The Virginia Department of Transportation's new free 511Virginia.org Web site offers continuously updated traffic and travel information.


The 511 information can be accessed by going online to www.511virginia.org; receiving personalized traffic information via e-mail, text pager, Blackberry, PDA, or other mobile device, or by calling 511 from a cell phone or land line.

VDOT's 511 service offers personalized information including:

• Accident and incident alerts
• Live traffic camera images
• Bridge and tunnel reports
• Road construction info
• Free mobile alerts - e-mails or text messages sent whenever conditions change on the roads you most often travel
• Driving directions
• Gas-saving tips on how to get where you're going without a car by using trains, buses, subways, ferries and bike paths
• Weather conditions

A customized "511 Control Room" lets you set up your own personal traveler information resource. You can select cameras, maps, traffic reports and construction information tailored for those roads or areas that interest you. You can also get detailed trip planning resources that include driving directions, anticipated delays on selected routes during hours of travel, and suggestions about alternative forms of transportation to get where you need to go without using your gas.

"The improved 511 system represents the evolution of traveler information tools that let drivers make educated travel decisions before they leave home and while they are on the road," said VDOT Commissioner David. S. Ekern.

"Keeping Virginia moving is about more than paving roads and patching potholes," Ekern said. "By providing accurate and timely traveler information through 511, highway message signs and radio broadcasts, VDOT is maximizing the efficiency of our highway network and keeping motorists safer while they are on the road."