Illinois Department of Transportation crew knocks out 911 service in Monroe County

An Illinois Department of Transportation road crew severed communication lines, knocking 911 emergency services out in all of Monroe County and some surrounding areas, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.

Calls currently are being routed through the Monroe County and city of Columbia administrative lines, the department said in a release. Those attempting to reach 911 service may temporarily have to navigate voice prompts to reach an emergency operator.

As of Tuesday at 12:45 p.m. Frontier Communications, which services Monroe County, was still working with IDOT to resolve the issue, the sheriff’s release stated.

St. Clair County and Randolph County 911 service has not been affected, contrary to the Monroe County release.

“St. Clair County 9-1-1 is not serviced by Frontier and we are not experiencing the below described issues,” according to the St. Clair County Emergency Services Agency. “However, if you are near the Monroe County border and call 9-1-1 via your cell phone, if that cellular call routes to Monroe County you could experience” delays.

This story was originally published August 2, 2022 at 12:52 PM.