Pierce County Commissioners have unanimously approved an update to the county’s culvert ordinance.
The ordinance governs culverts and their installation along county roadways.
This is the first update to the policy since the 1980s. The change was prompted by numerous complaints of boggy roadways and blocked up drainage ditches around the county. Areas with new construction are frequently the cause.
Under the updated ordinance, any person, company or other group seeking to create a private roadway from a county road to a parcel of land must submit a culvert application to the Pierce County Planning and Codes Department if the entrance crosses a ditch beside the roadway. Once the culvert size and location are approved by the director of public works, a final inspection will be made by the road superintendent following the culvert’s installation.
Filling in a ditch without an authorized culvert is now prohibited as a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of $1,000 per violation. The new ordinance also specifies that any previous laws or ordinances contrary to the new policy are now repealed.
The county sells culvert pipe, but will not deliver or install any new culverts. For most new construction, the contractor can fold the purchase price and installation of a culvert into the job.
For those that want to create a new access point to property they already own, culverts can be purchased from the county and picked up from the Road Department at 602 W. Carter Avenue in Blackshear.
