Automated Bridge Deck Warning System in Michigan Reduced Icy, Snow, and Slushy Crashes by 35 Percent.
Michigan DOT Installed Automated Sensors on Multiple Bridges to Enhance Drivers’ Safety by Providing Warning Signs When Icy Conditions Are Detected on the Pavement.
Ostego
Cheboygan County
Escanaba River Bridge Deck Warning System
Summary Information
Winter weather can cause unsafe situations for drivers due to its spatially varied adverse effects. This disparity can be intensified by local conditions, such as the hydroelectric dam near the Escanaba River Bridge in this case study, which increases air moisture levels. Due to the bridge's crash history of icing, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) implemented an automated bridge deck warning system (ABDWS) to enhance safety. To ensure better maintenance and accuracy, non-invasive sensors were chosen over in-pavement sensors to measure bridge ice levels. Data collection and evaluation of the systems took place from 2015 to 2019.
METHODOLOGY:
Local sensors detect moisture and temperature settings making use of pre-existing ESS when possible. The data is processed by algorithms on site. When the system is activated, a flashing “Bridge Ices Before Road” sign locally while also automatically alerting MDOT and Delta County Road Commission.
FINDINGS:
- Since installation in 2015, one site in Otsego County has seen a 35 percent reduction in total icy, snowy, and slushy crashes.
- Additionally, the site has seen a reduction in crash severity as no fatal or serious crashes have occurred since installation in contrast with three in the several years prior.
- Anecdotally, MODT employees noted that drivers chose a slower, safer speed over the bridge when the system was alerting.
