Roadside Hazards

The Mercer County Engineer’s Office has been, is and is continuing to determine and act upon ways to improve the safety of our rural local roadways in Mercer County. One of the aspects of roadway safety we have tried to improve upon is the roadside clear zones. The roadside clear zones can be generally defined as the total roadside area starting at the edge of the traveled way, available for safe use by errant vehicles. Simply stated, it is an unobstructed, relatively flat area beyond the edge of the traveled way (pavement) that allows a driver to stop safely or regain control of a vehicle that leaves the pavement surface.

In virtually all cases, the legal road right-of-way extends well past the paved section of the roadway. The Mercer County Engineer has right-of-way maps which show the existing width of the legal road right-of-way. These widths of right-of-way vary on the various rural local roads. Anything placed within the road right-of-way by a property owner is subject to removal by our crews. The most common examples of such items are trees, bushes, landscaping, decorative rocks, fences, buildings, etc. For the safety and usability of our rural local roads, we ask property owners to keep items like this outside of the road right-of-way and appreciate the public’s support in making our roads better and safer for all who use them and all who adjoin them.

Landowners having questions about specific right-of-way widths of county and township roadways should contact the Mercer County Engineer’s Office 419-586-7759.