diff --git a/src/MapViewDirections.js b/src/MapViewDirections.js
index 92f401b..885a99b 100644
--- a/src/MapViewDirections.js
+++ b/src/MapViewDirections.js
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ class MapViewDirections extends Component {
 			precision = 'low',
 			timePrecision = 'none',
 			channel,
+			preferredRoute
 		} = props;
 
 		if (!apikey) {
@@ -174,7 +175,7 @@ class MapViewDirections extends Component {
 			}
 
 			return (
-				this.fetchRoute(directionsServiceBaseUrl, origin, waypoints, destination, apikey, mode, language, region, precision, timePrecisionString, channel)
+				this.fetchRoute(directionsServiceBaseUrl, origin, waypoints, destination, apikey, mode, language, region, precision, timePrecisionString, channel, preferredRoute)
 					.then(result => {
 						return result;
 					})
@@ -227,7 +228,7 @@ class MapViewDirections extends Component {
 			});
 	}
 
-	fetchRoute(directionsServiceBaseUrl, origin, waypoints, destination, apikey, mode, language, region, precision, timePrecision, channel) {
+	fetchRoute(directionsServiceBaseUrl, origin, waypoints, destination, apikey, mode, language, region, precision, timePrecision, channel, preferredRoute) {
 
 		// Define the URL to call. Only add default parameters to the URL if it's a string.
 		let url = directionsServiceBaseUrl;
@@ -239,6 +240,9 @@ class MapViewDirections extends Component {
 			if(channel){
 				url+=`&channel=${channel}`;
 			}
+			if (preferredRoute) {
+				url += `&alternatives=${true}`
+			}
 		}
 
 		return fetch(url)
@@ -252,7 +256,7 @@ class MapViewDirections extends Component {
 
 				if (json.routes.length) {
 
-					const route = json.routes[0];
+					const route = preferredRoute && preferredRoute < json.routes.length ? json.routes[preferredRoute] : json.routes[0];
 
 					return Promise.resolve({
 						distance: route.legs.reduce((carry, curr) => {
@@ -354,4 +358,4 @@ MapViewDirections.propTypes = {
 	channel: PropTypes.string,
 };
 
-export default MapViewDirections;
+export default MapViewDirections;
\ No newline at end of file