HARRISBURG – In partnership with the Pennsylvania Turnpike, PennDOT has noted preparations for the winter season to ensure Pennsylvanians can travel safely and efficiently across the Commonwealth.
New measures signed into law should help keep travelers safer this winter, and state-funded new will ensure PennDOT can clear roadways quickly in inclement weather, state officials said.
“Keeping Pennsylvanians’ travel as safe as possible is at the core of PennDOT’s mission, and the new lighting option signed into law by the governor is another way we can enhance safety,” Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll said. “PennDOT and our partners are prepared for the season ahead, and we urge the public to prepare themselves and their vehicles as well. We also encourage people to apply to join our full-time or temporary teams to help make this winter a safe one.”
Vehicles from each agency are equipped with new, additional green lights which are incorporated with existing flashing or revolving yellow (amber) lights. This additional strategy aims to increase safety by making construction and maintenance operations more visible. PennDOT, the Turnpike, municipalities and contractors working on their behalf may now install flashing or revolving green lights in addition to yellow lights after Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Act 78 of 2024 on July 17. The lights have been used in other states and are proven to improve vehicles’ visibility.
The public can access travel information on nearly 40,000 state-maintained roadway miles year-round at www.511PA.com, and during the winter they can find plow-truck locations and details of when state-maintained roadways were last plowed. The information is made possible by PennDOT’s Automated Vehicle Location technology, which uses units in the more than 2,600 department-owned and rented plow trucks to send a cellular signal showing a truck’s location.
To help the public prepare for the season and share information about winter services, PennDOT offers operational information and traveler resources on its winter web page. The site also has a complete winter guide with detailed information about winter services in each of PennDOT’s 11 engineering districts.
As part of its mission and commitment to safety, the Pennsylvania Turnpike has been preparing its vehicles and system to support roadway safety during the winter months. More than 600 equipment operators and safety patrol personnel as well as traffic operators are ready to provide 24/7 staffing and roadway assistance throughout the winter. The Turnpike managers understands the importance of supporting efficient and reliable travel and works to keep the system as free of snow and ice as possible.
“We all know that winter weather can be tricky in Pennsylvania,” said Craig Shuey, Turnpike chiefr operating officer. “Drivers need to be aware of the conditions and drive accordingly. We have employees out there working to clear the roadway who want to get home to their families, so we ask drivers to give plenty of distance between them and the plow trucks, and don’t try to pass trucks spreading salt. It will keep our employees safe and our customers safe.”
With more than $186 million budgeted for this winter’s statewide operations, PennDOT deploys about 4,700 on-the-road workers, has more than 728,000 tons of salt on hand across the state and will take salt deliveries throughout the winter.
PennDOT is actively seeking temporary equipment operators statewide for the winter season to supplement the department’s full-time staff. Details on minimum requirements – such as possession of a CDL – as well as application information , are available at www.employment.pa.gov/penndot. Through the same website and www.employment.pa.gov, job seekers can apply for other non-operator winter positions such as diesel and construction equipment mechanics, welders, clerks and more.
If motorists encounter snow or ice-covered roads, they should slow down, increase their following distance and avoid distractions. Last winter in Pennsylvania, preliminary data shows that there were 151 crashes resulting in three fatalities and 55 injuries on snowy, slushy or ice-covered roadways where aggressive-driving behaviors such as speeding or making careless lane changes were factors.
Motorists should prepare for potential wintry weather by ensuring they have supplies in their cars before heading out: food, water, blankets, extra gloves and hats, cell phone charger, hand or foot warmers, windshield brush and scraper, and any specialized items like medications or baby and pet supplies.
Motorists can check 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 1,000 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a free smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following local alerts on X.
