Public Works
Ramsey County Public Works is responsible for a 250-mile system of county roads including construction, repairs, maintenance and snow removal.
The multi-modal planning division works to advance infrastructure planning and development for current and future county roads, transit corridors and the All-Abilities Transportation Network.
The Surveyor's Office and Stormwater Management division are also housed within the Public Works department.
Divisions
Engineering Services
- Comprehensive planning and development of Capital Improvement Programs.
- Project administration and coordination.
- Specialized engineering studies in traffic, environmental, bridges and pavements.
- Project design and plan preparation.
- Construction contract administration.
Environmental Services
- Water resource monitoring and improvement.
- Specialized laboratory work.
- Agriculture inspection and roads/parks tree management.
- Job hazard monitoring and training.
Equipment Services
- Equipment acquisition and maintenance for Public Works and other county departments; i.e., Sheriff, Library and Lake Owasso Residence.
- Buildings and facility maintenance.
Roadway Maintenance
- Specialized major maintenance activities (pavement recycling, resurfacing, reconstruction of roadway facilities etc.
- Routine maintenance (sweeping, mowing, ditch and culvert repair, storm sewer/catch basin repair and cleaning etc.).
- Bridge maintenance.
- Snow and ice control.
Land Survey/GIS
- Control and checking of property development platting.
- Maintain base mapping and public land survey system for all properties in Ramsey County.
- Provide assistance and information for other public and private land surveys.
- Ramsey County Online Maps & Data.
Traffic Services
- Roadway striping and marking.
- Traffic sign fabrication, installation and repair.
- Traffic signal maintenance.
History
A system of thoroughfares, highways, streets and other public ways
Ramsey County was designated a fully urbanized county with the release of the 1990 Census. This urbanization process started over a century ago and developed today's transportation system. The effects of the past continue to form the basis for the present transportation network in Ramsey County.
In the 1860s, the dominance of water transportation brought clusters of settlers near the Mississippi River. Early roads connected Saint Paul with Stillwater, Saint Anthony, Little Canada and White Bear Lake. All of these were mere trails and during the winter months were normally impassable.
With the arrival of the railroads in the late 1800s, the population concentration near the river soon shifted to other parts of the county. By 1900, the railroads had defined two corridors of development in Ramsey County: one to the northeast of Saint Paul and one to the northwest. These corridors consisted of separate communities strung along the railroad. The northeast corridor contained the industrial village of North Saint Paul and the resort town of White Bear Lake. The northwest corridor crossed the agricultural areas of what is now Roseville to the village of New Brighton. The north central section of the county was sparsely settled with no clearly emerging orientation.
In the early 1900s the automobile changed development trends as profoundly as the railroad had changed growth patterns a half century earlier. Residential development began to disperse as the ease of travel between all points in the county increased as a result of automobile use. Intra-county circulation became more important and a grid road network was established along section lines. Even today, some of these roads continue to be the more important roads in the county. By 1938, the county was responsible for 204 miles of county and county state aid roads: 35 miles were paved roadway, 77 miles bituminous and 90 miles were gravel roads.
During the 1950s the Federal Aid Interstate highway system was initiated - this had a profound impact on cities and suburbs. Between 1950 and 1990, more than 500 miles of new major metropolitan highways were built in the Twin Cities to serve the growing region. Interstate highways serving Ramsey County are: I-94, I-694, I-35E and I-35W. The availability of access to the interstate system has attracted - and will continue to attract - residential, commercial and industrial development in Ramsey County.
Today, Ramsey County Public Works is responsible for maintaining 293 miles of county roads, more than 140 bridges, 30,000 signs and more than 360 signal systems.