PennDOT officials gave an update on District 2 projects at a recent press conference near the I-80/I-99 work zone, and also shared statistics about road safety throughout the area.
Even though it’s winter, work is ongoing to build the high speed interchange near Bellefonte.
“To date, we're approximately 25% complete with a current completion date of the fall of 2030," said Brent Lykens, PennDOT's assistant executive for District 2, which covers Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin and Potter counties.
Officials say the crossover lanes will be ready for drivers next year. Those paved roads on the median of I-99 will be removed once the overall project is complete. The eastbound off ramp could also be ready for use next spring.
PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said he’s excited to see the project finished.
“As somebody who lives in northeastern PA and comes to State College regularly, not just for Penn State games, I am eager to see the completion of the high speed ramps that will efficiently move and safely move traffic between the two interstates," Carroll said.
PennDOT said they’re currently projecting the cost of the interchange at $259.3 million. At another event last year, officials estimated the cost at about $190 million. Part of the project's funding came from a $35 million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant.
As work continues, officials urge drivers to pay attention and follow the posted speed limits in work zones. District 2 Executive Thomas Prestash said there's been an uptick of work zone accidents this year.
"Which is obviously very concerning," Prestash said. "We are going to be deploying more (speed cameras) in the future."
Prestash said these speed cameras take pictures of drivers' licenses and automatically ticket people who are going over the speed limit. He said the cameras have helped reduce the number of accidents in areas where they're installed.
Carroll also pointed to Pennsylvania's new distracted driving law as a way to cut down on work zone accidents. That law bans any use of a handheld cell phone, tablet or other electronic device while driving, including while stopped at a red light.
Carroll said it's too soon to know how successful the law has been in preventing accidents.
"It's only been enforced for a few months," Carroll said. "But the reality is that the numbers will be driven down if Pennsylvania is like every other state."
Pennsylvania's distracted driving law doesn't ban the use of a GPS device or a system or device that is physically or electronically integrated into the vehicle.
