Due to the winter weather impacting the region, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has temporarily reduced the speed limit to 45 mph on some interstates in the northwest region.
PennDOT is urging motorists to avoid unnecessary travel but those who must head out will see speeds reduced to 45 mph on the following highways:
- Interstate 80 from the Ohio state line to Exit 45 (Route 478, St. Petersburg/Emlenton).
- Interstate 376 from the I-80 interchange to Exit 13A (Route 224, Poland).
Effective at 12:00 PM today, the following roadways will have vehicle restrictions in accordance with Tier 1 of the commonwealth’s weather event vehicle restriction plan.
- Interstate 80 from the Interstate 79 interchange to Exit 173 (Route 64, Lamar).
Under Tier 1 restrictions, the following vehicles are not permitted on affected roadways:
- Tractors without trailers.
- Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded enclosed trailers, open trailers or tank trailers.
- Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded tandem trailers.
- Enclosed unloaded or lightly loaded cargo delivery trucks/box trucks that meet the definition of a CMV.
- Passenger vehicles (cars, SUV’s, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers.
- Recreational vehicles/motorhomes.
- School buses, commercial buses and motor coaches.
- Motorcycles.
Although PennDOT crews have been treating roadways, the department’s primary goal is to keep roads passable, not completely free of ice and snow. PennDOT will continue to treat roadways throughout the storm until precipitation stops and roads are clear.
Restrictions will be communicated via variable message boards, the 511PA traveler information website at www.511PA.com and smartphone apps. Motorists can also sign up for alerts on the website.
While PennDOT recommends not traveling during winter storms, motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
For more winter driving tips and information on how PennDOT treats winter storms, visit www.penndot.pa.gov/winter.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
Find PennDOT news for the northwest region on X or Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACT: Saxon Daugherty, sadaughert@pa.gov or 814-678-7095
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