Highway Division
The Brattleboro Highway Department is responsible for over 30 Bridges and large diameter culverts, approximately 35 miles of sidewalk, 645 culverts, 2000 drainage structures, and all the connecting drainage pipe. This Division also maintains all road signs and street markings along with the roads.
Road Closures
In the event of road closures due to weather, mud, or other unsafe conditions, drivers can monitor road closures online.
Types of Roads
Below is a list of the road miles in Brattleboro broken down by class and surface type. We also have 7.56 miles of class 4 roads, which receive limited maintenance.
| Class | Miles Paved | Miles Gravel | Total Miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | 6.42 | 0 | 6.42 |
| Class 2 | 10.87 | 3.03 | 13.89 |
| Class 3 | 43.06 | 22.14 | 65.01 |
| Totals | 60.35 | 25.17 | 85.32 |
Class 1 roads are State numbered routes such as Route 5 within the Urban Compact area. The Town is responsible for plowing, patching, line striping and general maintenance of these roads. The State is responsible for major resurfacing and reconstruction work. Canal Street, Main Street, Western Avenue, the south end of Putney Road, Linden Street, and Vernon Road are class 1 highways. Class 2 roads are connector roads, in many cases connecting to other Towns such as Hinesburg Road, Upper Dummerston Road, and Ames Hill. The Town is eligible for extra matching funding at times on class 2 roads. The majority of our Town roads are class 3 and Brattleboro is generally fully responsible for these roads. Class 4 are un-maintained Town roads, although a few of the class 4 have people living on them and receive limited maintenance. We do not plow any class 4 roads.
Road Maintenance
The Public Works Department is using a computer program called “Road Surface Management System” originally developed by UNH technology center to assist us in determining our road maintenance schedule. The software is now supported by the State of Maine Local Roads Program. Each road section is surveyed and rated on several criteria about once every two years. The goal is to keep the best ratings on our roads at the lowest costs. Using this system means deferring major reconstruction on some of our worst roads, and putting more money into our better roads that can be “saved” with a relatively low cost overlay, or other maintenance technique.