The Road and Bridge department performs annual inspections on each segment of paved and unpaved roads. These inspections provide the necessary information to determine which roadways are in need of repair and/or replacement. An annual asphalt resurfacing and reconstruction list is then created from this list of inspected roads.

Road maintenance facts

  1. Highlands County has no dirt roadways that are Board approved/County maintained.
  2. Highlands County does not currently take over maintenance of any unsurfaced roadways.
  3. The approval of any roadway for maintenance must be verified by official Board action.
  4. The County has Technical Standards, and all new roads must be constructed to meet those standards.
  5. If your home or property is located on a sand or dirt road, it is most likely a Category 4 or Category 5 roadway.

Steps to look up your roadway maintenance status

  1. Use the County's Road Maintenance Lookup Tool
  2. Reference the instructions in the left-hand menu.
  3. If uncertain, ALWAYS call the Road & Bridge department at 863-402-6529 to verify your roadway maintenance status.

Roadway categories

Category 1 – County Paved Road

Local asphalt or concrete paved road meeting Highlands County Minimum Standards, maintained by Highlands County, verified by official Board action.

Category 2 – Non-County Paved Road

Local asphalt or concrete paved road not meeting Highlands County Minimum Standards and not maintained by Highlands County.

Category 3 – County Unpaved Road

Local unpaved shell road meeting Highlands County Minimum Unpaved Road Standards, maintained by Highlands County, verified by official Board action.

Category 4 – Non-County Unpaved Road

Local unpaved road not meeting one or more Highlands County Minimum Standards and not maintained by Highlands County.

Category 5 – Platted Right-of-Way

Platted road right-of-way shown on Plat map. This category of roadway may not be seen by visual observation or have any existing traversable road present.

Category 6 – Private Road

Unpaved or paved roadway on private property and not maintained by Highlands County.

Road name signs - What do the colors mean?

The road name signs can be helpful to determine what the roadway maintenance status might be. Highlands County uses three color combinations.

GREEN sign with WHITE letters

RoadwaySign GreenwithWhiteThis color sign typically symbolizes a County- or publicly-maintained roadway.

WHITE sign with GREEN letters

Highland WhitewithGreenThis typically symbolizes a Non-County maintained roadway, but the roadway may be a public right-of-way.

BLUE sign with WHITE letters

RoadwaySign_BluewithWhiteThis is reserved for private roads, typically on private property/easements.

Frequently Asked Questions

For signage, traffic lights, roadway striping, call Engineering at 863-402-6877.

For roadway maintenance requests, roadway inspections and roadway programs, call Road & Bridge at 863-402-6529.

For any roadway to be considered for County maintenance, it must be constructed to a paved standard per the Highlands County Technical Standards, prior to being verified by Board action. 

The Engineering department will need to be involved with this process and supply requirements for constructability.

The Road & Bridge department constructs roadway segments each year based on a Board-approved roadway list. You can also partake in the Road Improvement Program, which permits a 50% cost share for residents requesting a paved roadway.

The County has a Public Right-of-Way Improvement Program, which residents can pay for a once-per-year maintenance request.

Road Improvement Program

To learn more about the procedures for participation in the Highlands County Road Improvement Program for County and Non-County Roads, click link Road Improvement Program Policy.

For the procedures for participation in the Non-Maintained Public Right of Way Improvement Program (excluding paving), click link Non-Maintained Public Right of Way Improvement Program.