PennDOT starts $4.4 million I-80 westbound project in Union County

Drivers on Interstate 80 westbound in eastern Union County began facing slower trips Monday as PennDOT started a long construction project through White Deer and West Buffalo townships. The work zone runs from Exit 199 at Mile Run to the bridge carrying the interstate over White Deer Pike, also known as Route 1010, near mile marker 207.

PennDOT said long-term lane and shoulder restrictions began April 27 and are expected to last until September, a span that will affect daily commutes, freight deliveries and emergency travel through one of the county’s main east-west routes. New Enterprise Stone and Lime is the prime contractor on the $4.4 million job, which PennDOT expects to finish in November 2026.

The project goes well beyond a simple paving job. PennDOT said crews will mill and resurface the roadway, make base repairs, improve drainage, work on guide rail, upgrade signs, preserve two bridges and refresh pavement markings. Those changes are meant to keep the corridor functional while the work advances, but drivers should expect changing traffic patterns and slower travel through the work zone for months.

The stakes reach beyond Union County’s borders. PennDOT identifies Interstate 80 as part of the National Highway Freight Network, underscoring how heavily the road is used to move goods across Pennsylvania as well as to carry local traffic through the region. That makes the stretch through White Deer Township and West Buffalo Township especially important when lane restrictions tighten or work shifts from one segment to another.

PennDOT is directing motorists to 511PA for current conditions. The service provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras, along with a smartphone app, phone updates at 5-1-1 and regional X alerts. PennDOT also points travelers to its Projects Near You and construction mapping tools for district-level information as the I-80 job moves toward its November 2026 finish.