Road maintenance depot
Encyclopedia
A road maintenance depot is a depot
used by road
maintenance agencies for storing works equipment and organising maintenance operations. Road maintenance depots can range in size from small shed
s storing just a few pieces of equipment, to vast buildings housing computer and closed-circuit television
systems, allowing operators to monitor conditions across the road network.
Road maintenance depots carry gear for a number of tasks, including road works, snow removal
, planting of road verge and central reservation
s and storm drain
maintenance. Most depots will have limited accommodation facilities for staff who are on-call
, particularly during heavy winter storms, when travel between the worker's home and the depot may be restricted. Road maintenance depots also include garages and repair shops for the fleets of vehicles stored within, and large depots keep supplies of fuel and road salt for drivers.
Depots carry a wide range of vehicles to cover most eventualities, depending on the location of the depot; small urban depots carry street sweeper
vehicles and small gully emptier
s, while larger rural and motorway-based depots hold fleets of winter service vehicles and engineering vehicle
s, and often tow truck
s and breakdown
vehicles for rescuing broken down or stranded equipment. Other vehicles commonly kept at depots include lawnmowers, sprayer
s and road markers
.
Along with garages, most depots also have either salt barns or brine tanks, to store de-icing agents for use in winter months, and filling station
s to refuel vehicles, especially those that use red diesel, which is not available at public filling stations. Larger depots have vehicle washes
and repair shops
to maintain the fleet, and a cafeteria
and on-call room
for workers.
are known as Straßenmeisterei. Responsibility for operating the depot depends on the type of road covered by the catchment area
of the depot; those that cover the autobahn network and major road are owned by the Federal Government, while those that cover more urban roads are operated by the local city administration.
are owned by the Highways Agency
or its contractors, although the depot on the privately-owned M6 Toll
is run by the operators of the road. Most are located along the edge of motorways, and are signposted "Works Exit" or "Works Access Only". These signs are also used to disguise sliproads leading to sensitive military institutions such as RAF Welford
and to dissuade members of the public from using emergency evacuation
routes and short cuts designed for emergency vehicle
s.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
used by road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
maintenance agencies for storing works equipment and organising maintenance operations. Road maintenance depots can range in size from small shed
Shed
A shed is typically a simple, single-storey structure in a back garden or on an allotment that is used for storage, hobbies, or as a workshop....
s storing just a few pieces of equipment, to vast buildings housing computer and closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
systems, allowing operators to monitor conditions across the road network.
Road maintenance depots carry gear for a number of tasks, including road works, snow removal
Snow removal
Snow removal is the job of removing snow after a snowfall to make travel easier and safer. This is done by both individual households and by governments and institutions.-De-icing and anti-icing:...
, planting of road verge and central reservation
Central reservation
On divided roads, such as divided highways or freeways/motorways, the central reservation , median, parkway , median strip or central nature strip is the area which separates opposing lanes of traffic...
s and storm drain
Storm drain
A storm drain, storm sewer , stormwater drain or drainage well system or simply a drain or drain system is designed to drain excess rain and ground water from paved streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and roofs. Storm drains vary in design from small residential dry wells to large municipal systems...
maintenance. Most depots will have limited accommodation facilities for staff who are on-call
On-call room
An on-call room is a room in a hospital with either a couch or a bunkbed intended for staff to rest in while they are on call or due to be.In the European Community, the 2003 extension of the working time directive to junior doctors and the ruling that on-call time counts as working hours has...
, particularly during heavy winter storms, when travel between the worker's home and the depot may be restricted. Road maintenance depots also include garages and repair shops for the fleets of vehicles stored within, and large depots keep supplies of fuel and road salt for drivers.
Operations
Street sweeper
A street sweeper or street cleaner can refer to a person's occupation or a machine that cleans streets, usually in an urban area.-History of street sweeping in the United States:...
vehicles and small gully emptier
Gully emptier
A gully emptier is a type of specialized tanker lorry with suction gear which can suck wastewater and mud and sludge out of hollows such as the hollows below drain grids in street gutters and carry it to a suitable disposal point...
s, while larger rural and motorway-based depots hold fleets of winter service vehicles and engineering vehicle
Engineering vehicle
Heavy equipment refers to heavy-duty vehicles, specially designed for executing construction tasks, most frequently ones involving earthwork operations. They are also known as, construction equipment, construction plant, earth movers, engineering vehicles, or simply equipment...
s, and often tow truck
Tow truck
A tow truck is a vehicle used to transport motor vehicles to another location , or to recover vehicles which are no longer on a drivable surface.Towing services are generally provided by an emergency road service operator...
s and breakdown
Breakdown (vehicle)
A vehicle breakdown is the operational failure of a motor vehicle in such a way that the underlying problem prevents the vehicle from being operated at all, or impedes the vehicle's operation so much, that it is very difficult or nearly impossible, or dangerous to operate, or else at risk of...
vehicles for rescuing broken down or stranded equipment. Other vehicles commonly kept at depots include lawnmowers, sprayer
Sprayer
A sprayer is a device used to spray a liquid.In agriculture, a sprayer is a piece of equipment that spray nozzles to apply herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers to agricultural crops...
s and road markers
Road surface marking
Road surface marking is any kind of device or material that is used on a road surface in order to convey official information. They can also be applied in other facilities used by vehicles to mark parking spaces or designate areas for other uses....
.
Along with garages, most depots also have either salt barns or brine tanks, to store de-icing agents for use in winter months, and filling station
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
s to refuel vehicles, especially those that use red diesel, which is not available at public filling stations. Larger depots have vehicle washes
Car wash
A car wash or auto wash is a facility used to clean the exterior and, in some cases, the interior of motor vehicles.- Categories :...
and repair shops
Automobile repair shop
An automobile repair shop is a place where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and electricians.- Types :The automotive garage can be divided in so many category....
to maintain the fleet, and a cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
and on-call room
On-call room
An on-call room is a room in a hospital with either a couch or a bunkbed intended for staff to rest in while they are on call or due to be.In the European Community, the 2003 extension of the working time directive to junior doctors and the ruling that on-call time counts as working hours has...
for workers.
Germany
Road maintenance depots in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
are known as Straßenmeisterei. Responsibility for operating the depot depends on the type of road covered by the catchment area
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the depot; those that cover the autobahn network and major road are owned by the Federal Government, while those that cover more urban roads are operated by the local city administration.
United Kingdom
All public road maintenance depots in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
are owned by the Highways Agency
Highways Agency
The Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in England. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England...
or its contractors, although the depot on the privately-owned M6 Toll
M6 Toll
The M6 Toll , connects M6 Junction 4 at the NEC to M6 Junction 11A at Wolverhampton with of six-lane motorway. The weekday cash cost is £5.30 for a car and £10.60 for a HGV...
is run by the operators of the road. Most are located along the edge of motorways, and are signposted "Works Exit" or "Works Access Only". These signs are also used to disguise sliproads leading to sensitive military institutions such as RAF Welford
RAF Welford
RAF Welford is an active Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Newbury; about west-southwest of London...
and to dissuade members of the public from using emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
routes and short cuts designed for emergency vehicle
Emergency vehicle
An emergency vehicle is any vehicle that is designated and authorized to respond to an emergency. These vehicles are usually operated by designated agencies, often part of the government, but also run by charities, non-governmental organizations and some commercial companies...
s.