PLEASANT GAP — After receiving a $35 million federal grant, stakeholders in the region gathered July 31 at Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Techonlogy, located right off Interstate 99, to celebrate and look forward to construction starting in the spring of 2020 to update the I-99/I-80 interchange that has been considered unsafe for some time.
The $35 million grant was provided by a Federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant. The money will be used with $150 million from PennDOT to compile the necessary $185 million need for the project.
The project includes construction of a new high-speed interchange for interstates 99 and 80, a separate local access interchange and updates to Jacksonville Road.
The intersection has long been a dangerous area for drivers, with many commercial truck and county visitors using the exit, and plans to modernize it have been in the works for year.
It is also essential to update the intersection for the future of I-99, which eventually is supposed to continue toward the New York border past I-80.
The first phase of the project will begin in 2020 with the local access interchange, according to PennDOT. This will take two years. Then construction of the high-speed interchange and Jacksonville Road betterment will launch as another two-year project.
On hand for the event at CPI, hosted by the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County, was Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Leslie Richards.
“It is always a pleasure to visit the Centre County region,” said Richards. “To be able to do so for an event like today’s celebration makes the event even more special. The INFRA grant monies will have a positive impact on travel in and around Centre County and will make every destination in the region more easily accessible. PennDOT is thrilled to see this project moving forward.”
Richards said the grant from the federal government is not something that happens every day, and it is the culmination of a collaborative effort by Centre County public officials. This was a statement echoed by state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte.
According to CBICC president and CEO Vern Squier, the project has significant economic implications for Centre County and beyond.
“With Centre County being an importer of labor and a centrally located transportation hub for both Pennsylvania and the nation’s Mid-Atlantic region, completion of a modern connection that provides for safe and efficient movements between the two interstates will improve and enhance the economic position of Centre County and central Pennsylvania on a national level.”
Richards said U.S. Route 322, long a difficult highway, is on PennDOT’s radar. While construction has begun to widen the road out from Potter’s Gap, the hope is that future funding can go to expand the section from Potters Mills into State College into four lanes.
