Rendell Closes Some Interstates

Governor Ed Rendell has shut down most major highways in south-central and southeast portions Pennsylvania.
Travel on all of I-83, I-78 and I-81 from the Maryland border up to I-80 is banned until further notice, due to hazardous driving conditions.
Rendell has also shut down the Schuylkill Expressway, I-476 and I-676 in the Philadelphia area, and I-176 between Morgantown and Reading.

"These road closures were necessitated by the high winds, which created a real lack of visibility. Something that despite the intensity of the storm over the weekend, we didn’t have to deal with."

Rendell says he doesn’t know when the highways will reopen.

"That depends on the weather conditions and when the snow abates. And also, we’re going to want to give our crews a chance to have a clear shot at clearing the roads quickly, because temperatures are supposed to dip. So it may not be – let’s say the snow gets out of the central part of the state, as it’s predicted, at six and seven. It may not be at seven o’clock. It may be later. It may be tomorrow morning."

The Turnpike remains open, but the speed limit has been reduced to 45 miles per hour, and certain types of vehicles are banned from driving on it.
I-95 is still open, as well.
11-hundred members of the Pennsylvania National Guard have been mobilized to help state police and PennDOT workers patrol the roads and assist stranded motorists.