Travel Delays Likely for Drivers Headed to Penn State Football Games This Fall

Penn State football will kick off its 2019 season at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday against Idaho, and that means thousands of fans will be traveling to State College this week.

As usual, those fans should be prepared to encounter road work and potential travel delays along the way.

The biggest of those is likely to be for motorists traveling to and from State College through the Potters Mills Gap area on Route 322, where a multi-year project to widen the road between the Mifflin County line and Potters Mills in Centre County and create a new intersection with Route 144 is ongoing through next year.

PennDOT provided a look at what drivers can expect heading to State College this fall. Here’s the breakdown by starting location

From the Harrisburg Area/Southeast of State College

– Route 22 in Juniata County is restricted to one lane in each direction, with a 12-foot width restriction, about a mile east of the Arch Rock Road interchange.

– Route 322 westbound traffic in the Burnham area, west of Lewistown, is restricted to one lane. Two lanes are currently open eastbound, but beginning Sept. 3, the eastbound passing lane will be closed.

– On Route 322/22 in from the Mifflin/Centre County line to Potters Mills, traffic is restricted to one lane in each direction and travel delays are expected. A 12-foot width restriction is in place on the western end of the project between Route 144 and Mountain Back Road and a 14-foot width restriction is in place at the eastern end of the project between Sand Mountain Road and Route 144.

Beginning this week, a new traffic pattern also is now in effect for eastbound traffic, which will be switched onto the new local access road  east of the intersection of Routes 322 and 144. Eastbound traffic will then use a crossover to return to the existing Route 322.

From the Johnstown Area

–  U.S. 22 is restricted to one lane in each direction, with a 10-foot width restriction, in the Armaugh area from 2 miles west of the Route 56 interchange to a half mile east of the Route 403 interchange.

From the Lock Haven Area

– On Route 26, at the end of the Interstate 80 westbound off-ramp for exit 161/Bellefonte, a traffic signal installed last year remains in place to alleviate backups from traffic exiting off the interstate.

From Western Pennsylvania

– On I-80 eastbound between DuBois/mile marker 97 to east of DuBois/mile marker 101, lane restrictions and a 12-foot width restriction are in place for bridge work. The speed limit is reduced to 55 miles per hour in this area and drivers should allow for extra travel time. 

– On I-80 eastbound and westbound near mile marker 125 in Clearfield County, there is bridge work with lane shifts.

In State College

– The North Atherton Street project, between Blue Course Drive and Curtin Road, will be ongoing throughout the fall, but two lanes will remain open in each direction.

– Further up on North Atherton Street, repair work on a bridge spanning I-99 includes a lane restriction for one-way, westbound traffic. 

New Parking and Traffic System

Fans are reminded that a new parking and traffic system is in place for Beaver Stadium this fall. Lots are divided by zones — north, south, east and west — and starting four hours prior to kickoff (8:30 a.m. for noon kicks) drivers will be required to follow specific routes to get to their zones and lots. See specific directions for each zone and lot here.

Each pre-purchased parking permit comes with instructions for routes. Signage will be place in key areas heading toward the stadium and police will be stationed at points in each zone to redirect drivers headed the wrong way.

PennDOT is enhancing its 511PA.com traffic site with a Penn State football page dedicated to monitoring traffic conditions on primary travel routes. It will provide travel times and alerts for each parking zone, as well as incidents, construction, weather forecasts and alerts, traffic cameras and traffic speeds. A Beaver Stadium parking map will be included on the site.

Penn State also has partnered with traffic app Waze so that during the four-hour window before the game users can enter their lot and receive directions for the specific route they need to take. Clicking on the lot links at GoPSUsports.com/gameday will open directions in the Waze app.