WINTER MAINTENANCE PRACTICE AND RESEARCH IN ONTARIO

Ontario upholds a high level of maintenance service on its highways during the winter months. The majority of these roads are maintained to bare pavement condition, while others are maintained to center bare condition. This paper describes the methods used to obtain this level of service under various winter conditions.

Recently, environmentalists have expressed their concern over the effects of salt used for winter maintenance on the environment. In response to this concern, Ontario has begun a research program to evaluate the effect of salt on the environment, and to find techniques for reducing the amount of salt used, while still providing the current level of service to the public.