MnDOT To Use Text Alerts For Highway Road Closures

St. PAUL, Minn. — Tired of being surprised by road closures? The Minnesota Department of Transportation will soon be able to notify drivers.

MnDOT has entered an agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to use Wireless Emergency Alerts alerting road closures to the public.

MnDOT plans to use these text alerts to notify only for highway closures that are more than four hours, expected weather, or in cases of major crashes or accidents.

Text alerts will only work on state highways that are a part of the agency’s jurisdiction and will be sent to all phones within a one-mile band around the highway, beginning 10 miles ahead of closure locations.

These alerts use the same system as AMBER alerts and other time-sensitive alerts like those for severe weather.