Bellefonte, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is providing an update for traffic impacts on Interstate 80 eastbound and westbound as the Local Interchange Route 26 project continues in Centre County. The work zone is located between the I-80/161 exit and Jacksonville Road, east of Bellefonte. Work to build the local interchange can affect I-80 traffic.
On Tuesday, November 24, drivers will encounter a daylight left lane closure on I-80 eastbound as crews perform a high priority guiderail repair. The guide rail was damaged in an earlier vehicular crash. After thisrepair, no other closures are scheduled through 2020.
Work on this project is in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan. The plan includes protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the job site and relevant training.
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. 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.
