The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is providing a mid-May update for its Atherton Street (Route 3014) project in State College The work zone stretches from Curtin Road to just north of Westerly Parkway. PennDOT anticipates the completion of this three-year project in the fall of 2024.

Area motorists can expect the following the week of May 15:

Monday, May 15 will bring the start of an eastbound closure (both eastbound lanes) on Atherton Street between College Avenue and Beaver Avenue. This closure is necessary to install new drainage. Eastbound traffic will be diverted at College Avenue and use the Atherton Street downtown detour (North Atherton, West College Avenue, Buckhout Street, Beaver Avenue, South Atherton). This eastbound detour will be in place until early July. Westbound Atherton Street will remain open until Friday evening, May 19. 

Monday, May 15 through Thursday, May 18, two crews will continue waterline work from West Foster Avenue to West Fairmont Avenue. Traffic will follow an alternating pattern controlled by roadway flaggers.    

On Friday, May 19 at 6:00 PM, westbound Atherton Street will be closed from Beaver Avenue to College Avenue for a 60-hour detour. This westbound closure is necessary to install new drainage. PennDOT expects to this "round the clock" closure to end by 6:00 AM on Monday, May 22. During the closure, eastbound traffic will be directed to use the Atherton Street general detour (Park Avenue, University Drive, Route 26, Route 322/Mt Nittany Expressway, Route 3010 (Warner Boulevard). Westbound traffic will be directed to use the Beaver Avenue general detour (Route 45, Route 322/Mt Nittany Expressway, Route 26).

Message boards will be in place alerting motorists to the detours.

Access to the Graduate State College will be maintained from College Avenue, where a flagger will be posted for assistance for the entire 60-hour detour.

Please pay attention to work zone and directional signage to enhance safety and keep traffic moving efficiently. 

Visit the Atherton Street project page at www.penndot.pa.gov/AthertonStreet for mapping of these detours. PennDOT posts regular updates to the project page week-to-week, as work progresses. Detour information is also posted. 

Overall project work will include roadway reconstruction, drainage improvements that include pipes and inlets, water and sewer lines, concrete curbing, sidewalks and detectable warning surfaces, pavement markings, traffic signals and supports, and miscellaneous items.

HRI, Inc. of State College is the contractor on this $30.7 million job. PennDOT reminds drivers all work is weather and schedule dependent. 

PennDOT reminds motorists that traffic may be stopped intermittently for short periods during work activities. Please use caution when traveling through the work zone and do not follow construction equipment into the closed lane. When approaching the work zone, use both lanes to the merge point to minimize traffic back-ups and shorten travel delays. 

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website. Subscribe to PennDOT news in Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, and Potter counties at www.penndot.gov/District2.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.

Contact: Marla Fannin, mfannin@pa.gov or 814.765.0423                                                                    # # #