Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that the contractor for its High-Speed Interchange project between Interstates 80 (I-80) and 99 (I-99) will close Jacksonville Road between Forest Avenue and I-80 westbound on Thursday, October 8, to set bridge beams. This work is part of the larger project to enhance traffic safety by providing a direct connection between the two Interstates, making it unnecessary to travel along Route 26 to access them and alleviating congestion.
Weather permitting, the road will be closed between 6:00 AM and 4:00 PM while the contractor sets the beams for the bridge that will eventually connect I-80 westbound to the I-99 southbound ramp. I-99 northbound traffic heading toward I-80 westbound will be directed onto I-80 eastbound at exit 161/Bellefonte, where it will continue to exit 163/Jacksonville-Howard and reconnect to I-80 westbound from there. The I-80 westbound off ramp will also be closed. Traffic will continue to the exit 158/Milesburg, take the exit, and follow I-80 eastbound back to exit 161/Bellefonte.
On Monday, October 12, the contractor will close the right (travel) lane and the 161/Bellefonte exit. Traffic will be reduced to a single lane that uses the crossover at mile marker 159.2 to cross the median onto I-80 westbound. PennDOT expects these closures to be in place until the end of October while the contractor performs regrading and stabilization, then paves the travel lane and eastbound off ramp. This work is being done in preparation to direct traffic onto the newly completed bridge spanning Jacksonville Road.
Work on this contract includes building the interchange, ten bridges, four retaining walls, five box culverts, seven sign structures, and three changeable message boards. It also includes constructing new and rebuilding existing roadways and ramps, drainage improvements, installing Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) devices, guide rail and highway lighting, pavement marking, stream improvements, and miscellaneous construction. Work will continue through the next five construction seasons, ending in 2030. Trumbull Corporation of Pittsburgh, PA, is the contractor on this $259 million project. Approximately $170 million of the funding comes from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
The high-speed interchange is one phase of a three-phase project. The first involved the construction of the local access interchange at mile marker 163, which provided direct access between Route 26 and I-80 for local traffic. Construction on that phase took place over three construction seasons between 2020 and 2022. The contract value was $52 million. That phase benefited from a $35 million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant.
Reconstruction and widening along Route 26 to maintain and support the state roadway network started in November 2024 with construction finishing this year.
Completing all three phases will support the regional freight economy and improve the reliability of roadway travel throughout the region.
Travelers can check conditions on major roads 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 1,200 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.pa.gov/DOTprojects. Subscribe to PennDOT news and find transportation results in Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, and Potter counties at www.pa.gov/DOTdistrict2.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Timothy Nebgen, tnebgen@pa.gov or 814-765-0598
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