Due to high winds and rain expected this weekend, some high-profile vehicles will be prohibited from traveling on the Ohio Turnpike from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday, according to a news release from turnpike officials.
High-profile vehicles are defined as those taller than 7 feet, 6 inches. According to an Ohio Turnpike news release, the following types of vehicles will be restricted from the entire 241-mile toll road:
· All high-profile tow-behind trailers, campers, boats, and enclosed trailers. (Fifth wheel trailers are excluded.);
· Commercial trucks towing an empty single 53-foot trailer;
· All mobile homes, office trailers and livestock trailers;
· All long combination vehicles (LCV) that include long double-trailer combinations exceeding 90 feet in length. (Enclosed trailers only, including Conestoga type trailers); and
· All LCV triple-trailer combinations.
The following types of vehicles will be permitted to travel on the turnpike:
· Self-propelled motor homes;
· Low-profile trailers;
· Fold-down camper trailers;
· Pickup trucks with slide-on camper units;
· Vehicles towing fifth-wheel type trailers or any other type of trailers towed by passenger vehicles or pickup trucks;
· Commercial trucks towing single flatbed or box-type trailers;
· Commercial trucks towing a single 53-foot trailer with cargo/loaded;
· Commercial trucks towing a car hauler trailer;
· Commercial trucks towing flatbed double-trailer combinations more than 90 feet;
· Commercial trucks towing any double-trailer combinations less than 90 feet;
· 2-axle buses less than 40 feet; and
· Buses with 3 or more axles less than 45 feet.
Turnpike officials said the restrictions will be continually evaluated during the weather event.
According to the Power of 5 Weather Team, a cold front will slide back north Friday evening, bringing back the threat for heavy rainfall Friday night and Saturday. Flooding is possible, with some communities expected to pick up 1 to 3 inches of rain with locally higher amounts by early Sunday. Watch for ponding of water on roads and small streams and rivers over their banks. Expect wind gusts over 50 mph on Saturday.
Watch the Cleveland-area forecast from Friday afternoon below:
FORECAST: Cloudy & cool today before damaging wind & rain returns
