Our major routes are routinely patrolled and treated for snow and ice as necessary. In a snow emergency, road crews work around the clock in twelve hour shifts, keeping our 269 miles of roads open to the best of our ability.
Interactive Snow Route Map | How to report a road hazard
If you don't see your road on the snow route map, it is most likely maintained by your city. Please note that we maintain no roads in the city of Portland.
Portland | Gresham | Wood Village | Fairview | Troutdale | Maywood Park
Priorities
Nearly all of our roads are designated Priority 1 or Priority 2. Within these priorities, we target high-drift areas that tend to build up more snow due to wind and terrain.
A few miles of road, about 2% of the total, cannot be plowed. Some are gravel roads, where plowing would damage the road base. The others are too narrow to safely operate a plow.
Priority 1
Priority 1 Roads receive the first and highest level of service. They are the arterial system roads, the most highly traveled, where schools, fire stations, hospitals and other emergency services are located. They may be plowed, sanded, and treated with an anti-icing chemical.
Priority 2
Priority 2 Roads will be plowed and sanded when resources become available, and when Priority 1 roads are deemed safe for travel. In severe storm conditions, this may not occur for two or three days.
Road Treatments
In addition to plowing a road, we may sand or de-ice it.
We apply magnesium chloride as an anti-icing chemical. Mag chloride is an environmentally friendly product that helps us to maintain healthy rivers and streams.
On steep grades, intersections and corners, we may use a spreader sander mounted on a pickup or a dump truck to spread sanding rock, helping to improve traction.
In a few specific high-traffic locations, we may use salt mixed with sanding material or a salt brine in addition to the mag chloride.