Frequently Asked Questions
Please note this FAQ is a work in progress. If your question is not answered on this page, please submit your question here.
What is the ArDOT Winter Weather Road Conditions Map?
The ARDOT Winter Weather Road Conditions Map is a feature on the Department's travel and construction information site IDRIVE ARKANSAS. The map is a color-coded illustration of pavement conditions on select state highways within the Arkansas Primary Highway Network during a winter weather event. Two distinct views (layers) of the map are provided - one describing route conditions and the other describing what type of fallen precipitation (if any) exists on those routes.
What is the Arkansas Primary Highway Network?
In Arkansas, some 80 percent of the total vehicle miles traveled and 96 percent of the heavy truck travel is on state highways. Minute Order 2004 049 of the Arkansas Highway Commission in April 2004 established the Arkansas Primary Highway Network (APHN). It's a grid system of key highways throughout the state that provide interstate and regional movement; linkages to population centers, critical service, and includes high traffic routes. Arkansas has more than 16,500 centerline miles of state highways - the 12th largest in the country. The APHN accounts for approximately 50 percent of this mileage and carries more than 92 percent of all traffic on the state highway system.
How do you select which routes are included on your Winter Weather Road Conditions Map?
Reportable routes are selected by each District Engineer and generally include those on the Primary Highway Network and routes of regional significance. A route of regional significance may carry higher volumes of traffic; provide connectivity between population centers, and access to key facilities like hospitals.
My route is not reported on your map; does this mean you aren't working to clear it too?
Absolutely not! The Winter Weather Road Conditions Map is a visual representation of priority routes that are addressed first during a winter weather event. Once a priority route is brought to a status of Mostly Clear, crews turn their attention to secondary and tertiary routes.
What are the route conditions that are reported?
ARDOT maintenance crews report route conditions as Clear, Mostly Clear, Partly Covered, Covered, Clearing Suspended and Closed. A complete description of each condition is found here. Additionally, crews report if routes contain Snow, Ice / Ice Patches or Slush.