Hollidaysburg, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) crews and equipment from across the state – including operators and equipment from District 9 – continue with winter storm clean up in Erie County as the region prepares for additional snow in the forecast for this week.
“The length and the depth of this storm has required the highest level of coordination among states, agencies and local governments to get roadways cleared of snow before the next wave hits,” said PennDOT District 1 Executive Brian McNulty. “Our employees from Erie County, the northwest region, and throughout the state continue to demonstrate their dedication to public service as they work around the clock to implement one of the PennDOT’s largest snow-related efforts.”
PennDOT has built on last week’s pre-storm planning – which included bringing department equipment and operators from nearby counties – to include additional resources from PennDOT’s operations across Pennsylvania.
Throughout the storm, Mobile Equipment Teams (MET), including over 80 additional plow trucks and other heavy equipment and more than 100 employees, have been rotated into operations from each of PennDOT’s other 10 districts. This is on top of the 52 plow trucks and 90 operators regularly stationed in Erie County and the 34 pieces of equipment and 55 employees from District 1 who have been assisting. This is helping the department in plowing roads faster and removing hard-packed snow from some of the hardest hit secondary roads.
PennDOT Engineering District 9-0 (Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, and Somerset counties) responded to the request from Harrisburg Area Command by sending two MET’s to District 1.
Two snowblower teams comprised of seven (7) local PennDOT District 9 operators from Cambria and Somerset counties have been working in the Erie region since Saturday, November 30.
Those teams include Highway Maintenance Foreman Justin Yachere and Transportation Equipment Operators Johnathan Blakely and Steven Hoffman from Somerset County, and Highway Maintenance Foreman Mark Pavic, Transportation Equipment Operator John Welchko, Specialist Operator Denny Welchko, and Equipment Mechanic Brian Burket. Together, they possess over 100 years of experience with PennDOT.
District 9 has five (5) self-propelled snowblowers that are utilized during heavy snow events. With several feet of snow piling up, the crews and the two (2) snowblowers deployed by District 9 have been integral to reopening roads after the record setting snowfall.
“These additional resources make it possible for PennDOT through PEMA to help local municipalities, such as the City of Erie, with their operations,” McNulty said. “It has been a true team effort.”
With additional snow squalls and accumulation in the forecast, PennDOT will continue collaboration with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, Pennsylvania State Police, and other state and local officials. The department will also maintain daily coordination calls with New York State DOT and New York Thruway and a storm management presence at the Erie County Emergency Operations Center. MET resources will be reallocated as the storm progresses.
PennDOT reminds motorists to pack an emergency kit for their vehicles. A basic kit should include non-perishable food, water, blanket, small shovel and warm clothes. When preparing an emergency kit, motorists should account for special needs of passengers such as baby food, pet supplies or medications and pack accordingly.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways 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.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, and Somerset counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District9.
Follow PennDOT District 9 on X and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.