PennDOT to start weekslong traffic study on Route 45 in Centre County. Here’s what to know
A traffic study at intersections along state Route 45 in Harris and Potter townships will start Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced.
The study, which was originally announced in January 2024, is to be completed by Gannett Fleming, Inc., and is part of measures being taken to help address safety concerns identified on the route during the State College Area Connector project’s Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study.
The intersections where the studies will take place are listed as follows:
Route 45 with Willowbrook Drive/Rockey Ridge Road
Route 45 with Linden Hall Road
Route 45 with Cedar Run Road
Route 45 with Rockey Lane
Route 45 with Estate Drive
Route 45 with Elks Club Road
Route 45 with Schempf Road
Route 45 with Sharer Road
Route 45 with Hidden Lake Drive
Route 45 with Hoot Road West
Route 45 with Hoot Road East
Route 45 with Route 144
Route 45 with Homan Lane
According to a press release, drivers may also see crews working between Estate Drive and Elks Club Road, Sharer Road and Hidden Lake Drive, Williams and Tussey roads and Hoot Road’s east and west outlets onto Route 45.
PennDOT will have crews collecting data during peak periods of traffic between 6:30-8:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and 3:30 -5:30 p.m.
Drivers may experience minimal delays due to flaggers being out for “brief periods” while PennDOT’s crews set up their equipment, according to the release.
While a connector between Route 45 and U.S. Route 322 was initially proposed as part of the multi-million dollar State College Area Connector project, PennDOT removed it from consideration early last year. Residents who live along Route 45 were concerned about increased traffic, decreased property value and safety concerns.
PennDOT announced at that time that it would allocate $3 million to study and address safety concerns on Route 45 between Harris and Potter townships. The study is being done independently of the ongoing SCAC project.
The SCAC continuing to move forward, as PennDOT is currently conducting a number of engineering and environmental studies to determine which corridor the project route would follow — three routes remain on the table.
The project’s current phase, Preliminary Engineering/Environmental Studies (NEPA) is expected to last until mid-2026. No properties have yet been identified for acquisition; that’s slated to begin in 2029. Construction would begin in 2030 and take about five years to complete.
Traffic updates can be found at www.penndot.pa.gov/District2, and more information on PennDOT’s active construction projects, including the connector project, can be found at www.projects.penndot.gov.