The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDoT), US, has launched a new Intelligent Traffic System project in the city of Hattiesburg to warn motorists of an impending hurricane.

The Hurricane Response and Incident Management Project involves installing fibre-optic cables and seven new dynamic message boards along US Highway 49, US Highway 98 and Interstate 59.

The cables will be merged with the city’s existing Traffic Incident Response System, which provides data for the Hattiesburg Regional Management Centre located within MDOT’s District Six Headquarters.

The system is expected to provide motorists with crucial information during hurricanes or other events and assist in turning the state highways into evacuation routes.

Work also includes adding a dozen more traffic cameras on major highways and intersections.

The $3.7m project, co-funded by MDoT and the city government, is being carried out by McInnis Electric Company and is expected to finish in a year.