A new four-lane highway built to make life easier for central Pennsylvania drivers will open next week. The speed limit will be posted 55 mph.

The new road - I-99, or U.S. 220, as it will be posted for now - is scheduled to open at noon Monday between state Route 26 east of Bellefonte and the Park Avenue interchange near Penn State's Beaver Stadium.

The opening will give truckers driving between U.S. 322 and I-80 a nonstop run on a limited-access highway as a substitute for the normally bumper-to-bumper crawl of East College Avenue.

State police will be responsible for the new highway after Congress designates it I-99, the Centre Daily Times reported. PennDOT said Congress would not give that section of highway an interstate designation before the entire highway was completed.

While it is designated U.S. 220, State College and Spring Township police will share coverage. Patton Township police have responsibility for U.S. 322 in their municipality.

An unfinished section of I-99 between the Scotia Road interchange in Patton Township and Worth Township near Port Matilda is due to be completed by December 2004. The remaining 8-mile section, linking Port Matilda and Bald Eagle, is projected for completion in 2006 or 2007.