Skip to agency navigation
Skip to main content

Official website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means it's official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    PennDOT Reduces Speed Limit on Major Routes Southcentral PA

    February 23, 2026

    Tier 1 vehicle restriction in place on interstates in the region

    Harrisburg, PA – Due to the severity of the winter storm, PennDOT is temporarily reducing the speed limit on major routes in the southcentral PennDOT District 8 region consisting of Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York counties.

    PennDOT is urging motorists to avoid unnecessary travel, but those who must head out will see speed reduced to 45 mph on the following routes:

    • I-81 from the Maryland state line to the Schuylkill County line
    • I-83 from the Maryland state line to Route 581.
    • I-283 entire length
    • Route 581 entire length
    • Route 15 from the Marland state line to Route 581
    • Route 283, entire length
    • Route 30 from Route 24 to Route 462
    • Route 222 from Route 30 to the Berks County Line
    • Route 11 from Duncannon north to the Juniata County line
    • Route 22/322 from I-81 to Millerstown

    In addition to the speed restrictions, the following vehicle restrictions are in effect in District 8 in accordance with Tier 1 of the commonwealth’s weather event vehicle restriction plan.

    • I-78, entire length.
    • I-81, entire length.
    • I-83, entire length.
    • I-283, entire length.

    Under Tier 1 restrictions, 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. 
    • 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. 
    • Motorcycles.

     

    Speed limits may be restricted to 45 mph on these roadways for all vehicles while the vehicle restrictions are in place, and commercial vehicles not affected by the restrictions must move to the right lane.

    While avoiding or delaying unnecessary travel during winter storms is the safest choice, PennDOT offers this advice if drivers 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 that is 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 shows 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.  

    Drivers 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 free smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following local alerts on X.

    Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.pa.gov/DOTprojects. Subscribe to PennDOT news and find transportation results in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties at www.pa.gov/DOTdistrict8.  

    Find PennDOT news on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    MEDIA CONTACT: Dave Thompson 717-418-5018, dmthompson@pa.gov

    # # #