Maintenance

Crow Wing County maintains over 640 miles of roadway and right of way, as well as numerous bridges. County State-Aid Highways , County Roads and roads in the First Assessment District and Second Assessment District are maintained by the County Highway Department. 

View maintenance activities scheduled for the week of 01/23/23.

There are many roads not maintained by the county for various reasons, such as:

  • Cities and townships maintain roads within their incorporated limits not under the jurisdiction of the county or state
  • Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) maintains U.S. and state highways
  • Private residents or homeowner associations maintain private roads or roads constructed in private subdivisions

To report a problem on a county road, please call our office or email us.

We are looking for your comments on how we are doing with maintenance, let us know at: HOW ARE WE DOING? 

Winter Maintenance

The county's Snow and Ice Operations Methodology and Snow Plow Priority & Level of Service map outlines the procedures used for plowing county roads. Learn about issues related to using salt for deicing. Snow event reports list conditions, costs and goals by route for each event. Register for alerts from Crow Wing County, including when snow plows will be deployed. 

Residents can view all snowplows during winter events at Where's My Snow?  Go to the Where's my Snowplow page for details.

Wheres My Snowplow QRCode

Scan this QR code to get to the mobile Where's My Snowplow app.


The Highway Department and Crow Wing Soil and Water partner to monitor chloride within the county.

Videos

  • Watch a video about Safe Winter Driving (Courtesy Lakeland PBS)
  • Watch a video about Winter Tips (Courtesy Lakeland PBS)
  • Watch a video about Snowplowing Tricks of the Trade (Courtesy Lakeland PBS) 
  • Watch a video about Balancing the needs of Road Safety and the Environment (Courtesy Lakeland PBS)
  • Watch a video about the Anatomy of a Winter Storm. (Courtesy Mn Dept Transportation)

Road Conditions

Check state-wide road conditions at the 511 website or call 511 for automated information.

Snow in Driveways

When clearing snow from your driveway do not push it out into the roadway or public right of way. Depositing snow and ice onto a public roadway can cause a hazard for motorists and is a misdemeanor under Minnesota Statute 160.2715.

To avoid snow deposited at the end of your driveway during plowing operations, clear an area next to the road before your driveway. The snow carried by the plow will drop in the open area, and not on the end of your plowed driveway.

When marking your driveway use blue or white reflectors placed at least 12 feet from the outside edge of the shoulder. Using red or yellow reflectors could be confused with motor vehicle lights.

Placement of Garbage Containers

Garbage containers placed on the edge of the roadway may interrupt snow plowing operations and degrade the level of service that is to be provided. Improperly placed trash cans also may cause an unsafe condition when plow drivers may encroach into the opposing lane of traffic to avoid the obstruction. Please place garbage cans behind the shoulder of the road and as far away from the driving lane as possible.

First Assessment District Roads

Residents within the First Assessment District (Unorganized Territory) may petition for 1-time maintenance of roads platted for public use and not maintained by the county or the state. Basic, non-routine road maintenance will be provided by the County, acting on behalf of the unorganized First Assessment District, as outlined in the policy adopted by the County Board on October 23, 2007. Requests for Maintenance Service may be submitted online. 

A Policy and Procedure for Requesting Existing Gravel Town Roads to be Improved to a Bituminous Surface was adopted by the County Board on October 11, 2016. Please email us office with any questions.

If you are unsure if your road is located in the First Assessment District, you can search by road name or view the map 

Road Construction Specifications

In order for the County to accept roads to become part of the County or First Assessment District road system, the road must meet the policy adopted by the County Board April 23, 2019. Also see Typical Roadway Cross-section diagram  for details.

Driveway/Entrance Access

Driveway access to a county road requires that a permit be obtained by the landowner prior to construction. The County Board has adopted a Driveway Access Policy, revised on April 23, 2019, which includes construction specifications.  Costs are listed in the current Schedule of Fees.  Apply for a driveway permit on-line. View help for instructions on how to apply for an entrance permit.

Mailbox Supports

The County Board adopted a Mailbox Support Policy which was revised on January 1, 2017. The policy includes a diagram showing specifications for installation of the approved swing-a-way mailbox support.   Residents residing on a county-maintained road, including the First Assessment District, may order the installation of a mailbox support online.   Those not residing on a county-maintained road may purchase a support kit at our office.  Costs are listed in the current Fee Schedule.