Exit closures begin on I-80 for Bellefonte
Nine-day, around-the-clock closure starts Aug. 24
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From staff reports
BELLEFONTE -- Motorists traveling Interstate 80 eastbound will encounter overnight closures of the Bellefonte exit through Aug. 24 as work continues on the $259 million high-speed interchange project connecting I-80 and Interstate 99.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said Exit 161/Bellefonte and the right travel lane of I-80 eastbound will close each evening, reopening each morning. The closures began Monday and will allow crews to place barriers and perform roadway reconstruction.
During the closures, eastbound traffic will use the crossover lane at mile marker 159.2 to cross the median onto I-80 westbound.
Drivers heading to I-99 southbound will continue to Exit 163/Jacksonville-Howard and follow I-80 westbound back to the Bellefonte exit. Traffic traveling from I-99 northbound to I-80 eastbound will take I-80 westbound to Exit 158/Milesburg, exit and then merge onto I-80 eastbound.
A longer closure is scheduled to begin Aug. 24, when the Bellefonte exit will close around the clock for nine days while crews replace a box culvert. After that work is completed, closures will return to nighttime only for the remainder of the construction season.
The work is part of PennDOT's high-speed interchange project designed to create a direct connection between I-80 and I-99, eliminating the need for interstate traffic to use Route 26.
The project includes construction of 10 bridges, four retaining walls, five box culverts, seven sign structures and three changeable message boards, along with new and reconstructed roadways and ramps.
Work is expected to continue through 2030. Trumbull Corporation of Pittsburgh is the contractor for the $259 million project, with approximately $170 million coming from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
PennDOT urged drivers to use caution, obey posted speed limits and watch for slow-moving or stopped traffic throughout the work zone.