Road work on East College Avenue (Route 26) in College Township will result in lane closures and detours for about five months, according to PennDOT.
Reconstruction of a bridge spanning Spring Creek at the Pike Street/Houserville Road intersection will begin on Monday, June 1. The project will affect access to and from Pike Street and Houserville Road.
The contractor will remove the concrete island and place asphalt at the intersection. On Monday, the northbound and southbound left lanes of East College Avenue will be closed, shifting traffic to the right lanes.
Traffic will not be permitted to turn left onto Houserville Road or Pike Street. On Monday only, traffic from Houserville Road will be permitted to turn onto East College, but will not be able to travel straight through.
On Tuesday, June 2, the contractor will close Houserville Road and Pike Street at the intersection and implement detours. There will be no access to East College Avenue from either road.
Traffic on Houserville Road will follow Puddintown Road to East College Avenue. A temporary traffic signal will be in place at the intersection of Puddintown Road and East College Avenue to assist with the increased traffic volume.
Right turns onto Houserville Road from East College Avenue will be permitted during this phase of construction via the existing turning lane.
Traffic on Pike Street will follow Elmwood Street in Lemont to College Avenue.
Also beginning Tuesday, the northbound lanes of College Avenue heading toward the Nittany Mall will be closed, shifting northbound traffic into the southbound lane and creating one lane of travel in each direction.
The traffic pattern is expected to remain in place until mid-August, when the contractor will close the southbound lanes and shift traffic into the northbound lanes. PennDOT will issue an update before the change in traffic pattern occurs.
Work on the bridge project is expected to conclude in early November, though schedules are subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
Reconstruction of the bridge — which was built in 1940, widened in 1958, and carries 15,000 vehicles daily — will improve ride quality across the structure and its overall condition rating, according to PennDOT.
Work includes a full replacement of the bridge superstructure, repairs to the substructure, installation of new beams, concrete repairs, approach paving, guide rail upgrades and line painting.
