PennDOT Reduces Speed Limit on Interstate 79 in Northwest Region

01/23/2022

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

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.

You just read:

PennDOT Reduces Speed Limit on Interstate 79 in Northwest Region

Distribution channels:

EIN Presswire's priority is author transparency. We do our best to weed out false and misleading content. The content above is the sole responsibility of the author who makes it available. If you have any complaints, kindly contact the author above.