Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that a bridge reconstruction project for a structure spanning Spring Creek along Route 26 (College Avenue) at the intersection with Houserville Road/Pike Street in College Township will get underway on Monday, June 1. Reconstructing this bridge, which was built in 1940, widened in 1958, and carries 15,000 vehicles daily, will improve the ride quality across the structure and improve its overall condition rating.
Starting June 1, the contractor will remove the concrete island and place asphalt at the intersection. It will close the left (turning) lane and shift northbound traffic heading toward the Nittany Mall into the right (travel) lane. It will also shift southbound traffic heading toward State College into the travel lane. Traffic will not be permitted to turn left onto Houserville Road or Pike Street. Traffic from Houserville Road and Pike Street will be permitted to turn onto College Avenue but will not be permitted to travel straight through.
The traffic signal at the intersection will remain active, however flaggers will be in the roadway to assist with turning maneuvers. Drivers are urged to exercise caution while traveling through all work zones, obey flaggers and other posted work zone signage while always buckling up.
On Tuesday, the contractor will close Houserville Road and Pike Street at the intersection and implement detours. There will be no access to College Avenue from either road.
Traffic on Houserville Road will follow Puddintown Road back to College Avenue. A temporary traffic signal will be in place at the intersection of Puddintown Road and College Avenue to assist with the increased traffic volume. Traffic on Pike Street will follow Elmwood Street in Lemont back to College Avenue.
Also on Tuesday, the contractor will close the northbound lanes of College Avenue heading toward Nittany Mall and shift northbound traffic into the southbound lane. This will reduce southbound traffic heading toward State College to one lane. Right turns onto Houserville Road will be permitted during this phase of construction via the existing turning lane.
PennDOT expects this traffic pattern to remain in place until mid-August, at which point the contractor will close the southbound lanes and shift traffic into the northbound lanes. It will issue an update before the change in traffic pattern occurs. It anticipates work on the bridge wrapping in early November, but all construction schedules are subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
Crews will return in 2027 to complete concrete patching work along Route 322 near the Route 26 interchange.
Work on this contract includes a full replacement of the bridge superstructure, repairs to the substructure, installation of new beams, concrete repairs, approach paving, guiderail upgrades, and line painting.
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 1,200 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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