Maintenance Decision Support System 

New Tools for Weather Response

Adverse weather conditions dramatically affect the nation’s surface transportation system. During bad weather 

6,600 people die, 470,000 people are injured, and 544 million hours of time are lost annually. The Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA) has taken the lead in responding by building upon the proactive maintenance 

approaches already used in the winter maintenance community today. The result is a next generation of road 

weather information systems called the Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) for winter road 

maintenance decision-makers. It is currently a prototype and is now available on FHWA’s Road Weather 

Management web page

(http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather).

Developing the Next Generation of Road Weather Information Systems

The MDSS is part of a progressive FHWA program designed to respond to changing weather conditions and their 

impacts on the highway system. This work is taking place under the direction and funding of the National 

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Program. With the right information, winter maintenance managers can 

respond proactively by managing the infrastructure and deploying resources in real time. Yes – Something can be 

done about the weather!

The MDSS was designed with the needs of state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in mind and allows state 

winter maintenance managers to:

z View predicted weather conditions throughout the state; 

z Become aware of the potential for deteriorating road conditions before they occur; 

z Predict impacts of weather on road conditions; 

z Plan treatment scenarios based on available resources, including the use of chemicals and plowing of roads; and

z Receive treatment recommendations based on proven rules of practice. 

The primary goal of the MDSS is to get proper weather, road condition, and resource information into the 

appropriate people’s hands so they can make proactive decisions to manage the transportation system before and 

during adverse weather conditions.

The benefits include reduced operating expenses and a higher level of service, which result in safer and smoother 

highway operations and traffic flow. The MDSS will also make more efficient use of chemicals which reduces 

impacts on the environment.

Making the MDSS Available

Each state has unique road weather management needs. Managing a regional freeway system during a snowstorm 

in Minnesota versus the same storm in Tennessee would require vastly different strategies due to the experiences 

of the road users, the availability of equipment, and state policies. The beauty of the MDSS is its modularity. 

States can pick and choose from the different strengths of the modules to make a tailored system that best fits 

their needs. The result is better decision-making by transportation managers that helps make the roads safer for all 

users.

The MDSS has been developed by several U.S. Government Laboratories for FHWA, and is being made available 

to state DOTs and the private sector to customize and meet the demands of local conditions.

Encouraging Private Sector Development

FHWA has funded the development of the MDSS prototype so DOTs can begin to specify the particular MDSS 

components necessary to meet their specific winter maintenance management needs. The implementation of the 

MDSS for state and region specific applications will likely rely on the private sector. While state DOTs are seen 

as the primary end users of the MDSS, FHWA anticipates that the product itself will be developed in the private 

sector, based initially on MDSS technologies. It is therefore important that the private sector be aware of how 

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road weather management and MDSS applications tie together. FHWA is committed to facilitating this awareness 

and encouraging a robust and competitive market for road-weather services.

Keeping the Public Involved

While DOTs will be responsible for implementing the MDSS, the primary beneficiaries of any proactive road 

weather management system are the highway users themselves – the general public. The public has a stake in the 

success of MDSS, and will benefit from fewer crashes and improved mobility during adverse weather.

Providing MDSS Support and Information

The MDSS prototype and other useful materials are available on the FHWA Road Weather Management web 

page (http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather). The prototype was released during the fall of 2002 and, through 

FHWA’s commitment to road weather management, will be evaluated through field demonstrations and 

operational tests. FHWA will also continue to provide, based on funding availability, limited user support and 

ongoing MDSS research and development.

For more information, please contact:

U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

Road Weather Management Program, Attn: Mr. Paul Pisano

400 Seventh Street, SW (HOTO-1), Room 3408

Washington, DC 20590

(202) 366-1301

paul.pisano@fhwa.dot.gov

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather

FHWA Publication Number: FHWA–OP–03–010

ITS Electronic Document Library Number: 13695

 

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