PennDOT issued the following advisory at 9:48 p.m. Sunday:
Montoursville, PA – Due to the severity of the winter storm, PennDOT is temporarily restricting certain vehicles on Interstate 80 in north central Pennsylvania.
Vehicle restrictions reflect Tier 1 of the commonwealth’s weather event vehicle restriction plan, and are in effect on the Interstate 80 between Exit 161 (US 220 south / PA 26 – Bellefonte) in Centre County and the New Jersey State line.
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 cargo delivery 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 not carrying chains or Alternate Traction Devices (ATD’s); and
- motorcycles.
Speed limits will be restricted to 45 mph on these roadways for all vehicles while the vehicle restrictions are in place, and commercial vehicles not affected by the restrictions must move to the right lane. Additional speed restrictions on other interstates could be added depending on changing conditions.
PennDOT issued the following advisory at 8pm Sunday:
Montoursville, PA – Due to the severity of the winter storm, PennDOT is temporarily reducing the speed limit on certain roadways in the 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
- Interstate 180
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.
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 Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
The department also asks motorists to allow plenty of space when driving near plow trucks. Also, for their own safety and the safety of plow operators, motorists should never attempt to pass a truck while it is plowing or spreading winter materials.
PennDOT reminds motorists to pack an emergency kit for their vehicles. A basic kit should include non-perishable food, water, blanket, small shovel and warm clothes. When preparing an emergency kit, motorists should take into account special needs of passengers such as baby food, pet supplies or medications and pack accordingly.
PennDOT also reminds citizens that downloadable materials, including home and car emergency kit checklists and emergency plan templates, are available at www.Ready.PA.gov or by downloading the free ReadyPA app for Apple or Android devices. Citizens can also find information about getting involved in local emergency response efforts and other volunteer opportunities through the ReadyPA website.
For more winter driving tips and information on how PennDOT treats winter storms, visit www.PennDOT.gov/winter.
Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/StateColl for Tioga, Lycoming, Bradford, Sullivan and Union County information; www.twitter.com/Altoona for Snyder County information or www.twitter.com/Northeast for Montour, Columbia and Northumberland information.
