Last month, AASHTO’s Winter Weather Management Technical Services Program, Maintenance Committee and Maintenance Operations Technical Working Group jointly held its 5th National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather to showcase the activities of the various organizations dedicated to winter and year-round transportation maintenance.
Clear Roads is currently soliciting investigator proposals for three new research projects.
At its 2024 spring meeting, the Clear Roads Technical Advisory Committee reviewed new research proposals and selected projects to fund. This year, the committee selected three research projects and four synthesis projects.
This Clear Roads project developed a methodology for calculating plow cycle times considering road type, road width, weather conditions, traffic volume, and other factors. This could form the basis for a map-based visualization tool that agencies can format with their own electronic data to make real-time operational decisions.
To help agencies identify which highway segments are most sensitive, this Clear Roads project developed a geospatial tool that offers an analysis of environmental impacts that can be balanced against other safety and performance objectives.
This Clear Roads project identified equipment improvements and refinements to the mechanical rocker test, giving agencies a more accurate tool for evaluating deicer performance.
The Clear Roads Winter Maintenance Research study has been selected for a 2024 Transportation Pooled Fund Excellence Award! This new annual award is only given to two pooled fund studies per year in recognition of “meaningful collaboration and partnership to advance national transportation research priorities in the areas of safety, economic strength, equity, sustainability, and organizational excellence.”
Check out the recent research from transportation organizations around the country.
Check out these recent episodes from AASHTO’s Talkin Winter Ops podcast.
Keeping pavements in good working condition is critical throughout the year. But for many transportation agencies, decisions during the winter months regarding potholes and other repairs must be considered alongside deicing and plowing strategies.