PennDOT urges motorists to stay off Pa. roads

12:15 p.m.: Kind of wondered when this was coming. PennDOT is now urging all Pennsylvania residents to stay off the road. And they are indicated they might make it mandatory if winds continue to get worse. Chester Mayor John Linder also is urging residents to stay off the road

Here's their full release:

Harrisburg – PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) are strongly urging motorists to avoid all unnecessary travel in eastern Pennsylvania including the area from Harrisburg north to the New York border, east to the New Jersey border and south to the Maryland border.

PennDOT and the PTC are carefully monitoring forecasts and motorists need to be alert that discussions are currently under way to consider banning all travel with the exception of emergency vehicles if wind speeds continue to increase.

Most roads are currently open and experiencing extremely high traffic volumes. For your safety as well as the safety of other motorists and emergency responders, motorists are urged to avoid unnecessary travel until conditions improve.

Motorists can check road conditions on more than 2,900 miles of state roads by calling 5-1-1 or by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, average traffic speeds on urban interstates and access to more than 670 traffic cameras.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews.

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