A class of Penn State students are releasing a documentary with their findings on ways to minimize the effects of a major upcoming road construction project in the State College area.
The State College Area Connector will replace a section of Route 322 near State College and impact agricultural lands, local waterways and homes. The 8-mile high speed freeway segment will run from Potters Mills to Boalsburg.
“Rethinking 322: Building a Better Road to the Future” is about 45-minutes-long and includes four years worth of research from PennDOT, other state transportation departments, engineers and Penn State law. There will be a free screening at the State Theatre in downtown State College Monday at 7 p.m. After the film, students will be in the lobby to talk about their work and hand out pamphlets.
PennDOT has said the project, which could cost around $500 million, will improve road safety.
The film includes interviews with residents in the valley, including Marianne Kuhns.
”I think the community, all of us, recognize the need for the safety," Kuhns said. "You may not like what they’re telling you. I don’t like them telling me what they’re going to do out there. Some of us are going to have to give some stuff up. I feel I can say that because I know I am.”
Kuhns is the owner of Kuhns Tree Farm, which will be split by the route chosen by PennDOT. She said she worries her grandchildren won’t be able to continue the family tradition of growing and selling Christmas trees.
Bonnie Darlington, another resident in the documentary, said PennDOT plans to build the four lanes through her family’s farm. In the documentary, she's seen walking through farmland and gestured to different areas.
”This is our farm, the farm that I'm on," Darlington said, pointing. "And this is my son’s right here, right next door. His farm is the one that’s in jeopardy."
Darlington’s story is one that stood out to Jaden West, the student director of the film.
“The Darlingtons have been on their farm since 1988 and they have a very historical piece of land," West said. "And Bonnie’s son, Jesse, is going to be losing basically his entire homestead. His barns, his buildings, his land. It’s going to be plowed right over. It’s been really hard for them.”
The farm has been there since the 1800s, according to the Centre County Historical Society.
Students hope the film will inform the community about the project, help people empathize with those impacted and inspire viewers to speak out.
Dan Marriott is an associate professor of landscape architecture at Penn State, and has been teaching a class based on the 322 connector project since 2022.
“We believe there’s different ways to solve safety than just building a freeway," Marriott said. "So looking at alternative designs that have been tested in other places that can improve safety but also recognize the cultural landscape, the important water resources we have in the valley, agriculture, local businesses, residents that all use the valley will be hugely impacted by a freeway.”
Marriott said now is an important time to raise awareness.
“This spring is when a lot of the decisions will start getting finalized in terms of what’s going to happen with the possible roadway, with the State College Area Connector," Marriott said.
PennDOT announced its preferred route for the project in May of this year, but Marriott encourages people to keep commenting and suggesting changes to the project, like building along the natural landscape instead of cutting and filling through mountains.
PennDOT announced minor changes in July to the route to spare a baseball field and to reduce impacts on farmland.
PennDOT is expected to release its Draft Environmental Impact Statement early next year. The public will be able to comment on it and PennDOT will hold a public hearing.
Construction on the State College Area Connector could begin as early as 2030 and take about five years to complete.
