They might not be able to eliminate bad weather, but officials with the Pennsylvania Turnpike think they know how to make it less dangerous.
On Monday, Nov. 14, the Turnpike Authority unveiled a new fog warning system, which will alert motorists to low visibility and change the roads’ speed limit from the standard 65 mph to as low as 10 mph, The Fulton County News reported.
The system – which cost approximately $5.7 million and covers roughly 10 miles of mountainous roadway – includes 10 electronic message boards, which are triggered by a number of condition-monitoring sensors at nearby weather stations, as well as input from the Pennsylvania State Police.
“We could never, ever eliminate the human element from the system,” Turnpike CEO Joe Brimmeier said in a statement.
According to Johnstown’s The Tribune-Democrat, the system came into existence after a deadly fog-related accident in April 2003, which claimed the lives of four people and injured an additional 25 people.
“This is the best insurance policy you can have for the turnpike,” Brimmeier said.