$52 million Bellefonte I-80 interchange project continues next week

BELLEFONTE, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is providing an early April update for its Local Interchange/Route 26 project in Centre County. The work zone is located along I-80 east of the Bellefonte/161 interchange and work to build the local interchange can affect traffic flow on Interstate 80.

During the week of April 5, traffic control will feature the following:

• On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, there will be an eastbound, left lane closure with the single lane pushed to the outside shoulder.

• On Thursday and Friday, there will be an eastbound double-lane shift to the right with concrete barrier. Traffic will be shifted to the right lane and outside shoulder.

• On Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be a westbound, short-term left-lane closure with channelizers.

• On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the left lane of westbound will use the crossover to eastbound. The right lane of westbound will remain on westbound and will be shifted to the left lane through the work zone. The left lane will shift back to the right and the crossover lane will rejoin westbound at the end of the work zone.

This year, motorists will use a crossover taking one lane of traffic from I-80 westbound to I-80 eastbound. The lane configuration through the work zone will be three lanes on eastbound and one remaining on westbound. To prepare for opening of the crossovers there will be some preliminary work taking place.

Work this season will include completion of basin construction in the median, completion of norther ramps, full depth reconstruction of I-80 westbound bridge piers and northern abutment, and construction of the connector road between I-80 and Route 26.

The I-80/Route 26 local interchange project is east of Bellefonte and is part of a long-awaited safety-improvement in Centre County. HRI, Inc. of State College is the contractor on this $52 million project, which will run through October of 2022. Up-to-date information can be found on the project page at www.penndot.gov/SR26Localinterchange

The local interchange project is the first phase of a three-phase project to build local access, a high-speed interchange connection between I-99 and I-80, and to make improvements on Jacksonville Road. An initial $35 million for the project was announced in July 2018, coming through a federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant. Completion of all three phases will support regional freight economy and improve the reliability of roadway travel throughout the region.