A $115.7 million, three-year reconstruction project that will give motorists a smoother ride on the first 5 miles of Interstate 80 in Mercer County is scheduled to start later this month.
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 bridges over Route 318 in Shenango Township.
The project will be done in phases starting on April 21, 2025, weather permitting. The first two phases including the following:
The preparation phase will include preliminary work, such as shoulder widening, construction of emergency pull-offs, and construction and updates to crossovers. During this phase there will be daylight lane restrictions for eastbound and westbound traffic as needed. This phase is expected to take approximately one month to complete.
Phase 1 is anticipated to start in early summer 2025 with repairs to the eastbound lane, drainage upgrades, and bridge work. During this phase, westbound traffic will shift slightly onto the shoulder. One lane of eastbound traffic will shift to a designated lane adjacent to the westbound lanes, and the other eastbound lane will be adjacent to the work zone. The work in this phase is expected to continue through the end of the 2025 construction season.
Phases 2 to 4 are scheduled to take place in 2026 and 2027, which will include lane shifts and temporary lane closures as needed.
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.
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, which is to be paid entirely with federal funds.
Additional construction projects on I-80 in Mercer County are being designed, including reconstruction work on miles 6 to 10 and miles 11 to 15.
Information on the Interstate 80 Reconstruction Projects is available online at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1 under the Projects Near You and the District 1 link.
This year PennDOT’s Northwest Region expects to work on more than 100 projects. To see a full listing of all the anticipated work, check out the 2025 Construction Book located under the Partner Resources section at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
PennDOT urges motorists 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.
Motorists 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.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
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.
PennDOT District 1 is hiring for variety of positions, including CDL operators, mechanics, highway maintenance workers, civil engineers, construction inspectors, and transportation technicians. Apply online at www.employment.pa.gov.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035 or jharry@pa.gov
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