Snowplow Route Optimization

The state network is predominantly rural two-lane highway, but also includes rural and urban Interstate highways and 4-lane rural expressways. Winter maintenance—comprising snowplowing, anti-icing, and deicing activities—is performed by 25 maintenance reporting units operating from 71 maintenance shops and 11 remote stockpile locations. SDDOT’s equipment fleet includes 428 tandem-axle trucks equipped with a variety of front-, side-, and underbody-mounted plows as well as 21 tow plows. Staffing levels permit SDDOT to operate a single extended-hours shift statewide, with limited overnight shifts on Interstate highways near Rapid City, Sioux Falls, and Sioux City, Iowa. Objectives: 1) Create and calibrate a snowplow routing model that can accurately represent SDDOT’s current winter maintenance operation and reliably evaluate alternative routing strategies. 2) Use the calibrated routing model to identify more efficient and effective winter maintenance strategies.

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Existing Conditions, Snow Control.