Road & Bridge

Objective 

The primary responsibility of the Road and Bridge Department is to maintain and ensure the safety of all roads and bridges within the county Road District.

Owyhee County Road and Bridge Districts #1

District #1 operates two maintenance facilities. The first facility is located in Murphy, staffed by three employees, and is centrally situated within the town. Murphy facility maintains the roads from Oreana to just west of Givens Hot Springs and south into the Owyhee Mountains.

The second facility is located in Pleasant Valley, with a staff of two employees. This shop is positioned six miles southeast of Jordan Valley, Oregon, on South Mountain Road. This facility maintains the roads from the Oregon/Idaho state lines north, south and east in and among the Owyhee Mountains.

Due to winter conditions, some upper roads may remain closed until spring; however, we prioritize keeping the bus routes open and maintaining graded roads whenever weather conditions permit.  All high mountain roads are typically closed due to snow during this season, and the Silver City Road is expected to reopen by Memorial Day weekend each year.

The District #1 Murphy shop is equipped with one road grader, two scrapers, one D-7 dozer, one backhoe, one loader, one steel drum roller, one pneumatic roller, one broom, one weed mower one water truck, two dump trucks with pup trailers, one semi-tractor with a belly dump, a lowboy trailer, an end-dump trailer, a sanding plow truck and four pick-ups.

The District #1 Pleasant Valley shop houses two road graders, one loader, one weed mower, two dump trucks with pup trailers, one water truck, one snow plow and sander truck and two pick-ups. Equipment and vehicles can be relocated between the shops as required.

Owyhee County Districts 1 and 3 collaborate on our seal coating efforts, chip sealing 20 to 30 miles each August. We aim to undertake rebuilds as necessary, scheduling them accordingly.

Owyhee County Road and Bridge District #3

District 3 also has two maintenance facilities in Bruneau and Grand View. The Bruneau facility is staffed by one employee, while the Grand View facility is similarly staffed. A third employee rotates between these locations. Bruneau and Grand View maintain roads from Lemley Rd to Indian Hills Rd; Snake River to Nevada state line.  During winter conditions, our team ensures that all bus routes are cleared of snow and treated with sand, addressing the bus routes first before proceeding to maintain the roads in the valley. When the weather permits, we also grade roads and transport gravel.

All high mountain roads are typically closed due to snow during this season and is expected to reopen by Memorial Day weekend each year.

District #3 operates four full-sized dump trucks and two single-axle trucks used primarily for snow plowing and asphalt patching. Additionally, they have one water truck, three road graders, two loaders, one backhoe, two tractor mowers, one steel drum roller, one chip spreader, one pneumatic roller, and three pickups.

Annually, we schedule gravel hauling project for road maintenance. Owyhee County Districts 1 and 3 collaborate on our seal coating efforts, chip sealing 20 to 30 miles each August. We aim to undertake rebuilds as necessary, scheduling them accordingly.

Highway Standards Manual

Owyhee County Transportation Master Plan Update – 01/2024 Amended 11/2024

Highway Standards Manual

 

OWYHEE COUNTY ROAD & BRIDGE DEPARTMENT WINTER MAINTENANCE POLICY

OBJECTIVE:

The primary responsibility of the Road and Bridge Department is to maintain the safety of all roads and bridges within the county’s Road District. The Department collaborates with the Sheriff’s Department and Dispatch to provide timely updates on road conditions.

PRIORITIES:

Owyhee County Road and Bridge snowplows operate on a prioritized schedule to ensure road safety.

Priority I: Major collector routes, schools, significant intersections, hills, bridges, and corners

Priority II: Secondary local roadways

Priority III: Less-traveled roadways, dead-end roads, and spur roads

DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS:

Snow removal operations typically commence after a snowstorm has passed, with the aim of clearing roadways to allow for two-way traffic as quickly as possible. The clearing of road shoulders and intersections may be conducted following the completion of the initial snow removal process. The Department prioritizes the clearing of travel ways and is not responsible for snow berms left on driveways as a result of snow plowing. Owyhee county Road and Bridge is not responsible for road closures. The Owyhee County Board of Commissioners and or the Owyhee County Sheriff may close roads as warranted.

RESIDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

The rights-of-way along county roads are allocated for snow storage and storm water management. Residents are encouraged to keep all vehicles off roadways and out of the right-of-way to avoid hindering snow removal efforts. Garbage containers should be positioned sufficiently away from roadways to prevent interference with plowing operations. Fences should be installed 12 to 15 feet from the edge of oiled roadways. Activities such as pushing snow across roadways or leaving snow on the road create hazards, violate state statutes, and may be subject to misdemeanor charges.

The Owyhee County Road and Bridge Department does not remove snow from private driveways or private property.

The department reserves the right to adjust priorities and service levels based on budgetary resources, as well as prevailing weather and road conditions.

For more information, please contact:

District 3: 208-834-2012

District 1: 208-495-1170

Owyhee County Road & Bridge Department

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owyhee County Highwy Standards & Development Policy

 

Owyhee Highway Standards

 

 

0wyhee County Transportation Plan