What it is: Clear Roads is a pooled-fund research program for winter highway maintenance. Its public project list and RFP page, which I read in October 2026, show what is in progress. Short answer for buyers: none of the listed titles is about cutting edges as such, so do not expect a blade study. A few touch costs, contracts, corrosion and operations that affect how you buy and maintain.
Open solicitations (RFP page)
Five RFPs were out through MnDOT, with proposal deadlines of August 28 and September 29, 2026. I cannot say whether any contract has been awarded.
- Materials and Guidance to Maximize the Value of a Weather Services Contract (due Aug 28)
- Comprehensive Guide to Pre-Wetting Application Rates and Methods (due Aug 28)
- Transitioning the Annual Survey of State Winter Maintenance Data to a Web-based Tool (due Sep 29)
- Identifying an Appropriate Friction Test Method for the Qualified Products List (due Sep 29)
- In-Depth Cost Analysis of Liquid and Solid Deicing Materials (due Sep 29)
Projects that touch your purchasing
| Project | Status (as listed) | Why a buyer might care |
|---|---|---|
| 26-S1 Synthesis: Salt Contract Language Best Practices | In progress | Contract wording ideas, if the synthesis addresses suppliers and contractors |
| 21-02 Update to CR 13-04: Protecting DOT Equipment from the Corrosion Effect of Chemical Deicers | Completed 08/2024 | Equipment corrosion practice, relevant to hardware and fasteners |
| 22-S1 Corrosion and Connectors Don’t Mix | Completed 01/2023 | Corrosion on connectors in winter equipment |
| 21-06 Calculating Plow Cycle Times from AVL Data | Completed 02/2024 | Route time analysis, useful for planning edge changes |
| 24-S3 Synthesis: Update on the Status of AVL/GPS for Winter Operations | Completed 08/2026 | Vehicle-data background |
| 24-01 Toxicity Standards for the Qualified Products List | Completed 09/2026 | Concerns deicing products, not blades |
I did not read the final reports of these projects, only the titles, status and dates on the lists. Open the report before you rely on it.
What to do with it
The slate is a menu, not a reading list.
- Pick the two or three reports that match your decisions and read them in full; they are public.
- Note the “why a buyer might care” column is my reading of the titles, not a summary of findings.
- Check the list again in a few months for status changes.
Boundary: I cite only titles, statuses and dates from the Clear Roads pages. No findings are reported.
Sources and further reading. External references are dated; where a figure is quoted, the link shows where it came from.
Requests for Proposals – Clear Roads (accessed 2026-10-24) ↗All Research and Synthesis Projects – Clear Roads (accessed 2026-10-24) ↗Tariffs and Supply Chain Risk in Wear Parts: Planning for Cost Shocks ↗Hardware Corrosion and Seizing on Plow Blades: Prevention Practice ↗Carbide snow plow blades ↗Road Salt at Contract Prices: What Pennsylvania’s 2026-27 County Table Shows About Budget Spread ↗Plow Cameras as an Edge-Inspection Aid: What Footage Can and Cannot Show ↗When Plow Drivers Are Scarce: Planning Fewer Blade Changes per Route ↗
