Excess moisture affecting County road conditions

The County of St. Paul saw an incredibly high amount of snow throughout the Winter 2025/26 season. This, along with the March and April rains we have been experiencing, means a lot of moisture is affecting County roads – gravel in particular, but also the bases of many oiled roads.

As we approach warmer temperatures and see more snowmelt, road conditions will be affected heavily. We are aware of the deteriorating status of many roads, and we anticipate more to come. Road Restrictions were put into place on March 27, as they are each spring, to help mitigate damage from industry traffic. But there will be damage regardless.

Public Works will do its best to maintain roads to avoid major spring ruts and other concerns. However, this will take time and depend on how the snow melts and what spring rains look like, both of which are out of our control. We don’t want to go into soft areas with our equipment and end up making the problem worse.

Though we cannot be everywhere at once, we thank you for helping us in tracking the problem areas and for your patience as we address them accordingly.

Some ways that you can help County roads in the meantime:

• Plan your route accordingly. If you know a stretch of road on your normal commute is in bad condition, map out a new route using our GIS system.
• Travel earlier in the morning or later in the evening, when temperatures are cooler and frost is more likely, so roads won’t be as soft.
• For agricultural producers, reduce large loads (if possible) to lighten the weight. While Road Restrictions do not apply to agriculture, we ask that routes be chosen accordingly, where applicable, as ag equipment is still heavy and affects County roads.

Call Public Works at 780-645-3006 to report poor conditions or talk to us about alternate routes.