What is it?

• Road weather maintenance includes technologies that treat or prevent road weather conditions like snow or ice. Such technologies include anti-icing and de-icing processes as well as advanced snowplow operations.

• There are several successful snowplow programs currently at work in the US that are aimed at increasing both driver safety and the efficiency of snow removal.
• Anti-icing is more commonly used than de-icing because it more effectively prevents the deterioration of travel conditions.
• Road weather maintenance technologies are frequently used in conjunction with weather information systems such as Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS).
• See our Telecommunications Diagrams on Weather Detection for more information.

• Anti-icing, de-icing, and snowplows help reduce weather-related road accidents.
• When road weather maintenance technologies are used with weather information systems, highway agencies are better informed about current and/or forecasted weather conditions. As a result, they can more efficiently deploy maintenance crews and machinery.

• RWIS: Capital Cost: 25k, Operation and Maintenance: 0.4-2.5k per year
• Automatic Anti-icing System: Capital Cost: 12k, Operation and Maintenance: 25k per year

• Coordination between weather information systems and highway agencies is needed in order for efficient use of equipment and crews to occur.
• Deicing/anti-icing chemicals leave residues on road surfaces that may contaminate surface and ground waters, soil, and vegetation.
• Highway runoff contributes to degradation of surface waters exposed to direct discharges and to contaminants in the air.

• Road weather maintenance is implemented across the United States.

Author: Lauren Smith