Street Maintenance

The Street Maintenance Section is responsible for the upkeep and repair of city streets and rights-of-way. Through a contract with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the city also provides maintenance of some, but not all, of the state highways within the city's boundaries. Street Maintenance's primary areas of responsibility include:

• Pavement Maintenance: Repair of potholes, utility cuts made by city crews and damaged pavement. Pavement Maintenance also conducts assessments and contracts for resurfacing city streets.
• Sign Maintenance: Installation and maintenance of traffic signs and street name signs.
• Sidewalk Repair: Construction, repairs and maintenance of public sidewalks.
• Right-of-Way Maintenance: Mowing, litter pick-up, weed control, street sweeping and snow/ice removal.
• Storm Drainage: Maintenance of the municipal storm sewer system including ditches, storm drain inlets and storm drain pipes.
• Sidewalk Replacement Program: Homeowners and businesses wishing to replace the public sidewalk abutting their property may receive assistance from the city. For details contact the Street Maintenance Division at 423-989-5685.
• Snow and Ice Control: Details for city operations for snow and ice control can be found below in Winter Travel Advice.

Leaf Collection Tips

• Rake the leaves to the curb or edge of the road as close to the street as possible, but please do not put leaves in the street.
• Leaves should be in a separate pile from any other waste that is put out (brush or bulk items)
• Be mindful of covering up water meter boxes.
• Be aware of on-street parking as sometimes the city cannot reach the leaves due to cars being parked in the way.
• Any hard object that is small enough, such as a rock or some other small metal object, to go through the vacuum hose can cause truck breakdowns and proves very costly in collection time and money.

Winter Travel Advice

Winter weather can be cold, wet, and annoying, but the Public Services Division is always prepared to combat snow and ice. The Public Service Division staff utilizes a Winter Weather Event Manual that provides guidelines for maintaining roadways during winter storms.

Under the snow plan, city vehicles will concentrate first on treating and clearing the major roadways within Bristol, as well as routes that provide access to schools, industrial sites and the central business district. This plan of action will concentrate the city's efforts on the roadways that carry the greatest volume of traffic. Once major routes have been addressed, equipment will begin clearing snow in residential areas.

Priority Routes