The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is alerting drivers to some last-minute work this week on its Local Interchange/Route 26 project in Centre County. Traffic impacts can be expected in the work zone, located along I-80 near the Bellefonte/161 interchange. 

Drivers should be aware of the potential for the following:

• Wednesday and Thursday, November 3 and 4, the contractor will be performing guiderail and shoulder back-up repair work on the westbound mainline. Work hours will run from Wednesday at 8:00 A.M through Thursday at 5:00 PM. Work will be around-the-clock.

• As work takes place, all westbound traffic will use the crossover lane and will be restricted to just one lane in the westbound direction.

• 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.

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 1,000 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.

Information about infrastructure in District 2, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.gov/D2Results.

Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Marla Fannin 814-765-0423

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