Maryland State Highway Administration
Winter Operations Facts And Figures
2008-2009 Winter Season
The Maryland State Highway Administration, (SHA) maintains most interstate, U.S. and numbered state routes. The Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) maintains Maryland’s seven toll facilities such as the Bay Bridge and the Baltimore Harbor and Ft. McHenry tunnels. In addition, MdTA maintains I-95 from Baltimore City to the Delaware line and I-395 in Baltimore City. Each Maryland county and Baltimore City maintain local roads that are not under SHA’s jurisdiction.
Lane Miles Maintained by SHA Nearly 17,000
(Length of roadway times the number of lanes, including service roads/ramps)
Number of People Available to Fight Winter Storms
(Including SHA and contract forces) Up To 2,600
Pieces of Equipment Available to Fight Winter Storms
(Including SHA and contract forces) Up To 2,300
Average Number of Winter Snow Storms per Year Since 2000
(Does not include the numerous maintenance shop activations for freezing rain,
frost, black ice, and post-storm blowing and drifting snow)
Eastern Shore 6
Southern Maryland 6
Baltimore/Washington DC Metro Area 7
Western Maryland 31
Date of Earliest Metro Area Winter Storm Since 2000 12/5/2002
Date of Latest Metro Area Winter Storm Since 2000 4/9/2000
Winter Operations Expenditures and Salt Usage
Fiscal Year Expenditures Salt Used
FY 1999 $34,578,894 234,462 tons
FY 2000 $36,570,963 229,884 tons
FY 2001 $35,404,738 238,948 tons
FY 2002 $20,235,025 94,301 tons
FY 2003 $73,399,067 427,112 tons
FY 2004 $49,965,910 316,879 tons
FY 2005 $47,743,201 291,388 tons
FY 2006 $34,897,741 157,508 tons
FY 2007 $48,372,623 252,840 tons
FY 2008 $46,400,013 201,401 tons
Budgeted For FY 2009 $21,000,000
Salt available for FY 2009 336,328 tons
Please note: Expenditures and salt usage varies from year to year due to the number and intensity of storms.
Strategies for Winter Operations
• Anti-Icing - proactive preventive winter maintenance strategy of applying materials prior to or at the onset of precipitation in order to prevent snow and ice from bonding to a pavement.
• Deicing - traditional winter maintenance strategy of breaking the snow/ice/pavement bond after it has occurred. It requires more material to break the bond than to prevent it. SHA is expanding its anti-icing operations in an attempt to lessen its overall salt usage.
Materials Available for 2008-2009 Winter Season
• Salt, Rock and Solar (sodium chloride) is the principal winter material used by SHA. It is effective at pavement temperatures of 20°f and above.
• Treated Salt is salt coated with magnesium chloride and an agricultural by-product. The additives allow salt to work at lower temperatures, extending its range of effectiveness.
• Abrasives including sand and crushed stone are used to increase traction for motorists during storms. Abrasives have no snow melting capability. SHA uses a limited amount of this material, concentrating its efforts on melting and plowing snow and ice from the pavement.
• Calcium Chloride is a solid (flake) winter material used during extremely cold winter storms. SHA uses a limited amount of calcium chloride.
• Salt Brine (liquid sodium chloride) is a solution that can be used as an anti-icer on highways prior to the onset of storms, or as a deicer on highways during a storm. SHA makes extensive use of this material. It has a freeze point of -6°f, and costs approximately seven cents per gallon to produce. Salt brine will be produced and used at SHA’s eight brine making facilities. In addition, salt brine will be transported to other maintenance shops in Central and Southern Maryland and on the Eastern Shore for their use.
• Magnesium Chloride (mag) is a liquid winter material used by SHA in deicing operations. The material has a freeze point of approximately -26°f. It is used in the colder regions of the state, primarily in the northern and western counties.
• Caliber M-1000 is a magnesium chloride based deicer with an additive that allows the material to work at the very low pavement temperatures experienced in Garrett County.
• Potassium Acetate is a costly, environmentally friendly, liquid material used at SHA’s two automated bridge anti-icing system sites in Allegany County.
Quantities of Materials Available for 2008-2009 Winter Season
• Rock and Solar Salt in 96 Salt Domes/Barns 336,328 tons
• Abrasives (statewide) 35,000 tons
• Calcium Chloride (various locations) 60 tons
• Salt Brine at 65 Sites 230,000 gallons
• Magnesium Chloride at 15 Sites 40,000 gallons
• Caliber M-1000 at 5 Sites 25,000 gallons
• Potassium Acetate at 2 Sites 7,500 gallons
Technology Available for 2008-2009 Winter Season
In addition to its fleet of salt spreading/snow plowing dump trucks, SHA will deploy:
• 550 truck-mounted saddle tanks: This equipment is used to pre-wet salt as the salt is spread on highways. Pre-wetting salt helps it adhere to the pavement (reducing waste), go into brine solution quicker (making salt more effective) and work at lower temperatures. Nearly all of SHA’s fleet of single axle dump trucks is equipped with this technology.
• 80 wing plows: A wing plow is an additional plow mounted on the right side of a plow truck or grader. The extra plow allows our crews to clear more snow from the road and shoulder in one pass, increasing the efficiency of our operations. SHA has expanded the number of wing plows over the past two years.
• 8 truck-mounted liquid applicator spray tanks: These units are used for anti-icing operations (spraying salt brine on roads and bridges prior to precipitation to prevent snow and ice from bonding to the pavement). SHA views this technology as an important tool to increase the level of service it provides motorists in Maryland.
• 8 salt brine machines: The machines are located at the Cambridge, Denton, Elkton, Gaithersburg, Marlboro, Glen Burnie, Prince Frederick and Westminster Shops. These shops produce brine for themselves and for surrounding facilities.
• 2 automated bridge anti-icing systems: SHA’s two automated bridge anti-icing systems are located on Interstate 68 in Allegany County. This technology is used to spray a liquid chemical (Potassium Acetate) on the bridge decks prior to the occurrence of frost or frozen precipitation. The spraying occurs automatically, based on weather data captured by pavement and atmospheric sensors at the sites. The technology reduces the need for after-hour emergency callouts and has reduced the occurrence of winter-related accidents.
CONTACTING SHA
Citizens can call 1-800-327-3125 for general winter highway conditions during winter storms
For more information, contact SHA’s Office of Communications at 410-545-0303