SIDEWALK / CURB & GUTTER PROGRAM OVERVIEW

GIS DATA DISCLAIMER: Every reasonable effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the data provided; nevertheless, some information may not be accurate.  Montgomery County, MD assumes no responsibility arising from use of this information.

If you are already informed about the program, you may want to go directly to the following pages by clicking on any of these links:

The Neighborhood and Commercial Business District Concrete Replacement Programs are countywide and consist of the Division of Highway Services' routine maintenance of sidewalks, curbs and gutters and storm drain structure inlets and tops, as well as minor road repairs. In many areas, we are replacing asphalt curbing and sidewalks with concrete, and in some instances we are installing new concrete curbing, but, very rarely, sidewalks. Some projects may require prior study or design action..

What to expect:

The Division of Highway Services follows certain criteria when implementing our replacement/maintenance program. We consider concrete or asphalt that is sunken, holding water, off grade, or contains multiple cracks, to be in need of replacement. The County inspector assigned to the neighborhood is experienced in locating these hazards and defects in the public right-of-way. We respect our inspector's judgment as he/she is the County's frontline field representative.Should you wish to speak to or meet with someone other than the on-site inspector, you may call the Montgomery County Customer Service line at 311.

Our goal is to maintain the public right of way and we must be fiscally responsible in doing so. We apologize in advance for what may be a patchwork look, but this work is not done for aesthetic purposes. The new concrete or asphalt will change in appearance with time, weather and wear and will blend with the old.

During construction, you can expect some inconvenience from noise and large vehicular traffic on your streets. The daily work hours are from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Monday through Friday and, on rare occasions, on Saturday mornings, with very minimal noise. The total operation moves relatively quickly. In some cases, the crew may finish its work at your residence within a day.

The typical course of events:

  1. The area or individual streets are marked by an inspector for replacement work.
  2. "No Parking" signs are posted by the contractor.
  3. The inspector distributes letters door-to-door containing apron information on how to proceed if you wish your apron or leadwalk replaced.
  4. Workers may cut the roadway or sidewalk with a jackhammer or a mechanical saw. Orange cones or drums will be placed in the work area for safety.
  5. A backhoe or Gradall/excavator will then come and remove the material to be replaced.
  6. The form trucks bring metal or wooden forms. The forms are inserted after gravel or recycled aggregate materials are placed appropriately and compacted to create a solid sub-grade for the new concrete. The forms shape whatever is being poured with concrete (curbs, sidewalks, storm drain tops and throats, aprons, driveways, etc.).
  7. Concrete is poured to fill the forms. The workers then finish the concrete to create its final appearance. In summer, you can expect the concrete to harden sufficiently to walk on in approximately two hours, somewhat longer during the cooler months of the year. An apron or driveway requires at least three days before it is driveable. The concrete takes approximately thirty days to cure completely.
  8. The forms are usually removed the next day. After they are removed, fill dirt and then topsoil is added to fill the holes and gaps left by the forms.
  9. The contractor then performs the restoration work required to return disturbed areas as closely as possible to their original appearance, including asphalt replacement in driveways and on streets themselves. The whole area is broom swept when work is complete.  1

Important information for homeowners

Montgomery County is not responsible for any items left or placed in the public right-of-way. Some commonly encountered items are sprinkler systems, electric dog fences and basketball hoops. The County does not provide permits for installation of such objects in the County right-of-way and, under the County Code, they are placed illegally. Miss Utility does not mark underground electric fences or sprinkler systems, so it is the homeowner/resident responsibility to let the Inspector know that these items are in place and to provide their precise location before digging begins. Neither the County nor the contractor will be responsible if these items are damaged. When we know what is there and where, our chances of success are greatly increased.

Your driveway or walkway

When we replace the sidewalk or curb that runs through your driveway, we will make a straight saw cut (mechanically or manually) across the driveway. Once concrete replacement or placement is complete, we will replace the damaged or cut portions of the driveway with like materials. Those materials will be gravel, stone, asphalt or concrete. It is extremely difficult to match new material colors to the old, because age and weather have a major effect on the appearances of the exposed aprons, driveways, and walkways. We can make no guarantees whatsoever regarding color match.

Work privately performed for residents

Montgomery County Government does not vouch for, do estimates for, or collect monies for our contractor doing work such as driveways or leadwalks, on private property. We can only recommend our contractor to you since he is already working in the neighborhood. You are encouraged to receive estimates from other sources for driveways and other appurtenances. The apron portion of your driveway will be inspected by the County inspector.

1 State of Maryland Design Standards and Specifications, which are followed in Montgomery County, are available to the public online at:  http://www.roads.maryland.gov/Index.aspx?PageId=44