GOULDSBORO -- Last Friday's snow storm had portions of every highway in our area shut down at one point or another due to wrecks on the interstates, so this time, PennDOT is restricting certain vehicles from those roads.
At a rest stop just off Interstate 380 in Gouldsboro, folks were bracing for another round of winter weather as several more inches of snow are expected fall in the Poconos.
Last Friday's storm brought whiteout conditions and left portions of all the interstates in our area shut down at one point due to crashes.
Interstate 380 was closed for all day and into the night in Monroe County, trapping drivers on the highway and at the rest stop in Gouldsboro.
“I heard about everyone stuck, and the next morning we came out, and this whole area was packed with trailers,” said Margy Azevedo from Gouldsboro.
Steven Van Why of Scranton was one of those stuck on I-380.
“Took me 24 hours to get home,” said Van Why. “I was down in Mount Pocono off the 940 exit at the gas station there, so it was a long one.”
“I had a friend who was stuck for like 14, 15 hours on 380, so I'm going to try to avoid it tomorrow,” said Eric Baumgartef from Scranton.
In an effort to avoid that from happening again, PennDOT is banning certain vehicles from area interstates, and so is the Turnpike Commission, starting at midnight.
That includes tractors pulling empty trailers, passenger vehicles pulling trailers, motorcycles and RV’s.
And beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, all commercial vehicles are banned from Interstates 380 and 84.
Truck driver Eric Lopes of New Jersey says he got a heads up from his company.
“They tell us before, like six hours, 12 hours ahead, my company does,” said Lopes. “And if they close the highway right away, just look for the safest point to stop the truck.”
“From tonight, for 81, 380, 84, all the major roads that were impacted, they're banning, which is great,” said Azevedo.
The governor's office says those vehicle restrictions will stay in place for as long as needed.