DUNMORE, Pa. — From the PennDOT control center at the District 4 headquarters in Dunmore, traffic cameras show road and travel conditions across Interstates 81, 80, 380, and 84.
PennDOT officials lower the speed limit ahead of any weather event and restrict certain vehicles from roadways when conditions worsen.
PennDOT restricted commercial vehicles from being on interstates until 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
"to protect the traveling public as well as people on the interstates that are allowed to drive and also our workers. We're out there clearing the roads," said PennDOT official Lonell Shalkowski.
PennDOT officials say they try to give trucking companies a heads-up to adjust travel when commercial vehicles aren't allowed on the interstates.
This storm was a bit tricky as snow totals differed from one location to the next, but PennDOT officials say they keep the restrictions in place for a reason.
"Whether that's Bloomsburg or into Monroe County, so we do need to continue our tiered restrictions, sometimes after the snow has ended here to support our neighboring districts and the interstates that connect to District 4," said PennDOT official Jonathan Eboli.
Despite all those precautions, there were several problems on interstates that made it dangerous for those who were on the roads.
"We've had several crashes or tractor-trailers throughout the district. And really, what that does to us is it takes us away from treating the roads, and we have to report to these accident locations," Shalkowski said.
"It could also cause issues in a traffic queue where you have a tractor-trailer that's crossed both of our lanes, and you have several hundred people who could be stranded," Eboli said.
The state police work with PennDOT to enforce those restrictions on commercial vehicles by citing drivers who are caught on the roads.
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