Research Pays Off: Implementing a Winter Maintenance Decision Support System: Indiana Department of Transportation’s Process, Success, and Savings

Collectively, state and local departments of transportation (DOTs) in the snow-belt states spend approximately 25 percent of their maintenance budgets—or more than $2.3 billion—annually on winter maintenance operations. Recognizing that even slight improvements in the efficiencies of snow and ice control operations can save millions of dollars, Indiana and other state DOTs established a pooled-fund study to develop a maintenance decision support system (MDSS) in 2002.

As part of the pooled-fund MDSS effort, the Indiana DOT conducted field trials for three winters, starting in 2005–2006, adding routes and improving communications processes each year. Based on the positive results of the field tests, Indiana decided to implement the MDSS statewide during the winter of 2008–2009. Indiana DOT developed and provided training on the use of the MDSS to winter maintenance personnel throughout the state. The statewide implementation of the new system required a significant change in the department’s winter maintenance procedures and a change in the mindset of the employees.

A comparison of FY 2008 and FY 2009 revealed that implementation of the MDSS developed through the pooled-fund study saved Indiana tax payers $12,108,910 by reducing salt use by 228,470 tons (40.9 percent) and another $1,359,951 by reducing overtime compensation by 58,274 hours (25.7 percent). When normalized for varying winter conditions, Indiana savings came to $9,978,536 through reduced salt use and $979,136 through reductions in the need for overtime. The efficiencies gained by optimizing the maintenance strategies for snowplow routes produced a total savings in material and labor of $10,957,672 during the 2008–2009 winter season.