Scenario (hypothetical): a county road department is adding raised pavement markers on several routes and wants to avoid breaking markers or edges. The county is invented for illustration, and no real agency’s decisions are described. The evidence below comes from Clear Roads’ published state feedback, which records operator comments and ratings, not controlled tests.
What state agencies reported
| Agency and period | Comment (paraphrased from the feedback document) |
|---|---|
| Illinois DOT (2008-2012) | A flexible rubber-bodied blade system worked well in areas where raised pavement markers caused damage to standard carbide blades |
| Ohio DOT (2007-2008) | County staff said the markers were not ripped out of the pavement with the flexible blades |
| West Virginia DOT (2012-2013) | A flexible tooth-style blade did a great job cleaning over and around raised pavement markers |
| Michigan DOT (2012-2013) | On a tow-plow pilot route with raised pavement markers, they fitted a flexible blade because markers had torn up steel blades |
These are operator opinions on specific products, in different years and places. They suggest that flexible designs were chosen where markers were a problem, but they do not prove that any design protects markers in your county.
A planning approach for the county
The county plan starts with a map, because the markers are already on it.
- Map the markers. List which routes have them and how many.
- Record damage now. Count broken markers and edge damage on those routes this winter as a baseline.
- Choose a trial. Pick one route and one flexible option and one control with the current edge.
- Match the conditions. Similar traffic, truck and driver for both.
- Measure. Markers lost, edge damage, edge hours, driver comments.
- Decide with a rule written before the trial.
How to read the state comments
Each comment comes from an operator or engineer in a particular year, on particular roads, with a particular truck. Some are from short trials with no control plow. They also reflect the products available at the time, which may since have changed. That is why the table is paraphrased without brand names: the point is the planning question, not a product recommendation. Use the comments to decide what to test, and let your own measurements decide what to adopt.
Other levers
Marker type and installation are the levers that do not require a new plow.
- Marker type and installation (recessed markers are a separate topic).
- Plow speed and height near markers.
- Float or down-pressure settings.
Lessons
The public record points to flexible designs as a candidate, and also shows that cost and wear were concerns in several comments. Try before you buy at scale.
Boundary: the scenario county is invented. Source comments are state operator feedback, not controlled tests, and product names are omitted on purpose.
Sources and further reading. External references are dated; where a figure is quoted, the link shows where it came from.
Clear Roads Product Experience Feedback 2006-2021: Combined Results, Blades and Plows (Covers state feedback 2006-2021; accessed 2026-10-24) ↗Should a route with raised utility covers use the same edge as a smooth road? ↗Our edge left a gouge in the pavement. What belongs in the incident record? ↗JOMA style rubber-flex blade ↗
