The Division of Highway Services is responsible for the maintenance of Montgomery County's roadway infrastructure. Programs managed and implemented by the Division include: Roadway and Related Maintenance, Roadway Reforestation, Snow Removal/Storms and Tree Maintenance. Additionally, the Division in conjunction with other County agencies is involved in the installation of speed humps, new sidewalk construction, Vacuum Leaf Collection, and Renew Montgomery. Following is a brief description of these programs. For questions relating to these programs, the Division may be reached at 301-217-2159 or the number indicated in the specific activity. The mailing address for the Division is: 100 Maryland Ave. Room 114, Rockville, MD 20850

STREET SWEEPING

Streetsweeping is performed on residential roads each spring. This program is designed to collect abrasives applied to road surfaces in the winter to improve traction on ice and snow. Collection and disposal of these abrasives prevents their introduction into the stormwater collection system where they can cause erosion in County streams and ultimately contribute to the sediment load in the Chesapeake Bay. Weather permitting the collection cycle takes approximately 14 weeks to complete. The spring 1998 sweeping is set to begin about April 1, 1998.

This Department of Public Works and Transportation program is new for 1996. The program announced by County Executive Douglas M. Duncan on August 1, 1996, is designed to maintain the quality of life in Montgomery County and focuses on rebuilding and refurbishing the infrastructure of older neighborhoods. The "facelift" includes repair and replacement of sidewalks, curbs, gutters and storm drains, tree trimming, tree removal and other such public works projects. The goal of these improvements is to assure effective, safe and attractive vehicular and pedestrian access to business districts, public facilities and recreational opportunities. For information on participation in this program contact the Community Outreach Coordinator at 301-217-2150.

This program provides for tree related services in the public rights-of-way. The program includes pruning for roadway clearance; sign visibility; tree removal as needed; stump removal; tree replacement and emergency storm response capability.

Roadway maintenance includes: bridge maintenance; road patching ( filling potholes, full-depth repairs, skin patching and crack sealing ); road resurfacing with either asphalt or slurry seal; shoulder maintenance and storm drain maintenance, including erosion repairs, roadway ditch and channel repairs, cleaning enclosed storm drains, and installation and repair of damaged pipes. Related activities include: grass mowing; guardrail replacement; streetcleaning; and maintenance of curbs, gutters, and sidewalks.

Roadway preparation is the systematic excavating of roadway areas that have failed which will be replaced by a reconstructed roadway section in preparation of either an asphalt overlay or a slurry resurfacing project. Areas may vary from 4’ by 4’ up to full street width.

This program includes: the removal of snow from County roadways by plowing and applying salt and sand to combat snow and ice; equipment preparation and cleanup for snow storms; and non-snow related activities such as wind and rainstorm cleanup.

This program provides grants for the planting of trees, wildflowers, shrubs and other flowering plants along County roadways and rights-of-way. Grants up to $2,500 are available to non-profit community and environmental groups, which meet program requirements, to provide beautification projects along specific sections of roadway. The participating group will be responsible for maintaining these areas. Grant applications may be requested from the Division of Highway Services Office.

The installation of approved new sidewalks and traffic calming devices is performed by the Division of Highway Services. Requests for new sidewalks should be made to the ENGINEERING SERVICES DIVISION, phone 217-2121. Requests for traffic calming devices such as speed humps; should be made to the TRAFFIC AND PARKING SERVICES DIVISION, phone 217-2190.

Vacuum leaf collection in the lower part of Montgomery County ( the former suburban tax district ) is a joint effort of the Divisions of Solid Waste and Highway Services. The DHS provides the actual collection of leaves. For the fall of 1996 & 1997, the areas receiving the vacuum leaf collection service are the same areas which have received the service in the past. In general, the boundaries of the leaf vacuuming district are: Seven Locks Road north to the Beltway; over to the Rockville boundary; around Rockville to Norbeck Road to Bel Pre Road; out Bel Pre to the Northwest Branch; down Northwest Branch to Northwest Drive; over to New Hampshire Avenue; down New Hampshire Avenue to the P.G. County line with the inclusion of the Hillandale area. The vacuum leaf collection is separate from the bagged leaf collection provided by the Division of Solid Waste in those parts of the County served by the yard waste recycling program

Vacuum leaf collection is among the largest activities of the DHS. Approximately 300 people, 95 trucks and 50 vacuum leaf machines are utilized to pick up 140,000 cubic yards of leaves along the 850 miles of roads in the vacuum district. Personnel work ten hours per day, six days a week, to provide two scheduled collections each fall.
 

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