Work will soon commence for a long-awaited new shared-use path that will expand the network of connections for pedestrians and cyclists in State College.
The Borough Council on Monday approved Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc.’s low bid of $3.37 million for construction of the two-segment path on Easterly/Westerly Parkway and Blue Course Drive.
Construction is expected to begin in late May and conclude by Dec. 2, according to information included in Monday night’s meeting agenda.
Planning for the new 1.6 miles of paths dates back to at least 2021, and the borough has received $2.9 million in Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside funding through PennDOT for the project.
One section will be constructed along Easterly/Westerly Parkway from University Drive to O’Bryan Lane, effectively providing a connection from Walnut Springs to the Orchard Park bikeway.
The other section will be constructed on Blue Course Drive from Bayberry Drive to Whitehall Road, providing connections from the Greentree neighborhood to Orchard Park, The Yards and Whitehall Road Regional Park, as well as the existing 3-mile Blue Course Drive path that runs through Ferguson Township from Sheller’s Bend to near North Atherton Street.
“The community needs additional shared use paths to provide a safe, continuous off-road bicycle and pedestrian system to provide residents an opportunity to safely walk and bike to schools, parks, workplaces and commercial areas,” the borough wrote in a 2021 grant application. “The proposed paths will encourage community members to engage in active transportation and create a more balanced transportation system. Most of the curbed urban sections of roadway in State College Borough will not allow for designated in-street bike facilities.”
Council approved the construction bid without discussion as part of its consent agenda.
Bidding was advertised by PennDOT and Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc.’s bid was one of two received. The other from Mitchel Knorr Contracting of Bloomsburg came in at $3.996 million.
