Maintenance Decision Support System Refinement

The objectives of the Maintenance Decision Support System are to: (1) Assess current road and weather conditions using observations and reasonable inferences based upon observations and physical laws. (2) Provide time- and location-specific weather forecasts along transportation routes. (3) Predict how road conditions would change due to the combined effects of the forecast weather and the application of several candidate road maintenance treatments. (4) Notify state agencies of approaching adverse conditions and suggest optimal maintenance treatments that can be achieved with resources available to the transportation agencies. (5) Evaluate the reliability of predictions and the effectiveness of applied maintenance treatments for specific road and weather conditions so that the decision support logic can be improved. Continuing the efforts of the previous phases of work, the member agencies voted on the future direction and tasks of the Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) pooled fund study (PFS). Some of these tasks represent continuation of previous phases of work and others are new endeavors for the project. The primary research areas selected by members of the MDSS project panel include: (1) Investigate methods to improve the MDSS model for better support of frost, freezing rain and other weather conditions; (2) Assess recommendations based on user feedback in real-time with post-recommendation analysis to improve MDSS modeling; (3) Analyze the use of Level of Service in DOT operations and understand how this functionality can be improved within MDSS; (4) Focus on Liquids as a priority treatment recommendation and develop processes that facilitate specialty liquids within MDSS; (5) Conduct a discovery process on Performance Measurement methods that would be applicable for MDSS with the goal of implementing these methods to demonstrate MDSS value; and (6) Improve the Route Configuration Process by implementing automated functionality, clear guidance for users, and preparing for the future of MDSS.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/1809

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Programmed
• Funding: $540,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  TPF-5(576)

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Connecticut Department of Transportation

  2800 Berlin Turnpike
  P.O. Box 317546
  Newington, CT  United States  06131-7546

  Minnesota Department of Transportation

  Transportation Building
  395 John Ireland Boulevard
  St Paul, MN  United States  55155

  Nebraska Department of Transportation

  1500 Highway 2
  P.O. Box 94759
  Lincoln, NE  United States  68509-4759

  North Dakota Department of Transportation

  608 East Boulevard Avenue
  Bismarck, ND  United States  58505-0700

  South Dakota Department of Transportation

  700 East Broadway Avenue
  Pierre, SD  United States  57501

  Wisconsin Department of Transportation

  PO Box 7910
  4802 Sheboygan Avenue, Room 104
  Madison, WI  United States  53707-7910
• Managing Organizations:

  South Dakota Department of Transportation

  700 East Broadway Avenue
  Pierre, SD  United States  57501
• Project Managers:

  Huft, David

• Start Date: 20260526
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Decision support systems; Highway maintenance; Level of service; Liquids; Performance measurement; Weather conditions; Winter maintenance
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01989952
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Contract Numbers: TPF-5(576)
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: May 21 2026 10:52PM