Penn State football fans told to expect traffic delays, ‘extreme congestion’ Saturday
Penn State football fans heading to Saturday’s game, especially those who use Atherton Street, might want to consider leaving a little earlier.
State College police cautioned motorists to expect “extreme congestion” Saturday morning, as a result of lane restrictions around the well-traveled intersection of Atherton Street and Beaver Avenue. Fans parking in the West Zone — who arrive from the west or south — should also expect “considerable delays” ahead of the noon kickoff, police said Wednesday on social media.
Lane restrictions on Atherton & Beaver around the Atherton/Beaver intersection will still be in place Saturday. Expect extreme congestion during the morning. People attempting to get to their "W" parking spots from the west and south should expect considerable delays. pic.twitter.com/ddy2ELpebQ
— State College Police (@StateCollegePD) September 6, 2023
According to PennDOT spokesperson Timothy Nebgen, Atherton Street will be reduced to a single lane in each direction between Calder Way and Hill Alley. Although no work is set to take place Friday or Saturday, long-term traffic control cannot be removed until complete traffic signal recalibration and pavement markings take place.
“Traffic won’t be able to utilize the turning lane at the intersection of Beaver Avenue until this work is completed next week,” Nebgen told the CDT. “Traffic trying to make that turn is the most significant cause of the congestion.”
The delays come amid an ongoing $30.7 million construction project involving Atherton Street, from Curtin Road to Westerly Parkway. Among the changes include drainage improvements, new water and sewer lines, new concrete curbing and sidewalks, improved traffic signals, etc.
Construction started last summer and is expected to wrap up around November 2024.
No. 7 Penn State (1-0) is set to take on FCS Delaware (1-0) on noon Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Actual attendance is expected to be notably lower compared to last week’s home opener against West Virginia — which saw the fourth-largest crowd in PSU history at 110,747 — but fans of the blue and white have experienced frustrating traffic jams in similar conditions.
After this Saturday’s game against Delaware, the Nittany Lions will hit the road against Illinois (Sept. 16) before returning for what should be one of the biggest home games of the season. On Sept. 23, Penn State will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at 8 p.m. during the annual White Out in Happy Valley.
Nebgen said current work involving the turning lane at the Atherton/Beaver intersection would be completed before the White Out.
