Responsibilities & Services

County Engineering is a section within the Shelby County Roads, Bridges, and Engineering Department. Planning for the development and improvement of infrastructure such as county roads, bridges and, in a few remote locations, sanitary sewers, are the principle responsibilities of the county engineer and their staff. They also:

• Have inspectors on each subsequent project
• Prepare public improvement contracts for subdivision streets and drainage
• Represent Shelby County on the Land Use Control Board
• Review developer projects and plans

Individual Staff Functions

• Bridge technician: The certified bridge technician performs annual inspections on each bridge, the data from the inspections is then compiled by either in-house or contractor forces into a short- and long-range maintenance program for performance.
• County engineer: The county engineer, through the director of Public Works, makes annual recommendations to the mayor and Board of County Commissioners for improvement or creation of major roads and/or bridges in accordance with the Major Road Plan of the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
• Stormwater engineer: Administers stormwater and sanitary sewer programs to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal requirements under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems.
• Traffic engineer: The department's traffic engineer monitors problem roads or intersections and performs studies leading to solutions, such as widening of a road or installation of a new signal or sign. He also reviews all Capital Improvement and Development plans for full compliance with traffic regulations and best practices.

Concerns

Proper drainage is a particular concern and many site visits are made to assist in solving public drainage problems or in making the determination of whether the drainage is public or private. Stormwater management, under the requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), is also a mandate.