States issue truck bans ahead of snow storm
Transportation officials in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have issued travel bans for some commercial vehicles in response to a winter storm.
In Pennsylvania, the travel ban went into place at 6 a.m. on Monday and includes all double trailers, empty trailers, RVs, motorcycles, and non-commercial vehicles hauling trailers.
This travel ban includes the following roadways:
- I-81 north of the junction with Interstate 80 to the New York border.
- Interstates 84 and 380 in northeast Pennsylvania.
- I-476, the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, north of the Pocono/Clark Summit exit for Interstate 80.
Additionally, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has also issued a full commercial vehicle travel ban on the following roadways:
- I-80 Eastbound from Interstate 81 to the New Jersey border.
- I-78 Eastbound from Interstate 81 to the New Jersey border.
- US 22 from Interstate 78 to the New Jersey border in both directions.
- The entirety of State Route 33 in both directions.
PennDOT also says that speed limit reductions could be put into place on other roadways. Per a new PennDOT policy, when speed limits are reduced to 45 m.p.h. due to weather, trucks are restricted to the right lane.
Last winter, PennDOT issued multiple truck travel bans and issued hundreds of citations for up to $300 to drivers who violated the bans.
You can follow PennDOT on Facebook for the latest information on the travel ban.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) also issued a travel ban for portions of I-80, I-78, and I-287 starting at 12:01 on Monday morning.
This travel ban includes:
• All tractor-trailers
• Empty straight CDL-weighted trucks
• Passenger vehicles pulling trailers
• Recreational vehicles
• Motorcycles
The portions of the interstates impacted by the travel ban are:
- I-80 both directions from the PA state line to exit 43 (I-287)
- I-78 both directions from the PA state line to exit 29 (I-287)
- I-287 both directions from exit 21 (I-78) to the NY border
You can follow NJDOT on Facebook to keep up with the latest travel ban information.
In New York, no travel bans have been issued, but speed limits are reduced to an advised 45 m.p.h. on the following roads:
- All State owned Parkways in DOT Region 8 (Hudson Valley)
- I-81: PA line to Syracuse
- Route 17: Binghamton to I-84
- I-84: Entire length
- I-86: from PA line to Binghamton
- I-88: Binghamton to I-90
- I-99: Entire length
- I-684: Entire length
- I-90 – exit 36 to exit 24 (Albany)
- I-87 – from exit 24 to exit 15 including the Berkshire spur