The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 2 reminds businesses in its nine-county area about the importance of keeping state highways mud-free during the spring season.
District 2 PennDOT serves Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin and Potter counties.
“Mud tracked onto or deposited on the road can create a hazardous condition for other motorists and will not be tolerated”, said Karen Michael, district executive.
When vehicles deposit mud on roadways, the property owner, the company in charge of the operation, the vehicle owner and the driver of the vehicle that deposited mud, can all be held responsible and made to pay for any damages resulting from the incident. Such incidents are addressed through the Motor Vehicle Code.
The PA Motor Vehicle Code Section 3709 covers litter, including the deposit of any dangerous or detrimental substance. The fine is $300 per occasion.
Mud deposits can be reported to the Pennsylvania State Police and citations can be issued. Operations can be shut down until the problem is corrected.
“Safety is our top priority in designing, building and maintaining our highway system”, Michael said. This issue is extremely important as the spring thaw continues and mud problems become worse.”
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways 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 825 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 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAStateCOLL.