​State College, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is alerting motorists that a local detour will be implemented Wednesday, July 1, on a Route 26 bridge project near State College. The bridge spans Thompson Run at the Route 26 and Puddintown Road intersection. This work is part of a two-year bridge preservation project to improve five structures in Centre County.

Work on this project will be done in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the job site and relevant training.

Traffic is currently maintained by shifting lanes along Route 26 to accommodate two lanes of traffic in each direction. Beginning Wednesday, July 1, Puddintown Road will be closed at the intersection and a local detour using Route 26 and Houserville Road will be implemented. This detour will be in effect until work at this location is complete.

Other bridge locations on this contract include:

• Route 1002 Bridge over Marsh Creek in Liberty Township, 2-mile northeast of Romola near Lower Polecat Road. • Route 3040 bridge over Ardrey Run in Huston Township, 3 miles northeast of Port Matilda near the intersection with Ardery Hollow Road. • Route 3040 bridge over Dix run in Huston Township, 1-mile southwest of Julian near the intersection with Silverdale Road.  • Route 3049 bridge over Moshannon Creek in Osceola Mills. • Stone masonry retaining wall along Route 150 and Spring Creek near Tallyrand Park in the Borough of Bellefonte.

Overall work will include deck repair/replacement, beam, abutment and wing repairs, new barrier, paving, guide rail improvements and minor drainage improvements. George S. Hann & Son, Inc. of Fort Littleton, PA is the contractor on this $1.5 million project. Work at this location is expected to be complete in early August. All work is weather and schedule dependent.

The Route 26 bridge was built in 1959, is 29 feet long and carries an average of 1,300 vehicles daily. Rehabilitation work on this structure will extend its useful life and improve the ride quality and safety of the roadway surface.

Motorists are encouraged to “Know Before They Go” by checking conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 950 traffic cameras.

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.   Subscribe to PennDOT news in Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, and Potter counties at www.penndot.gov/District2.

For regional updates on Twitter, follow www.twitter.com/511PAStateCOLL    MEDIA CONTACTS: Timothy Nebgen (814) 360-3838

# # #