The morning commute could get a bit longer for some headed into State College
Commuters from Mifflin to Centre county can expect delays starting Thursday as work begins on the third phase of the U.S. Route 322/Potters Mills Gap project.
Traffic will be restricted to a single lane in both directions on Route 322 coming down the Seven Mountains from the intersection with Sand Mountain Road to Decker Valley Road.
Drivers can expect traffic to be slow through this 1.2-mile stretch, and should be alert for stopped or slowed traffic, the state Department of Transportation said in a release.
Then starting on May 21, westbound traffic will make use of a crossover through the project area and an 11-foot width restriction will be in effect.
The third and final phase of the estimated nearly $107 million project is to reconstruct Route 322 from Sand Mountain Road to Potters Mills with a four-lane extension, and build a Route 322/Route 144 intersection that will be a part of the local access road.
Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc, of State College, was awarded the $82,374,064 bid for Phase 3 in March.
"The last phase of the project will promote safer travel, ease the congestion seen during high-traffic volumes, and make the movement of goods and services easier and more timely," PennDOT District Executive Karen Michael said in March. "We are thrilled to see this job get underway."
Work has been underway on the Potters Mills Gap project since 2015, when a new bridge was constructed at Sand Mountain Road during the first phase. The second phase, which wrapped up in January with the tree removal along the two-lane section of the highway, created the new Sand Mountain Road local interchange.
The goal of the project is to improve safety, reduce congestion and alleviate access issues along the section of Route 322 from near its intersection with state Route 144 to the Centre/Mifflin County line.
Up-to-date information on each phase of the project, including detours and delays, can be found at at PennDOT's interactive website. Real-time updates on detours and delays can also be found at www.511PA.com, or by following @511PAStateColl on Twitter or by calling 511.
This story was originally published May 9, 2018 at 11:12 AM with the headline "The morning commute could get a bit longer for some headed into State College."