Road and Bridge is responsible for the maintenance of approximately 2,400 lane miles of roads. Of these roads, approximately 1,745 miles are paved and 599 miles are gravel.

Seven major state highways pass through Douglas County but are maintained by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Those highways are Interstate 25; C-470; Highway 86; Highway 85; Highway 83; a portion of Highway 67 from Sedalia to Rampart Range Road; and a portion of Highway 105 from Highway 67 to Wolfensberger Road. E-470 is maintained by the E-470 Highway Authority.

Roads within incorporated municipalities (Aurora, Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Parker, Larkspur and Castle Pines North) are maintained by those municipalities. In addition, there are several roads within the County that are privately maintained.

Prioritization of Plow Routes

County-maintained roads are plowed based on the following prioritization criteria:

1. Arterial Roadways: Arterials are major roadways having high traffic volumes over medium to long distances and are used for inter-regional, inter-county, and intra-county travel needs.
2. Collector Roadways/School bus routes: Collectors distribute traffic between arterial and local roads. They connect roads within subdivisions and link subdivisions together. Collectors usually don't provide direct access to private property.
3. Local Roadways: Local roads provide for low-to medium-traffic volumes within subdivisions and provide direct access to residences or private property.
4. Cul-de-sacs

Once arterial roadways are cleared, equipment is deployed to clear collector roadways and school bus routes. Residential roadways and cul-de-sacs are addressed when arterial and collector roadways are completed.

Winter Procedures - plowing and de-icing materials

Douglas County utilizes the following procedures and de-icing materials in its snow-removal process:

1. Snow forecasts are monitored to determine the anticipated extent of storm and expected temperatures.
2. Snow removal personnel are notified of anticipated shift times. Douglas County assigns personnel to 12-hour shifts with a limited shift deployed during the evening hours to continue widening operations and to respond to emergency requests.
3. Anti-icing product is applied to arterial roadways when temperatures are appropriate to minimize bonding of snow to pavement.
4. Snow removal equipment and personnel are deployed when snow starts falling.
5. Arterial roadways are addressed first, then collector roadways/school routes and residential streets.
6. Abrasive materials are applied to roadways to provide traction. Curves, hills and intersections normally receive either a salt/sand mixture, “Ice Slicer” or liquid de-icing products to address icy conditions.
7. Road are widened to remove snow from driving surfaces. Several trips may be necessary to completely remove snow.
8. Private contractors may be hired to help remove snow during severe storms.
9. Widening, ice removal and cleanup operations may take place several days after a snowstorm.
10. Subdivision streets are not plowed if parked vehicles or other obstructions interfere with the safe and continuous operation of snow removal equipment. Equipment may return to plow after obstructions are moved.
11. Freeze/thaw effects on pavement can rapidly form potholes. Crews are quickly dispatched to repair potholes. Please report potholes by calling 303.660.7480, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or fill out an citizenConnect ticket.
    

Snow Removal Districts and Equipment

Five snow removal districts (see map in Additional Resources below) are located geographically throughout the County. Each district has assigned personnel and equipment and is responsible for the roads within that district. To obtain additional information regarding individual streets and whether those streets are maintained by Douglas County, please call 303.660.7480.

Personnel and equipment are moved between districts to provide assistance and maximize productivity and efficiency. The snow removal equipment allocated to each district is assigned as follows:

District 1:

(8) snowplow units with sanders
(3) motorgraders
(2) front end loader
(1) sweeper
(1) snowblower unit

District 2:

(7) snowplow units with sanders
(5) motorgraders
(2) front end loaders
(1) sweeper
(1) snowblower unit

District 3:

(8) snowplow units with sanders
(4) motorgraders
(1) front end loader
(1) sweeper

District 4:

(16) snowplow units with sanders
(1) 6000 gallon anti-icing tanker with spray units
(1) 1500 gallon anti-icing truck with spray units
(2) front end loaders
(5) sweepers
(1) ice breaker
(1) motograder

District 5:

(7) snowplow units with sanders
(1) motorgrader
(3) front end loaders
(1) ice breaker

Douglas County snowplow units are white with the Douglas County logo. Motorgraders are yellow with the Douglas County logo.

Automated Vehicle Locator (AVL) System

An AVL system is an management tool that provides the County with needed safety, accountability and equipment management. This system allows County management and supervisory staff to monitor progress of snow removal operations during snowstorms and to deploy equipment to certain areas of the County, as needed. Equipment and personnel are monitored from the Operations Center or from mobile stations to ensure proper deployment and accountability of equipment. Equipment can be moved to meet changing weather conditions or moved from one maintenance district to another. This system also enables the most efficient use of equipment when assisting emergency services (ambulances, fire equipment, law enforcement) during blizzards.

Contractor Services

During heavy snowstorms like those in 2006-7, contractors were heavily utilized in the northern tier of the County to assist Road and Bridge personnel. Those contractors brought front-end loaders and motorgraders into residential streets to assist in clearing roads and icepack. The County will continue to keep a list of qualified contractors available and incorporate them into the snow removal operation when necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why doesn't the County plow my street when they go by?

Routes are plowed on a priority basis with arterials and collectors being top priorities. Clearing priority roads opens routes into all residential areas, usually within a few blocks of each residence.

Who is responsible for clearing sidewalks?

Residents are responsible for clearing driveways and sidewalks. It is required that owners place snow from their driveways and sidewalks onto the front yard and not into the street. This practice reduces the number of icy areas on street and ensures proper drainage flow in the gutter after a snowstorm.

After the storm, the plow came through and plowed my driveway shut again.

Cleanup/widening operations often take place one to four days after the storm, depending on the severity of the storm and wind conditions. It is necessary to widen roads to ensure that ice and snow melts off the driven surface. Failure to do so will result in ice and snow packed roads not wide enough to accommodate storage of snow from subsequent storms and will prevent proper drainage, resulting in increased ice problems.

What if I have an emergency and my street isn't plowed?

If an emergency situation occurs, call 911. Equipment will be diverted for emergencies ONLY WHEN REQUESTED BY AN EMERGENCY SERVICE AGENCY OR THE DOUGLAS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. The Sheriff's Department has constant communication with our staff during storm conditions. It is a crime to make a false emergency request.

Who is responsible for damaged mailboxes?

Mailboxes installed along roadways are at the risk of the owner. Mailboxes damaged from lack of owner maintenance, snow load from plowing, or vandalism are not the responsibility of the County. Postal regulations require residents to clean snow in front of mailboxes to allow for mail delivery. Douglas County encourages the clustering of individual mailboxes to reduce the potential damage during snowstorms and increase efficiency of mail delivery. To learn more about mailbox clustering, please call 303.660.7480.