I-80 eastbound on-ramp at Bellefonte to stay closed into late November
Bellefonte, Pa. — The Interstate 80 eastbound on-ramp at Exit 161 in Bellefonte, closed since Oct. 12, will stay closed until the third week of November, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said. PennDOT had expected the contractor on the I-80/I-99 High-Speed Interchange project to reopen the ramp by the end of October, but the reopening was delayed because of unforeseen circumstances, according to the department. While the ramp remains closed, traffic on Interstate 99 heading to I-80 eastbound will take Jacksonville Road to the westbound on-ramp at Exit 161 and follow the detour back to I-80 eastbound at Milesburg. The closure was put in place to prepare for directing traffic onto the newly completed bridge over Jacksonville Road, PennDOT said. The High-Speed Interchange will provide a direct connection between the two interstates, so drivers will no longer have to travel along Route 26 to reach them. Work includes building the interchange, 10 bridges, four retaining walls, five box culverts, seven sign structures and three changeable message boards, along with new and rebuilt roadways and ramps, drainage, lighting and stream improvements. Trumbull Corp. of Pittsburgh is the contractor on the $259 million project, which is expected to continue through the next
