Indiana, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is alerting motorists to the following changes taking place starting September 7 with the Balls Bend Safety Improvement project: the opening of two jughandles, a new State Route 228 alignment in both directions from the new bridge to State Route 8, a new signalized intersection, and Park Road will be closed as work begins on the new alignment.
On September 7 beginning at 8:00 PM, weather permitting, two new jughandles will be opening for drivers to change directions on State Route 228 without stops to the flow of traffic. Instead of making a left turn from the left lane and crossing traffic, drivers will now use a ramp on the right side of the road that will take them off the road being currently traveled and loop them back around to merge with traffic.
Eastbound traffic on State Route 228 travelling towards Old State Route 8 will now use the jughandle to access the westbound State Route 228 lanes. No U-Turns will be permitted to change directions along State Route 228 and signs will be posted to deter them.
Westbound State Route 228 traffic will make a right onto Old Route 8 and continue on Harbison Road to access Eastbound State Route 228.
The Harbison Road intersection will have a new signal at the intersection of Harbison Road and State Route 228 as well as a jughandle to for motorists travelling Eastbound on State Route 228 to access the Westbound State Route 228 lanes.
Motorists travelling Eastbound on State Route 228 will make a left onto Harbison Road at the light and then turn left onto the jughandle to access the Westbound lanes of State Route 228. Those travelling Westbound on the new section of State Route 228 will travel through the intersection and turn right onto the Harbison Road jughandle. The roadway will wrap around to Harbison Road to the new signalized intersection where motorists can then proceed Eastbound on State Route 228.
The rain dates for the jughandle opening are September 8 and 9.
Also, beginning September 7 at 5:30 PM through October 21, Park Road will be closed as work begins on the new alignment of Park Road and the connection of Park Road to the newly construction State Route 228. Work will include grading, paving and new guiderail and signage.
To access State Route 228 from Park Road, traffic will be routed onto State Road, then Denny Road and then onto Three Degree Road. The detour is 4.4 miles in length.
This $26.5 million safety improvement project is anticipated to be completed in January 2025 by Independence Excavating of Independence, Ohio. The project is a major roadway realignment project involving the addition of a travel lane in each direction and a center turn lane. It also includes the construction of four new structures, realigned local road connections, and a new signalized intersection at State Route 228 and Parks Road.
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What's a jughandle? A jughandle (pictured below) is a type of ramp which allows drivers to change directions without stops to the flow of traffic. Instead of making a left turn from the left lane, drivers use a ramp on the right side of the road that takes you off the road you're currently traveling on and loops you back around to merge with traffic. The idea is to keep traffic moving continuously, relieving congestion and delays.
