KFC madness? New State College fast-food restaurant causing traffic problems
Centre County’s first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant to open in over a decade is wildly popular — but that popularity has caused some major traffic snarls since the State College location opened Tuesday.
On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, there was heavy traffic congestion in the area of the 1780 S. Atherton Street restaurant, with backups heading both directions while the drive-thru lane spilled into the roadway. Lunchtime traffic has also been heavy in the area.
A motor-vehicle oriented business conditional use permit for a KFC with a drive-thru in Creekside Plaza were approved in June 2018 by State College Borough Council.
State College councilman Dan Murphy tweeted, “Y’all could not wait for your @kfc!” on Tuesday. He said the parking lot was full and the “drive-thru lane is backed up all the way through intersection on to W. Branch road.”
Brandon Fedeli tweeted that at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, the drive-thru line was half a mile down Atherton Street.
“This is the biggest story in chicken since the Popeyes sandwich. I wish I was kidding,” he said.
State College police are aware of the traffic congestion and are monitoring it, said Lt. Greg Brauser. But, he added, there’s “nothing special about it” since congestion happens whenever a new fast-food restaurant opens in the area.
On Wednesday night, he confirmed, police received a call about traffic clogging the right lane of South Atherton Street due to cars trying to turn right onto West Branch Road.
For drivers who access that part of town, he said, it’s important to drive carefully, follow the speed limit and pay attention for stopped cars.
But traffic isn’t new on that side of town.
“(Traffic) does that every night, without the Kentucky Fried Chicken,” he said.
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