The Street Division

The Carterville Street Division is responsible for maintaining and improving the City’s streets, rights-of-way, drainage areas, signs, and other public infrastructure that helps keep our community safe and accessible.

Our street system is one of the most visible parts of City government. Whether residents are driving to work, walking through their neighborhood, attending a community event, or traveling along historic Route 66, the condition of our streets has a direct impact on daily life in Carterville.

The Street Division works year-round to maintain public streets, respond to roadway concerns, and support long-term improvements throughout the City.

The Street Division handles a wide range of maintenance and repair work, including:

• Street repair and patching
• Pothole repairs
• Asphalt and gravel road maintenance
• Roadway shoulder maintenance
• Drainage ditch maintenance
• Culvert and stormwater-related work
• Street sign installation and replacement
• Tree limb and vegetation clearing within public rights-of-way
• Snow and ice response when needed
• Roadway cleanup after storms
• Support for City events and road closures
• Coordination with contractors on paving and infrastructure projects

Carterville maintains 19 miles of paved, gravel, and older residential streets. Some streets require routine repairs, while others require larger improvement projects such as milling, paving, drainage correction, or base repair.

The City works to prioritize street maintenance based on safety, traffic volume, pavement condition, drainage issues, available funding, and long-term infrastructure needs.

While not every street can be repaired or paved at once, the City continues working to make responsible improvements as funding and resources allow.

Potholes are a common issue, especially after periods of rain, freezing temperatures, or heavy traffic. The Street Division works to repair potholes as quickly as possible once they are reported or identified.

Residents can help by reporting potholes, road damage, or unsafe roadway conditions to Carterville City Hall.

Proper drainage is important for protecting streets, driveways, yards, and nearby properties. The Street Division helps maintain drainage ditches, culverts, and public rights-of-way to keep stormwater moving as intended.

Residents are asked not to place grass clippings, leaves, trash, brush, or debris into ditches, culverts, or drainage areas. Blocked drainage can cause water to back up, damage streets, and create flooding concerns.

The Street Division helps maintain street name signs, stop signs, warning signs, and other traffic control signs within the City.

Missing, damaged, faded, or obstructed signs should be reported to City Hall so they can be inspected and replaced when needed. Clear signage is important for public safety, emergency response, and daily traffic flow.

During winter weather, the Street Division works to treat and clear roads based on available equipment, staffing, and conditions.

Priority is generally given to major streets, emergency routes, and areas with higher traffic volumes. Residential streets are addressed as conditions and resources allow.

Residents can help during winter weather by avoiding unnecessary travel, keeping vehicles off narrow streets when possible, and allowing City crews room to work safely.

The public right-of-way is the area generally located along streets and roads that may include pavement, shoulders, ditches, signs, culverts, and utilities.

The Street Division may perform maintenance in these areas to improve visibility, drainage, access, and safety. This can include trimming vegetation, clearing obstructions, maintaining ditches, and repairing roadway edges.

Property owners should avoid placing fences, landscaping, debris, vehicles, or other obstructions in the public right-of-way.

Carterville is proud to be part of historic Route 66. Several City streets, including portions of Main Street and North Pine Street, play an important role in Carterville’s local identity and tourism.

The Street Division supports the maintenance of these roadways and assists with community events, traffic control, and improvements that help preserve and promote Carterville’s connection to Route 66.