STATE COLLEGE — According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, PennDOT officials proposed the construction of the State College Area Connector.

This connector is an approximately 8-mile four-lane limited access facility connecting the Mount Nittany Expressway near Boalsburg to the newly constructed limited access portion of U.S. 322 at Potters Mills.

PennDOT stated via press release that a Planning and Environmental Linkages study was recently completed and it identified three alternative corridors to advance for further study.

These three Planning and Environmental Linkages studies Build Alternatives corridors provide the foundation for outlining the current study area for which preliminary engineering and detailed environmental investigations will occur under the National Environmental Policy Act process.

PennDOT’s District 2 Portfolio Manager Eric Murnyack said that while PennDOT is in the preliminary engineering phase (National Environmental Policy Act process) of the project the construction phase will not begin until 2030.

Murnyack said that the project is funded by the state of Pennsylvania with a roughly $500 to $700 million budget.

“The purpose is to address safety and mobility,” Murnyack said regarding the State College Area Connector project.

He added that another project aim for the connector is to reduce congestion on the roadway.

PennDOT stated in a press release that after the State College Area Connector Planning and Environmental Linkages study or planning phase of project development, PennDOT requested that the Federal Highway Administration publish a notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

This notice initiates the National Environmental Policy Act phase of project development, which includes conducting detailed field investigations and traffic analysis and refining engineering alternatives.

PennDOT stated that the National Environmental Policy Act phase has a two-year time frame for receiving an official decision on the alternative to advance for final design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction.

PennDOT anticipates holding its second of two public meetings and a public hearing for the State College Area Connector project.

National Environmental Policy Act

PennDOT stated that the refined connector project details will be presented at a second public meeting anticipated in early 2025.

This meeting aims to identify the alternative alignments to be studied in the draft Environmental Impact Study and present the draft recommended preferred alternative alignment.

A public hearing will be held after the release of the drafted study for public and agency review. The final impact study and decision is anticipated in June 2026.

For more information and updates on the State College Area Connector project visit www.penndot.pa.gov.