For Immediate Release:  Monday, Nov. 15, 2010

Contact:  Kristi Sandal, Public Information Officer, 605-773-3265

Dial 511 or Go Online for Winter Travel Conditions

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Transportation reminds motorists to dial 511 or go online to safetravelusa.com when traveling this fall and winter.

The free service provides road conditions, weather reports, and forecasts across the state, both by phone and Internet.

“We want to give travelers the information they need to make safe travel decisions,” says state Transportation Secretary Darin Bergquist. “The 511 system lets people know what conditions they can expect before they begin their trips and also while traveling.”

When accessing the 511 system by phone, callers are prompted to enter highway numbers and can then listen to road and weather reports for several sections along those highways. Multiple inquiries can be made during one call.

The 511 service also provides information for several neighboring states, including North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Kansas.

SafeTravelUSA features an interactive highway map of South Dakota. Major highways are color-coded to indicate various road conditions, such as wet or slippery surfaces, road closures, areas of limited visibility, and road construction. Regional maps showing all state highways are also available below the large state map.

Clicking on any highway on the map shows detailed information about road conditions and local weather forecasts. Another feature of SafeTravelUSA displays camera images of current road conditions at nearly 40 locations across the state.

Callers outside of South Dakota can reach the SD 511 system by calling toll-free, 866-MYSD511 (866-697-3511).

The SDDOT has also published a safe Winter Driving brochure that can be found on the website: http://www.sddot.com/travinfo.asp.

-- 30 --