A $36.7 million project that will give motorists a smoother ride on more than 13 miles of Interstate 79 southbound and northbound in Washington, Franklin, McKean, and Summit townships, Erie County is scheduled to start April 20, 2026.
The project includes milling, paving, concrete pavement patches, guide rail updates, new interstate signs, and ITS devices upgrades from mile makers 165 near the Crawford County line in Washington Township to mile marker 178 in Summit Township.
The I-79 bridges over the following roads or waterways will be repaired:
- Crane Road (Route 3008), Franklin Township – Deck waterproofing.
- Stancliff Road, Franklin Township – Deck waterproofing.
- Over Elk Creek, McKean Township – Deck waterproofing.
- West Road, McKean Township – Deck and pier preservation.
- Van Camp Road, McKean Township – Full deck replacement.
- Route 6N (Route 3006), Washington Township – Deck preservation.
- I-90 in McKean Township – Deck preservation.
Barriers for the overpasses by Old State Road, Grubb Road, Bargain Road, and the overhead sign structure north of mile marker 176 will be updated to current standards and the crossovers along I-79 will be reconstructed.
The project will start April 20, 2026, weather permitting, and will take place over two years, finishing fall 2027.
In 2026, the southern portion of work area from mile marker 165 to mile marker 172 in Washington Township and Franklin Township, as well as the bridge over Interstate 90. Work with will be coordinated with the project happening on I-90.
In 2027, work will page place from mile marker 173 to mile marker 178 in McKean and Franklin Township.
Traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction surrounding active work zones. The speed limit will be reduced to 60 mph for the entire work zone.
PennDOT urges drivers to slow down when driving in work zones, and also to be alert to changing conditions, avoid distractions and to pay attention to signs and flaggers. Drive responsibly in work zones for your safety and the safety of the workers.
The contractor is Lindy Paving Inc, of New Galilee, PA. The contract cost is $36,714,724, which is to be paid entirely with federal funds.
This year PennDOT’s Northwest Region expects to do work on more than 100 projects. To see a full listing of all the anticipated work, check out the 2026 Construction Book available online at www.pa.gov/DOTDistrict1.
Drivers 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 and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.pa.gov/DOTDistrict1.
Information about infrastructure in District 1, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D1Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
Find PennDOT news for the northwest region on X or Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035 or jharry@pa.gov
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