Beginning July 30, 2026, U.S. Route 15 from Williamsport in Lycoming County to the New York state line in Tioga County will officially become Interstate 99 (I-99).

While the new designation marks the completion of an important transportation corridor, it also brings significant changes for motor carriers transporting overweight divisible loads.

What You Need to Know

• Effective date: July 30, 2026
• Route affected: U.S. 15 from Williamsport to the New York state line (becoming I-99)
• Who is affected: Carriers transporting divisible overweight loads*
• What's changing: Federal Interstate axle weight restrictions will apply. Most divisible loads will be limited to the federal Interstate maximum gross vehicle weight of 80,000 pounds, rather than the higher weights currently authorized under certain Pennsylvania annual permits.
• Exception: Federal law allows an exception for permitted milk haulers.
• No change: Permits for non-divisible loads, including construction equipment, oversized loads, and heavy machinery, are not affected.
• Permitting: PennDOT's Automated Permit Routing and Analysis System (APRAS) will no longer issue permits for divisible overweight loads on this section of I-99.
• More information: Visit PennDOT's I-99 information page.

* Need a refresher?

Divisible load: A load that can be reasonably divided into smaller loads without destroying its value or requiring excessive time or expense (for example, aggregate, grain, lumber, steel coils, or other bulk commodities).

Non-divisible load: A single piece of cargo that cannot be broken down, such as construction equipment, large machinery, transformers, or other oversized equipment.

What This Means for Carriers

Once the Interstate designation takes effect, carriers operating under Pennsylvania annual overweight permits should review their operations carefully. Divisible overweight loads that currently travel this corridor under state annual permits may no longer be authorized if they exceed federal Interstate weight limits.

Motor carriers hauling affected loads will need to comply with the new federal restrictions or utilize alternate approved routes where applicable.

PennDOT has advised PMTA that it is sending notification letters directly to current annual and route-specific permit holders who regularly travel this corridor to help ensure they are aware of the upcoming change before it takes effect.

The change does not affect permits issued for non-divisible loads, which will continue to operate under existing permitting requirements.

If you have questions about how the new Interstate designation may affect your operations, contact PennDOT's District 3 Office at 570-368-8686.

PMTA appreciates PennDOT's proactive communication regarding this change and encourages members who operate in north-central Pennsylvania to review the new requirements before traveling on the newly designated I-99 corridor.