Nebraska Department of Transportation — Maintenance Decision Support and Automatic Vehicle Location Project

In 2018, the Nebraska Department of Transportation leveraged technology and innovation help to increase efficiency around winter maintenance while also helping to provide better information to assist the public with making educated decisions on travel during adverse weather conditions. The $5 million project began in 2016 to install Maintenance Decision Support Software (MDSS) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) in all 633 of NDOT’s snowplow trucks to improve highway clearance operations during blizzards. Snowplow operators receive roadway treatment recommendations, weather forecasts, weather radar maps, and instant messages from NDOT management via the system. Recommendations are updated hourly to reflect both the changing road and weather conditions. Maintenance is performed based on real-time pavement and weather conditions, helping to improve effectiveness and lower cost. Maintenance and Operations Center personnel view weather and road conditions, detailed route and truck information, fixed and moving camera images, and generate reports from the MDSS Web App. A public “Plow Tracker” web page shows the location of all active snowplow trucks and their camera images, helping motorists make better and safer travel decisions.