Public Works
Road Maintenance
Maintenance District Information
HAND STRIPING UNDERWAY
From mid-April until about late May, you may come upon a two-man, mobile crew striping crosswalks and stop bars (the white line in front of stop signs) throughout the county, with the Traffic Safety crew starting this year in Wenatchee and working its way to the Cashmere, Entiat, Chelan and Leavenworth districts, respectively. Motorists are asked to be mindful of traffic cones, directing them where to pass in the work area – and where to stay off wet paint. Motorists also are asked to watch closely for the crew so no one gets hurt.
When hand striping, the crew uses a paint pump on wheels and a waterborne white paint that typically dries in 5 minutes. With warmer temps, it dries even faster. If you see a traffic cone in front of a newly painted crosswalk or stop bar, don’t drive over it; the paint is still drying. Go around the cones and stay to the right side of the road. (If there isn’t a traffic cone marking a freshly painted white line, that means the line is dry and you can drive over it.)
WEEKLY UPDATE
Information regarding maintenance work occurring in the county maintenance districts for the week of April 19, 2021:
| District 1 (Wenatchee) |
Crews will be addressing service requests on Monday. After Monday, the crew will be working in the Three Lakes area of Malaga, brushing and patching roads scheduled for the 2021 Preservation Program. |
| District 2 (Cashmere) |
Crews will be helping with crack sealing in Peshastin. The crew also will be prepping pre-level roads as well as patching roads throughout the district. |
| District 3 (Leavenworth) |
Crews will be crack sealing in the Peshastin area, including on Main Street, School Street, Mill Road and Eagle Creek Road. Motorists should expect minor traffic delays in the work area, with one-lane, flagger-controlled traffic. Temporary weight restrictions are on some roads in the Leavenworth District. |
| District 4 (Entiat) |
The crew will be working on Oklahoma Gulch and Johnson Creek roads, grading and cleaning culverts. |
| District 5 (Chelan) |
Crews will be cracking sealing in the Manson area. When crack sealing, traffic will be down to one lane, with flaggers directing traffic. Minor traffic delays are expected in the work zone. The crew also will be repairing potholes in the Manson area, grading primitive roads and brushing on South Butte Road, as time allows. |
Need to find out which Chelan County Maintenance District you live in? Go to Maintenance Districts Map.
Vegetation Management
Chelan County’s primary objectives for roadside vegetation management are:
- Provide for safe travel on County roads.
- Preservation of roadway infrastructure with desirable vegetation and stable roadsides.
- Compliance with legal regulations concerning control of noxious weeds.
Herbicides are a cost-effective method of maintaining vegetation, and selective use over time require, less product to manage vegetation as native grasses and low-growing plants fill in along roadsides.
Why does the County use herbicide to thin brush?
Safe travel requires maintaining sight distance at corners, curves and intersections, ensuring water flows off of pavement and providing areas for vehicles to safely pull off the road. This is accomplished with pruning, vegetation removal or herbicide thinning of deciduous vegetation.
Herbicide thinning is only used on brush and trees (apart from landscape vegetation or commercial farms after Sept. 1). Only the limbs of the plant sprayed are affected and those limbs will not leaf out the following year. It does not kill the plant.
What herbicides are used in the residual program?
When the spray zone is near sensitive areas, such as orchards, vineyards, residences and rivers, lakes and irrigation canals, the chemicals used in these areas are soft residual products that are safe to use up to the water’s edge and near orchards, vineyards or landscaping. In non-sensitive areas, different herbicides with selective properties can be used to address vegetation control issues.
Why control noxious weeds?
The County is required by state law to control all listed noxious weeds that occur on the right-of-way (RCW 17.10). The County is also sensitive to the needs and concerns of adjacent landowners, both for controlling the spread of noxious weeds and the need for use of herbicides to control vegetation. All herbicides used by the County are on the State of Washington Vegetation Management Contract. The Washington State Department of Transportation has completed toxicological and risk analysis for all herbicides on the contract and summaries can be accessed on its website. These herbicides have been determined to be the least toxic to mammals, fish and invertebrates.
When does the County spray for noxious weeds?
Control of noxious weeds is performed from mid-May to mid-September. Selective herbicides are used in non-sensitive areas to promote the establishment of perennial grasses. Non-selective herbicide (Roundup®) is used in sensitive areas as it is one of just a few herbicides that is relatively safe to use near landscaping, orchards and vineyards.
Does the County spray herbicide on all of the right-of-way for noxious weed control?
No. The County spot sprays noxious weeds selectively throughout the spring and summer to promote the establishment of perennial grasses.
Is it safe for me to walk my pets after an application has been made?
Yes. It is safe to come into contact with areas after the herbicide has dried. If pets lick their feet after walking through a treated area, it is advisable to rinse their feet with water, although at the rates of application there is little risk to pets or people.
What if I do not want the County to spray herbicide on the right-of-way adjoining my property?
The County has a program in place for landowners to maintain the County right-of-way in lieu of the County applying herbicides. The County will place “Owner Will Maintain” signs (at no expense to the landowner) at the start and stop of your property, to indicate where to stop and to resume spraying. Under this agreement, the landowner is responsible to control all noxious weeds, keep vegetation from encroaching onto the asphalt and keep brush and trees back from the right-of-way line of sight and around utilities and signs. Failure to comply with the terms of the agreement will result in the County removing the Owner Will Maintain signs and resuming use of herbicides to control vegetation.
Posted: 10/20/2014 11:08 AM
Last Updated: 04/15/2021 04:31 PM