Over $186M budgeted for Pennsylvania winter operations

PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced that they’re already preparing for the winter season.

Officials for the PA Turnpike and PennDOT have said they are working to keep Pennsylvanians safe and new measures including new laws and new equipment will help them achieve this.

More than $186 million has been 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.

Vehicles will now be equipped with 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 PA Turnpike, municipalities and contractors working on their behalf may now install flashing or revolving green lights in addition to yellow (amber) lights. The lights have been used in other states and are proven to improve vehicles’ visibility .

The PA Turnpike has also 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.

“We all know that winter weather can be tricky in Pennsylvania,” PA Turnpike Chief Operator Craig Shuey said. “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. The agencies here today spend a lot of time planning and preparing our crews and resources so that when the first snowflakes fall, we can properly deploy what is needed and where.”

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If you encounter snow or ice-covered roads, then you’re reminded to slow down, increase following distance from other vehicles and avoid distractions. Last winter in Pennsylvania, preliminary data shows that there were 151 crashes resulting in three fatalities and 55 injuries where aggressive-driving behaviors such as speeding or making careless lane changes were factors.

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