Traffic Pattern Shift Coming to Area of East College Avenue Bridge Project in College Township

Drivers will soon encounter a traffic pattern shift in the work zone for a bridge replacement project at the Houserville Road/Pike Street intersection on East College Avenue (Route 26) in College Township.

On Monday, Aug. 17, the contractor will close the southbound lanes heading toward State College and shift traffic into the northbound lanes, according to PennDOT. The shift will reduce northbound traffic heading toward the Nittany Mall to one lane.

Northbound traffic will be permitted to turn right onto Pike Street using the existing turn lane, but left turns from either direction will still be prohibited.

College Avenue also will remain inaccessible from Houserville Road and Pike Street, and the detours that have been in place since June will continue.

Vehicles on Houserville Road are directed to follow Puddintown Road back to College Avenue, where the temporary traffic signal at the intersection will remain in place to assist with increased traffic volume. Traffic on Pike Street will continue to follow Elmwood Street in Lemont back to College Avenue.

PennDOT expects the traffic pattern to remain in place until mid-October and work on the bridge to conclude in early November. Crews will return in 2027 to complete concrete patching along U.S. Route 322 near the College Avenue interchange.

Work on the bridge spanning Spring Creek began June 1. Reconstruction of the structure — which was built in 1940, widened in 1958 and carries 15,000 vehicles daily — is intended to improve the bridge’s ride quality and overall condition rating, according to PennDOT.

The project includes full replacement of the bridge superstructure, repairs to the substructure, installation of new beams, concrete repairs, approach paving, guiderail upgrades and line painting.