From staff reports

LEWISTOWN — Residents in central Pennsylvania — including those who frequently travel to Centre County from Mifflin and Juniata counties — now have an opportunity to review and comment on a major highway project proposed for the State College area.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation , working with the Federal Highway Administration, announced that draft materials for the proposed State College Area Connector Project are available for public review. The project would construct an eight-mile, four-lane limited-access roadway on a new alignment connecting the four-lane section of U.S. 322/Mount Nittany Expressway near Route 45 with U.S. 322 at Potters Mills.

The proposed connector is intended to improve traffic flow along a corridor frequently used by motorists traveling between Centre County and surrounding areas, including commuters, Penn State visitors and residents from Mifflin and Juniata counties heading toward State College.

PennDOT officials said the public can review and comment on the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Individual Section 4(f) evaluation during a 45-day period running from through April 20.

Copies of the documents are available online at PennDOT’s State College Area Connector project webpage and in person at several locations in Centre County and Harrisburg, including the PennDOT Engineering District 2-0 office in Clearfield and various municipal and county offices in the State College region.

As part of the comment period, PennDOT and the Federal Highway Administration will hold a public hearing April 7 at Calvary Church-Harvest Fields in Boalsburg. Doors will open at 4 p.m., with the hearing beginning at 5 p.m.

Private testimony will be accepted from 4 to 8 p.m., while public testimony will be taken from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Those wishing to speak will be limited to five minutes. Individuals may register in advance through the project website or sign up when they arrive.

Written comments can also be submitted through the project website, by completing a comment form at the hearing, or by sending letters or emails to PennDOT Engineering District 2 in Clearfield.

PennDOT said the proposed connector would create a new limited-access roadway between the Mount Nittany Expressway and Potters Mills, where traffic currently funnels through a two-lane section of U.S. 322 that can experience congestion during peak travel times and major Penn State events.