The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announces that a $115.7 million reconstruction project that will give motorists a smoother ride on nearly 6 miles of I-80 in Mercer County is scheduled to start the second year of construction next week.
The Interstate 80 Reconstruction Project includes major improvements to the highway from the Ohio state line to mile marker 5, including milling, asphalt and concrete paving, concrete patching, drainage and guiderail upgrades, right-of-way fencing, concrete curbing, topsoil, seeding/mulching, highway lighting, signing, highway markers line painting, and permanent digital message boards.
Work also includes repairs to five bridges, including the replacement and widening of the bridge over Route 318 in Shenango Township.
In 2026, phase 2 of the project will be completed. This work includes construction of the median and westbound portion of the bridge over Route 318, reconstruction and resurfacing work on the westbound lanes from the Interstate 376 interchange to Shenango River Bridge, as well as the eastbound lanes from the Ohio state line to the Shenango River Bridge.
Construction is expected to restart on March 16, 2026, weather permitting. The project got underway in 2025 and is expected to be completed in 2027.
Drivers should anticipate short-term lane closures as the project restarts. A long-term traffic shift for the westbound and eastbound lanes is expected to start in late April.
Throughout the project, drivers should remain alert for traffic pattern shifts and lane restrictions, and can anticipate travel delays, especially during high traffic times. Work and traffic impacts will be minimized as much as possible during holiday travel periods.
The contractor is Glen O. Hawbaker of State College, PA. The contract cost is $115,680,680.00, which is to be paid with 100 percent federal funds.
This section of interstate is used daily by approximately 28,500 vehicles on average, of which more than 45 percent are larger vehicles like tractor trailers.
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