GPS In Snowplows Helps DOT Battle Snow Better

As we brace for a another snowfall and wonder when the plows will get to the roads we travel, the science of snow removal is apparently underway.

Global positioning technology is finding its way into snowplows across Wisconsin, providing county and state transportation officials a valuable new weapon in battling winter storms, according to a release by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT).

Utilizing federal funds administered through WisDOT, about two-thirds of Wisconsin’s county highway departments are installing Automatic Vehicle Locators (AVL) in snowplows. The AVL systems use global positioning technology that generates information about where plows are located, what routes have been covered, and when and how much de-icing materials should be applied to roadways.

“County highway departments and snowplow operators throughout Wisconsin do an outstanding job keeping our roads safe and open for business throughout the winter season,” said David Vieth, Director of WisDOT’s Bureau of Highway Maintenance. “Wisconsin now has AVL technology in more snowplows than any other state, providing us a valuable new tool in dealing with winter weather.”

WisDOT oversees a network of about 60 remote weather information stations located along state highways and bridges that track wind speed and direction, air and pavement temperatures, even precipitation depths and salt concentrations.

“This technology holds the potential to reduce both labor and material costs by helping determine the type and amount of de-icing materials to apply on roads, and when such treatments should start and stop,” Vieth said.

A study of the initial effort indicates the technology could also reduce overall salt use by between six and nine percent. This season, WisDOT purchased about 525 tons of salt at a cost of about $35 million.