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ROAD SYSTEMS, MAPPING AND ADMINISTRATION
The road system in Montezuma County consists of state highways, county roads, city streets, and other public and private road systems.
1. The County Road System
The State of Colorado, by statute, authorizes the Board of County Commissioners to administer the County Road System, including, but not limited to, planning, design, construction, maintenance and traffic regulation. County jurisdiction extends to all roads within unincorporated lands of Montezuma County, other than State or Federal Highways.
1.1 The County Road Map
(a) The Board of County Commissioners has adopted a Montezuma County Road Map showing all roads that have been officially made a part of the County Road System. This map is updated annually or as needed to reflect all additions, deletions and alterations to the County Road System. All open, used and maintained public highways in the unincorporated area of the County are shown. For informational purposes, all platted nonmaintained public roads are shown as well as several non-maintained dirt trails.
(b) The County Road System consists of a primary system and a secondary system of County roads. All those roads designated on the County Road Map as “official green signed” constitute the County’s Primary System and as such form an integrated road system. All those roads designated as “red signed” constitute the County’s Secondary System for which the Board of County Commissioners does not assume responsibility, with lesser priority.
2. Road Department Authority
2.1 The Board of County Commissioners have established four (4) Road Districts, each administered by a County Representative. The County Road Supervisor appoints a County Representative for each district who is primarily responsible for the maintenance, repair and improvement of all existing Official Green Signed County roads within the district.
2.2 As used in these specifications, the term “County Representative” refers to an individual designated by the County Road Supervisor to perform these and similar duties, either in general or for specific projects and periods whether by appointment or contract.
2.3 The County Road Supervisor is responsible for the development and enforcement of County road standards; the design and construction of improvements to the County Road System; oversee the inspection of private construction of improvements to the public road system; the inspection and regulation of utility installations in County rights-of-way and regulation of traffic on the County Road System. In conjunction with the County Planning Department and subject to review and approval by the County Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners, the County Planning Department and GIS Department are responsible for the planning of the County Road System.
3. Private Roads
Private roads may be established by prescriptive use, a recorded easement, or plat dedication. Montezuma County assumes no maintenance responsibility on private roads and does not regulate utilities on private roads. The use of private roads for emergency services, postal delivery or school pickups must be arranged by the owner with the proper agency.
4. Issuance of Permits
4.1 Utility Installation Permits – No individual, company, corporation or public agency shall modify, install or otherwise change any utility located within a County right of-way without first obtaining a utility installation permit from the Montezuma County Road Department. Requirements for such installations will be provided through a permitting process and authorized through the appropriate County Road Representative.
4.2 Access Permits- County – No person shall construct any driveway providing vehicular access to or from any County road from or to property adjoining a County road without an access permit issued by the Montezuma County Planning Department.
4.3 Construction Permits –
No person shall construct any road, drainage or other improvement within County right-of-way without a Construction Permit issued by the Montezuma County Road Department. Construction Permits shall also be required for private road construction that is a prerequisite of other development activity. Road construction shall be in accordance with engineering plans prepared by a professional engineer in conformance with these Standards and Specifications. Construction permits shall be obtained at least two weeks prior to commencement of construction. Any engineered plans filed with the application shall be attached to the permit. The applicant shall submit a written schedule of the work including quantities of materials and length of the job. The permit and work schedule, when approved shall not be changed without the written consent of the County Representative. Construction permits expire and must be renewed at the end of one year.
4.4 Oversize/Overweight Permits –
Pursuant to Ordinance No. 2-83, Montezuma County may, upon application in writing and good cause being shown therefore, issue an Oversize/Overweight Permit to operate or move a vehicle or combination of vehicles of a size or weight of vehicle or load exceeding the maximum specified in Ordinance No. 2-83 upon any County road. The Montezuma County Road Department may limit the number of trips, the hours of operation or otherwise prescribe conditions of operation of such vehicle to ensure against undue damage to road foundations, surfaces or structures, and may require such undertaking or other security as may be deemed necessary to compensate for any injury to any roadway or structure.
5. Planning and Design
5.1 Planning. The planning or layout of a new road shall be in accordance with the Montezuma County Colorado Road and Bridge Standard Specifications. If a road is created through the subdivision process, all provisions of the Montezuma County Subdivision Regulations must be met.
5.2 Driveway Plans. Driveways will be described as any access onto a county road serving two or less residential structures. If access is considered a new road, it shall be constructed to the Montezuma County Road and Bridge Standards, as amended.
5.3 Road Plans. Road plans and specifications shall be prepared by a registered professional engineer in accordance with the Montezuma County Road and Bridge Standard Specifications and shall be attached to the permit application submitted to the County. Approved plans expire after one year and must be resubmitted with any revisions in the Standards and Specifications, where applicable.
5.4 Lots with double frontage shall be avoided, except where essential to provide separation from major arterials or incompatible subdivisions.
5.5 Design. The design of any new road shall be in accordance with the Montezuma County Colorado Road and Bridge Standard Specifications. Road plans and specifications shall be prepared by a registered professional engineer in accordance with the Standards and Specifications and shall be attached to the permit application submitted to the County. Approved plans expire after one year and must be resubmitted and meet the requirements of the Montezuma County Colorado Road and Bridge Standard Specifications, as amended.
6. Street Names, Signage, and House Numbering:
6.1 The County shall assign street and road numbering in accordance with the County system. The subdivider will furnish such signs in compliance with the County numbering system and the material and type shall be approved by the Montezuma County Road Department. Traffic control signs shall be provided and installed by the developer as prescribed by the County.
6.2 House numbering shall also be assigned by the County in compliance with the County system. It shall be the responsibility of the owner to furnish such numbering devices. Numbering devices can be ordered through the Montezuma County Planning Department. It is the responsibility of the landowner(s) to compensate the County for the actual cost of said numbering devise. Upon purchase of the uniform numbering device, the County will post said sign at no cost to the property owner(s).
7. Road or street Dedication(s)/Acceptance
A road created through the subdivision process will normally have a specified right-of way width shown on the plat along with a dedication statement. Acceptance of the plat by Montezuma County does not constitute acceptance of the right-of-way. The road does not officially become accepted for maintenance unless it is accepted, by way of resolution, by the Board of County Commissioners.
8. Construction
Construction of new County roads shall conform to the provisions of these Standards and Specifications. Construction permits shall be obtained as per Section 2.2.3 Issuance of Permits.
8.1 Control of Work: The county representative will decide all questions which may arise as to the quality and acceptability of materials furnished and work performed; all questions which may arise as to the interpretations of plans and specifications and all questions as to the acceptability of any phase of the work on those projects for roads and bridges in Montezuma County. The county representative has the authority from the Board of County Commissioners to stop all work which is creating unsafe conditions or which is not in accordance with these Standards and/or the approved plans.
8.2 The type of construction shall be designated and/or approved by the Montezuma County Road Department and all materials used shall be of satisfactory quality and subject to inspection and approved by the Road Department Representative.
8.3 The applicant shall furnish all labor and materials, perform all work, and pay all cost in connection with the construction of the access and its appurtenance on the County right-of-way.
8.4 The traveling public shall be protected during installation with property warning signs and signals and the County and its appointed agents and employees shall be held harmless against any action for personal injury or property damage sustained by reason of the exercise of the permit.
8.5 All trees and brush shall be removed when these items will hamper visibility of users of the road at intersection, or as determined by the County Road Representative.
8.6 All trees and brush shall be removed when these items will hamper visibility of users of the road at intersection, or as determined by the County Road Supervisor.
9. Maintenance
9.1 The Applicant shall assume responsibility of the removal of snow, ice or sleet upon any portion of the access location, even though deposited on the access location in the course of the County’s snow removal operations.
9.2 The Applicant shall assume responsibility of the maintenance of trees and brush when these items hamper visibility of users of the road at intersections or as determined by the County Road Supervisor.
8. Enforcement
It is the responsibility of the Colorado State Patrol and the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Department to enforce applicable provisions of Colorado traffic laws on the Montezuma County Road System and insofar as possible to cooperate with the Montezuma County Road Department and other officials of Montezuma County in administering the provisions contained herein and in developing ways and means to improve traffic conditions.
General Guidelines
Last Revised on 02/23/09
