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Surface grinding and grooving are techniques states often use to improve safety, ride quality, and performance of their concrete pavements. These activities require specialized equipment and skills, and there are a wide variety of issues to consider before work begins.

To help states share their experiences and best practices when it comes to concrete surface grinding and grooving, the Midwestern Pavement Preservation Partnership (MPPP) will host a webinar on August 19 from 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Central.

Learn more and register.

Image source: Minnesota Department of Transportation

Highway maintenance crews can increase a road’s performance and long-term durability with various surface treatments such as chip seals, microsurfacing, and fog seals.

A previous research collaboration between the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and National Cooperative Highway Research Program developed specifications for applying such treatments to Virginia’s state-owned roads. To validate the findings, VDOT evaluated test sections of roadways treated with three different surfacing strategies and evaluated the effectiveness of each type.

Read the final report: Pavement Preservation Demonstration Projects for Chip Seal and Microsurfacing Treatments, July 2025

Image source: Virginia Department of Transportation

Animals that enter a roadway increase the risk of motorist injuries, fatalities and property damage – especially when the animal is large like a deer.

To better understand where vehicles are most likely to encounter animals in the roadway as well as effective solutions for reducing the likelihood and severity of crashes, the Illinois Department of Transportation conducted a research study that identified key contributing factors and offered recommendations to mitigate the risks.

Read the research brief: Understanding Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions in Illinois, June 2025

Image source: Illinois Department of Transportation

Earlier this summer, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) adopted a new committee structure. TRB’s Technical Activities Division is currently soliciting expressions of interest for volunteers to serve as appointed members on standing committees.

If you would like to express interest in one of the several new committees related to maintenance, complete the form in mytrb.org by the due date of this Friday, June 27, 2025.

As before, you can become a friend of any TRB committee at any time throughout the year.

Image source: Transportation Research Board

Snow fences are an important maintenance tool for capturing blowing and drifting snow and keeping it away from the roadway. However, these structures are only useful during winter months, serving little purpose throughout the majority of the year.

To increase the snow fences’ value, the Minnesota Department of Transportation conducted a research study that explored the functional and economic viability of adding solar panels to the fences in order to create clean energy year-round year without using any additional land.

Read the Research Summary: Solar Snow Fence Controls Drifting Snow While Generating Power, June 2025

Image source: Minnesota Department of Transportation

An accurate inventory of the state’s road signs is important to ensure signs are in good condition and necessary maintenance activities are performed effectively, but traditional inventory methods are often time-consuming and inefficient.

To discuss how artificial intelligence may be able to make inventorying traffic signs easier and more automated, the Washington State Department of Transportation will host a webinar, “AI-Empowered Computer Vision Tool for Locating and Recognizing Traffic Signs” on June 18 from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Central.

Learn more and register.

Image source: Washington State Department of Transportation