. PennDOT announced the project received $35 million in federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant money in July 2018. Completing all three phases will support regional freight economy and improve the reliability of roadway travel throughout the region.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
MEDIA CONTACT: Marla Fannin 814-765-0423
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