Highway 128 frequently closes in the fall and winter months due to the sandbar at the mouth of the Navarro River and/or heavy rains. At present, there's no reliable way for residents to check the status of the road—Caltrans' automated road services are often not up to date.

A traffic camera at this location would enable anyone with Internet access to quickly assess the road's condition and plan trips to or from the coast accordingly.

Caltrans has a similar camera for monitoring Highway 1 at the Garcia River near Point Arena.