The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced plans to place concrete barriers on Route 26 in Centre County. This is part of the High-Speed Interchange project between Interstates 80 and 99. The barriers will be set between Route 1005 (Forest Avenue) and the I-80 eastbound ramps on Thursday, June 19.
The purpose of these barriers is to protect crews working on widening the roadway under the I-80 bridges that span Route 26. Flaggers will manage traffic control during this process, which PennDOT expects to complete in one day, weather permitting. Once finished, traffic patterns will revert to their original state.
PennDOT emphasizes that this section of Route 26 remains open only to northbound traffic toward Howard/Jacksonville Road starting at the I-80 westbound ramps. The barrier placement and road widening are components of a larger project aimed at enhancing traffic safety by providing a direct connection between Interstates 80 and 99, thereby reducing congestion on Route 26.
The comprehensive project includes constructing an interchange, ten bridges, four retaining walls, five box culverts, seven sign structures, and three changeable message boards. Additional work involves building new roads and ramps, improving drainage systems, installing intelligent transportation devices, guide rails, highway lighting, pavement markings, stream improvements, and other miscellaneous construction tasks. The entire project is expected to continue over six construction seasons until its completion in 2030.
Trumbull Corporation from Pittsburgh is the contractor for this $259 million project. Funding includes approximately $170 million from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). This high-speed interchange marks the second phase of a three-phase initiative. The first phase involved constructing a local access interchange at mile marker 163 with a contract value of $52 million and was supported by a $35 million federal INFRA grant.
The final phase will focus on reconstructing and widening Route 26 to support the State roadway network with features like 11-foot travel lanes and 4-foot shoulders. Excavation began last November with active construction slated for the 2025 season. Completion of all phases aims to bolster the regional freight economy and improve travel reliability across the region.
Information from this article can be found here.
