The Georgia Department of Transportation’s Highway Emergency Response Operators (HERO) program will resume patrolling interstate highways across metro Atlanta during the overnight hours seven days a week effective July 1, the state agency announced Thursday.

HERO vehicles also will resume full coverage of the region’s nearly 400 miles of interstates.

The program cut back on its operating hours in 2023 due to a staffing shortage, patrolling only between 5 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. each day to ensure adequate coverage during peak traffic.

“HEROs are our first and best resource to keep traffic moving safely and efficiently in metro Atlanta,” Georgia Commissioner of Transportation Russell McMurry said. “The reinstatement of full service of HERO’s coverage area with 24/7 patrols is reflective of the department’s commitment to providing consistent and immediate assistance to everyone who uses our roadways.”

“Traffic incidents do not operate on a schedule,” added Tyrone McCord III, the DOT’s HERO unit manager. “Now that we are back to a full staff, thanks to effective recruitment strategies and intensive training, we are committed to patrolling the nearly 400 miles of metro Atlanta roads at all hours to improve public safety, reduce traffic delays, and be better prepared for emergencies.”

While HERO units are primarily responsible for roadway clearance after traffic incidents, the program also offers free roadside assistance, helping stranded motorists with flat tires or dead batteries, and providing fuel and coolant.

The HERO program was launched back in 1994. The DOT followed up in 2017 by creating the Coordinated Highway Assistance & Maintenance Program (CHAMP) to patrol Georgia’s interstate highways outside of metro Atlanta, except for interstates 59 and 24 in the northwestern corner of the state.

To request assistance from HERO or CHAMP, contact 511GA by dialing 511 hands-free on your mobile phone, downloading the 511GA app to your Apple or Google mobile device, or by visiting 511GA.org.