State College, PA –The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that the contractor on its Route 26/45 intersection project about 1½ miles north of Pine Grove Mills plans to change the traffic pattern mid-week the week of September 5. PennDOT also announced there will be no lane closures on the project until 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 6, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Drivers traveling northbound on Route 26 toward State College will continue to use the temporary roadway through the work zone. The contractor will shift southbound traffic heading toward Pine Grove Mills onto the newly completed portion of Route 26 and the new bridge structure. PennDOT expects the change to occur mid-week.

The existing traffic pattern on Route 45 will remain in place. However, due to the shift in traffic pattern on Route 26, PennDOT urges drivers making a left turn from Route 45 to spend extra time watching for oncoming traffic before completing their turn.

PennDOT reminds drivers that lane widths through the work zone are reduced to 10 feet and urges drivers of wider vehicles to find an alternate route.

Overall work on this project includes constructing turning lanes, widening, roadway realignment, drainage improvements, guide rail installation, permanent traffic signals, and miscellaneous construction. Other work includes replacing an existing concrete bridge with a single-span box beam bridge.

By realigning the intersection, adding a traffic signal, overhead lighting, and turning lanes, PennDOT expects a better flow of traffic, safer turning maneuverability from all directions, and reduced congestion during high-traffic volume events locally.

Charles C. Merlo Inc. of Mineral Point, PA, is the contractor on this $5 million project, which PennDOT expects to be complete by mid-November.

Changeable message boards will be in place to alert drivers to the work zone. PennDOT reminds drivers to exercise caution in this and all work zones, obey posted speed limits and always buckle up.

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.

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MEDIA CONTACT:  Timothy Nebgen, 814-765-0598

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