South Dakota has launched an online road closure alert system called ClearPath 511to keep drivers informed of foul weather and other important highway information.
When the conditions get so bad that roads have to be closed or no travel is advised, ClearPath 511 will send that information to a driver’s phone or computer.
“We’re getting accurate, up-to-the-minute information from the people who are out in the weather and on the highways,” South Dakota Dept. of Transportation public information officer Kristi Sandal told KELO News.
The new service works in conjunction with the SafeTravel USAwebsite, which shows current road conditions. ClearPath 511 takes it to the next level. You chose which roads you want to be notified about and then when conditions trigger a closure or a no travel advisory is issued, the system sends an alert.
“Road closures will be automatic. So if you’ve chosen I-90, if there’s a road closure on I-90, you’ll automatically get that,” Sandal said.
For truckers, the ClearPath 511 system can save time and money, Texas truck driver Billy Cole told the news station. “If you got shut down for a day, you could lose out on a load. You could lose $8,000 to $10,000 by missing a load,” he said.
Drivers have the option of receiving their alerts via email, text or both. To subscribe to the ClearPath 511 service click here.
