A heavily trafficked road connecting College and Harris Townships will see some major upgrades next year.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation plans to do some intensive work on a roughly mile-long stretch of Warner Boulevard, which contains the on- and off-ramps for Route 322 near Boalsburg.
Tentatively slated to begin next spring, PennDOT project manager John Diebel says the work begins at the interchange with South Atherton Street and will continue down Warner Boulevard to the point where it intersects with Linden Hall Road at the entrance to Oak Hall.
Diebel points out the current road is uneven and heavily patched, and says renovations have been on PennDOT’s radar for years. By repaving, slightly narrowing the lanes and installing new sidewalks, Diebel aims to make the road safer for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.
College Township engineer Kent Baker says the project will fix a problematic stretch of road about which the township has received numerous complaints.
“The interchange itself is designed for 45 miles per hour, with wide lanes and shoulders that lend themselves to higher speeds,” Baker says. “Then when you hit Oak Hall it necks down and it’s suddenly 25 miles per hour with no shoulders and sharp curves.”
Baker says this sudden shift in lane width and speed limit hasn’t caused any major car crashes in recent years, but adds that nearby residents often complain about motorists speeding through the winding, 25 mile per hour zone.
Diebel says the project includes several “traffic calming” elements. As cars approach the 25 mile per hour zone, the lanes will reduce from 12 feet to 11 feet wide. The existing medians will also be removed to make way for pedestrian sidewalks, so the lanes will also come closer together as they narrow.
Construction is planned to start in spring 2016 and finish by the fall to avoid impacting the return of Penn State students and the start of football season. Diebel says motorists will be able to use Warner Boulevard to get on Route 322, but that the off-ramp from 322 will be closed and detoured during construction.
Diebel estimates that the project will cost about $5 million, which he says is about average for a project of this size. Baker adds that the townships will contribute to the cost of installing sidewalks, and estimates that College Township’s share will work out to about $50,000.
Diebel and other PennDOT workers displayed these plans to the public and the College Township Board of Supervisors on Thursday night, where they gathered input and suggestions. There will be another public meeting at the Boalsburg Fire Hall on Monday, August 10 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. where PennDOT will seek input from township residents.
“We’ve heard a lot of concerns from the public, so I’m happy to see so much interest in this,” says College Township supervisor Carla Stilson.
