More than 1,600 miles of bladed roads are divided into:
- Nine (9) summer maintenance areas;
- Nine (9) winter maintenance areas;
- Field access roads are not maintained on a regular basis in the winter.
Click HERE for a map of our 9 Maintenance Areas.
There are 151 miles of Secondary roads in the County, which are maintained by Emcon Services Inc., on behalf of the Province.
Summer Maintenance
County gravel roads are maintained by nine graders. Grader operators are able to blade approximately 18 – 25 miles/day; these roads should receive maintenance once per month. Specific heavy traffic routes have an increased maintenance cycle.
Winter Maintenance
Roadways are cleared of snow as necessary. During normal winter conditions, County gravel roads should be cleared of snow within 4 days, unless there is heavy snow and persistent winds.
If reduced visibility becomes a safety concern, snow plowing operations will be suspended until conditions improve.
In each maintenance area, three routes are established. When snow plowing is required, the starting point is rotated between routes to ensure that an equitable level of services is provided. Regular work hours are 8 – 12 hours per day.
Spare graders may be utilized to help during winter storms.
One plow truck is designated to remove snow and apply sand/salt to oil and paved surface roads. Two graders are allocated for snow and ice removal on arterial roads.
Upon request a field access road may be plowed, one time only, to permit access to grain bins and/or to re-locate livestock.
Private Laneway Maintenance
The service of snowplowing and grading is available for residential laneways. The landowner is required to sign a Private Laneway Service Agreement and County staff is required to conduct an Occupational Health and Safety Inspection/Hazard Assessment prior to any work being completed. The fee for an Occupational Health and Safety Inspection/Hazard Assessment is $149 (plus GST). Services to the public will be conducted after all scheduled road maintenance is completed on gravel, oil and paved surface roads. A fee of $87/half hour (plus GST, half hour minimum charge) or $174/hour (plus GST) will be charged for this service. Please contact the Transportation Department for further details regarding this service.
Arterial Road Maintenance
Arterial roads are graded a minimum of twice per month and cleared of snow as necessary. During normal winter conditions, arterial roads should be cleared within 1 to 2 days, unless there is heavy snow and persistent winds.
A total of approximately 130 miles of arterial roads is maintained utilizing two (2) graders.
Grade Repair
This program is to address short sections of road that have inadequate grades which require re-construction, repairs or upgrading. This process may include a short section of road that has sightline issues (hills or curves) or a grade that crosses a slough which has become soft or narrow due to erosion and is unable to support equipment and truck traffic.
Hamlet Street Maintenance/Repair
Includes snow removal, crack filling, repairing potholes, sidewalk maintenance, and street sweeping.
The following streets in Galahad and Strome will be dust free utilizing cold mix with no seal coat:
Hamlet of Galahad
- Sir Galahad Street (Main Street) from Guinevere Avenue West to SH 861
- Lady Helen Avenue East (Health Care Centre) from Sir Galahad Street to King Arthur Street
Hamlet of Strome
- 50th Street (Main Street) from 50th Avenue north to 52nd Avenue
- Highway Access Road from Hwy 13 north to 50th Avenue
- 52nd Avenue from Rge Rd 151 west to the west boundary of the hamlet
Bridge Maintenance and Repair
Bridge maintenance includes deck sweeping, vegetation control, beaver dam removal, replacement of bridge decking, guardrails, and hazard markers. This maintenance preserves the capital asset and contributes to safe crossings. The bridges within the County are inspected and analyzed on a five-year cycle for major deficiencies and a five-year bridge plan is established for major repairs and replacement.
Starting in 2017, the Province of Alberta initiated the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) funding. STIP provides financial assistance to rural and small municipalities for developing and maintaining key transportation infrastructure.
The Local Road Bridge Program (LRB) is a component of the STIP Program and provides funding to improve existing bridge structures and culverts.
Funding is provided to municipalities on a cost-share basis between the province and municipality. All applications are reviewed on a competitive basis province wide.
Bridge work scheduled for 2025:
BF# 7692 – SW 2-45-13 W4 (Twp Rd 450)
– Bridge Repair
BF# 83194 – NW 21-43-16 W4 (Twp Rd 434)
– Culvert Replacement
BF# 79104 – SW 04-44-16 W4 (Rge Rd 104)
– Culvert Replacement
BF# 02408 – SW 21-44-12 W4 (Rge Rd 124)
– Bridge Repair
BF# 1459 – NW 18-42-11 W4 (Rge Rd 120) southwest of Hardisty
– Bridge Replacement
Backsloping/Mulching
This process increases the level of safety by increasing sight lines and the contouring of ditches and backslopes. Brushing and mulching provides landowners an opportunity to control brush growth adjacent to road allowances. This service is provided to landowners upon request and as equipment and resources become available as the same resources are utilized in gravel production and reclamation programs.
Brushing on road allowances is not permitted without prior authorization from Flagstaff County.
For more information on backsloping/mulching, please see our FAQ page HERE.
Approaches
Approaches located within the road’s right-of-way are under the direction, control and management of Flagstaff County and as such Public Works retains the authority to approve the installation of new approaches. In the interest of the public safety, approval will only be granted where the requested location is considered practical and ensures that all approaches are constructed in accordance with County standards.
View Procedure: PW 004-1 Approaches for more information.
Schedule A – Approach Design and Construction Standards
Oil and gas companies must submit an application in a form of a letter along with a site survey plan and must be accompanied by a $250 inspection/administration fee. Where access is required off of a partially or undeveloped road allowance, the applicant is required to enter into the appropriate Road Use/Construction Agreement – see PW 006-1 Resource Industry Access.
Roadside Clean-up
Landowners are not to dump rocks and debris in the County right-of-way. This debris causes hazards in the right-of-way. The landowner will be responsible for the clean-up of any new rock piles found.
Ditches within our County right-of-ways on developed and partially developed road allowances will be periodically cleared of debris such as rocks, garbage, and dead trees.
Signs
All signs are inspected on an ongoing basis. Any signs requiring maintenance are prioritized and scheduled for repair or replacement.
Culverts
Culvert maintenance includes replacement, cleaning, thawing, repairs to damaged ends, and the addition of extensions. All culverts are replaced and diameters are increased where required to improve water flow. New culverts are installed under new construction projects and may be replaced on road recovery projects.
New culvert and couplers are available for sale to landowners for the use in approaches on road allowances or to local municipalities.