Town continues to prepare for North Atherton Street resurfacing project

North Atherton Street is getting a face-lift this summer.

Plans are underway to resurface North Atherton Street from the Mount Nittany Expressway to College Avenue. The construction site includes Ferguson and Patton townships and State College Borough.

Karen Michael, district plans engineer for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, said work on the project will include milling and resurfacing.

Although plans are not finalized, construction is tentatively set to begin in late June or early July and last until late September, Michael said.

"We're saying we want to work around the clock as much as we can, but we realize in populated areas we will be restricted," Michael said.

PennDOT is still working out the details with the townships and the borough. The time frames for the resurfacing depend on the hired contractors, said Wes Wagner, State College Borough engineer.

During rush hours, adjustments will be made. Inbound lane restrictions will be lifted from 6 to 9 a.m. Outbound lane restrictions will be suspended from 3 to 6 p.m.

PennDOT has requested crews be allowed to work from early in the morning to late at night. The townships and the borough have requested restrictions on construction hours in order to limit the noise levels in residential areas.

In addition, PennDOT asked permission to work beyond the restricted hours, including 24 hours a day in commercially zoned areas, said Ron Seybert, Ferguson public works director and township engineer.

Diane Garrett, Patton Township zoning officer, said Patton Township has no construction noise ordinances that might be affected, but requested that work in the late evening hours be restricted in areas near residences, such as the mobile home parks that line North Atherton Street.

Wagner said the State College Borough Council voted to allow construction noise to continue until 10 p.m. in residential areas in order to provide longer days for the contractors to complete the construction.

As for possible reroutings, Seybert said no detours are planned yet, but he does not doubt that people will devise their own.

Wagner also said State College does not have any plans for a detour.

"They really don't have any place to reroute traffic there as far as a detour," Wagner said.