The Sherman County Road Department is responsible for the planning, maintenance, and construction of county roads in Sherman County.  The Road Department’s eight members tackle many different jobs and objectives to keep the 484 miles of Sherman County’s roads safe for all types of uses.  Keeping roads clear in the early mornings for school buses that bring students to school, (many of these are over an hour long commute) and keeping the farmers and ranchers able to deliver their product to market are among the priorities.

Gravel Road Preservation:  54% of the roads in Sherman County are gravel roads and are the first mile traveled for many commuters. The Sherman County Road Department has prioritized resurfacing, grading and other preservation treatments for the county gravel road system because of the importance of these routes for Sherman County citizens.  The 297 miles of county gravel roads along with the 54 miles of dirt roads are often the first mile taken by wheat and other products on their way to feed other parts of the world.  They are vital lifelines for the residents of Sherman County.

Storm Response and Repair:  Prioritizing storm response and road repairs are key “day-to-day” duties of the Sherman County road department.  Ensuring accessibility in the event of a snowstorm or other extreme weather is a key county responsibility.  Keeping drainage and other storm water facilities clear of debris as well as removing snow and ice from county roads are some of ways the road department responds these events.

Projects:  In the past 5 years the Sherman County Road Department has replaced 2 bridges that were structurally deficient.  A major collapse of a 100 year old box culvert in the town of Wasco lead to widening and repaving parts of one of the main roads into Wasco as the box culvert was replaced.  8 sections of some of the hardest to maintain county gravel roads have had an “earth binding” treatment done.  Earth Binding is similar to paving, but is more cost effective.  More county roads are scheduled for this treatment as time and funds allow.  New guard rails have been placed on several dangerous curves near steep drop offs.

Additional tasks:  The road department performs tasks that many people may not know about.  Negotiating road use agreements with renewable energy companies, providing safety measures for law enforcement agencies, working with ODOT, cities, and with other road departments are just a couple of such tasks.  The department has also provided resources during wildfires.

The Sherman County Road Department can be reached at (541) 565-3271.  The Road Department’s entire crew, including the Road Master are often working away from the shop and office.  This can cause delays in reaching the department by email and telephone.

Mark Coles is the Sherman County Road Master.

The Sherman County Road Department manages 484 miles of road, of which:

• 134 miles are pavement,
• 295 miles are gravel, and
• 55 miles are country dirt roads for resident or field access.

How many miles of Sherman County roads have you been on?