Mobility - Incident Response - WisDOT MAPSS Performance Improvement Program

WisDOT MAPSS - Mobility - Incident Response - Delivering transportation choices that result in efficient trips and no unexpected delays.

Prompt clearance of traffic incidents on our Interstate system helps to restore mobility, reduces the risk of secondary incidents, and minimizes the economic impact of congestion. The new goal is to clear 90% of all intermediate incidents in less than two hours, and 80% of all major incidents in less than four hours.

• Intermediate - Any incident that partially blocks highway lanes and/or a service ramp. Target incident clearance time is less than 2 hours.
• Major - Any incident blocking all lanes in one or both directions and/or a system ramp. Target incident clearance time is less than 4 hours.

Incidents on the interstate and state highway system can range from minor property damage to serious traffic crashes. This measure focuses on the amount of time it takes to clear such incidents to restore safe traffic flow. Intermediate traffic incidents typically affect travel lanes and usually require traffic control on the scene to divert road users past the blockage. Major traffic incidents usually involve hazardous material (HAZMAT) spills, overturned tractor-trailers, fatalities, multiple vehicles, and/or other natural or manmade disasters. Major incidents can result in closing all or part of a roadway. Restoring the roadway to full operation as quickly as possible helps reduce secondary incidents, minimize delay for people and freight, and decreases the associated economic impact of traffic delays.

Incident clearance times may be affected by: incident location, the time required to respond, limited access for emergency responders in construction zones, time of day, weather conditions and complexity of the incident.

Training, technology and strong partnerships are essential to effective incident response and clearance. In 2025, WisDOT’s Traffic Incident Management Enhancement (TIME) and Emergency Transportation Operations (ETO) programs delivered 32 Traffic Incident Management (TIM) training courses with local first responders, training 813 participants. An additional 394 students completed TIM training through law enforcement academies. WisDOT also conducted 10 emergency transportation exercises statewide to prepare responders for incidents on Wisconsin highways. To better align engineering solutions with responder needs, the TIME & ETO program facilitated 20 DTSD regional meetings statewide. These meetings provided updates on technology and engineering improvements, including wrong-way driver and automated incident detection, to help reduce response times.