PennDOT highlights $212M in central PA projects. What’s happening in Centre County?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- PennDOT announced a $212 million investment for District 2 projects across nine counties.
- The I-99/I-80 interchange is in its third year and is expected to be completed in 2030.
- The investment will fund 80 projects including 115 miles of reconstruction.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that it’s investing $212 million this year into the department’s second district, which includes Centre County, during an event that provided an overview of various new and ongoing projects.
State Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll, District 2 Executive Thomas Prestash and Senior Civil Engineer Manager Brent Lykens provided updates on some of the 80 projects that are included in the $212 million investment. The district encompasses Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin and Potter counties.
According to a PennDOT news release, the investment specifically includes reconstructing and resurfacing more than 115 miles of highway, seal coating 316 miles of road and repairing or replacing 77 bridges.
“I am really proud of the work that PennDOT does across our state, and I’m thankful to the planning partners that we have in this region for District 2,” Carroll said during the event, which was held at PennDOT’s Boggs Township office. “They do a wonderful job, and our local leaders, our county commissioners, our borough council mayor, our township supervisors — they’re our partners in making sure that we meet the transportation needs of the 13 million Pennsylvanians.”
Centre County highway interchange project in Year 3
The largest project in the district by far is the $259.3 million Interstate 99/Interstate 80 interchange, which is in the third year of what’s expected to be a six-year project.
The three-phase project will provide a direct connection between I-80 and I-99. Once completed, drivers won’t need to travel along Route 26 to go between the interstate routes.
This upcoming construction season, drivers can expect to see the bridge crossovers on I-80 put into service, which will result in a lane shift.
On I-80, there will be three lanes of traffic flowing where the traditional westbound lane is located — two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane — and one lane traveling eastbound will remain open on the traditional eastbound lane.
That change is expected to take place “sometime in late July,” Lykens said, and will allow two lanes of traffic in each direction to be maintained at all times. Lykens also expects the newly-constructed portion of Jacksonville Road to open around the same time.
Additionally, construction on the large retaining wall along the median of I-80 westbound is expected to be completed this year, which will trigger the beginning of construction on two retaining walls along the median of I-80 eastbound.
Lykens also shared that three of the project’s bridges will be completed this year, and that he expects the full-depth roadway reconstruction along I-80 eastbound, along with three more bridges and two box culverts, to begin construction this year.
“I’m thrilled with the continued advancements there,” Carroll said about the interchange project.
Other Centre County construction projects
Aside from the interchange, a number of other Centre County projects were highlighted during Wednesday’s event. These projects include:
- Continuation of the Route 26 (Jacksonville Road) highway restoration project near the Bellefonte Interchange in Marion Township ($8.6 million)
- A I-99 bridge preservation project impacting 15 structures and 11 road sections between mile markers 59 and 80 ($3.1 million)
- A Route 144 highway restoration and drainage improvement project near the road’s intersection with Route 192 that will impact Centre Hall Borough and Potter Township ($1 million)
- A Route 322 safety improvement project to construct a truck pull-off along the eastbound lane at the top of Port Mountain in Rush Township ($720,000)
- I-80 construction bridge replacements over Hubler Ridge Road and Sand Ridge Road in Marion Township ($24.5 million)
- Concrete pavement preservation on I-99 and Route 322 in College, Harris and Worth townships ($1.72 million)
Additionally, funds were set aside for several smaller local projects, including:
- $1.5 million for the College Township bike and pedestrian path project
- $1.5 million for stormwater and sidewalk improvements along Vairo Boulevard in Patton Township
- $1.1 million for Westerly and Easterly parkways and Blue Course Drive improvements
- $700,000 for improvements on a Pine Grove Mills bike and pedestrian path in Ferguson Township
- $78,991 for a pedestrian bridge in State College Borough
- $78,000 for stormwater improvements on Medical Center Drive in Rush Township
- $255,500 for a Viaro Boulevard rehabilitation project in Patton Township
- $435,266 for Decker Valley Road improvements in Potter Township
Carroll also used the event to urge drivers to drive the speed limit, wear a seatbelt and pay special attention to the roads when driving through a work zone.
“There was a double-fatal accident this week in Chester County in southeast PA, with the work zone intrusion by a truck,” Carroll said. “That tragic instance we do not want to repeat here in Centre County or across District Two.”
PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects can be found at www.pa.gov/DOTprojects, and PennDOT news can be found on X, Facebook, and Instagram.