State officials have lowered the speed limit on major roadways in the midstate as travel conditions deteriorated Wednesday.
The winter storm is being blamed for numerous vehicle crashes.
The speed has been reduced to 45 mph on interstates 81 and 83, route 15 and route 581. The lower speed is in effect in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin and Franklin counties. And a 45 mile per hour speed limit is now in place on nearly 300 miles of the Pennsylvania Turnpike from milepost 0 to milepost 298.
PennDOT crews in Cumberland and Adams counties started work at 4 a.m. Wednesday. In other counties, crews reported at normal times.
Spokesman Greg Penny says PennDOT can easily handle snow. This storm is tough because it's a mixture of snow and sleet and later rain. "Right now the predictions are the temperatures will rise tonight. That will change the snow and sleet to rain. That could dilute the salt that's out there on the roadway. That's fine if the temperatures stay up. If temperatures drop we have a concern for icing. We have to keep out there and keep after it with our trucks."
Salt is penndot's ally in battling ice.
So far this wintry season PennDOT has been very fortunate. Snow storms, sleet storms and ice storms have been few. They have more salt right now than they know what to do with.
In Penny's words, they're flush with salt and they have salt up to the gills. "It's a good thing to be going right into winter season. Hopefully we won't have to use much of this but we're well prepared. We're well stocked with salt for this."
PennDOT is keeping its eye on the weather, more specifically the temperature. If it rises, causes melting and then drops, ice could become a problem overnight. Motorsists should not travel unless necessary.
The winter storm is being blamed for numerous vehicle crashes.
The speed has been reduced to 45 mph on interstates 81 and 83, route 15 and route 581. The lower speed is in effect in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin and Franklin counties. And a 45 mile per hour speed limit is now in place on nearly 300 miles of the Pennsylvania Turnpike from milepost 0 to milepost 298.
PennDOT crews in Cumberland and Adams counties started work at 4 a.m. Wednesday. In other counties, crews reported at normal times.
Spokesman Greg Penny says PennDOT can easily handle snow. This storm is tough because it's a mixture of snow and sleet and later rain. "Right now the predictions are the temperatures will rise tonight. That will change the snow and sleet to rain. That could dilute the salt that's out there on the roadway. That's fine if the temperatures stay up. If temperatures drop we have a concern for icing. We have to keep out there and keep after it with our trucks."
Salt is penndot's ally in battling ice.
So far this wintry season PennDOT has been very fortunate. Snow storms, sleet storms and ice storms have been few. They have more salt right now than they know what to do with.
In Penny's words, they're flush with salt and they have salt up to the gills. "It's a good thing to be going right into winter season. Hopefully we won't have to use much of this but we're well prepared. We're well stocked with salt for this."
PennDOT is keeping its eye on the weather, more specifically the temperature. If it rises, causes melting and then drops, ice could become a problem overnight. Motorsists should not travel unless necessary.