MileCheckWhy is the highway closed?
The state DOT usually says why. Its 511 site or app usually gives the reason. That could be a crash, snow, avalanche control, a wildfire, flooding, a slide or construction. The MileCheck closures map shows those posts from every state on one map.
The common reasons
- Crashes. Investigation and cleanup can close all lanes. See how long crashes take to clear.
- Winter weather. Snow, ice, spun-out trucks and avalanche control on mountain passes.
- Wind. Some states close roads to light, high-profile vehicles in high wind.
- Wildfire and smoke.
- Flooding, rockfall and slides.
- Construction. Planned closures, often at night.
- Seasonal closures. Some mountain roads close all winter.
Where to read the reason
Open your state's 511 site, or tap the closure on the closures map. The text there is the DOT's own. In the MileCheck app, the Alerts tab sorts each post into closure, crash, construction, weather, chains or hazard and shows the DOT's description when you tap it.
When the post doesn't say
Early in an incident the post can read only "road closed". The detail comes later. Check again, or look at a highway camera near the spot.
See your mile marker as you drive
MileCheck shows your nearest mile marker, the highway and your direction. Premium adds live state DOT feeds for the road ahead and the map, with a 2-week free trial. It runs on CarPlay and Android Auto.
Questions, answered
How do I know when it will reopen?
Some DOT posts give an estimated reopening time. Many don't. For crashes, the typical clearance times by state are on our crash clearance page.
Why does Snoqualmie Pass close so often?
Mostly crashes and spun-out vehicles in snow, plus avalanche control. Our Snoqualmie page has the details.