MnDOT and FEMA Teaming Up to Send Wireless Alerts for Road Closures

(KNSI) — The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are teaming up to send alerts to wireless users about road hazards and conditions.

The alerts will come through FEMA’s Wireless Emergency Alerts Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. Much like how AMBER Alerts and warnings about natural disasters are shared with the public, the WEA will send information to devices for major road closures without users having to download an app.

The alerts will typically include a link to the state’s 511 road condition information website. It will also briefly describe the closure, such as “Interstate 94 is closed from Highway 15 to Avon due to whiteout or blizzard conditions. For more information, log on to 511.” It could also be used for road closures due to crashes.

The operating procedure would only send an alert if the closure was expected to last longer than four hours. The alerts will also only be sent out for state highways and interstates under MNDOT’s jurisdiction and only to devices within a one mile band around the highway starting ten miles ahead of the closure location. The nature of an emergency could require a larger area for notifications, and specifics will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

“The ability to send WEA messages through IPAWS is an important additional tool for MnDOT to provide real-time information to the traveling public,” said Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. “Road closures can occur suddenly, especially in cases of severe weather or major crashes on the highway system. With WEA messages, MnDOT will be able to send immediate mobile alerts to people in the vicinity of a highway closure or detour – helping minimize motorists on roadways during winter conditions and aiding law enforcement and emergency personnel in responding to incidents quickly.”

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