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Mississippians planning to get in one last summer road trip or heading to their favorite college town for the first game of the 2017 football season will notice less travel delays due to construction. The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) will suspend all interstate and four-lane highway work this Labor Day weekend in anticipation of increased holiday travel.
MDOT crews and contractors will stop all road construction requiring lane closures beginning today, September 1, at 5 p.m. through Tuesday, September 5, at 6 a.m. This will provide maximum travel capacity, and minimal construction delays, to motorists traveling throughout the state this holiday weekend.
“While we are suspending work statewide, motorists should be aware that some lane closures will remain in place,” said Melinda McGrath, MDOT executive director. “These lanes closures are there to protect motorists, and we urge drivers to treat these areas as active work zones.”
Motorists are urged to continue to pay attention to work zones, which can present unfamiliar or confusing driving patterns. Motorists should slow down when approaching and traveling through work zones, and always avoid distracted driving.
“MDOT wants to make travel safe and convenient for the public this holiday weekend,” McGrath said. “While our construction crews won’t be working, we will be putting additional effort into monitoring the state’s highways to make sure everyone is able to enjoy the holiday weekend safely.”
That additional effort will come from MDOT’s Traffic Management Center (TMC). Using traffic cameras, congestion analysis technology, radar and temperature sensors, along with local agency communication, the TMC observes the most traveled highways in the state to ensure the safety and mobility of the traveling public.
MDOT’s TMC is the information hub or nerve center of Mississippi’s highway management system. Information is collected, verified, and disseminated to necessary stakeholders like the media, other state and local agencies, and the traveling public. The TMC is staffed 24/7 with locations in Jackson, Hattiesburg and the Gulf Coast.
At the click of a button, important traveler information about Mississippi’s highways is sent to approximately 100,000 people across the state. The TMC releases traveler information through various channels.
Traffic alerts are sent via email or text to subscribers who sign up on MDOTTraffic.com.
Information is released through MDOT’s smartphone app.
Travel information and alerts are accessible by calling Mississippi 511.
Dynamic Message Signs
Highway Advisory Radios
Social media outlets
“Using these communication channels, we are able to quickly and effectively notify the public of concerns that may affect their travel plans,” McGrath said. “MDOT’s three free travel resources provide an opportunity for Mississippians to know before they go this holiday weekend.”
MDOTTraffic.com is one website with multiple options. Travelers can locate welcome centers and rest areas, view live traffic feeds via cameras on major Mississippi highways, and sign up for email or text alerts about traffic delays and road conditions and customize alerts according to a trip or daily commute. Over 16,000 users are registered on MDOTTraffic.com.
MDOT Traffic App
This free smartphone app is designed as a mobile companion for MDOTTraffic.com. Here, travelers can access traffic alerts, traffic cameras and traveler information by a specific trip or route. The smartphone app has been downloaded over 74,000 times and is available from the App Store and Google Play.
Mississippi 511
A free service available 24/7, callers can dial 511 for on demand, route specific information along U.S. interstates and state highways. Mississippi 511 complements other travel resources – MDOTTraffic.com and the MDOT Traffic mobile app. In 2014, Mississippi was in the top 10 for the number of calls to a state 511 system. MDOT has received 90,000 calls to the 511 system so far this year. The systems receives 200 to 300 calls per day.
MDOT wants to ensure that everyone enjoys Labor Day weekend and the first weekend of college football in the state by making it to their destination safely.
