Tioga Welcome Center

Location

Tioga, PA

Project Type

New Facility

Construction Cost

$5,966,000.00

Owner

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Engineering District 3-0

Description

Administered through the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS), this new 10,000 sq. ft. facility has been designed to embrace the scenic beauty of the region. The exterior is clad in cedar siding and features a long “front porch”. The entrance and main lobby are framed with stone piers and heavy timber oak trusses. The rear of the building includes large windows and an exterior terrace with dramatic views across the valley of the Tioga-Hammond Dam.

The main lobby contains five heavy timber trusses supporting the 30-foot exposed beam ceiling. Other features include a fireplace, administration area, public restrooms, vending and service areas. A 200-foot long “interior porch” along the rear is the building’s highlight. Picnic and dog walk areas are adjacent.

Our engineers prepared the site and infrastructure requirements for the project, which included the removal of nearly 400,000 cubic yards of rock for a nearby highway project (also designed by LDG). The final site design includes parking for over 80 automobiles and 30 trucks.

The environmentally friendly mechanical system relies on the natural cooling effect of the earth through the use of 30 geothermal wells, drilled hundreds of feet into the earth below.

LDG designed the domestic water supply and sanitary waste system for the project, despite long distances and terrain issues that affected the design. These systems required numerous approvals and coordination with local and state agencies. Pumping stations were also included in the design, as final connections are made over a quarter of a mile away. All of the electrical system design faced many of the same challenges.