STATE OF NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE TRAVEL RESTRICTION

ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER 2022-01

WHEREAS, beginning on Thursday, January 6th, 2022, the State of New Jersey is expected to experience a significant winter storm causing challenging weather conditions including significant snow accumulations; and

WHEREAS, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory covering 21 of the 21 counties of New Jersey between Thursday evening, January 6th and Friday early afternoon, January 7th; and

WHEREAS, this winter storm is expected to produce difficult travel conditions across the State with snow accumulations ranging between two and five inches across the state, with snowfall rates up upwards of an inch per hour which will cause slippery conditions on the roadways; and

WHEREAS, this winter storm is expected to disrupt winter road treatment operations during both the evening peak travel period on Thursday, January 6th and morning peak travel period on Friday, January 7th; and

WHEREAS, this impending winter storm constitutes a hazard that threatens and presently endangers the health, safety, and resources of the residents of the State, to include essential services such as police, fire and first aid; and

WHEREAS, the Commissioner of the State of New Jersey Department of Transportation ("Commissioner of Transportation") has authority to regulate traffic on State highways and transportation systems, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 27:1A-5 and N.J.S.A. 39:4-8.3; and

WHEREAS, if the Commissioner of Transportation determines that an emergency condition exists requiring the immediate closing of a State highway, the Commissioner has the authority to close the highway without advance notice, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 27:3A-3;

NOW, THEREFORE, on this 6th day of January, 2022, I, Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, the Commissioner of Transportation, hereby ORDER the following;

1. All tractor-trailers, empty straight CDL-weighted trucks, passenger vehicles pulling trailers, recreational vehicles and motorcycles, except vehicles exempted in paragraph 3, are prohibited from travelling on the following State highways.
   1. Interstate 76 (entire length);
   2. Interstate 78 (entire length);
   3. Interstate 80 (entire length);
   4. Interstate 195 (entire length);
   5. Interstate 280 (entire length);
   6. Interstate 287 (entire length);
   7. Interstate 295 (entire length);
   8. Interstate 676 (entire length); and
   9. New Jersey Route 440, both directions from the Outerbridge Crossing to I-287
2. This restriction does not apply to:
   1. The New Jersey Turnpike
   2. The Garden State Parkway
   3. The Atlantic City Expressway
3. This prohibition shall not apply to the operation of the following vehicles or the following people:
   1. Public safety vehicles, sworn and civilian public safety personnel, including those providing services at correctional facilities, and private sector security personnel;
   2. Public works vehicles and public works personnel, including contract personnel supporting public works operations;
   3. Public transportation vehicles and public transportation personnel, including contract personnel supporting public transportation operations;
   4. Government personnel conducting official business;
   5. Utility company vehicles and personnel, including contract personnel supporting utility response and restoration efforts;
   6. Personnel directly supporting public storm response operations, including but not limited to emergency shelter personnel;
   7. Government, civilian, or contracted personnel involved with the transportation of medical supplies and/or medications, including but not limited to the COVID-19 vaccines;
   8. Personnel supporting human services facilities, including but not limited to residential housing programs and human services shelter operations;
   9. Healthcare personnel, including home healthcare personnel, personal care assistants, and veterinary personnel;
   10. Personnel delivering or supporting services at healthcare facilities, including those that provide long-term care and mental health care, as well as hospitals and other healthcare facilities;
   11. Vehicles and personnel providing critical supplies to healthcare facilities, including those that provide long-term care and mental health care, as well as hospitals and other healthcare facilities;
   12. News media;
   13. Private sector snow removal equipment engaged in, or traveling in connection with the removal or clearance of snow and ice from public or private sector facilities;
   14. Patients traveling for the purpose of receiving urgent critical care, and persons traveling with those patients who are necessary to facilitate that urgent critical care;
   15. Travel necessary to maintain critical private sector facilities, services and operations, and to deliver or support critical private sector services and supplies, in critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, fuel, financial systems, and the provision of critical commodities; and
   16. Travel to support business operations that provide critical services to the public, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, food stores, and hardware stores.
4. This Order is not intended to prohibit the Attorney General of New Jersey; the State Director of Emergency Management, who is the Superintendent of the State Police; or the Adjutant General of the New Jersey National Guard from taking any actions that they may deem necessary regarding the State highways listed in paragraph 1 above.
5. This Order shall take effect at 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 6, 2022 and shall remain in effect until such time that this Order is terminated.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 6th day of January, 2022

Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti
Commissioner of Transportation

Attest:
Lisa J. Adams