Due to the severity of the winter storm, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has put a temporary speed reduction on interstates in Mercer and Venango counties.

PennDOT is urging motorists to avoid unnecessary travel but those who must head out will see speeds reduced to 45 mph on the following interstates:

• Interstate 79 from Exit 113 (Route 208/258, Grove City) in Mercer County to Exit 48 (Southpointe/Hendersonville) in Washington County; and  

• Interstate 80 from the Ohio state line to Exit 133 (Route 53, Kylertown/Philipsburg) in Clearfield County. 

Commercial vehicle traffic is permitted to use the right lane only during the speed reduction. 

Additional restrictions are in place in southwestern part of the state.

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. 

Although PennDOT crews have been treating roadways, the department’s primary goal is to keep roads passable. Roadways will not completely free of ice and snow while a winter storm event is happening. PennDOT will continue to treat roadways throughout the storm until precipitation stops and roads are clear.

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. 

Subscribe to PennDOT news in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.gov/District1. 

Follow PennDOT’s northwest region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAErie or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/northwestregionpenndot. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035

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