Annual Maintenance Activities

Safe roadways are important to quality life in West Grey. The Municipality maintains roads in accordance with the Minimum Maintenance Standards. Maintenance activities include routine patrols to check for:

Pothole Repair

Potholes and other potential road hazards are identified and repaired by staff on an ongoing basis. During the winter months, when freeze thaw cycles occur, potholes often appear on the roadways. These potholes are filled with a cold asphalt material which may need to be reapplied. Drive with caution when freeze thaw cycles take place.

Gravel Road Grading/Maintenance

Gravel roads are checked by staff on a regular basis for potholes and ruts. Graders are sent out to regrade roads as required. With a 575+ km of gravel road network, regrading can take several weeks to complete. As part of regular maintenance, the Municipality applies approximately 60,000 tonnes of gravel annually in the spring (20,000 in Normanby; 20,000 in Bentinck; and 20,000 in Glenelg). Some of the gravel is crushed in the West Grey pit.

Dust Control

Staff apply a dust suppressant to gravel roads for dust control. This program typically begins in May dependent on the condition of the roads and the weather; typically immediately following the application of maintenance gravel Gravel roads need to be graded before the application of the dust control.

Line Painting

Staff ensure that the lines on the roads are painted annually in the spring. Drivers are reminded to obey traffic signs and to not pass any line painting equipment they encounter. Freshly sprayed line paint can take several minutes to dry.

Street Sweeping

Each spring, staff begin street sweeping to clean the residual sand left on the road surface deposited during snow removal operations. Please avoid parking on the street when sweepers are in your area. This will allow staff to properly clean streets, and not have to return to the area.

Catch Basins

Each spring, staff clean 650 catch basins and remove debris and material that has accumulated over the winter. Catch basins are located in Ayton, Durham, Elmwood, and Neustadt.

Ditching

Roadside ditches are in place to drain water from the road, carry water, prevent water from crossing the road, and are used to store snow in the winter. Ditches are inspected on a regular basis throughout the year to identify required maintenance.

Roadside Mowing

Staff complete 1,300 km of roadside mowing to improve sightlines and maintain the road shoulder. This activity takes place in the summer and once again in the fall.