Traffic Congestion Expected During Paving Work on Atherton Street

Drivers can expect heavier traffic congestion this week on one section of South Atherton Street in State College as work continues on PennDOT's multi-year Atherton Street project.

Starting Monday, three crews will be working between West Irvin Avenue (near Community Field) and Center Lane (just past Westerly Parkway) on curb placement, sidewalk and ADA-compliant ramp installation and paving. The work is expected to continue through Friday, May 17, according to a news release.

"PennDOT anticipates traffic congestion during paving operations and urges drivers to seek alternate routes or build extra time into their travel schedules," the department wrote in a news release.

Flaggers will enforce an alternating pattern and the signal at the Westerly Parkway intersection will be put in “flash” mode as necessary.

On Friday, the contractor will implement a new traffic pattern, which will close the center turning lane and shift traffic to the open right lane in each direction through the work zone. PennDOT expects traffic to be reduced to a single lane in each direction between West Irvin Avenue and Center Lane until early June while the contractor completes drainage improvements.

A pedestrian detour remains in effect around the Westerly Parkway intersection.

At the other end of the Atherton Street project zone, crews will work begin work Monday between Calder Way and White Course Drive to install waterline and saw cut the existing roadway for the future installation of new drainage pipe.

The current phase of Atherton Street construction, which began in 2022 and stretches from Curtin Road to just past Westerly Parkway, is expected to be completed this fall . Overall work on the $32 million project includes roadway reconstruction, drainage improvements, water and sewer lines, concrete curbing, sidewalks and detectable warning surfaces, pavement markings and traffic signals and supports.

It’s the third phase of Atherton Street work originating from a 2010 review of the entire corridor that showed a need for repairs and upgrades, primarily for drainage. The first two phases covered North Atherton Street from its start near Gray’s Woods to Park Avenue.

The next phase is tentatively planned to begin in 2029 and cover Westerly Parkway to University Drive.

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