Public Works FAQ

Yes, but only if it is on the county right-of-way (road or ditch); not if it is on private property.

We have strict rules imposed on us by other departments such as Washington State Fish and Wildlife Department, Department of Ecology, and other State/Federal agencies. The problem must be related to a road. We cannot drain private land.

The Area Supervisor can be contacted. Please call Public Works at (360)740-1123 to learn what area you live in and the number for the Area Supervisor, or check with Road Maintenance.

There are people who trap beavers for a fee. Look under Pest Control Services in the yellow pages of your telephone book.

We will check to see what is happening with it. You may have forgotten to tell us it was staked or to tell the Supervisor that it is ready for a final inspection.

Call the Special Operations Supervisor (360-978-5548), who will assess the situation and let you know if he can or cannot cut the vegetation. We cut only limbs or trees that are in the county right-of-way or are leaning over the county road. If the trees are in the power lines, you will need to contact the Lewis County PUD at 360-740-9261.

Call the Special Operations Supervisor (360-978-5548) to find out if the ditches at your location are on the schedule or to request No Spray.

Richard Wirt, Work in the Right-of-Way Inspector, who will meet you at the site and then let you know what you need to do. His telephone number is (360)740-2614 or (360)880-2138.

The road standards govern how county and private roads are to be built. You can find the standards under County Code on the Lewis County website. Look in Title 12 PUBLIC ROADS AND PLACES.

Now that the maps are available on the Lewis County website (in the GIS Map Library), we don’t have a date for the next printing of the atlas.

When plowing snow on 1,000 miles of Lewis County roads, we don’t have enough time to clear the driveway entrances. Sometimes when we complete plowing all our roads, we are able to come back and clear some entrances. Please let us know if you have a special need in case we can help you.

Snow plowing routes have been established so that school bus routes and heavily traveled roads are plowed first. Steep hills, curves and bridges are also priorities for safety purposes.

The County has no jurisdiction on private roads. We don’t maintain them, or enforce any type of laws on them. If you are having problems with other owners who share a private road, you can seek legal advice from an attorney. All roads, whether private or county, must be signed with street names in case of an emergency; other than that, we don’t enforce, maintain, or place additional signs on private roads.

We post all our jobs in The Chronicle and the East County Journal, and you can also check them out online here: Lewis County Job Board

The telephone number for the Forest Service station in Randle is (360) 497-1100. They should be able to tell you if the Forest Service part of the road is open.

You can print an application for the Small Works Roster off the county website, come in for one, or we can mail you one.Call Kim Amrine at (360) 740-2612.

Public Works Department, Solid Waste Management. Phone (360) 740-1451.

Not all roads in the county are posted for speed. If they aren’t posted as being different, they are 50 miles an hour.

You need a "road approach permit." Currently, the cost of this permit is $350.00 with a $50 administrative fee. You can print the permit off the website, or come to the Community Development building, located at 125 NW Chehalis Ave, Chehalis. After you have applied, we check ownership and legal access, then send it to the Area Supervisor. The Supervisor will look at the location you wish to build the driveway/road, then contact you about what needs to be done. You will be responsible for installing the approach and calling the Supervisor for a final inspection.

If your vehicle is struck by rocks or sand coming from a Lewis County vehicle, call Public Works (360-740-1123), and we will give your number to the Area Supervisor after finding out the road you were on. After talking to the Supervisor, you may need to contact Risk Management at (360)740-1279.

The telephone number for Washington road and pass conditions is 5-1-1 or 1-800-695-7623.This information is also available on the WSDOT web site at http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/passesor go to http://www.wsdot.wa.govand click on Mountain Pass Report.

We maintain county roads. The State and Federal highways are maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). If you need to report a problem on a state highway in Lewis County, call WSDOT’s Chehalis office at (360) 740-8640. City streets are maintained by the city.

The vendor list is handled by the Auditor’s Office at (360) 740-2668.