The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) alerts drivers that there will be a series of 15-minute traffic stoppages on I-80 eastbound and westbound while the contractor for its High-Speed Interchange project between I-80 and I-99 completes blasting for excavation purposes. 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.
PennDOT expects the stoppages to happen sporadically during daylight hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Drivers are urged to watch for slow movement or stopped vehicles through the work zone, to obey posted speed limit and work zone signage and to always buckle up. The contractor will allow the traffic backlog to clear before each series of blasts.
Additionally, drivers are reminded that exit 161/Bellefonte along I-80 eastbound is set to close for nine days starting at 6:00 PM Sunday, August 23. While the exit is closed, eastbound traffic will use the crossover lane at mile marker 159.2 to travel across the median onto I-80 westbound. Drivers wishing to access I-99 southbound will continue to exit 163/Jacksonville-Howard and then follow I-80 westbound back to the Bellefonte exit. Traffic from I-99 northbound wishing to access I-80 eastbound will first take I-80 westbound to exit 158/Milesburg, take that exit, and merge onto I-80 eastbound from there.
Crews will work around the clock during this nine-day closure to complete that work. Once the box culvert is replaced, the exit will reopen during daylight hours but close overnight for the remainder of the 2026 construction season.
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.
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 other ongoing phase will reconstruct and widen Route 26 to maintain and support the state roadway network. Excavation work for that project started in November 2024 and construction will be completed this summer.
Completing all three phases will support the regional freight economy and improve the reliability of roadway travel throughout the region.
What’s the traffic like on Interstate 80 RIGHT NOW? I-80 Real-time traffic reports for cities along I-80. Maps show updates on road construction, traffic accidents, travel delays and the latest traffic speeds. Traffic cameras show congestion at a glance. Visit I-80 Traffic.
The I-80 Exit Guide is the Internet’s largest and most complete website dedicated to Interstate 80 travelers. Find detailed exit service listings… lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from New Jersey to California!
On the road? Why not take us with you. The I-80 Exit Guide is mobile-friendly and totally FREE. No App Required.
Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-4 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide, I-75 Exit Guide, I-80 Exit Guide and I-95 Exit Guide. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit along the way!
