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TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS: Speed limit changes, road closures due to winter storm & flooding

By WPXI.com News Staff
By WPXI.com News Staff

PITTSBURGH — Road conditions will deteriorate as freezing rain, sleet and snow fall across western Pennsylvania. Flooding, fallen trees and downed utilities are also an issue.

The winter storm will continue into Friday, and these travel restrictions and road closures have been announced:

Closures & restrictions due to flooding, fallen trees, downed utilities

Fayette County

  • Tom Cat Hollow Road (Route 3003) in Nicholson Township between Geneva Road and Township 0360 Road is closed due to flooding.
  • Albany Road (Route 4003) between Shearer Road in Jefferson Township and Market Street in the Borough of Brownsville is closed due to flooding.

Washington County

  • McKee Road (Route 3011) between Boone Road in Canton Township and Prigg Road in Buffalo Township is closed due to a downed utility
  • Route 40 in Buffalo Township between Route 221 and East Buffalo Church Road is closed due to a downed utility.
  • Route 40 in South Strabane Township between Zediker Station Road and Chestnut Ridge Road has a lane restriction due to a downed tree.
  • Route 231 in East Finley Township between Elm Road and Burnsville Ridge Road/Pleasant Grove Road is closed due to a downed tree.
  • Route 980 in Cecil Township at the intersection of Crothers Lane is closed due to a downed utility.
  • Joffre Bulger Road (Route 4012) in Smith Township between Columbia Drive and Joffre Cherry Valley Road is closed due to a downed tree.
  • West Finley Road (Route 3037) in West Finley Township between Beham Ridge Road and Robison Run Road is closed due to a downed tree.
  • Dutch Fork Church Road (Route 3004) in Donegal Township between Route 231 and Lake Road is closed due to a downed utility.

Westmoreland County

  • Route 381 in Ligonier Township between Club Stable Rd and US 30 is closed due to flooding
  • Armbrust Road (Route 2012) in Hempfield Township between Fairground Road and Route 819 is closed due to flooding.
  • Buttermore Avenue (Route 3089) between Plastic Factory Road in East Huntingdon Township and Bridge and Hunker Waltz Mill Road in the Borough of New Stanton is closed due to flooding.

Greene County

  • Davistown Road (Route 2006) in Perry Township between Watkins Run Road and U.S. 19 is closed due to flooding.
  • Green Valley Road (Route 1019) in Cumberland Township between Muddy Creek Road and Bessie Lane is closed due to flooding.
  • Buckeye Road (Route 2003) in Perry Township between the Intersection with Big Shannon Rd and the West Virginia State Line is closed due to flooding.
  • Big Shannon Run Road (Route 2003) in Whiteley Township between Bacon Run Rd and Little Shannon Rd is closed due to flooding.
  • Carmichaels Road (Route 2017) in Cumberland Township between Muddy Creek Road and Green Valley Road is closed due to flooding.

Pittsburgh street closures

The Pittsburgh Department of Public Works said steep and problematic portions of the following streets will be closed beginning Thursday morning (between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.) and continuing until conditions allow them to be safely reopened.

  • Capitol Avenue
  • Newett Street
  • Copperfield Street
  • South Negley Avenue
  • Suffolk Street
  • Rialto Street

PennDOT and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

Various speed limit and vehicle restrictions are being put in place by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

HOV Lanes

“The I-279 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes will remain closed to traffic until further notice,” PennDOT said.

Speed Limit Restrictions

Speed limits are reduced to 45 mph on several interstates, including:

  • Interstate 70
  • Interstate 79
  • Interstate 279
  • Interstate 376
  • Interstate 579

AAA: Tips if you can’t stay home

With the changing conditions, the best advice from the professionals is to stay at home.

“It seems simple, but that’s the easiest way to keep you and your family safe,” said Tiffany Stanley with AAA East.

If you do have to go out for work or an emergency, AAA recommends you prepare with snow essentials in your car, like an ice scraper.

>>RELATED STORY: What to keep in your emergency car kit for dangerous winter weather

“If you do start to skid, you don’t want to panic. Our first instinct is to slam on the brakes, and you don’t want to do that. You want to keep the wheel in the direction you are going. So, if you are going straight, keep it straight. Take your foot off the gas and slowly put it on the brake,” Stanley said.

AAA said it anticipates an influx of calls when the storm hits. When it comes to towing and help, stranded motorists on the side of the road will take priority over people who may be stuck with a dead battery at home.

TRAFFIC HACKS: Driving, stopping in winter weather

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