Road Weather Management Program
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Best Practices for Road Weather Management Version 2.0

Title:

Documentation and Assessment of Mn/DOT Gate Operations

Abstract:

This report documents and assesses a relatively new operational procedure undertaken by the Minnesota DOT for directing traffic off Interstates and prohibiting access during unsafe driving conditions such as severe snowstorms and major incidents. This procedure involves using gates on the mainline to direct traffic off an Interstate and at entrance ramps to prohibit traffic from gaining access to an Interstate. While using gates is a relatively new technique for closing roadways to travel in Minnesota, neighboring States such as North and South Dakota have used gates for a number of years. As the use of gates has spread in Minnesota, Mn/DOT has become increasingly interested in documenting the experience to date with the gates and identifying any opportunities to enhance gate operations, particularly through the utilization of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). As a result, Mn/DOT's Office of Advance Transportation Systems (OATS) undertook this study to document past experience, identify issues and to recommend enhancements to the current operations.

Source(s):

BRW, Inc., Prepared for Minnesota DOT Office of Advanced Transportation Systems

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/Publications/Publications/032.pdf

Date: 1999

Author:

BRW

Keywords:


Traffic management
Access control
Freeway management
Safety
Traffic control

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