As the official start of winter approaches, the Illinois Department of Transportation reminds travelers to visit and bookmark GettingAroundIllinois.com for continually updated information on road conditions.
“GettingAroundIllinois.com site is a great resource for getting you the latest information to keep you and your family safe in your travels,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “At this time of year, the weather can quickly change with little warning. Conditions at Point A can be much different than your destination at Point B. GettingAroundIllinois.com is an easy way to keep updated on winter road conditions throughout the state.”
Available on your computer and optimized for smartphones, the site includes the ability to identify and zoom in to a location, travel route or destination on a state map. Road conditions are recorded by plow drivers out in the field and relayed to GettingAroundIllinois.com through a cloud-based system to provide a general overview on IDOT-maintained highways.
The road conditions map averages more than 2 million visitors during snow-and-ice season, featuring a color scheme of pinks and blues to differentiate from the red, yellow and green of traffic congestion reporting as well as to increase accessibility for those who have difficulty distinguishing colors.
“The safest thing is to not be driving during winter weather, but if travel is a must visit GettingAroundIllinois.com before you go,” Osman said. “Planning ahead and using safe winter driving habits can help you get it together during winter weather.”