I-99/US 220 Construction: The Innovation Park Interchanges

September 2002 Photos by Geoff Hatchard

Geoff Hatchard revisted the Innovation Park interchanges to see the progress in September 2002. Paving operations continue.

Standing at northern end of Innovation Park, looking ESE towards Mt. Nittany and bridge over what will someday be University Park Airport access road. Bridge carries long ramp from I-99 southbound to Park Ave. and from Park Ave. northbound to I-99 north.

Current end of University Park Airport access road on north end of Innovation Park. Concrete ends to right of photo. White stuff is some small aggregate base, over a coarser base of darker stone. Compare July 2002.

Looking down same road as the first photo, from up on the hill on the south side of the road. Ramp entering from left is from the long ramp that leaves southbound I-99 off of the left side of the photo.

Looking up the short ramp from the previous photo, seeing its split from the long ramp. The lightpost in the middle of the photo is the same one that is visible in the previous photo. The bridge in the photo is where the long ramp from northbound Park Ave. crosses under mainline I-99 in order to meet up with northbound I-99. The sign bridge in the distance is on the long ramp, not the mainline I-99. Compare July 2002.

Another shot of the ramp seen in the previous photos. The concrete visible on the bottom of the photo are retaining walls, and I'm standing on the highest one. The sign bridge from the previous picture is visible in the background here. Compare July 2002 and July 2002.

Standing in same place as for the previous photo. Height of 3 retaining walls can be guessed at from looking at the right-center of the picture. Looking southbound along the ramp heading back towards Park Ave. Bridge in the background is on the ramp entrance to Innovation Park. Beaver Stadium (barely) visible behind bridge. Compare July 2002.

Again at same point as previous photos. The sign bridge is on the southbound mainline of I-99, as is the background bridge. The foreground bridge is on the long ramp (same one as in the first and third photos).

Entrance to Innovation Park. Two-way ramp to the left will become one-way inbound, with the closed ramp becoming the exiting roadway from Innovation Park.

Another view of the not-yet-opened ramp leaving Innovation Park. This will be the exit from a parking lot onto that ramp. Behind the orange cones is the current two-way (and future one-way inbound) ramp.

Standing on current two-way Innovation Park entrance ramp, viewing the future exiting ramp which feeds into the long ramp from southbound I-99. The bridges in the background are the northern end of the long, sweeping bridges that carry mainline I-99 from the Mt. Nittany Bypass to the new roadway.

Standing on same bridge as for the previous picture, looking northbound on long ramp. Note that it is one lane each direction with a jersey barrier. The ramp entering out of the left of the picture is the same ramp as one seen above. The one leaving the long ramp to the right meets up with the University Park Airport access road that passes underneath the long ramp. A temporary concrete mixing operation is set up on the right-of-way between the long ramp and mainline I-99.

Similar view as previous photo, near the center of the bridge. Mainline I-99 visible to right of picture. Compare July 2002.

Standing on same bridge as for the previous photos, looking southbound down the long ramp. Mainline I-99 bridges cross center of picture, Beaver Stadium in the background. BGSs read "Penn State Univ." and "South 220 West 322," with a blank spot for the I-99 shield in the future.

Same view as in the previous photo, standing on south side of bridge now. Compare July 2002.

Sign bridge of previous photos, from inside car driving on ramp leaving Innovation Park. This is the ramp that will be converted to one way inbound when the road is complete.