State College Road Enthusiast Meet

[PAHighways]

WHEN: Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM
WHERE: Hoss's Steak & Sea

The meet will begin at 12 PM with lunch at Hoss's Steak & Sea on BUS US 322/North Atherton Street in State College. After lunch we will tour the new Interstate 99 and the old US 220 alignment. Depending on time, we might go north to the site of the future Interstate 80 Y-interchange.

For the rundown and to keep up-to-date on any changes, click here.  Directions, agenda, and e-mail link if interested are located there.

[Voyager]

Awesome! I'm a bit far away though.

[PAHighways]

Today was the second State College meet but unlike the first edition, Mother Nature gave us a rain-free day. I'd like to thank all who attended and for making the trip for the second meet in Happy Valley.

The meet began at 12 PM at Hoss's Steak & Sea on Business US 322 (North Atherton Street).  Food was good as well as the conversations.  Many of the attendees brought road-related materials to peruse as well as to keep:  H.B. Elkins - new Kentucky and West Virginia maps; Doug Kerr - I-87 Northway maps; and I brought some recent officials from KY, MD, TN, and PA for anyone who needed to fill gaps in their collections.

After lunch, we hopped in our cars and drove down via former US 220/US 322 to PA 550 to the first stop of the 2005 Meet to see the completed I-99.  Where the two roads cross is where some of the acid rock problems had occurred, and even today the large retaining pond that was constructed on the south side of the Interstate to catch run-off was partially filled.

Continuing down former US 220/US 322, which is now known as SR 3042, we stopped at the top of Skytop Mountain which overlooks the Interstate everyone loves to hate.  This area is where construction crews discovered the pyritic rock which stalled work on I-99 until a solution was devised which included removing the disturbed rock and keeping the remainder at the location.  It is easy to see where the undisturbed acid rock is located as it was covered with mesh then rocks to prevent erosion.

We continued on SR 3042 to SR 3040 to Port Matilda, passing through the trumpet interchange where "END" and "BEGIN" signage still exist for Alternate US 220.  With no mention of that route on new signage on I-80 or before the trumpet, I'd expect it to be decommissioned before the next PennDOT official.

It was in the now traffic-thinned Port Matilda where we took I-99 north back to State College.  The view from the alignment as it climbs Skytop is fantastic and will be spectacular in Fall.  We got to see in greater clarity the acid rock remediation as we headed back to the restaurant.

A few of the attendees had to leave, and the rest of us continued into State College on BUS US 322 and then north on PA 26 to the southern stub of the Bellefonte Bypass.  It is now a ramp onto I-99/US 220, but there were plans to continue it south to the end of the US 322 expressway north of Lewistown.

Following northbound I-99/US 220/PA 26, we turned off onto the former route of 26 right before the current interchange with I-80.  There is earth moving taking place for the relocation of Jacksonville Road which is part of the plan for the future I-80/I-99 directional Y.  After which we head back to Hoss's where we said our farewells, and headed to our respective destinations.

[yanksfan6129]

Oh man I wish I went!

[PAHighways]

We continued on SR 3042 to SR 3040 to Port Matilda, passing through the trumpet interchange where "END" and "BEGIN" signage still exist for Alternate US 220.

I must've missed this signage.

The "END" assembly is right under the north side of the overpass, just before the beginning of the loop ramp.  Doug or John noticed a "BEGIN" assembly on the opposite side of the road.

In retrospect, while we were in Port Matilda, we should've continued the tour west along the now-4-lane segment of US 322 (for about 5 miles or so west of Port Matilda) where there are major differences in grade, stature, and construction of the eastbound (original) and westbound (brand new and much higher up) lanes.

I had planned to utilize the new 322 to head back to State College.  However, I forgot that 99 loops around the northwest side of Port Matilda and mistook the 99 on-ramp for the 322 on-ramp.

[Alps]

I noticed the assembly... it wasn't really a BEGIN but rather a "SOUTH ALT 220" and arrow ahead.