Best Practices for Road Weather Management Version 2.0
Title:
Innovative Uses of RWIS Technologies in Wisconsin's Winter Maintenance Operations
Abstract:
In 1985, the Wisconsin DOT employed a RWIS in support of its winter maintenance operations. Along the years, WisDOT has undertaken several innovative initiatives to modernize the system and increase user acceptance. This paper discusses several of those undertakings, including putting new contracts in place to improve all aspects of the system from forecasting to delivery of information to system maintenance, making sure all its requirements are specifically spelled out in order to provide the best information possible to winter maintenance authorities, bringing a meteorological focus previously lacking to the program, data is being delivered via state-of-the-art satellite communications, various WisDOT sections have begun using RWIS for operations ranging from pavement marking to concrete pouring, new technologies such as infrared sensors are added to the system to enhance the database of weather information, and a comprehensive training program is helping users to better understand how proper use of the weather information can significantly reduce chemical and abrasive usage.
Source(s):
77th Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting, Wisconsin DOT. For an electronic copy of this resource, please direct your request to WeatherFeedback@dot.gov.
Date: 1998
Author:
Adams, Martinelli
Keywords:
Forecast/Prediction
Anti-icing/deicing
Remote sensing
Road weather information system (RWIS)
Winter maintenance
Institutional issues
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