A new phone line operated by the Government of Alberta has recently been opened to the public and the new service may make commuting on the province’s unpredictable highways a great deal easier for Albertans.
5-1-1 is the number to call for updates on Alberta’s highways, including highway conditions, roadwork, major incidents, weather alerts, availability of ferry services and wait times at border crossings.
The number is toll-free to users in Alberta and is dialed the same way 9-1-1 is dialed for emergencies and 4-1-1 is dialed for directory assistance.
There is also a website which achieves the same goal of notifying Alberta travellers of weather conditions. 511.alberta.ca will give updates and provide satellite images.
Information concerning major events in progress on the road network and resulting in significant disruptions is updated every time new developments occur or as soon as the event ends.
Information on winter road conditions is updated at least once a day or whenever significant changes occur.
Information on roadwork is updated as major construction phases begin and end.
Once the information is caught in the information processing systems, it is made available on
5-1-1 Alberta within minutes.
Alberta Transportation is now the official source for road reports found on its website, replacing AMA, who provided road reports on behalf of the government since 1927. The service is aimed targeting to primarily benefit truckers and tourists.
