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

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Title:

Electric Heating of I-84 in Ladd Canyon, Oregon

Abstract:

When highway grades in mountainous areas and superelevation on curved sections are combined with adverse winter weather conditions, these sections of highway can become particularly hazardous for large truck traffic. This report covers the design and installation of a system of electric heating cables in a problem section of interstate highway in eastern Oregon. The area has winter weather conditions severe enough to cause treacherous traction conditions in spite of treatment with sand and magnesium chloride. The heating system covers a bridge deck that transitions to a steep uphill grade while making a superelevated turn and continues for 7,700 ft (2,347 m) up the incline. A section of the report discusses problems with the system and planned upgrades and changes.

Source(s):

Oregon DOT Research Unit, Prepared for the Oregon DOT and the Federal Highway Administration

http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP_RES/docs/Reports/LaddCanyonHeatingProject.pdf

Date: 2006

Author:

Joerger, Martinez

Keywords:


Winter storm
Winter maintenance
Pavement condition
Pavement temperature
Pavement friction
Ice/Frost
Bridge

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