PennDOT district and maintenance offices are closed, but crews are available to perform critical functions and emergency maintenance.

The state's Department of Transportation is eliminating at least a few worries for Pennsylvanians who are concerned about the repercussions of novel coronavirus 2019.

PennDOT district and county maintenance offices are closed, meaning construction projects have been shelved in all counties until further notice.

PennDOT crews are available to perform critical functions and emergency maintenance as necessary, officials said.

The most recent “operational changes” were implemented in response to Gov. Tom Wolf's mitigation guide regarding COVID-19.

Because drivers license centers are closed to stem the spread of COVID-19, expiration dates for drivers licenses, identification cards, vehicle registrations, and safety and emission inspections have been extended, according to a PennDOT news release received Tuesday morning.

Drivers licenses, photo ID cards and learner's permits scheduled to expire between March 16 and March 31 are now extended to April 30.

The same dates also apply to vehicle registrations, safety inspections and placards used by persons with disabilities.

Customers are reminded that various transactions and multiple resources are available around the clock on the Driver and Vehicle Services tab at dmv.pa.gov at no additional fee.

In addition, all PennDOT rest areas and welcome centers statewide were closed to the public beginning today.

That decision, said Summit Township truck driver Kriss Simmons, will negatively affect long-haul truck drivers traversing Pennsylvania's highways.

Simmons, who drives a tractor-trailer regionally, said long-haul drivers are required to take a 30-minute break every eight hours and cannot drive for more than 14 hours each day.

He said parking for breaks and especially overnight stops will be impossible to find for all the truck drivers, who are now ferrying vital food and supplies to stores across the state.

The decision to shut down the rest stops and welcome centers will also affect the motoring public, particularly on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

“I can see if they want to shut them down to sanitize every so often, but right now they're barricaded,” Simmons said.

He said no electronic or other signage has been installed along Interstate 80. Truckers find a “closed” sign at the rest stops' exit, along with a barricaded entrance.

“I think the politicians are too far removed from what goes on out here,” Simmons said. “They just need to put a little more thought into this.”

He said Ohio's rest stops remain open and signage along the highways and Turnpike states that takeout food is the only available fare at rest stops.

“Ohio has been ahead of the curve on the coronavirus more than Pennsylvania has been,” he said.

He said Wolf and state legislators need to make another plan for the state's rest stops, not only for truckers, but for the many cars still using the Turnpike and highways.

“You just can't flip a switch and shut (all the rest stops) down,” Simmons said. “There's still a lot of people driving around.”