District-level personnel in need of technical assistance should contact Central Office Maintenance Field Engineers, who are available to help. Field Engineers serve as operational representatives for particular subject-matter areas and may also be assigned special functions.

Section Engineers and District Maintenance Staff should always remember that the Division of Maintenance’s responsibility is to maintain – not improve – a facility. Maintenance funds should not be used to improve highway facilities except for incidental improvements that are the direct outcome of a maintenance activity. For example, replacing a damaged drain pipe represents an improvement, but it may also be the only feasible repair option. 

Section Engineers and District Maintenance staff may consult Field Engineers for a wide variety of support functions. These functions are described in this Knowledge Book.

District Maintenance personnel are responsible for reviewing, approving, and inspecting encroachment permits on highway facilities. To accomplish this, staff need to understand applicable policies, regulations and processes for coordinating with public stakeholders and other government agencies. Staff in the Permits Branch of the Central Office Division of Maintenance provide technical assistance on all permit types as well as review and assist with processing the following permit types:

Permits in the Vicinity of Interstates

• • • • • • Municipal Utilities
          • Communication Utilities
          • Overhead and Underground Utilities

Entrances

• • • • • • School Site Entrances
          • Access Control
          • Major Developments
          • Median Crossovers

Airspaces

Outdoor Advertising Devices (Billboards)

Vegetation Management

Special Initiative Permits

District Maintenance personnel are responsible for maintaining all areas within KYTC’s right of way. Roadside maintenance duties include mowing, cutting brush, applying fertilizer and chemical weed control in selected areas, and removing debris and litter. District personnel should contact the Roadside Environment Branch when they require technical assistance in the following areas:

Vegetation Management

• • The Roadside Environment Branch provides assistance for all work related to managing and controlling vegetation, including the following activities:
  • Pesticide Usage and Control
  • Grass Seeding Mixtures and Application
  • Right of Way Mowing – Performed by Contract or KYTC
  • Tree and Brush Removal
  • Litter Pickup

Rest Area Administration and Inspection

Sheet Sign Fabrication

Guardrail Recycling and Re-galvanizing

Contract and Master Agreements

• District Maintenance personnel use many contract and master agreements to procure materials and services. Most contracts are administered by the Roadside Environment Branch and are available to provide support to the districts when needed. Figure 1 lists the types of contracts administered by the Roadside Environment Branch.

District Maintenance forces maintain and preserve paved roadways, shoulders, and ditches. Where it is practical to do so, roadways should be maintained in a manner consistent with their original type, cross-section, alignment, and constructed (or reconstructed) grade. Maintenance classified as road preservation activities include maintaining controlled access right-of-way fence; cleaning side ditches, cross drains, and entrance pipes; and repairing and replacing guardrail as needed. The Roadway Preservation Branch in the Central Office Division of Maintenance can assist with the following roadway activities:

Railroad Crossings

Maintenance of Roadway Surfaces

• • The following types of work are included in maintaining roadway surfaces:
  • Roadway resurfacing by contract and state forces
  • Sealing Crack & Joints
  • Surface seal (chip seal)
  • Shoulder maintenance and resurfacing
  • Maintaining gravel roads
  • Pothole Patching

Roadside Maintenance

• • Ditch & Drainage Structure Maintenance
  • Embankment Slips and Slides
  • Sidewalks Along Public Roads
  • Guardrail Installation & Repair

Pavement Striping

• • Striping Contracts

Projects in State Parks

Coordination of Dam Inspections

Master Agreements for Statewide Maintenance Work

• District Maintenance personnel use numerous contract and master agreements for materials and services. The Roadside Preservation Branch administers several of these contracts and can provide support to districts when needed. Figure 2 lists contract types administered by the Roadside Preservation Branch.

Pavements must be maintained in a safe condition with acceptable ride quality to the traveling public at the lowest life-cycle cost. In pursuit of this goal, the Division of Maintenance develops and maintains a Pavement Management System. This system establishes and documents a procedure for undertaking pavement management activities in a systematic and coordinated manner. The Operations and Pavement Management Branch of the Division of Maintenance manages this function and serves as a technical resource to districts in the following areas:

Prioritization of Pavement Projects

• • Preventive Maintenance Prioritization
  • Resurfacing Projects
  • Interstate & Parkway Rehabilitation Rankings
  • Rehabilitation of other Roadways

Microsurfacing

Surface seal (chip seal)

Ride Quality Testing

Photolog Program

Maintenance Rating Program

Operations Management System (OMS)

Technical Expertise for Surface Application & Project Selection

• • Microsurface
  • Chip Seal
  • Thinlay
  • Res

KYTC preserves and maintains over 9,000 bridges on state routes and load rates and inspects over 5,000 bridges on county routes. For bridges on state routes, responsibilities include routine maintenance, regular inspections, and performing repairs. The Bridge Preservation Branch in the Central Office Division of Maintenance manages the bridge preservation and maintenance program and is available to provide technical and procedural assistance to district offices in the following areas:

Bridge Maintenance & Repair

• • Pier & Abutment repairs
  • Repair & replace handrails
  • Preventive Maintenance
  • Scour Protection
  • Bridge Deck Overlays
  • Patching & replacing concrete decks
  • Repair & replacing timber elements
  • Reset steel expansion dams
  • Emergency Repair Contracts

Cleaning & Painting

• • Cleaning lower chords and bridge seats
  • Spot painting
  • Small structures
  • Bearings

Bridge Inspection

• • NBIS Compliance
  • Coordinate & Review Bridge Inspections
  • Underwater Bridge Inspections
  • Critical Bridge Maintenance Needs (CBMN)

Bridge Signage & Posting

Reporting Bridge Damage & Failure

Bridge Load Ratings

Overweight Permits

The Department of Highways is responsible for removing snow and ice from state-maintained roads. The purpose of snow and ice removal operations is to establish a bare pavement surface or provide adequate traction to keep vehicles moving in a safe and interrupted manner. The snow and ice removal program selects treatment options based on weather conditions and location. District Maintenance personnel should contact the Central Office Division of Maintenance for assistance in the following areas related to snow and ice removal:

Snow & Ice Removal Priority System

• Level of Service Objectives for Priority Levels
• Requests for Assistance from Other Public Agencies
• District and County Specific Snow & Ice Plans

Materials – Stockpiling & Usage

• Rock Salt
• Calcium Chloride
• Salt Brine

Equipment for Snow & Ice Removal

• Maintenance & Preparation
• Dispatching Equipment between Counties & Districts
• Obtaining Additional Equipment

Snow & Ice Removal Procedures

• Central Office Responsibilities
• District Responsibilities
• County Crew Responsibilities
• Raised Pavement Markers
• Railroad Grade Crossings
• Salt Spreader Calibration
• Bridge Deck Treatment
• Contract Snow & Ice Vehicles

Disaster Maintenance

• Notification of Emergency Conditions
• Definitions of Disaster Maintenance
• Natural Disasters
• Hazardous Cargo Spillage
• FEMA Documentation & Reporting

Managing Force Accounts

Equipment

• Operation, Maintenance, & Repair
• Emergency Equipment Rental
• Leasing Equipment

The Central Office Division of Maintenance is organized into five branches:

Permits Branch

• Roadside Environment Branch
• Roadway Preservation Branch
• Operations & Pavement Management Branch
• Bridge Preservation Branch

Figure 3 lists the duties and responsibilities of each branch. District personnel who are unclear about the responsibilities of each branch should consult this chart.

Figure 3: Division of Maintenance – “What We Do”

KYTC Standard Drawings

KY Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction

KYTC Maintenance Guidance Manual

KYTC Field Operations Guide

KYTC Permits Manual

KYTC Bridge Inspection Procedures Manual