The portion of Interstate 90 included in the Tier 2 vehicle restriction has been shortened to the Interstate 79 interchange through the New York state border. The same vehicle restriction remains in place on the entire length of Interstate 86.
Drivers are reminded that the New York State Thruway Authority has announced a full travel ban in Erie County, New York and a ban on all commercial vehicles on Interstate 90 starting at the Pennsylvania border. Vehicles heading to New York on I-90 in Pennsylvania are advised to detour at the I-86 interchange, though empty and tandem trailers are restricted from I-86 in New York as well.
Under Tier 2 of the commonwealth's weather event vehicle restriction plan, the following vehicles are not permitted on affected roadways:
- Tractors without trailers.
- Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded enclosed trailers, open trailers or tank trailers.
- Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded tandem trailers.
- Tractors towing loaded tandem trailers unless there are chains or another approved Alternate Traction Devices (ADTs).
- Enclosed unloaded or lightly loaded cargo delivery trucks/box trucks that meet the definition of a CMV.
- Passenger vehicles (cars, SUV's, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers.
- Recreational vehicles/motorhomes.
- School buses, commercial buses and motor coaches regardless of the availability of chains or ATDs.
- Motorcycles.
The purpose of the restriction is to help ensure the interstates remain open during the most challenging conditions of the winter storm. When conditions improve, PennDOT will remove the travel restrictions for interstates in the commonwealth's northwest region.
Restrictions will be communicated via variable message boards, the 511PA traveler information website at www.511PA.com and smartphone apps. Motorists can also sign up for alerts on the website.
PennDOT will continue to monitor the weather and crews will be treating roadways as needed to keep with the department's primary goal of safe and passable roadways. Drivers are reminded that roads will not be completely free of ice and snow during an active winter storm. 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 X alerts.
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.gov/District1.
Follow PennDOT's northwest region on X or Facebook.
Contact: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035 or jharry@pa.gov
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