Mission Statement: To provide a safe, well-maintained highway system that offers mobility and supports the area economy for all citizens.

Sections

Potholes & Paving

The Highway Department performs pothole repair and paving on all County-owned roadways. All types of repairs, including potholes, sunken trenches, etc. are accomplished by the Highway Department. To report any needed road repair, please contact your appropriate Highway Department section as listed at the top of the page.

Requests for road paving are prioritized based on numerous criteria such as potholes, cracks, rutting, raveling, ride quality, traffic volume and poor drainage. Severity and the extent of the problem are also taken into consideration.

Roadside Maintenance

The following roadside maintenance is performed by the Highway Department:

Shoulder Maintenance

Putting road shoulders back on grade so that water drains properly along County rights-of-way.

Roadside Mowing

Cutting grass/weeds in County rights-of-way or on County-owned lots.

Brush and Tree Trimming

Trimming of brush and trees in County rights-of-way or on County-owned lots.

Tree Removal

Removing trees in County rights-of-way or on County-owned lots.

Curb and Gutter Repair

Minor repair of curb and gutter along County-owned streets. If the repairs required warrant curb/gutter replacement, the request is prioritized based on the severity of the problem. As funds become available, the curb/gutter is replaced based on their ranking on this list.

Sidewalk Repair

The repair of sidewalks is the responsibility of the property owner. The County will only repair sidewalks that have been damaged by the County.

Driveway Repair

Driveways and drainage pipes running under driveways are private property and maintenance is the responsibility of the property owner.

To request any of these services, please contact your appropriate Highway Department section as listed at the top of the page.

Roadside Litter Pickup

Roadside litter and debris is picked up along all County-owned roadways by the Highway Deparment. Litter and/or debris must be within the County right-of-way.

If the litter/debris is on private property, removal is the responsibility of the property owner. Certain types of litter, such as excessive household litter on a private lot can be addressed by the Health Department by calling 240-313-3200. Larger pieces of debris, such as old furniture on a private lot can be addressed by the Permits & Inspections Department at 240-313-2460.

If you would like to request litter/debris removal services, please contact your appropriate Highway Department section as listed at the top of the page.

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Snow Removal and Storm Cleanup

County Maintained Roads:   Snow removal operations are performed by the Highway Department on all County-maintained roads. When snow begins to accumulate, our first priority is to spread material and/or plow main roads, school bus routes, steep hills, severe curves and intersections. Local roads in subdivisions, as well as dead ends and cul-de-sacs, will have material spread and/or be plowed after priority routes have been completed. To request snow removal services, please contact your appropriate Highway Department section as listed at the top of the page.Order of Priority:   During extreme conditions, such as a blizzard, school bus routes, local roads in subdivisions, dead ends and cul-de-sacs will be plowed concurrently.Emergencies:   Priorities will be modified for emergency situations reported to the Sheriff's Department at 301-791-3300; or for life threatening situations, by dialing 911.Driveways:   We encourage citizens with driveways to park their vehicles off of the road to allow snow removal equipment access to the area. If no driveways exist, citizens on dead ends or cul-de-sacs should park their vehicles on one side of the street in order for equipment to maneuver during plowing operations.

Sidewalks:   Snow removal from sidewalks is the responsiblity of the property owner. Your cooperation in providing snow removal from sidewalks will assist pedestrians as well as provide a safe walking route for school children.

Stormwater Drainage

Drainage maintenance is performed by the Highway Department sections using the following types of service:

• Ditch Cleaning - Cleaning of all County-owned drainage ditches.Storm Drain Culvert Cleaning - Cleaning of all County-owned storm drain pipes.Inlet Cleaning - Cleaning of all County-owned drain inlets.Curb/Gutter Cleaning - Cleaning of all County-owned curbs/gutters.Inlet Repair - Repair of all County-owned storm drain inlets.
• Storm Drain Culvert Repair - Repair of all County-owned storm drain pipes.

Driveway drains are the responsibility of the property owner.

To request any of these services, please contact your appropriate Highway Department section as listed at the top of the page.

Signs, Signals and Pavement Markings

The Highway Department manages traffic operations on County-owned roadways through the installation and maintenance of street lights, traffic signals, traffic signs and pavement markings.

Traffic Signs

The Highway Department is responsible for maintaining signs along County-owned roadways. The Highway Department may work in conjunction with the Engineering Department to determine what signage is required. The Highway Department installs and maintains these signs. To report a problem with a County sign, please contact the Highway Department. Please provide as much specific information as possible (i.e., the type of sign, location, is it damaged or missing, and is it a hazard to vehicles or pedestrians).

To request a study to determine if a new sign is needed, please contact the Engineering Department at 240-313-2400. General questions regarding signs may be directed to either the Highway Department or Engineering Department.

Traffic Signals

The Highway Department operates and maintains traffic signals at intersections of County roads. Where County and State roads (typically those with route numbers) intersect, the State Highway Administration is usually responsible for the signal.

To report problems with State signals, please call 301-791-4790. To report a problem with a County signal, please call the Highway Department Central section. Please provide as specific information as possible (for example, is the entire signal out or just one bulb).

To request a study to determine if a new signal is warranted, please contact the Engineering Department at 240-313-2400. General questions regarding traffic signals may be directed to either the Highway Department or Engineering Department.

Pavement Markings

The Highway Department installs and maintains pavement markings (lane lines, turn lanes, cross walks, etc.) on County-owned roadways. To request that a roadway be repainted, please call the Highway Department.

To request a study to determine if new markings are warranted, please contact the Engineering Department at 240-313-2400. General questions regarding pavement markings may be directed to either the Highway Department or Engineering Department.

  Revised:  June 12, 2008