Due to the severity of the
winter storm, PennDOT is temporarily reducing the speed limit
on Interstate 79 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 stretches of the highway:
- I-79 Northbound
from Exit 77 (I-76/Turnpike – Youngstown OH/Harrisburg) in Allegheny
County to the end of I-79 in Erie County.
- The beginning of
I-79 Southbound in Erie County to Exit 78 (Route 19/Route 228) and Exit
77 (Turnpike) in Butler County.
-
On
roadways with speed restrictions, commercial vehicles not affected by
restrictions on these or other roadways must move to the right lane.
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.
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.
More information about how to prepare for any type of
emergency, including free downloadable
checklists
of items to keep in your home, car, and at work,
and specific information for people with access and functional needs or pets,
is available on the
Ready
PA webpage.
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 Crawford,
Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at
www.penndot.gov/District1.
MEDIA CONTACT: Saxon Daugherty, 814-678-7095
