Career summary

Details for Highway Maintenance Workers


Description

Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement, repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road or plow snow from roadway.

Tasks

  • Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
  • Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
  • Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
  • Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
  • Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.
  • Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
  • Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
  • Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.
  • Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
  • Perform roadside landscaping work, such as clearing weeds and brush, and planting and trimming trees.
  • Paint traffic control lines and place pavement traffic messages, by hand or using machines.
  • Inspect markers to verify accurate installation.
  • Apply poisons along roadsides and in animal burrows to eliminate unwanted roadside vegetation and rodents.
  • Measure and mark locations for installation of markers, using tape, string, or chalk.
  • Apply oil to road surfaces, using sprayers.
  • Blend compounds to form adhesive mixtures used for marker installation.
  • Place and remove snow fences used to prevent the accumulation of drifting snow on highways.
  • Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.
  • Drive heavy equipment and vehicles with adjustable attachments to sweep debris from paved surfaces, mow grass and weeds, remove snow and ice, and spread salt and sand.

Interests

  • Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
  • Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Education, training, experience

  • Education - These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
  • Training - Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
  • Experience - Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Knowledge

  • Building and Construction -Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  • English Language -Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Engineering and Technology -Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • Mechanical -Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • Public Safety and Security -Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Skills

None found.

Related careers