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As temperatures drop, industry magazines are turning their focus to winter maintenance. Clear Roads research features prominently in two of them this fall: “Steering Clear of Crashes“: Clear Roads’ safe and defensive driving training materials are featured in the October issue of APWA Reporter. “Can You Hold the Salt?“: Clear Roads research on alternative methods … Read more

Finding and keeping skilled, dedicated highway maintenance workers has become increasingly challenging for state and local transportation agencies. To help agencies navigate today’s employment landscape, a recently completed Clear Roads research project created a comprehensive guide of innovative, practical strategies for attracting and retaining new winter maintenance employees. Case studies cover recruitment programs, retention strategies, … Read more

Check out the latest episodes from AASHTO’s SICOP Talks Winter Ops podcast: PIARC Winter Service Technical Committee: What’s in It for Me? (Episode 51): Steve Lund, Paul Pisano and host Rick Nelson—all members of the PIARC (World Road Association) Winter Service Technical Committee—talk about how the committee’s work benefits the U.S. winter maintenance community. September 2021. … Read more

Pre-wetting road salt helps keep the salt on the road’s surface, which makes winter maintenance more efficient and cost-effective. While pre-wetting practices are used by many agencies, they have not been extensively studied. A recent Clear Roads research project took stock of the current state of the practice for pre-wetting salt and other solid materials, … Read more

South Dakota DOT’s implementation plan for its Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) and Iowa DOT’s study of corn-based deicers recently captured national attention as two of AASHTO’s Sweet Sixteen high-value research projects for 2021. The award recognizes the nation’s top high-value research projects as chosen by state DOT research directors in each of the four AASHTO regions. In South Dakota, statewide deployment of the MDSS is already yielding operational and safety benefits, with researchers estimating a six-year benefit-cost ratio of 3.25 (including projected reductions in crashes and fatalities). In Iowa, innovative research identified three promising blends of corn-based deicers that merit further evaluation as environmentally friendly materials that could reduce the use of salt. The two projects were honored last week at the annual AASHTO Research Advisory Committee meeting, where Michigan DOT also received a Supplemental Award in the Safety category for its study of green strobe lights for improving conspicuity of winter maintenance vehicles. For more on these award-winning projects:

• South Dakota DOT: Maintenance Decision Support System Implementation Plan (Sweet Sixteen, Region 4) | Video presentation
• Iowa DOT: Corn-Based Deicers (Sweet Sixteen, Region 3) | Final report | Two-page brief | Video presentation
• Michigan DOT: Effectiveness of Green Strobes on Winter Maintenance Vehicles and Equipment (Safety Supplemental Award, Region 3) | Final report | Fact sheet | Presentation slides

Congratulations to all of the winners! Image source: South Dakota DOT

For maintenance professionals who are looking to expand their qualifications, this summer may be a good time to explore the online associate’s degree program in Highway Maintenance Management offered by Front Range Community College in Colorado. Unique in the nation, the online program is designed for current highway maintenance professionals who are interested in advancing to a management role. Students can enroll full-time or part-time, and can cut the time and cost of their degree by receiving credits for skills, training and experience accumulated over the course of their career. FRCC awarded its first degree in the program this spring. Learn more: Program website and podcast (May 2020 episode of AASHTO’s “SICOP Talks Winter Ops” podcast). Image courtesy of Front Range Community College

Road deicing is a major cause of chloride impairment in Minnesota’s urban waters. Aiming to reduce these impacts, Minnesota DOT researchers partnered with the City of Edina to test an adaptive management approach to deicing. Through adaptive management—repeatedly checking the effects of actions and making adjustments—the researchers found that most of the chloride movement in a residential watershed occurred during a small number of winter events, which allowed maintenance staff to make targeted adjustments to their deicing operations. Researchers created a training manual on using adaptive management for deicing and a spreadsheet tool to help agencies improve their deicing operations. Visit the project page and read the final report: Adaptive Management to Improve Deicing Operations, Minnesota DOT, March 2021.   Image courtesy of Minnesota DOT