Turnpike issues travel ban for high-profile vehicles

BEREA — The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission announced a travel restriction for all high-profile vehicles ahead of a suspected forecast of high winds with rain and snow. The travel restriction will be in effect from 8 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26 to 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27, and will cover the entire span of the 241-mile toll road, according to a release from the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission. High-profile vehicles are defined as vehicles with a height exceeding 7 feet, 6 inches. Vehicles restricted from traveling the turnpike during the ban are: • All high-profile tow-behind trailers, campers, boats, and enclosed trailers. (Fifth-wheel trailers are excluded from the restriction) • Commercial trucks towing an empty single 53-foot trailer • All mobile homes, office trailers and livestock trailers • All long combination vehicles (LCVs) include long double-trailer combinations exceeding 90 feet in length. (Enclosed trailers only, including Conestoga-type trailers) • All LCV triple-trailer combinations. • 2-axle buses longer than 40 feet • Buses with 3 or more axles greater than 45 feet Brian Newbacher, public information officer for the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission, says the travel ban will be "continually evaluated" throughout the duration of the weather event. Other types of vehicles not affected by the ban are: • 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; • Vehicles towing fifth-wheel type trailers or any other type of trailers towed by passenger vehicles or pickup trucks; • 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 three or more axles less than 45 feet.