NATCHEZ — Driving in Natchez has entered the digital age.

Friday afternoon, drivers entering Natchez on U.S. 61 North were given a little roadway advice thanks to a new digital message board the Mississippi Department of Transportation has installed.

At 1 p.m., travelers in the southbound lanes just south of the intersection with U.S. 84 were alerted to an accident on John R. Junkin Drive at Homochitto Street and were told to expect delays.

The message was one of the first ones to be posted since the signs became operational three weeks ago, according to MDOT Public Affairs officer Michael Flood.

The sign is the first to be installed and operational in Natchez, Flood said. Another digital message board is planned for U.S. 84 west of the Mississippi River Bridge.

The sign is the first for the area and part of a statewide system of signs. Currently 28 signs are in operation across the state. More will be installed as funds become available, Flood said.

The placement of the signs are based on traffic patterns and volumes, Flood said. The signs are placed where the major traffic is likely to be and where driver have the greatest opportunity to make travel changes if necessary.

A camera is also mounted on a pole just north of the digital message board, broadcasting the message and the highway traffic on MDOT’s website, mdottraffic.com.