Travel Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 2, 2019

Pennsylvania Removes Selected Travel Restrictions, Others Remain in Place

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) have lifted the temporary restriction on certain vehicles on a portion of Interstate 78 and US 22 and Interstate 476, the Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike.

Due to the winter storm impacting the region, the commonwealth enacted Level 1 and Level 2 of the commonwealth’s draft travel restriction framework, which ban all double trailers (regardless of whether they are equipped with chains), empty trailers, non-commercial vehicles pulling trailers, recreational vehicles and motorcycles on interstates where restrictions are in place.

The restrictions have been lifted from the following:

• Interstate 78 Eastbound from Interstate 81 to State Route 33

• US 22 from Interstate 78 to the New Jersey border in both directions.
• State Route 33 from US 22 to Interstate 80.

• Interstate 476, the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, north of the Pocono/Clark Summit exit for Interstate 80.

Level 1 and Level 2 restrictions are still in place on these interstates:

• Interstate 78 Eastbound from State Route 33 to the New Jersey border.

• Interstate 80 Eastbound from Interstate 81 to the New Jersey border.

• State Route 33 from Interstate 80 to US 22.

• Interstate 81 north of the junction with Interstate 80 to the New York border.

• Interstates 84 and 380 in northeast Pennsylvania.

Interstates 78 and 80 in the west bound direction will remain unrestricted unless conditions warrant implementation of restrictions.

As conditions warrant, speed limits will be restricted to 45 mph and commercial vehicles must move to the right lane. Additional speed restrictions on other interstates could be added depending on changing conditions.

To help make decisions regarding winter travel, motorists are encouraged to "Know Before You Go" by checking 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 950 traffic cameras. Users can also see plow truck statuses and travel alerts along a specific route using the "Check My Route" tool.

For more information on safe winter travel, an emergency kit checklist and information on PennDOT’s winter operations including a video, visit PennDOT.gov/winter. Additional winter driving and other highway safety information is available at PennDOT.gov/safety.

Follow the conversation by using #PAWinter on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews and visit the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation.

Alexis Campbell, PennDOT, 717-783-880                      
Carl DeFebo, PTC, 717-645-2265
Ruth Miller, PEMA, ruthmiller@pa.gov