Federal Highway Administration Resource Center

First Web Conference on Maintenance Decision Support System Focuses on Solutions

On November 22, 2004, the FHWA Road Weather Management and Operations Task Force held its first web conference on the Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS). The MDSS project was a multi-year effort forged to prototype and field-test advanced decision support for winter maintenance managers.

Prototype development began in September 2000, led by the FHWA and Mitretek, with the formation of a stakeholder group and definition of winter road maintenance requirements under the Surface Transportation Weather Decision Support Requirements (STWDSR) project. A consortium of national laboratories developed the functional MDSS prototype. The prototype was demonstrated and field tested in Iowa in 2003 and 2004. Continued development and testing of the functional prototype is ongoing.
 
Also discussed during the conference was the Pooled-Fund Study (PFS) — the result of a multi-State effort to bring about an operational MDSS for State transportation agencies. Research objectives for the PFS include:

• To assess the need, potential benefit, and receptivity in participating State transportation departments for State and regional Maintenance Decision Support Systems; and

• To build and evaluate an operational MDSS that will meet the defined functional requirements of the participating State transportation departments.

The Road Weather Management Program, within the FHWA Office of Operations, seeks to better understand the impacts of weather on roadways, and promote strategies and tools to mitigate those impacts. Envisioned is a system that provides “Anytime, Anywhere Road Weather Information” for road users and road operating agencies, as well as a robust, competitive market for road weather services. 
 
For more information, contact:
 
Ray Murphy
ITS Specialist
Operations Technical Service Team
FHWA Resource Center, (708) 283-3517
ray.murphy@fhwa.dot.gov