State College, PA –The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) said drivers traveling northbound toward State College through its Route 26/45 intersection project about 1 ½ miles north of Pine Grove Mills should anticipate a change in traffic pattern the week of September 19. Northbound traffic will be diverted off the temporary roadway and onto the new Route 26 alignment midweek.

Southbound traffic heading toward Pine Grove Mills started using the new alignment last week. The existing traffic pattern on Route 45 will remain in place.

Additionally, the contractor will not implement lane closures in the work zone from 6:0 AM Friday, September 23, through Sunday, September 25, to allow traffic traveling to and from Penn State's home football game to flow freely.

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:  Marla Fannin, 814-765-0423; Timothy Nebgen, 814-765-0598

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