NJDOT Snow Plowing Guide

This document is a guide published by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) establishing operational standards for snow plowing and spreading services on state roadways. The guide is intended for use by contractors and NJDOT personnel responsible for winter road maintenance operations and is available on the agency's internal Intranet under Winter Operations.

The guide provides detailed technical specifications and truck positioning standards for snow plowing operations across different highway configurations, including two-lane two-direction highways, three-lane two-direction highways, four-lane undivided highways, and multi-lane divided highways with both raised and depressed medians. For each configuration, the guide specifies truck sequencing, spacing intervals (typically 100 to 500 feet between trucks), plow overlap requirements (generally 2 feet), and directional protocols for snow removal. Additional standards are provided for jughandles and switch-back curve ramps, with specific guidance on plow positioning and snow placement to maximize traffic clearance. The document emphasizes the use of power-reversible plows or graders for optimal efficiency on complex roadway features and establishes progressive widening protocols to minimize thawing and refreezing cycles during cleanup operations.