Paving markers and reinforcements stand as the exit lanes for Penn State and Innovation Park are prepared for concrete pouring.

Section CO2 of the I-99/Route 26 project was the third construction section to get underway, beginning in October 1999. The contractor was A&L, Inc., of Belle Vernon, Pa. 

C02 was an $84 million project involving construction of a new, two-mile section of four-lane, divided, limited-access highway (I-99/U.S.220) between the reconstructed Route 322/Park Avenue interchange and Big Hollow Road.

It also included reconstruction of three miles of the Mount Nittany Expressway (Route 322) through the interchange area between Fox Hollow and Puddintown roads, more than seven miles of new interchange ramps, 10 bridges, three box culverts and two retaining walls.

The interchange provides access to destinations such as the Penn State Innovation Park, Centre Community Hospital, Beaver Stadium, the Bryce Jordan Center and the Penn State campus.

Section CO2 wins PPHQ design award

This project has won the 2003 Pennsylvania Partnership for Highway Quality  (PPHQ) Design Award.  Erdman Anthony & Associates, Inc. of Mechanicsburg, Pa. (Cumberland County) designed Section CO2 as the new gateway to the State College community, and it is the most visible and studied of the four construction contracts for the Route 26/US 220/I-99 project. 

At the time of its award, the $84 million Section CO2 project was the largest single construction contract ever awarded by PennDOT. 

See the Route 26 traffic page for traffic alerts and current construction activity. To select another individual construction area, choose a section from the navigation bar at the top of this page.