Draft study on State College Area Connector project is done. How to read it, give input
A draft report that details how Pennsylvania’s transportation agency identified three potential routes for a major highway construction project in Centre County was released Thursday.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s 123-page draft planning and environmental linkages study summarizes much of the information that has already been publicly released. The study is the first of five phases in the development of all state transportation projects.
The report can be reviewed for 30 days. All comments must be received by PennDOT by March 19. They can be sent to project manager Dean Ball at deball@pa.gov or in writing to PennDOT District 2-0, 70 PennDOT Drive, Clearfield, PA 16830, Attn: Dean Ball, PE.
All three potential alignments — identified by PennDOT as U.S. 322-1S, U.S. 322-1OEX and U.S. 322-5 — would bring the project through the U.S. Route 322 corridor at a cost that ranges from $432 million to $517 million. Main line construction would span about eight miles.
The first two options would include a connection with state Route 45. The third option would run the project south of the existing highway. Each would connect Potters Mills Gap to the intersection of Route 322 and Route 45.
Overall traffic in the area is projected to increase nearly 31% by 2050, while truck traffic is expected to increase nearly 35%. Without construction, PennDOT wrote in the report, the roads in the area will not be able to handle the additional vehicles.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028 and be completed by 2033.
This story was originally published February 16, 2023 at 2:32 PM.