Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the right of way (ROW) on my road?

A. Each road has a different right of way. It is best to call our office to obtain this information.

Q. Does a driveway connection on a county-maintained road require a permit?

A. YES! You will need to print off the form or come by our office for a driveway entrance permit. A permitting system helps ensure that driveways discharge correctly onto the county-adopted road preventing improper drainage. Water diversion between blue lines is important to a stable infrastructure system and we need your help to make sure all new entrances to a county-maintained roadway have an approved permit from our office. More information can be found on this website or by giving us a call. 

Q. Do we report driveways washing out into a county-maintained road to the road department?

A. Yes. All rock washed out into the county roadways will be removed and not returned to the property owner on the first incident. Repeated incidents involve the county attorney and the commission as a newly adopted procedure dated 8/2023.

Q. A neighbor has mud runoff washing into a creek or streambed. Whom do I contact?

A. Regulatory authority over construction activity impacting creeks and streams is handled by TDEC.  Click these links to learn more: https://www.tn.gov/environment/permit-permits/water-permits1/npdes-permits1/npdes-stormwater-permitting-program/npdes-stormwater-construction-permit.html    

https://www.tn.gov/environment/contacts/about-field-offices.html

Q. Does the road department take brush and debris from yards?

A. No. We are only permitted to haul, store, and dispose of brush and debris that we pick up in normal road maintenance. Residents can call 877-350-BURN or copy and paste the link to complete an online burn permit request.                  https://agriculture.tn.gov/OnlineBurnPermitPublic/

Q. Do we call the road department for litter pick up?

A. No. You can reach Polk County's Litter Grant Coordinator by calling 423-338-4527. 

Q. Do we need a county land disturbance permit to conduct work on over 1 acre or only a state permit?

A. Landowners doing one acre or more of land disturbance (clearing, grading, filling, etc.) are required to first get permit coverage from TDEC, under the Construction Stormwater Permit, which requires erosion control measures and stabilization.  Reach out to your local field office for permitting questions.

https://www.tn.gov/environment/contacts/about-field-offices.html

Q. If my subdivision plat was approved, does that make my road a county-maintained road?

A. No. T.C.A. Code 13-3-405 applies and states that developers and land owners wishing to have their roads considered for adoption must abide by state planning rules and inspections during construction, and the developer or land owner must post an 18-month road bond covering 50% of the total cost of the project with the county before being considered for adoption. 

Q. If there are 5 houses on my road, does that make it a county-maintained road?

A. No. Developers and land owners wishing to have their roads considered for adoption must abide by state planning rules for roads, undergo inspections during construction, and post an 18-month road bond with the county to be considered for adoption. 

Q. Will the road department maintain the road to a family cemetery?

A. If a cemetery is located on a county-maintained roadway, we work to maintain the road and right of way. We maintain roads and rights of way that have been adopted onto the county-maintained road listing.  In the past, rules and regulations were not as stringent as current ones and this may have been allowed, but that is no longer the case. 

Q. Does the road department maintain roads and entrances around county schools?

A. Only one Polk County school is located on a county-maintained roadway found on Old Federal Rd. We maintain the roadway and rights of way on the county-adopted portion of Old Federal Rd.

Q. When will my road get paved?

A. We maintain 425 miles of the county road system and do not receive any local funds from property taxes. We are one of the very few road departments in the state that do not receive funding from local taxes, limiting how much road work we can do. Our current budget limits us to a 40-year paving cycle while the life of asphalt is 25 years and tar and chip is 10 years. 

Q. How can I help increase funding for Polk County road paving and bridge projects?

Please contact your county commissioners and ask them to fund road paving and bridge projects with annual Maintenance of Effort (MOE) funds to increase the amount of paving we can do.