CLEARFIELD – Winter weather will be here soon and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is reminding homeowners along state routes that properly preparing their mailbox for winter can reduce the chances of a mailbox being damaged by a snowplow.
Safe and passable roads are PennDOT’s mission throughout winter. Keeping roads open often means plowing deep snow to the edge of roads. Snowplow operators are instructed to maintain lower speeds when plowing in areas where mailboxes are present and to try to avoid contact when possible.
Mailbox damage occurs primarily due to the weight of snow being removed from the roadway. Since most mailboxes are placed within PennDOT’s legal right-of-way, homeowners are responsible for confirming that their mailbox can withstand the weight of snow being thrown from a plow. Generally, this means firmly installing the mailbox as far beyond the roadway shoulder as the postal carrier can reach.
PennDOT offers these tips to help prevent mailbox damage this winter:
- Place a six-inch to eight-inch piece of reflective tape on the mailbox to help snow plow operators see it at night.
- Remove snow from around the mailbox, but avoid throwing it back onto the road.
- If the mailbox is located within the legal right-of-way and damage was experienced in the past, homeowners may want to consider relocating the mailbox.
Homeowners who have followed these tips in the past and have still experienced damaged mailboxes may want to consider installing a cantilever mailbox support that will “swing” a mailbox out of harm’s way. Plans for building the cantilever mailbox support (see attached) can be obtained by visiting PennDOT’s winter Web page at www.penndot.gov/winter.
Diagrams can also be obtained through PennDOT District 2 by calling 814-765-0423. District 2 serves Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, and Potter counties.
Taking steps to ensure the visibility and stability of mailboxes will help PennDOT and postal carriers deliver their best this winter.
Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA Web site.
Follow PennDOT District 2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAStateCOLL or “like” the Department on Facebook.
