KING OF PRUSSIA PA – With heavy snowfall forecast for Montgomery County and much of the surrounding area this weekend (tonight and Saturday, Feb. 5-6, 2010), the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is urging drivers to stay off the roads if possible, and advised those who do go out to pack an emergency survival kit.

Expect to see a lot of scenes like this during the weekend.

“Travel during the storm will be extremely risky, and motorists really need to ask themselves if their trip is an absolute necessity or if it can be avoided until after the storm has passed,” said PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration Scott Christie. “The best decision is to avoid unnecessary travel.”

PennDOT, whose regional office is located in King of Prussia, during the coming storm intends to focus first on clearing snow from interstates and other high-volume expressways, Christie said. Secondary state routes will be a lower priority, and likely will have deeper accumulations. The department’s primary goal, he added, is to keep roads passable, not completely free of ice and snow.

If the entire state is impacted by the storm, as PennDOT expects, Christie said it will have 5,400 crew members work rotating shifts to keep more than 2,200 plow trucks operating around the clock. PennDOT plans to continue treating roadways throughout the storm until after precipitation stops and roads are clear.

To supplement that fleet, PennDOT also has agreements with more than 700 municipalities – Lower Pottsgrove and Limerick (PA) townships, and the borough of Pottstown among them – to clear state roads within their jurisdictions. The department additionally rents approximately 270 trucks and operators to assist with snow removal. The department has more than 600,000 tons of salt stocked around the state.

Road conditions for interstates and some limited-access highways will be available online <www.511pa.com> or by calling.

Christie suggested that a survival basic kit should include non-perishable food, water, blanket, small shovel and warm clothes. In addition, motorists should ensure that a relative or friend knows what time they will travel, the route they will use and their destination.

Photo from Cleveland.com

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