The City of Danville today announced the launch of an interactive road map that shows motorists scheduled road closures throughout the city.
The city’s Public Works Department will regularly update the map with street and lane closures due to road construction and maintenance. The map is a joint venture of the Public Works and Information Technology departments.
“Road closures are scheduled throughout the year, and we think this map is an innovative way of presenting that activity,” said Tim Shortley, a geographic information systems programmer/analyst in the department. “Citizens can use the map’s zoom tool or search by address to discover closures in their area.”
To find the map, go directly to http://gis.danvilleva.gov/roads or go to the city’s website – danvilleva.gov – and click on the “maps” link located at the bottom of the homepage.
The interactive map pinpoints the location of the road closure and provides detail on the number of lanes closed, the lane side and direction of the closure, and the scheduled date and time of the closure.
In addition, the map provides added detail on the purpose of the construction, suggested alternate routes, and contact information if additional information is needed.
The city’s Information Technology Department initiated the project and created the mapping application. Work on the map began in January.
“We were using several methods – including our website and social media pages and news releases to the media – to share closure information, but we did not have a way of mapping out road closures that was available to the public,” Shortley said. “This map is another channel of communication. We think citizens will find it useful because of the visual presentation and interactive features.”
The interface of the program should be relatively intuitive for most users, especially those familiar with online mapping tools such as Google Maps. For anyone not familiar with mapping tools, the application provides a step-by-step tutorial.
When users open the application, they will encounter a disclaimer page that includes a link to the tutorial as well as technical and statistical notes and copyright information.
After agreeing to the disclaimer, the application will open onto the map itself. A color-coded map legend breaks down scheduled street activity by construction, detour, emergency response and repair.
To locate each closure, users can use the map’s zoom tool or enter an address. To learn more about the closure, clicking on the color-coded street as displayed on the map will pop up additional information on that specific project.
Users can print screen views provided by the map.
Future enhancements include broader closure information from additional departments, such as Utilities, and a mobile-friendly interface.
The map includes closures and projects scheduled by the Public Works Department only. It does not reflect activity scheduled by the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Weather and unforeseen circumstances occasionally prevent work from being completed and make it unsafe to reopen lanes or streets as planned. If this occurs, the Public Works staff and contractors will resolve the situation as quickly as possible and reduce further impacts on travel.