Plowing Priorities - Wisconsin Deaprtment of Transportation

Snow plowing guidelines

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Snow Plowing priorities

Snow plowing brochure

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Winter maintenance facts

Snow plowing priorities

The following tables show the typical snow plowing priorities that the county highway departments follow when maintaining the state's highways during the winter season.

Interstate/freeway
First priority	Driving lanes, ramps, interchanges, and passing lanes
Second priority	State maintained side roads and frontage roads
Third priority	Shoulders, rest area ramps
Clean up (non-overtime hours)	Shoulders, ramp gores, bridge decks (outside driving lanes), rest area parking, barriers, guardrail, weigh stations, crossovers, park-and-ride lots

Expressway
First priority	Driving lanes, ramps, interchanges, and passing lanes
Second priority	Turn lanes, intersections, interchanges, two-way-left-turn-lanes, state maintained side roads and frontage roads
Third priority	Shoulders, rest area ramps
Clean up (non-overtime hours)	Shoulders, ramp gores, bridge decks (outside driving lanes), rest area parking, barriers, guardrail, crossovers, two-way-left-turn-lanes, park-and-ride lots, roadside facilities (when open)

Two lane highways
First priority	Driving lanes, intersections
Second priority	Intersections, passing lanes, climbing lanes
Third priority	Shoulders, two-way-left-turn-lanes
Clean up (non-overtime hours)	Shoulders, islands, medians, bridge decks (outside driving lanes), guardrail, walkways, park-and-ride lots, roadside facilities (when open)

Exceptions

The above plowing priorities are intended as a guide for winter operations and changes may be deemed appropriate based on local conditions.

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Snowplow creating a path on highway 127

Related information:

Safe winter driving tips

Winter road condition report