Highway Department Description (cont'd)
The Highway Department is a professional team dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Townsend and supporting the town's core values. We make every effort to maximize the efficient, effective use of our resources in the support, maintenance and upkeep of the infrastructure. We are committed to public safety and providing the highest level of service to the community. If you have any concerns with these issues, please feel free to contact us. We firmly believe that maintaining open lines of communication with our residents helps us to operate more effectively and efficiently.
The Highway Department continually works to maintain safe, hazard-free roadways and by striving to provide the highest level of service to the community. The essential function of the Townsend Highway Department is to manage and maintain our roadway system. This system contains over 100 miles of roadway, shoulder and side ditches along with numerous bridges and culverts. We also clean and repair over 750 catch basins throughout the town. Other maintenance activities include:
- Inventory and maintenance of hundreds of street and roadway signs.
- Snow and ice removal during the winter months (see Winter Snow Policy)
- Sidewalk and curb installation and repair.
- Brush cutting and minor tree pruning.
- Street sweeping.
- Pothole repair.
- Catch basin maintenance and repair.
- Bridge and culvert installation, repair and maintenance
- Roadway paving and maintenance.
- Drainage construction, repair and maintenance.
- Removal of animal carcasses from public roads.
- Maintenance of entire fleet of highway department vehicles and equipment.
- Collection of used motor oil