Bellefonte, PA – As work on the local interchange/Route 26 project in Centre County continues, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is providing a mid-July update on the project. The work zone is located along I-80 near the Bellefonte/161 interchange and can affect traffic flow on Interstate 80 and Route 26. 

Motorists should anticipate the following the week of July 11:

Interstate 80 eastbound:

• Traffic is now in its long-term configuration for summer. Traffic in the left lane will take the crossover to I-80 westbound. Traffic in the right lane will remain on I-80 eastbound and be shifted onto the shoulder while traveling through the work zone. When exiting, traffic will merge from the shoulder into the travel lane while traffic from the crossover rejoins I-80 eastbound in the left lane.

Interstate 80 westbound:

• I-80 westbound is now in its long-term configuration for the summer. All lanes are shifted right. In this configuration, the shoulder functions as the right (travel) lane and the travel lane as the left (passing) lane.

On Route 26, about a mile east of the KOA campground, flaggers in the roadway continue to enforce an alternating traffic pattern as drainage work and roadway widening progress. Lane restrictions will be lifted by the end of the day each day.

Work scheduled for this season includes three miles of reconstruction on I-80 eastbound, building new ramps and a connector road, completing a bridge structure, and reconstructing and improving a section of 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. Up-to-date information is available on the project page at www.penndot.pa.gov/jacksonvilleroad.

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. 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 and improve the reliability of roadway travel throughout the region.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Subscribe to PennDOT news in Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, and Potter counties at www.penndot.gov/District2.

Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.   

MEDIA CONTACT:  Marla Fannin (814) 765-0423

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