An update now to an exclusive 29-Eyewitness News Investigation, about Caltrans giving out wrong information to drivers through its 1-800-Gas-Road hot line. Thousands of people rely on Caltrans' website and their gas-road phone number to provide them with the latest information on road conditions and closures. After we reported the problem and made a promise not to use the service to inform viewers, we received a response from Caltrans. Any driver could be traveling into weather at anytime, and their only defense against changing conditions is their cell phone and a number to help them navigate their journey.

A wind warning, was the only advisory recorded on 1-800-Gas-Road 12-hours after Interstate 5 had closed the Grapevine overnight during a storm in early February. Highway 58-over the summit also closed during the same winter storm, there was no update on that closure either. Eleven days after 29-Eyewitness News exposed the problem with the 1-800-Gas-Road hotline and website, Caltrans sent us a letter letting us know they are taking our investigation seriously. We asked Caltrans Supervisor Malcolm Dougherty if the 29-Eyewitness News investigation prompted the letter, he told us "Absolutely, it certainly caught my attention and I wanted to make sure I represented how important the consistency that the network is to us and to the motoring public."

On Friday we met with Dougherty to discuss what happened and the changes being made. Dougherty promises better communication with highway patrol officers and cal-trans workers in the field, to their traffic management center in Fresno. Then from Fresno to Sacramento, where the updates are uploaded to the system. He says the are going to recommit to 100% accuracy as much as possible. They are also adding a text to voice system for field workers to process faster updates. Caltrans told us they also held a workshop on Friday to come up with new ideas to improve the system.

Caltrans says they promise to increase the reliability of the system because they say the more reliable the hotline is, the more people will use it. They have also made 1-800-Gas-Road national, so out of state to drivers can call it when traveling in and out of California.

When our first investigation aired, we made a commitment to you, our viewers, that we would not provide the 1-800-Gas-Road hotline any longer, as we could not trust that it is reliable. With Caltrans promising changes to improve its information system, we will provide that number again, but we will continue to hold them accountable. The next time there is a road closure ... we will test the hot line to make sure it is working for you.