Regional Road Maintenance

The Region of Durham takes care of all Regional roads to ensure they are accessible for public use. If maintenance standards cannot be met, because of weather hazards, we rely on the Significant Weather Event Policy. When the Region declares a Significant Weather Event, regular maintenance operations may be impacted on Regional roadways and on-road bicycle lanes in the affected area. The Region will notify the public to avoid unnecessary travel and use caution on Regional roads and bicycle lanes. The Significant Weather Event will remain in place until it’s safe for our crews to bring the roads and on-road bicycle lanes back up to our standards.

This policy applies to weather hazards, as determined by Environment Canada, that have the potential to pose a significant danger to users of Regionally maintained roads and on-road bicycle lanes.

Please visit the Environment Canada website to view criteria for public weather alerts.

The Region has developed a Standard Operating Procedure to allow for a declaration of a Significant Weather Event under Ontario Regulation 239/02, Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways under the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended. The procedure will be in place until the end of the event has been declared and the infrastructure has been addressed and/or treated per the minimum standards set out in O.Reg. 239/02.

Notification of the Significant Weather Event will be communicated to the public through social media and an emergency banner will be placed on the homepage of the Region’s website at durham.ca. Information will also be posted on the website at durham.ca/ServiceDisruptions

Definitions under Regulation – O.Reg. 239/02, Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways under the Municipal Act, 2001:

Significant weather event – an approaching or occurring weather hazard with the potential to pose a significant danger to users of the highways within a municipality.

Weather hazard – the weather hazards determined by Environment Canada as meeting the criteria for the issuance of an alert under its Public Weather Alerting Program.

Old pavement, traffic and weather all help form potholes. Maintenance staff are always looking for potholes. They make repairs on an ongoing basis. Have you seen a concerning pothole? Report an issue and we'll take appropriate action.

The Region grades shoulders along rural roadsides where there are no curbs and storm sewers. This makes roads safer by insuring a smooth transition from the paved edge. It also supports the pavement. Grading makes the pavement last longer.

Heavy rainfall can create washouts that damage the shoulder. The Region patrols roads regularly to find and repair washouts.

Regional bridges receive annual maintenance. Bridge maintenance includes flushing with water to remove debris, clearing drains and repairing loose concrete that may be in barrier walls and sidewalks.

In urban areas, the Region's contracted teams cut boulevard grass. The Region only cuts rear lot and side yard boulevards.

In rural areas, longer grass nextension to the shoulder is cut. This is typically done twice a season.

The Region maintains driveway culverts along Regional roads. You will need to obtain an entrance permit, if you require a culvert for a new residential entrance or a curb cut for an entrance in the urban area.

Works department staff regularly patrol all regional roads. Road patrollers look out for hazards.

The Region’s Adopt-a-Road program allows volunteers to adopt a section of a Regional Road to help keep our roadways clean. Participating volunteers help by picking up litter along the sides of the road.

People who are interested in volunteering to host or participate in a clean-up session should connect with the Region by calling 311 (within regional limits) or 1-800-372-1102 (toll-free).

Safety guidelines for volunteers

We’ve created an Adopt-a-Road Safety guidelines for volunteers brochure to help ensure safety is a priority for any clean-up sessions. The brochure contains the following information:

Think safety first

There are a few simple rules to remember for safely working along the roadside. These rules must be reviewed by all volunteers before each clean-up session with your group representative.

For your safety

• Always stay mentally alert.
• Wear suitable protective footwear, gloves and a safety vest.
• Wear light coloured clothing that covers arms and legs and apply sunscreen to exposed skin.
• Keep hydrated with lots of fluids while you work.
• Be aware of any special needs fellow volunteers require (e.g. medical conditions or allergies).
• Avoid hazardous plants (e.g. poison ivy or wild parsnip), stinging insects and animal carcasses.
• Have spare trash bags and fluorescent tape ribbon for marking hazardous items located at the roadside.

Volunteers must:

• Review the Adopt-a-Road Safety guidelines for volunteers brochure prior to first pick-up of the year and review safety rules before each clean up.
• Be at least 16 years old (unless otherwise approved by the Region).
• Be accompanied by at least one adult (19 years or older) supervisor for every three workers aged 16 to 18 years old.
• Always wear an approved safety vest provided by the Region.
• Carpool to minimize the number of vehicles at the clean-up site.
• Park parallel to the road as far away from the travelled portion as possible and place orange pylons around your vehicle.
• Clean up only one side of the road at a time and work towards oncoming traffic.
• Exercise care when changing sides by using designated crosswalks where possible.
• Pick up litter during daylight hours in appropriate weather.
• Stay clear of any maintenance or construction operations.
• Stay clear of water hazards (e.g. swampy areas).
• Stop work in inclement weather (e.g. thunderstorms).
• Place filled trash bags at the designated pick-up sites.
• Sort litter into clear bags for recycling where appropriate (e.g. a bag of aluminum cans).

Volunteers must not:

• Walk or pick up litter on the pavement, gravel shoulder, gutters or on private property.
• Work on bridges, overpasses, steep ground, paved medians, tunnels or swampy areas.
• Touch or pick up hazardous items or anything that can not be safely identified; these should be reported to your authorized group leader.
• Wear clothing or display material that might distract motorists.
• Consume alcoholic beverages before or during the clean up.
• Step or jump on trash bags.
• Allow pets or any infants/toddlers at the pick-up site.

In case of emergency

Call 911 in life-threatening situations; when there is immediate danger to life or property; or when a crime is in progress.

Be emergency ready

• Have a first aid kit immediately available and a person trained in first aid.
• Pre-select the most direct route to the nearest medical emergency facility.
• Always have transportation immediately available.
• Have access to a cell phone.

For more information, contact:

Telephone (within regional limits): 311

During the winter, Regional roads are patrolled seven days a week. Winter road crews are equipped to trigger winter maintenance equipment to deal with changing weather conditions.

The Region deploys trucks with plows and salters in response to snow and freezing rain. Calibrated spinners precisely control how much salt is released.

Have you seen a winter maintenance concern on a Regional road? Report an issue and we will take appropriate action.

You may notice trucks spraying a solution of salt and water (brine) on roads and bridges when there is no winter storm. This is called anti-icing. The Region sprays before winter weather and when frost or black ice is likely to form on pavement. Anti-icing prevents black ice and frost formation on roads and bridges. It also prevents snow and ice from bonding to the pavement. This enhances safety during winter weather.

When there is too little room for snow storage after plowing, such as in some downtown areas, snow is loaded into trucks and moved to designated areas.

The use of anti-icing solution (salt brine) and road salt is essential to maintaining roadway safety during the winter control season. A salt management plan is in place in the Region of Durham. The plan serves to ensure that the Region continuously improves the management of road salt used in its winter maintenance operations. The Region strives to reduce the amount of salt released to the environment through effective salt management practices while ensuring that road safety remains a top priority.