Spring weather delays gravel road maintenance
As milder temperatures approach, our road operations are beginning to shift focus from winter events and response to managing and maintaining road conditions. One common form of gravel road maintenance is grading.
Grading can become difficult with fluctuating temperatures, especially in spring weather. With the ground’s surface beginning to thaw, in combination with spring rains occurring, the amount of water located within the structure of our gravel roads can prevent crews from performing desired maintenance. If crews did continue to use graders, our gravel road surface would lose integrity, leading to increased damage and unsafe road conditions.
We recognize that the result of melting surfaces creating water in and on our road base can cause difficult driving conditions. During this period, it is important that residents slow down and drive with caution where required by road conditions. We will continue to monitor our road networks and have crews ready to begin grading activity immediately when conditions permit.