Detour at Centre County highway interchange project extended through July
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- PennDOT extends I-80/I-99 interchange detour through July due to winter weather delays.
- Westbound I-80 drivers must detour via exit 158, merge eastbound, then return to exit 161.
- The $259 million, three-phase interchange project is expected to finish in 2030.
A significant detour involving the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s highway interchange project between Interstates 80 and 99 has been extended to the summer.
The detour, which was initially implemented in mid-January, prevents westbound drivers on I-80 from using exit 161 (Bellefonte) to reach I-99 southbound. Instead, drivers must continue along I-80 westbound to exit 158 (Milesburg), merge onto I-80 eastbound and then travel back to the Bellefonte exit to access I-99 southbound.
Drivers heading southbound along state Route 26 from Howard toward State College also to follow the same detour onto I-80 westbound, although the detour does not affect traffic heading northbound on Route 26 toward Howard.
This detour was originally supposed to remain in effect until the end of March, but it will now remain in place through July, PennDOT announced in a press release Tuesday.
“PennDOT anticipated lifting this detour in the spring, but severe winter weather conditions delayed work progress and made it necessary to extend the time the detour will remain in place,” the release states.
The high-speed interchange marks just one phase of a three-phase project meant to “enhance traffic safety” by providing 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.
PennDOT’s $259 million project includes the construction of the interchange, 10 bridges, retaining walls, new signs and more, plus the construction and rebuilding of existing roadways, ramps, drainage improvements and other upgrades.
The overarching project, under the construction of Pittsburgh’s Trumbull Corporation, is expected to finish in 2030. Work on the project began in 2020 when crews constructed a local access interchange at mile marker 163 to provide direct access between Route 26 and I-80 for local traffic.
Crews will also reconstruct and widen Route 26 to offer 11-foot travel lanes and 4-foot shoulders to round out the project.
“Completing all three phases will support the regional freight economy and improve the reliability of roadway travel throughout the region,” PennDOT wrote in a statement.