What you need to know about driving on Interstate 95 during the DNC

The Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | June 24, 2016 | Emily Babay

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Motorists on Interstate 95 during the Democratic National Convention should be prepared for weight restrictions and ramp closures.

PennDot has outlined what drivers on the interstate should expect before, during and after the DNC, which will be held July 25-28 at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia. Here's what you need to know:

Open to passenger vehicles

Like other highways in the area, I-95 will be open to passenger vehicles.

No vehicles weighing more than 5 tons

Vehicles that weigh more than five tons won't be permitted on I-95 between Exit 13 (for Interstate 76 West/Route 291/Valley Forge) and Exit 22 (for Interstate 676) between noon on July 23 and sometime midday on July 29, according to PennDot.

Commercial vehicles affected will include delivery trucks, utility vehicles, parcel trucks, buses, small dump trucks, buses, cement mixers, flatbed and stake trucks, box trucks and tractor-trailers, officials said. Personal mobile homes and recreational vehicles that weigh more than five tons also won't be permitted.

Detour routes

Transportation agencies "will utilize a combination of electronic message boards and stationary signs to guide commercial truck drivers along alternate routes during this temporary restriction," PennDot Secretary Leslie Richards said in a statement.

Here are the detour routes for the restricted vehicles, and authorities said drivers on these roads should be prepared for heavy traffic that's diverted off I-95:

From I-95 north: Route 291 (Penrose Avenue) east, to 26th Street, to Interstate 76 west, to Interstate 676 east

From I-95 south: I-676 west, to I-76 east, to 26th Street, to Route 291(Penrose Avenue) west.

No oversized loads

Oversized loads will be banned from traveling in the Philadelphia area from July 23 at noon until midday on July 29.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Actually, come to think of it, it was 81 to 80 to 380 (Pennsylvania) to 84 to 90 to 495.

[Dr. Sivana]

That didn’t get me out of horrendous traffic in Connecticut, however.

Connecticut traffic is ALL a matter of timing, especially I-84. Construction around Waterbury is always a problem, and west on I-84 west of Hartford is plagued with new lanes created by merges with left lane exits forcing lane changes on almost all traffic (while driving into the sun during the afternoon rush).

Unlike Chicago, Atlanta and NYC, outside of the rush hours, it is not quite horrendous.