Stadium Parking Map.
PennDOT’s Central Region Traffic Management Center is also supporting Penn State Football game days by posting real-time travel information on dynamic message signs and transmitting audio messages on highway advisory radio systems to assist travelers.
UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State officials are expecting more than 100,000 fans when Penn State kicks off the home portion of its schedule Saturday against Ball State.
PennDOT is encouraging motorists traveling to Penn State home football games to plan their trip using the real-time travel information at www.511PA.com/psf.
511PA includes travel information for every home Penn State home football game.
Throughout the season, travel information will be available beginning the Thursday before each home game through the Monday after.
The 511PA Penn State football page is dedicated to monitoring traffic conditions on the primary travel routes to the event. Travel times and alerts are provided for each parking zone: West Zone (access via Atherton Street to Park Avenue); East Zone (access via U.S. 322/I-99 to Park Avenue); North Zone (access via Fox Hollow Road); and South Zone (access via University Drive and Porter Road from College Avenue/U.S. 26).
Users can see incidents, construction, weather forecasts and alerts, traffic cameras, and traffic speeds on the map. The page also includes the 2021 Beaver Stadium Parking Map.
PennDOT’s Central Region Traffic Management Center is also will post real-time travel information on dynamic message signs and transmitting audio messages on highway advisory radio systems.
Coach James Franklin has been calling for a sellout of 107,000 seats for the first home game fans can attend since the end of the 2019 season.
“We expect a full house; we have a few thousand tickets left,” said Deputy Director of Athletics Scott Sidwell on Tuesday.
Also returning are traditional pregame festivities to include tailgating, team arrival and traffic patterns. However, fans will see changes. The biggest one for fans is that Penn State Athletics has fully converted to mobile tickets. Mobile ticket scanners and walkthrough metal detectors have been added at every entry point. Fans are encouraged to download their mobile tickets to their Apple Wallet or Google Pay prior to leaving for the game.
Multiple charging stations will be located in and around Beaver Stadium, as well as the external customer relations booths. The kiosks have charging units and adapters for iOS and Android devices.
Sidwell said mobile ticketing has become a trend in the industry.
“In 2019, we had 48 percent, we are not starting from ground zero. Our big message is to download your tickets before you leave home. We will have assistants in the parking lot. We will be at the gates to make sure people get in,” Sidwell said. “We learned a lot at Wisconsin last week, they were totally mobile, we are excited about these things. We want fans to understand we are there to help.”
Meanwhile, gates E and F have been expanded near the Beaver Stadium ticket office. The expansion will also improve the fan circulation around the outside of the stadium with extended walkways.
Game day traffic will return to the 2019 plan.
The one-way traffic pattern will begin four hours prior to kickoff (11:30 a.m. for Saturday’s game) and 8:30 a.m. for noon games. New this year, day of game parking can only be purchased (cash or credit) at the Innovation Park Building.
The parking lots will open at 8 a.m. for Saturday’s game.
“We are asking people to come early,” Sidwll said.
The one-way outbound traffic pattern is expected to end 60-90 minutes after the game. When the one-way pattern ends, fans will be able to exit their lot and leave the stadium vicinity via any route.
PennDOT said fans coming to the game should be aware of some construction work in the area.
On I-80, overnight work on the local interchange/Route 26 project at Bellefonte/161 began Tuesday. This work may require the contractor to close the right (travel) lane in some instances. In these instances, all westbound traffic will utilize the temporary crossover.
PennDOT does not expect the new traffic pattern to result in any significant travel delays.
On Route 322 westbound near Philipsburg, traffic is reduced to a single lane while crews construct an a one-mile center turning lane between Decatur Hill/Graham Station Road and Route 53. This construction creates the potential for traffic congestion.
Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.
