​Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has lifted some of the temporary restriction on certain vehicles from traveling on major roadways in the PennDOT District 5 region that includes Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties.   Due to the winter storm impacting the region, PennDOT temporarily restricted certain vehicles from using some interstates and expressways earlier to help ensure that the interstate remained open during the most challenging conditions of the winter storm.  

Vehicle restrictions reflect Tier 3 and 4 of the commonwealth’s weather event vehicle restriction plan, and are still in effect on the following roadways:

• Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County (Tier 4); • Interstate 80 in Carbon and Monroe counties (Tier 4); • Interstate 380 in Monroe County (Tier 4); • PA 33 in Northampton and Monroe counties (Tier 3).

On roadways with Tier 3 restrictions in place, no commercial vehicles are permitted EXCEPT loaded single trailers with chains or approved Alternate Traction Devices. Additionally, all school buses, commercial buses, motor coaches, motorcycles, RVs/motorhomes and passenger vehicles (cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers are not permitted on affected roadways while restrictions are in place.   On roadways with Tier 4 restrictions in place, no commercial vehicles are permitted. Additionally, all school buses, commercial buses, motor coaches, motorcycles, RVs/motorhomes and passenger vehicles (cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers are not permitted on affected roadways while restrictions are in place.   In addition to the remaining vehicle restriction, speed limits to 45 mph for all vehicles, and right-lane-only commercial vehicle restrictions remain on the following roadways:

• Interstate 78 in Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties; • Interstate 80 in Monroe and Carbon counties; • Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County; • Interstate 380 in Monroe County.

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.   For more winter driving tips and information on how PennDOT treats winter storms, visit www.penndot.gov/winter.    Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties at www.penndot.gov/District5.

Follow regional PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAAllentown, and like the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Ronald J. Young, Jr., M.P.A., 610-871-4555, ronyoung@pa.gov; Sean A. Brown, 610-871-4556, sebrown@pa.gov.     # # #