Icy roads: PennDOT lifts restrictions on Pocono highways, Martz still impacted
PennDOT has lifted restrictions on highways in northeastern Pennsylvania.
All restrictions across District 5, which includes Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton and Schuylkill counties, were lifted at 2:24 p.m. Sunday.
Restrictions in PennDOT's District 4, which includes Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna and Wayne counties were lifted at 2 p.m.
PennDOT implemented the restrictions overnight Saturday into Sunday due to freezing rain.
In eastern Pennsylvania, Tier 3 restrictions started at 2 a.m. Sunday on U.S. 22 from Interstate 78 to the New Jersey border, Pennsylvania Route 33 from Interstate 80 to Interstate 78, and the entire length of Interstate 84.
Tier 4 restrictions started at 2 a.m. on the entire length of Interstate 78, the entire length of Interstate 81, the entire length of Interstate 380, and Interstate 80 from Interstate 81 to the New Jersey border.
Tier 4 is more restrictive, with no commercial vehicles allowed at all. School buses, commercial buses, motor coaches, motorcycles, RVs/motorhomes and passenger vehicles towing trailers are not allowed either.
Tier 3 has most of the same restrictions, except that commercial vehicles with "loaded single trailers with chains or approved Alternate Traction Devices" are permitted.
Column: Here's what you should know about winter driving in the Poconos
PennDOT announced the speed restrictions early Sunday morning while urging drivers to avoid unnecessary travel.
Speeds were reduced to 45 mph on Interstate 80 in Monroe and Carbon counties, Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County and Interstate 380 in Monroe County.
The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey, tweeted that as of 8:45 a.m., "Reports of vehicle accidents are starting to come in from the southern Poconos, Lehigh Valley, and Berks County, including I-78 west of Allentown."
Martz announced on Saturday the cancelation of some runs due to the commercial vehicle restrictions: 103 and 115 to New York City, and runs 102 and 110 from New York City.
Additional cancelations were announced Sunday morning: 117, 359, 112 and 126. Martz had initially planned to resume service with 117 and 112.
Service from Pennsylvania to New York will resume as scheduled with runs 127 (Wilkes-Barre, 2:50 p.m.) and 131 (Wilkes-Barre, 6:05 p.m.). Additionally, "Martz service from NYC will be limited to either 8:30pm or 11:30pm today," according to the company.
Philadelphia runs 201 and 208 are canceled. Philadelphia runs will resume as scheduled on Monday.
A winter weather advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for nearly all of Pennsylvania, including for Carbon and Monroe counties until 6 p.m. Sunday, and for Pike and Wayne counties until 4 p.m. Sunday.
Travel updates are available at www.511pa.com, through the 511PA app, and on regional Twitter accounts such as @511PANortheast (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Poconos) and @511PAAllentown (Lehigh Valley).
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Pocono weather: PennDOT restrictions lifted, Martz cancels runs
