Highway Department

The Highway Department issues driveway and utility permits for use of County Trunk Highway right-of-way. For culvert replacement, paving a driveway, installing a new driveway, or constructing a new road, applicants shall fill out an access permit application and access permit form. For more information on our specifications and permitting process, applicants can click on the links to the county access checklist and county access control policy at the bottom of this page. For installation of utilities, applicants shall fill out a utility permit form and read the utility accommodation policy. All of the permit forms and applications can be acquired in word format by emailing hwydan@co.washington.wi.us.

ACCESS PERMIT FORMS
County Access Permit Checklist
County Access Control Policy
County Access Permit Application
County Access Permit Form

UTILITY PERMIT FORMS
County Utility Permit Form
County Utility Accommodation Policy

• Massive supports such as telephone poles, heavy metal posts, concrete posts, antique farm equipment, or other similar items are prohibited. Any support must be designed so that if it is struck, it will bend or fall away from the striking vehicle to prevent severe damage to the vehicle or injury to the traveling public. If possible, all newspaper tubes and mailboxes shall be placed on the same post to avoid unnecessary posts.
  
  
• Nothing shall be attached to the mailbox, newspaper tube, or its support.
  
  
• Use of a semi-arch or extended arm-type support which allows snowplows to sweep near or under mailboxes without damaging supports is recommended.
  
  
• When newspaper tubes are used other than those provided by the newspaper, the Highway Commissioner shall have the exclusive authority to approve the newspaper tube.
  
  
• The Washington County Highway Department will repair or replace mailboxes that are physically struck by a county highway department truck, standard size and design boxes will be used. We will not repair mailboxes damaged by snow.
  
  
• Please see Washington County Code, Chapter 12.04
  
  
• Mailboxes should be mounted at a height of 41 to 45 inches from the road surface to the bottom of the mailbox or point of mail entry.
  
  
• Mailboxes should be set back 6 to 8 inches from the front face of the curb or edge of the shoulder to the mailbox door.

The Highway Department provides information to registered land surveyors, property owners, and utilities regarding rights-of-way on county roads in Washington County. Right-of-way is land owned by the county adjacent to County Trunk Highways. To view right-of-way information visit Washington County Mapping Application. For lands on the border of Washington County, click on the links at right for adjacent counties.

No construction activities are allowed on the county right-of-way without an approved permit from the Washington County Highway Department.

No obstacles are allowed on the Washington County right-of-way including used vehicles, for-sale signs, rummage sale signs, political signs, landscaping, and plantings.

County road construction is prioritized on the basis of need, and roads are built with federal aid if possible with contracts let to the lowest bidder. See the table below for 2010 road construction projects. Click here to view the Washington County Highway Construction 5-year program.

2010 Washington County Highway Department Projects

• CTH Y – Reconstruct from CTH Q to STH 175. Reopened to public travel on August 10, 2010
• CTH H – Right-of-way acquisition from STH 144 east to the Milwaukee River

 

 

 

 
2010 WIS DOT Construction Projects In Washington County     

• STH 167 - Resurface from STH 145 to STH 181 

 

Routine maintenance includes patching pavements, picking up trash, mowing, tree cutting, shoulder repair, drainage, sign repair, guard rails, and maintaining pavement markings delineating travel lanes, bikeways, parking areas and pedestrian crosswalks.

The Washington County Highway Department rountinely removes brush and trees from the highway right-of-way to improve motorist visibility and remove potential roadside obstacles.

The Washington County Highway Department maintains all signs on county and state highways.

The Washington County Highway Department repairs potholes, replaces degraded pavements, repairs bridge decks, and rebuilds small sections of roadways.

The Washington County Highway Department is responsible for snow and ice control on all county, state, and federal highways in Washington County.

Proposed speed limits are determined by a traffic and engineering investigation for the targeted roadway. A recommendation for a speed limit will then be acted on by the Transportation Committee and then the County Board. County Trunk Highways with no posted speed limits have a speed limit of 55 MPH by Wisconsin State Statute.

For speed limits on County Trunk Highways in Washington County, click here.

Click here to view a map showing traffic counts of roads in Washington County. Traffic counts represent the average daily traffic on any given section of roadway. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation publishes a book containing a list of traffic counts with chapters for each county in Wisconsin.

County Trunk Highway D has a 20 ton load restriction on the bridge over the Rock River west of US 41. There are no other load restrictions on any County Trunk Highways outside of what is stated in the Wisconsin State Statutes. For vehicle size and weight restrictions on town roads, contact your local municipality.

Click here for the oversize load form.