NJDOT Snow Plowing Guide

This document is a technical guidance guide published by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) for snow plowing operations. The guide provides standardized procedures and best practices for winter road maintenance services conducted by NJDOT or contracted service providers operating on state highways and roadways throughout New Jersey.

The guide establishes plowing standards across various highway configurations, including two-lane, two-direction highways; three-lane, two-direction highways; four-lane undivided highways; multi-lane divided highways with raised medians and no drainage; and multi-lane divided highways with depressed medians and drainage. For each configuration, the document specifies truck positioning, spacing intervals (typically 100 to 500 feet between trucks), and overlap requirements (approximately 2 feet) to ensure complete snow removal and efficient operations. Additional standards cover specialized areas including jughandles and switch-back curve ramps. The guide emphasizes coordinated multi-truck operations to progressively clear roadways from center lines or lane edges to shoulders and gutters, with provisions for adjusting truck formations based on available equipment and lane configurations. The document prioritizes maximizing clear path safety for cross traffic and efficient cleanup operations while minimizing thawing and refreezing cycles.