The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has lifted the temporary restriction on certain vehicles from traveling on Interstate 86 and Interstate 90 in Erie County.
Due to high winds impacting the region, PennDOT temporarily restricted certain vehicles from using the interstates starting Monday morning to help ensure that the interstates remained open during the most challenging conditions of the winter storm.
The vehicle restrictions reflected Tier 1 of the commonwealth’s weather event vehicle restriction plan (PDF).
PennDOT is urging motorists to avoid unnecessary travel, but those who must head out will see speeds remain temporarily reduced to 45 mph on Interstate 79 from Exit 141 (Route 285, Geneva/Cochranton) to Exit 166 (Route 6N, Albion/Edinboro). A speed restriction of 55 mph is in place Interstate 80 eastbound from Exit 42(Route 38, Emlenton) in Venango County to 147 (Route 144, Snow Shoe) in Centre County.
Although PennDOT crews have been treating roadways, the department’s primary goal is to keep roads passable, and they will 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 1,200 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.pa.gov/DOTDistrict1.
Find PennDOT news for the northwest region on X or Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACT: Saxon Daugherty, sadaughert@pa.gov or 814-678-7095
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