It's that time of year again when road maintenance becomes a focal point for county officials, and this year's draft for road upkeep has been released for public comment. Washington County's Department of Land Use and Transportation has laid out its plans for the 2025-26 Road Maintenance Program, and they're looking for feedback from the community. Interested parties have until April 20 to voice their opinions and suggestions on the proposed activities before the plan is finalized and sent for approval by the Board of County Commissioners.

According to the announcement, the draft program emphasizes preventative maintenance, a cost-saving measure designed to mitigate the expense of more extensive road reconstruction further down the line. The plan on deck for the fiscal year includes a tally of 6 major culvert replacements, 1,700 miles of clearing and trimming shoulder vegetation, 24 miles of contracted slurry seal treatments in the Urban Road Maintenance District, and 28 miles of gravel road surface stabilization and 11 miles of paving performed by LUT crews.

These figures represent a broad swath of the county's roadway infrastructure, which will undoubtedly benefit from regular maintenance. Cost efficiency is a prime concern, as routine maintenance is significantly cheaper than total rebuilds—something that Washington County taxpayers can surely appreciate. All proposed activities for each road have been itemized in the draft program, which can be perused by the public.