PennDOT: All I-99 lanes to open by Thanksgiving

By Mike Joseph

PATTON TOWNSHIP — All four lanes of Interstate 99, northbound and southbound, are expected to be open by Thanksgiving, state Department of Transportation officials said this morning.

The northbound lanes should be open by the third week of October, with the southbound lanes to open at a later date, according District Executive Kevin Kline and Assistant District Executive Ben LaParne.

A section of I-99 southbound from the Grays Woods interchange to Port Matilda, and one northbound over Skytop are currently closed as PennDOT works to complete the roadway. The opening of I-99 has been delayed for years after road builders unearthed massive amounts of pyritic rock, requiring an $80 million cleanup that is continuing.

Check back later for more details, or see a complete report in tomorrow's Centre Daily Times.