Road Maintenance

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County of Barrhead is responsible for the maintenance of over 1,432 km of roadways, including paved, graveled, oiled, & machinery roads.  If you have any questions relating to projects specific to your area, call Public Works at 780-674-2619.
 
Statistics for last year's road maintenance and construction projects can be found in the Public Works section of the Annual Report.

Regular Upkeep
Graveled Roads
Each year, approximately 80,000 - 90,000 yards of gravel are placed on County roadways, utilizing both County and contract trucks.
 
Oiled Roads
Oiling high traffic roadways helps reduce the impact of dust on residences.  The timeframe for re-oiling roadways is dependent on road condition and available budget.  There are also instances where the oil may be lifted up and re-patched with no re-oiling necessary.
 
Paved Roads
The County completes line painting on our local highways every 2-3 years.  Lines get worn through regular road use and winter sanding, salting and plowing, which makes the lines less visible.
 
Public Works carries out a yearly crack sealing program on all its paved roadways to stop water getting into the road base.  This helps ensure the maximum lifespan of our paved roadways, which in turn maximizes the return on the capital investment of pavement.

Major Projects
Road Reconstruction
Each year, the County selects roads to reconstruct based on several conditions.  The County can take into consideration the roads ability to carry loads, drainage issues, snow drifting problems, traffic counts, safety issues and site lines/visibility.  Roads are rebuilt with County equipment and staff.

Shoulder Pull
Local roads often become pushed out as they age, due to traffic and road maintenance.  When a gravel road top has a width that exceeds 9.0 m, it starts to become hard to maintain a proper crown, leading to a poor driving surface.  The Public Works department identifies roadways that have wide road tops and selects good candidates for their annual reconditioning (shoulder pull) program.

Vegetation Control
Mowing and Brushing
The County completes an annual mowing program which allows all roadways to receive one cut per year.  Brushing locations are selected based on recommendations from staff and the general public.  Weed control and spraying is maintained by the Agricultural Services Department.

Provincial Roads
Please note that County of Barrhead Public Works is not responsible for provincial roadways.  Alberta Transportation is responsible for highway numbers 18, 33, 651, 654, 655, 661, 763, 764, 769, & 777.  Please direct any concerns about these highways to Emcon Services at 1-800-390-2242.