The start of State College’s Calder Way project will have to wait for the new year.
Work on the first phase of the multi-year project to replace aging utility infrastructure and create a more pedestrian-friendly space on the downtown alley, originally scheduled to begin this summer, has been delayed until January, the borough announced on Thursday.
Phase one was expected to begin in July, immediately after the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, but was pushed back to September because of materials procurement delays. The latest decision to move the start of substantial work to Jan. 2 was made “in coordination with all stakeholders and partners” on the project to avoid impacts during the busy fall season, according to the borough.
“Due to supply chain challenges delaying the start, the decision has been to delay the start date to minimize the impact on downtown businesses, residents and visitors,” the borough wrote in a news release.
Exploratory excavation, which began in late August, “will resume at some point,” according to the release, but a schedule has not been set. Traffic impacts associated with that work will continue to be minimal.
First phase work between South Fraser and McAllister streets will include replacement of sanitary sewer, stormwater, water main and gas main lines and providing provisions for electric and telecommunications lines to be moved underground. Future phases will involve similar work on the rest of the street.
Phase one is part of an overall project to transform Calder Way into a “pedestrian-preferred” corridor with limited vehicular traffic, “replacing curbed sidewalks with more artistic measures and the incorporation of other streetscape enhancements from Hiester to Burrowes,” according to the borough’s 2023-27 Capital Improvement Plan.
Streetscape and transportation work planned in the first phase will include widened sidewalks to provide an at-grade pathway using stamped concrete, ADA upgrades at all intersections with detectable warning devices. The project plans also call for installation of retractable bollards for traffic control and new lighting, greenery and public art.
Future phases are expected to occur through 2028. The project stems from the 2013 Downtown Master Plan, which envisions Calder Way as “a shared use space which is more friendly for pedestrians and bicyclists while maintaining vehicle access for emergency and essential services, deliveries, refuse and parking access.”
Borough council awarded the phase one contract in June to HRI, Inc. for $6.6 million. The first phase is funded by a a $2.4 million low-interest loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (Pennvest), as well as American Rescue Plan Act funds set aside for the project and $1.7 million from the State College Borough Water Authority for replacement of a water main that has reached the end of its useful life.
