​Due to the severity of the winter storm, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has placed temporarily speed reductions on interstates in Crawford and Erie 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 highways:    

• Interstate 79 from the I-80 interchange in Mercer County to the ending point in Erie County;
• The entire length of I-86 in Erie County; and
• The entire length of I-90 in Erie County.

On roadways with speed restrictions, commercial vehicles 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.

For more winter driving tips and information on how PennDOT treats winter storms, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/winter.

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

Follow PennDOT's northwest region on Twitter or Facebook.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035 

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