Disasters and Major Events

Disasters, emergencies and major events can disrupt the transportation system with a variety of impacts. These include closures, detours, congestion, supply chain disruptions, crashes and risks to personal safety.

Traffic impacts from disasters and emergencies are typically reactive to the situation. However, MnDOT works closely with local agencies to minimize risks caused by unexpected events and build more resilient infrastructure. Major events are typically planned but they may still have negative effects on the transportation system, especially in small towns and rural areas. Major events require planning to manage the flow of people to and from the event and travel of people around the event area.