PennDOT celebrates completion of I-80 interchange project near Bellefonte

BELLEFONTE, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday to celebrate the completion of the Interstate80/local interchange project in Centre County. The new interchange is now open to traffic.

“Reaching completion on this new interchange is both satisfying and exciting,” said Deputy Secretary for Transportation Planning, Larry Shifflet. “From the initial $35 million under the INFRA grant to today’s opening—it’s literally been a long road.”

Located east of Bellefonte, completion of the new interchange is part of a long-awaited safety improvement in Centre County. At a cost of $52 million, 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 improve Jacksonville Road (Route 26).

In July 2018, the project was awarded an initial $35 million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant. Completing all three phases will support the regional freight economy, improve the reliability of roadway travel throughout the region, and enhance safety for roadway users.

“Opening the new interchange is an important milestone,” said District 2 Executive Tom Zurat. “Access to I-80 becomes easier for local residents and leads us to the next two phases of this major safety improvement. We celebrate today with everyone who is invested in transportation safety.”

Speakers and attendees at the event included Centre County Commissioners, area legislators, planning partners, contractors, and the general public. Attendees helped cut two ribbons, one for the westbound on-ramp and one for the bridge spanning I-80 that leads to the eastbound on-ramp. Information on the local interchange, as well as a “look-ahead” to the next two projects can be found at www.penndot.pa.gov/jacksonvilleroad.