King of Prussia, PA – Due to the severity of the winter storm, PennDOT is temporarily reducing the speed limit on several roadways across the five-county Philadelphia 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 highways:
- Interstates 76, 95, 295, 476, 676.
- U.S. Routes 1, 30, 202, 422.
- State Routes 63, 100 Spur and 309.
In addition, the following vehicle restrictions went into effect at midnight on Saturday, January 24, for all Pennsylvania interstates, plus the PA Turnpike and its extensions, along with several other major roadways in accordance with Tier 4 of the commonwealth’s weather event vehicle restriction plan.
On roadways with Tier 4 restrictions in place, no commercial vehicles are permitted. Additionally, all school buses, commercial buses, motor coaches, motorcycles, RVs/motorhomes, and passenger vehicles (cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers are not permitted on affected roadways while restrictions are in place. For the full list of vehicle restrictions, visit 511PA.com.
Restrictions will be lifted as quickly as possible when conditions are safe. Restrictions can be changed based on conditions on the roadways and reports from first responders, law enforcement, and PennDOT personnel.
While avoiding or delaying unnecessary travel during winter storms is the safest choice, PennDOT offers this advice if motorists must travel and encounter snow squalls or blowing or drifting snow:
- Slow down gradually and drive at a speed that suits conditions.
- Turn on your headlights. If caught in a snow squall, turn on your hazard lights.
- Stay in your lane and increase your following distance.
- Stay alert, keep looking as far ahead as possible, and be patient.
- Do not drive distracted; your full attention is required.
- Use your defroster and wipers.
- Keep windows and mirrors free of snow and ice.
- During whiteouts, come to a complete stop only when you can safely pull off the roadway.
- Do not stop in the flow of traffic since this could cause a chain-reaction collision.
- Do not pass a vehicle moving slowly, or speed up, to get away from a vehicle following too closely.
- Always buckle up and never drive impaired.
- Have an emergency kit handy. Here are some suggestions of what you could include in your emergency kit.
Last winter in Pennsylvania, preliminary data show that there were 8,329 crashes, 29 fatalities, and 2,959 injuries on snowy, slushy, or ice-covered roadways. Eleven of the people who died weren’t wearing a seat belt, and 17 of the fatalities were in crashes where a driver was going too fast for conditions and drove out of their lane.
For more information on safe winter travel, an emergency kit checklist, and information on PennDOT’s winter operations, including a video, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/winter. Additional winter driving and other highway safety information is available at www.PennDOT.pa.gov/safety.
Although PennDOT crews have been treating roadways, the department’s primary goal is to keep roads passable, and they will not be 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.
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.pa.gov/winter.
PennDOT’s media center offers resources for organizations, community groups, or others who share safety information with their stakeholders. Social-media-sized graphics highlighting winter safety are among the available options.
MEDIA CONTACT: Krys Johnson, krysjohnso@pa.gov
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