HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania has budgeted more than $219.5 million for winter highway maintenance and is expanding automated weather warnings and navigation alerts as state transportation officials prepare for a season following nearly 9,000 crashes on snow- and ice-covered roads last winter.
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Chief Executive Officer Mark Compton outlined the preparations Wednesday, including staffing, equipment deployment and new technology intended to warn motorists of hazardous conditions.
PennDOT plans to deploy nearly 4,700 roadway workers and more than 2,700 department-owned and rented snowplows. The agency has more than 622,000 tons of road salt available statewide, with additional deliveries scheduled throughout the winter.
The preparations follow a winter in which Pennsylvania recorded 8,919 crashes on snowy, slushy or ice-covered roads, resulting in 36 deaths and 3,251 injuries, according to preliminary state data.
Of those fatalities, 12 involved people who were not wearing seat belts, while 15 occurred in crashes where drivers traveled too fast for conditions and left their lanes.
A central component of this year’s preparations is the expansion of automated roadside warning systems designed to alert drivers before they encounter dangerous winter conditions.
PennDOT tested the technology last winter along Interstates 79 and 90 in Erie County and plans to extend it to major interstate corridors across Pennsylvania.
The system uses roadside weather stations to monitor visibility, snowfall intensity and pavement friction. When conditions deteriorate, electronic highway signs automatically display warnings advising drivers to reduce speed because of whiteout conditions ahead.
PennDOT is also expanding its data-sharing partnership with navigation provider Waze.
Beginning this winter, PennDOT snowplows and Freeway Service Patrol vehicles will appear as roadside hazards in the application, providing visual and audible alerts to approaching motorists.
The change is intended to improve awareness of maintenance vehicles operating near traffic during snowstorms and other hazardous conditions.
Commercial drivers will receive additional information through a partnership with Fleetworthy, formerly Drivewyze.
The service will deliver in-vehicle notifications when truck drivers approach highway interchanges affected by winter-related vehicle restrictions. PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike already use the platform to distribute truck-specific work-zone alerts.
“Winter road maintenance is a core part of PennDOT’s mission, and the department has not only made its usual seasonal preparations but also continued to find new ways to help the public navigate winter travel,” Carroll said.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is conducting winter equipment inspections across its maintenance facilities and preparing more than 600 equipment operators, safety patrol personnel and traffic operators for continuous winter operations.
The agency is also expanding traveler communications through real-time restriction updates on its website chatbot, incident notification pilots at service plazas, and potential weather alerts delivered through Fleetworthy.
Its 550-horsepower snowplow, known as Plow Force One, will return to service after debuting last winter. The vehicle can clear more than two lanes of snow in a single pass.
“While our crews work around the clock to keep the roadway safe and clear, winter safety is a shared responsibility,” Compton said. “We ask drivers to do their part by slowing down, giving snowplows room to work and adjusting their travel plans, where possible.”
Turnpike motorists requiring roadside assistance can dial *11. Travelers caught in traffic backups can also have a passenger text INFO to 47676 or use a hands-free device.
PennDOT is accepting applications for temporary equipment operators statewide to supplement its permanent workforce. The department is also recruiting diesel and construction equipment mechanics, welders, clerks, and other seasonal personnel.
Commercial driver’s licenses are among the requirements for equipment operator positions. Application information is available at www.employment.pa.gov/penndot and www.employment.pa.gov.
State officials emphasized that drivers should check road conditions before traveling and carry emergency supplies, particularly when snow squalls or rapidly changing weather could disrupt travel.
“Checking the forecast and road conditions before heading out, having multiple ways to get weather alerts and having basic supplies in your vehicle can make a difference in getting to your destination safely,” Padfield said.
Recommended supplies include water, nonperishable food, blankets, warm clothing, gloves, vehicle snow-removal tools, and phone chargers. Motorists should also carry necessary medications and supplies for children or pets.
Officials advised drivers to distinguish between winter weather watches, which indicate the potential for hazardous conditions, and warnings, which indicate that dangerous weather is occurring or imminent.
Snow squalls pose a particular threat because they can rapidly reduce visibility and create slippery roads even when surrounding conditions appear clear.
PennDOT’s free 511PA service provides travel information covering nearly 40,000 miles of state-maintained highways, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles.
Available at www.511PA.com, the service includes traffic delays, weather forecasts, roadway speeds, and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras.
During winter operations, travelers can also view snowplow locations and information about when state-maintained roads were last plowed, using vehicle-location technology installed in PennDOT’s plow fleet.
The service operates around the clock and is accessible through its website, smartphone applications, and by dialing 511.
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