Motorists may encounter traffic delays and can expect a detour later this spring as work resumes next week on the reconstruction of a Patton Township intersection.
Work will restart on Monday at the intersection of Bernel and Fox Hill roads near University Park Airport, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The project got underway last August and shut down over the winter.
When completed, the intersection will be reconfigured as a ‘standard T,’ with a stop sign on the Bernel Road approach and Fox Hill Road as the through-road. Dedicated left turn lanes will be added on both roads.
As currently configured, the intersection is termed a non-standard T. Eastbound and left-turning traffic on Fox Hill and right turning traffic on Bernel have right of way over westbound through traffic on Fox Hill.
Drivers may encounter some flagging operations during daylight hours the week of April 12. After that, two lanes of traffic will be maintained during the first phases of work this spring.
PennDOT anticipates that in early May Bernel Road will be closed with a detour in place. Updates will be provided when the closure is scheduled.
Work is expected to finish by August but the schedule is weather dependent.
The $1.5 million project is a public-private partnership, with funding coming from a $700,000 state grant awarded in November 2019, $150,000 from the township, and the remaining $650,000 from the developers of the Bernel Road tract that includes the Nittany Valley Sports Centre.
In addition to the intersection reconfiguration, it includes new driveways into the Centre site. State College Borough Water Authority is also replacing 800 feet of water main along Fox Hill Road as part of the project and reimburse the township for the cost.
The reconstruction is expected to make for safer and more efficient travel for vehicles traveling to and from University Park Airport and bicyclists using the road, as well as supporting mixed-use development at the northwest corner of the intersection.
HRI Inc. of State College is the contractor on the project.
