Portion of I-80 westbound near Bellefonte to temporarily close Thursday
A portion of I-80 westbound near Bellefonte will shut down for at least two hours Thursday for “vehicle recovery operations,” meaning motorists will need to take a temporary detour around the area.
According to PennDOT, which issued a news release on the temporary closure, both lanes of I-80 westbound near the 161/Bellefonte exit will close. The closure was initially expected to start at 10 p.m. are reopen sometime after midnight, but in an updated news release sent at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday, PennDOT wrote that the recovery operation will start “as soon as possible” due to traffic backups along I-80.
Based on public emergency services information, a tractor trailer rolled over off the side of the roadway around 5:30 a.m. Thursday. Presumably, that is the vehicle being retrieved Thursday night.
One person reportedly had injuries in the crash, although the person’s current status was not immediately known.
PennDOT reported that the “Brown” detour will be in effect, so traffic on I-80 westbound will be redirected off the Interstate at exit 178/Lock Haven. Motorists will then be rerouted to Route 220 northbound to Route 150 southbound, where traffic will reconnect with Interstate 80 at Milesburg.
“Local traffic familiar with the area may choose alternate routes,” PennDOT wrote in a release.
Message boards along I-99 northbound will also alert motorists to the detour, as drivers on I-99 northbound will not be able to access I-80 westbound at Bellefonte. Instead, they’re being directed to take the 78A/150 South exit before reconnecting with I-80 at Milesburg.
For more information, PennDOT encourages residents to check conditions on that roadway and more than 40,000 others by visiting 511PA.com or following @511PAStateColl on Twitter.
This story was originally published September 25, 2025 at 4:47 PM.
