​Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that Verizon, Zito Media, and the contractor for its High-Speed Interchange between Interstates 80 and 99 will relocate overhead utility wires on Wednesday, October 30. PennDOT expects significant impacts for eastbound and westbound traffic on Interstate 80 between mile markers 158 and 163 and urges drivers to build extra time into their travel schedules or seek alternate routes.

Starting at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, October 30, the contractor will implement rolling slowdowns and stoppages as crews start relocation work. PennDOT anticipates stoppages of 15 consecutive minutes before the contractor releases queued traffic. PennDOT expects this to be a daylong process lasting until approximately 3:00 PM. All work is weather-dependent.

Drivers familiar with the area may wish to seek alternate routes. PennDOT suggests eastbound traffic on Interstate 80 seeking an alternate route use the 161/Bellefonte exit and follow Route 26 to reconnect with I-80 at the 163/Jacksonville Road exit. It also suggests westbound traffic use the 173/Lamar exit and follow Route 64 back to I-80 at the 161/Bellefonte exit. Drivers following these routes will not avoid the work zone entirely and should still build extra time into their travel schedules.

This project will enhance traffic safety by providing a direct connection between the two highways, making it unnecessary to travel along Route 26 to access them, relieving traffic congestion, and realigning service for local traffic.

Overall work on this project includes building the interchange, ten bridges, four retaining walls, five box culverts, seven sign structures, and three changeable message boards. It also includes constructing new and rebuilding existing roadways and ramps, drainage improvements, installing Intelligent Transportation Devices, guide rail and highway lighting, pavement marking, stream improvements, and miscellaneous construction. Work will continue through the next six construction seasons, ending in 2030.

Trumbull Corporation of Pittsburgh, PA, is the contractor on this $259 million project. Approximately $170 million of the funding comes from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). 

The high-speed interchange is the next phase of a three-phase project. The first involved the construction of the local access interchange at mile marker 163, which provided direct access between Route 26 and I-80 for local traffic. Construction on that phase occurred over three construction seasons between 2020 and 2022. The contract value was $52 million. That phase benefited from a $35 million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding American (INFRA) grant. 

The remaining phase will reconstruct and widen Route 26 to maintain and support the State roadway network. It will feature 11-foot travel lanes and 4-foot shoulders. That project bid on Thursday, August 22, with Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc. of State College, PA, named the apparent low bidder at $8.6 million. Construction on that phase will begin in the 2026 construction season. 

Completing all three phases will support the regional freight economy and improve the reliability of roadway travel throughout the region. 

Motorists are encouraged to “Know Before They Go" by checking conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles 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.

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