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Department of Transportation
Office of the Secretary
700 E. Broadway Ave
Pierre, SD57501
Phone: 605/773-3265
FAX: 605/773-3921
For Immediate Release: Monday, November 20, 2006
Contact: Emilie Miller, (605) 773-5103
PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Transportation reminds motorists to dial 511 or go online to www.SDDOT.com when traveling this Thanksgiving holiday. The free 511 Traveler Information System provides current road conditions, weather reports, and forecasts by phone and the Internet throughout the state.
“We want to give travelers the information they need to make safe travel decisions,” says Dave Huft, SDDOT Research Manager. “The 511 system helps people know what conditions they can expect before they begin their trip or even while enroute.”
When accessing the 511 system by phone, the caller is prompted to enter in the highway number and can then listen to road and weather reports for several sections along the highway. Multiple inquiries can be made during one call, allowing travelers to prepare for their entire trip.
The online version of 511, located at www.SDDOT.com, features an interactive highway map of South Dakota. Major highways are color-coded to indicate various road conditions, including wet or slippery surfaces, road closures, areas of limited visibility, and road construction. Clicking on any highway reveals detailed information about the road condition and the local weather forecast. Detailed maps showing all state highways are also available.
South Dakota was the fifth state in the nation to establish its statewide 511 service. Since it was introduced four years ago, the system has logged over a million phone calls and provided information for nearly two million requests. 511 can handle over 200 phone calls simultaneously.
511 is a free service from any cell phone, landline or Internet connection. Both the online version and the call-in 511 number also provide information for several neighboring states, including North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska and Kansas.
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