Get ready for delays in State College: Significant roadwork coming to South Atherton next year
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A 2-year-long roadwork project is poised to hit South Atherton Street in State College next spring — and is expected to cause significant traffic congestion, with detours at various times and crews working overnight at points.
Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation addressed the State College Borough Council on Monday to present the long-anticipated project, which is set to occur on South Atherton Street between Curtin Road and Westerly Parkway. The state’s work — estimated at $17 million — includes improvements to the drainage network, roadway, traffic signals and pedestrian crossings. It also involves the relocation of several water, gas and sewer lines.
“I give you a lot of credit. You’re really doing detailed planning, and it’s great,” Councilman Peter Marshall told the PennDOT officials. But, he added, “It’s going to be a problem no matter how you do it.”
According to PennDOT, the project is scheduled to be put up for bid in February. Roadwork is then anticipated to start May 9, 2022, and expected to end in early summer 2024.
The project is part of the full Atherton Street reconstruction, which saw North Atherton improvements completed in spring 2020. It is not yet known if this project will be the final one that Atherton sees from the state. No related Atherton projects are currently scheduled but, PennDOT spokesperson Marla Fannin acknowledged, if more funding becomes available, it’s possible a similar project could be done at a later time and starting where this one ends.
Council did not take action Monday, and PennDOT’s anticipated changes to the 1.4-mile stretch of road could be tweaked or altered in the coming months. Council will also have to formally approve anything that requires a noise waiver, or similar waivers.
An overview of some of the work being done on the project formally known as the State Route 3014/Section 153 highway reconstruction:
Roadway improvements
- Making sure road is a minimum of 10 feet wide at all points
- Pavement mill and overlay and cross-slope correction
- ADA curb ramp improvements
Drainage improvements
- Replacement of deteriorated drainage pipe and inlets
- Addition of new inlets
- Flow bypass system to reduce frequency of flooding at the bus terminal
Traffic signal improvements
- Mast arm replacement at Curtin, White Course, bus depot, College, Beaver and Westerly
- Complete traffic signal replacement at Westerly Parkway
- Radar presence detection at Beaver Avenue and Westerly Parkway
- Pedestrian-push button installation
Pedestrian-crossing improvements
- New rectangular flashing beacons, signage and preformed thermoplastic crosswalk at intersections with Foster, Fairmount, Hamilton and Logan
Utility relocations
- Waterline relocation (SCBWA) from College Avenue to Westerly Parkway
- Waterline replacement/crossing (Penn State) between Westgate Building and bus depot
- Sewer main line replacement (State College Borough) from Railroad Avenue to Westerly Parkway
- Sewer-line replacement/crossing (Penn State) just prior to the bus depot
- Relocation of gas (Columbia Gas) at bus depot intersection and relocation from Cliffside Apartments and Westerly Parkway intersection.
This story was originally published September 20, 2021 at 4:24 PM.
