Latest news with #StateCollegeAreaConnector
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wonder what the State College Area Connector could look like? Take a look
Newly released video simulations of the state's preferred route for the State College Area Connector offer one of the most detailed looks yet at the major highway project set to reshape travel through Centre County. The proposed route — unveiled by the state Department of Transportation earlier this month — would stretch about eight miles and connect U.S. Route 322 at Potters Mills to the Mount Nittany Expressway near Boalsburg. Flyover videos show how the recommended four-lane highway would wind through rural parts of Centre County, cutting through homes, farms, wetlands and an athletic complex. The project's estimated cost is $600 million to $900 million, a PennDOT spokesman told the Centre Daily Times. It's aimed at improving safety and reducing congestion in one of the county's busiest corridors. Sixteen residences would be displaced by construction, the fewest of the final three options PennDOT considered. Nineteen farms and 163 acres of farmland would also be affected. The agency also said its suggested route would have the smallest total effect on agricultural land and historic properties. It would avoid the Tusseyville historic district. More than a dozen bridges would be needed to mitigate impacts to wetlands and streams, the only drawback listed by PennDOT. Fifteen were listed among the other two potential routes. The agency cast the potential for encountering sinkholes as moderate. The central alignment was most preferred by those who responded to a public survey. PennDOT said 36% of respondents preferred the central route, compared to 35% who preferred the south alternative. Eighteen percent preferred the north alternative and 11% sought a combination or other alternative. The south alternative would have cut through the fewest farms, but also the most streams and wooded habitats by far. There would have also been a high potential for encountering acid-producing rock — something that can be harmful to plants and animals if left unchecked. The north alternative, meanwhile, would have displaced the most residences and cut through the most farms and farmland. PennDOT said there was a high potential for encountering sinkholes. In order to gain final approval, the Federal Highway Administration must sign off on certain environmental aspects of the project. From there, the project would head into a final engineering design phase that's expected to last from mid-2026 until the end of 2029. That phase would be followed by right-of-way acquisition. Construction is not expected to begin until 2030 and would take about six years to complete.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Meeting held for residents on State College Connector project amid worries
CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — PennDOT held a public meeting Thursday night to hear input and inform residents about the State College Area Connector project. Residents are nervous about the project while state leaders say the highway will benefit the future. An 8-mile stretch of Centre County is expected to be changed over the next decade. PennDOT recently released the recommended preferred alternative route. The route chosen is the central alternative route because it will have the least impact on residents and the environment. PennDOT hosted a public meeting where several residents filled the room to ask questions and express concerns. 'But neither one of them is going to go across our property. I just want to keep the noise and all the confusion as far away from us as possible. I do feel for some of our neighbors because it's going to be taking out, some of our neighbors,' Colyer Resident John Smith said. State College Connector leaving residents worried, PennDOT says it will benefit the future The 8-mile stretch will take out homes and farmland. However, District Executive for PennDOT District 2 Thomas Prestash says the project overall is for a better future. 'We want to make sure that it meets the needs of the community. You know, it's a safe traveling highway because we are affecting property. So we want to make sure we take that input, take it back whether it's access issues or noise or whatever issues out there so we can take that back to our team and make a better project,' Prestash said. The thought of a four-lane highway going in their backyard has created anger and uncertainty for the future. 'I don't want to live next to a four-lane,' Colyer Resident Greg Smith said. 'My wife and I, we work hard. All our lives were retired, and we bought these two pieces of property and put that house right there because to watch the sun come up over that pond. And now we're going to see the sun come up over a four-lane highway.' Smith moved to the area two years ago. After many years of hard work, their future is in question. 'My wife and I have done everything right. You know, I was in the in the military for 20 years. We put our own kids to school. We pay our way. We're at the point in our lives where we thought we could sit back and relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor. And now this comes up, and that's all gone,' Smith said. PennDOT officials say it's never easy telling someone they will be displaced but ultimately they want to create a safer roadway for everyone. 'Number one reason. Safety. We recently had a fatality here. I mean, this new project will save lives,' Prestash said. Many residents like Smith also agreed with Prestash. 'The accidents on that road and the devastation is horrendous. Every year, tractor-trailers and people are getting killed out on that road,' Smith said. Many at the meeting just wanted to know what's going to happen and for delays to stop. Construction is not predicted to start until at least 2030. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
State College Connector leaving residents worried, PennDOT says it will benefit the future
CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A major road project going through Centre County will create several changes for local residents as PennDOT looks to make the roadway safer. The project is called the State College Area Connector, an 8-mile route that goes through Potter Mills and Boalsburg. Recently, PennDOT released the recommended preferred alternative route. The Central Alternative route was chosen out of three possibilities because it will have the least amount of impact on residents and the environment. But for those in its 8-mile path, it's still troubling. 'It's going to take our parking lot, our garage. It's not going to take our house as of now,' Cole Transportation Bus Contractor Patrick Cole said. PA Attorney General recognizes rehabilitation program graduates Cole grew up in Potters Mills and has been bussing for 43 years. However, even though he will be losing his current location for his business, he's not opposed to the connector. 'I want to get it done, I've been hearing about this since I've been a little kid, get it started, get it done, and let's move on,' Cole said. Cole is still deciding what to do next and is waiting for answers. When it comes to his business, he's a little upset that he needs to move, but he knows the connector will benefit the future. You know, in a way, yeah, but you know, you can't stop progress, they say,' Cole said. According to PennDOT, the connector route announcement comes after several years of hard work, and the goal is to improve roadway congestion and address safety issues. 'Safety, mobility, continuity, you know, things that that everybody keeps talking about. You meet with a property owner, and the first thing they want to do is take you down to the end of their driveway and say, look, there are times of the day I can't get out of here because there's just so much traffic. And then the next person will tell you there was another accident last week,' Assistant Executive for Design for PennDOT District 2 Eric Murnyack said. Not only will Cole be impacted, but right down the road, Doug Rimmey and Rimmey's Tussey Ridge Farm will lose three to four acres of farmland near the edge of his field. 'It's going to hurt a little bit more every year. It hurts a little bit more just, knowing that you have to get bigger to make it. But, we'll do what we can to survive, that's what we've been doing to this point,' Rimmey said. Rimmey's family has owned the farm since 1957. In 1996, Rimmey purchased the farm from his parents. During that time, there were rumblings about a highway being built. He says this could've been avoided several years ago with a different route, but now. 'What am I going to do to stop them at this point? We fought them as civilly as possible to keep it from going here this way, but they have all the rules and we don't have them,' Rimmey said. Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters. Although he is losing some land, he says with previous plans and alternate routes he's seen, losing three to four acres is sort of a relief, knowing it could be a lot worse. Several homeowners along the connector route will be displaced, but PennDOT says it will be a benefit for the future. 'I mean, there's no good way to tell somebody that they're going to be displaced. But in the long term, the purpose, the safety side of this and keeping all the heavy traffic up off of the existing 322 and putting it on an interstate now, it'll make it a lot better to drive through that area,' Murnyack said. PennDOT says they are still in the early phases of the project, and projections show construction not starting until at least 2030. A public meeting is set for Thursday, May 8, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Wyndham Garden State College, 310 Elks Club Road, Boalsburg, PA 16827. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ -
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
PennDOT to present updated alternatives for State College Area Connector at public meeting
CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — The next phase of planning for a major regional highway project will take place this week as PennDOT and federal officials hold a public meeting to unveil updates to the State College Area Connector project. On Thursday, May 8, PennDOT and the Federal Highway Administration will host the second public scoping meeting from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Wyndham Garden State College in Boalsburg. The meeting is expected to reveal refined versions of the proposed northern, central, and southern routes, first presented in August 2024, as well as PennDOT's recommended preferred alternative. The connector project is aimed at easing congestion and improving safety on the busy Route 322 corridor between Potters Mills and Boalsburg. In addition to meeting growing traffic demands, PennDOT says the goal is to deliver a roadway design that meets modern transportation expectations. Attendees will have the chance to view detailed exhibits, speak with project team members, and submit comments in person. Meeting materials will also be available online beginning May 5 through the project website at For those who cannot attend, written feedback can be submitted by mail to PennDOT District 2-0 in Clearfield or via email. Accommodations for those with disabilities are available by request with advance notice. The event is part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires extensive public input and evaluation of environmental and community impacts before construction can begin. Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters. No construction timeline has been announced, but PennDOT is continuing to collect public input before advancing to the final design phase. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ -
