State College, Pa. -- With construction activity underway, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is issuing an update for its North Atherton Street project in State College. The entire project will take place through 2019, with phased work zones stretching from Aaron Drive to Park Avenue. Work will include relocation of numerous utility lines, relocation of sewer and water lines, drainage improvements, curbing, sidewalks, ADA ramps, traffic signal upgrades, new concrete median and paving.
Through mid-April, motorists can expect to encounter the following:
- On Wednesday, March 28, night work will take place to install waterline across Atherton Street at several locations. Work hours are set to begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday and will continue through 5 p.m. Thursday, March 29.
- No work will be performed by the contractor on Friday, March 30 in observance of Good Friday and the Easter holiday weekend. Columbia Gas may be working on Friday.
- Water and sewer line replacement continues from Aaron Drive to Blue Course Drive. Water and sewer line replacement work will advance to Park Avenue throughout the construction season as work zones become available upon completion of utility contractor's work. Lane closures will be associated with these operations, with lane closures alternating as needed.
- During work at the Aaron Drive intersection, there will be a detour that routes all traffic to Martin Street.
- Starting April 2, Verizon is expected to begin relocation of overhead lines from Blue Course Drive to Cherry Lane. Lane closures will be associated with these relocations.
- Other utility contractors will continue performing relocation work from Blue Course Drive to Park Avenue. Lane closures will be associated with these relocations. Utility work will continue through June.
- Flaggers will be present in the roadway directing traffic. Traffic may be stopped for short periods of time. Drivers are reminded to use caution when traveling through the work zone. Do not follow construction equipment into the closed lane.
- Travel delays could occur because of the lane closures - especially during high traffic volume times. Drivers should allow for extra travel time.
All work is weather and schedule dependent. PennDOT will issue project updates on a regular basis. Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc. of State College is the contractor on this $12.8 million job. Drivers are reminded to move through work zones with caution, obey posted speed limits, and always buckle up.
To help make decisions about travel, motorists are encouraged to "Know Before You Go" by checking conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 850 traffic cameras. Users can also see plow truck statuses and travel alerts along a specific route using the "Check My Route" tool. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
For regional updates on Twitter, follow www.twitter.com/511PAStateColl