MADISON, Wis. -- It's impossible to control Mother Nature, but technology can sometimes give authorities an upper hand. On Feb. 6, experts said it could have shaved hours off a 14-hour standstill on the interstate that state leaders said went on for too long.

A report compiled by Adj. Gen. Donald Dunbar indicates that it took hours for emergency officials to recognize that the incident on the interstate was much more than just a routine traffic incident.

David Noyce, director of University of Wisconsin-Madison's Traffic Operations and Safety Lab, works with industry professionals on how to handle situations similar to Feb. 6 backup on Interstate 39/90.

Noyce said they study incident management, which means dealing with "crashes, blockages, simple vehicle breakdowns."

"(We ask), 'What can we do to minimize the impact of the incident and really getting that vehicle, getting that crash out of the way and allowing that roadway to turn back to normal flow?'" Noyce said.

Noyce said it's clear that this incident was mismanaged, as indicated in the report. But he said it's an example of why technology, being developed at UW-Madison, is so vital. He and others are working on a "511 system" -- a number that motorists could dial for traffic information and alternate routes.

"We can get a message to drivers as they enter the state to call 511 for emergency traffic information," Noyce said. "They can make that call. It's coming from one source. The message is the same."

Noyce said that more electronic signs would need to be installed statewide. Installing more traffic cameras could also help in situations like the interstate backup, but Noyce said that was an extremely rare incident that few had any experience dealing with. Now that authorities and travelers have experienced it, Noyce said it's time to learn from the mistakes.

"The best we can do now is learn from the things that have happened and then implement new ways of dealing with this, with these types of issues, with the technology that's coming down the line," Noyce said.

Noyce said one the biggest things that came out of Thursday's report was the fact that no plan exists to effectively shut down the interstate -- not only in a winter weather situation, but in any emergency situation. He said that's what agencies need to start focusing on.