PennDOT announced that the contractor for its high-speed interchange project between Interstates 80 and 99 will implement a detour on Route 26 southbound between the I-80 westbound off-ramps and Forest Avenue starting Monday, Jan. 12. This work is part of a project to enhance traffic safety by providing a direct connection between the two interstates, making it unnecessary to travel along Route 26 to access them, which will relieve traffic congestion and realign service for local traffic.

Starting Jan. 12, traffic on I-80 westbound heading for I-99 southbound will not be permitted to use exit 161/Bellefonte. Instead, traffic will continue along I-80 westbound to exit 158/Milesburg and, after taking the Milesburg exit, merge back onto I-80 eastbound to access I-99 southbound at the Bellefonte exit.

Additionally, traffic heading southbound on Route 26 from Howard toward State College will also be directed onto I-80 westbound and will follow the same detour.

Traffic heading northbound on Route 26 toward Howard will not be impacted.

PennDOT expects this detour will be in place until the end of March. All construction schedules are subject to change without notice due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

Work on this contract includes building the interchange, 10 bridges, four retaining walls, five box culverts, seven sign structures and three changeable message boards.

The project also includes constructing new and rebuilding existing roadways and ramps, drainage improvements, installing Intelligent Transportation System devices, guide rail and highway lighting, pavement marking, stream improvements and miscellaneous construction.

This project will continue through the next six construction seasons, ending in 2030. Trumbull Corp. of Pittsburgh is the contractor on this $259 million project. About $170 million of the funding comes from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

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 took place over three construction seasons between 2020-22. The contract value was $52 million. That phase benefited from a $35 million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant.

The other 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. Active construction on that project is ongoing.

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.

PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects can be found at www.pa.gov/DOTprojects.