Winter weather operations, snow and ice control, consists of two fundamental activities: plowing snow off the roadway and applying various materials for anti/ de-icing and traction improvement. Both approaches, whether performed as separate functions (plow-only or spread-only) or simultaneously (plow- and –spread) require trucks of various sizes and equipage. The travel patterns for the trucks operating in these different modes are influenced by a number of factors such as: roadway classification, priority ranking, defined Level of Service (LOS), number of lanes and shoulders, lane widths, route length and cycle time parameters, bridges and overpasses, topography, pavement types, traffic volumes, roadway geometrics, traffic control systems and restrictions, presence of railway tracks and crossings, transit stops, etc. Typical winter storm patterns must be considered as well; areas that routinely experience frequent and heavy snows (mountain states) have different needs than those with occasional, light snows (Southeast U.S.). For instance, the former must deal with handling excessive accumulations by “benching” or hauling away, while the latter usually has more ice storms.

Though there are standard guidelines for plowing and spreading, detailed practice manuals are needed for clearing interchanges and intersections due to the complexity of various configurations. Route planners and managers develop a recommended pattern of travel, but operators need latitude for adjusting to external conditions and the capabilities of their equipment. Individual operators who are familiar with assigned routes develop their own techniques for handling intersections, interchanges, roundabouts, cul-de-sacs, crossovers, and other challenging situations. The current traffic, pavement, and storm conditions may necessitate temporary deviation from prescribed routing.

Because a manual for clearing interchange/intersections is lacking, the Clear Roads research program initiated this project to address the needs for practical winter maintenance operations. The goal of this project is to provide comprehensive, clear, and concise training materials (videos, manual, and reference cards) based on best practices for snow removal and ice control on interchange and intersection layouts that are applicable for agencies of any size and in all regions of the U.S. and Canada. This will be useful for operators, supervisors, and managers of winter weather roadway operations and even traffic engineers who design roadways.