Road Weather Management Program
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Real-Time Data Slashes Winter Maintenance Costs

Up-to-the-minute information on pavement and weather conditions cuts snow and ice control costs by 10 percent or more.

The Challenge

The winter of 1996 brought record snowfalls to much of the East Coast. In New Jersey, some towns saw more than 8,600 mm (34 in) of snow during the worst storm in decades.

Keeping roads open when the weather is this bad is never easy or cheap. But despite the deep snow, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) actually cut costs for winter maintenance operations, thanks in part to the State's road weather information system (RWIS). The technology, evaluated under the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP), provides many of the DOT's winter maintenance crews with constantly updated information on current weather conditions—including temperature, type of precipitation, and how much snow, ice or rain has fallen—and conditions on the State's roads, including pavement temperature, whether the pavement is wet or dry, and the amount of salt or other ice-fighting chemical on the road surface.

Putting the Technology to the Test

New Jersey DOT began installing RWIS stations in the 1980s and now has approximately 30 units across the State. Eventually, the DOT hopes to have 50 to 60 RWIS units, giving comprehensive coverage from the Atlantic coast to the hilly regions in northwestern New Jersey. The location of each RWIS is carefully planned to help provide information on trouble spots, such as bridges, and to supply the DOT with a comprehensive picture of conditions across the State. "We're expanding the smart way—we want to do it right," says Rich Balgowan of New Jersey DOT.

Information from the RWIS units is received via modem by winter maintenance crew supervisors across New Jersey. Maintenance supervisors use this real-time weather and pavement data to decide precisely when and where to deploy crews, plows, and salt trucks to keep roads clear as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

One of New Jersey DOT's key applications of RWIS data is in its anti-icing strategy, which involves applying salt or other chemicals to roads before ice forms to prevent ice from bonding to the pavement. The strategy reduces the amount of chemicals New Jersey DOT must use to keep roads safe, as it takes repeated applications of deicing chemicals to remove ice once it has bonded to the pavement. Current temperature and forecast precipitation data from RWIS stations help determine exactly when to apply chemicals to roads.

Anti-icing is now spreading to local road agencies, which may soon be able to tap into New Jersey DOT's RWIS. The borough of Park Ridge, for example, started using anti-icing technology during the winter of 1995-1996.

Some crew chiefs were resistant to computerization, Balgowan says, "but many absolutely love it." To get the others up to speed, New Jersey DOT conducts training sessions every year before winter hits.

New Jersey DOT wants winter maintenance crews to see the RWIS as a routine part of their day-to-day operations. "We want it to be one of the tools in their toolbox, fully integrated into the way we do business," Balgowan says. He adds that the DOT is equipping all crew supervisors with portable computers so that they can access RWIS and other data at any time. This ensures that winter maintenance decisions are made by the people most familiar with the roads and weather in a particular area.

The RWIS is saving New Jersey DOT money, Balgowan says. Once the system is fully in place, he predicts that the DOT will be able to apply chemicals at least one less time during each storm. The resulting savings in chemical, labor, and equipment costs could reduce snow and ice control expenses by 10 to 20 percent statewide.

Last winter's record snow shows that savings could be even higher. Balgowan's district, which stretches from near Trenton to Cape May, was hit harder than the rest of New Jersey last winter. But thanks to careful use of RWIS data and a well-developed anti-icing strategy, the district spent much less than the State's other districts on snow and ice control.

The Benefits

Since implementing its RWIS, New Jersey DOT has

  • Cut snow and ice control costs by 10 to 20 percent or more.
  • Reduced its use of salt and other chemicals.
  • Kept roads clearer of snow and ice, thus improving travel conditions.

For More Information

Steve Lavelle, New Jersey DOT, 609-530-2546 (fax: 609-530-5774)
Paul Pisano, FHWA, 202-366-1301 (fax: 202-366-8712; email: paul.pisano@fhwa.dot.gov)

Publication No.: FHWA-SA-96-045 (CS087)

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