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The Middlesex road crew keeps our roads in shape. (l-r): Buster Porter, Gary Lamell, Wayne Wilder.
Photo by Mark Bushnell.
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Road Commissioner
The Road Commissioner has the critical job of maintaining the town’s highways, according to their classification specifications. This includes keeping the bridges and culverts in good repair, and seeing that the roads are properly graded, surfaced, graveled, and maintained for winter use. The Road Commissioner is appointed to a one-year term by the Selectboard in Middlesex; by state law, this official has no independent authority to act, but can only carry out the orders of the Selectboard. The Road Commissioner oversees the road crew, and regularly reports to the Selectboard on the status of town roads. Reports include long-term planning for capital needs for the highway department, specific expenditures and road reclassifications. (See Contacts)
Middlesex Roads
Vermont is home to a spiderweb of thoroughfares including Interstate highways, State highways, and Town highways. Our local taxes are directed toward Town highways.
Town highways in Vermont are classified as Class 1, 2, 3, or 4. An additional, fifth class is “Legal Trails”; such a trail is a public right-of-way but is usually little more than a footpath.
See Maps for road classifications in Middlesex.
 Class 1 highways are any State highways that are maintained by the town; Middlesex does not have any Class 1 highways. Class 2 highways are well-traveled roads carrying traffic to or from Class 1 highways. All other regularly maintained town highways are Class 3 highways. Class 2 and 3 highways are plowed by the town in the winter. Class 4 highways are the least maintained town highways, and are not plowed by the town in winter. The town does perform some minimal maintenance of Class 4 roads and is required to maintain bridges and culverts. As part of its highway ordinance, the town has committed to maintaining certain Class 4 roads to the standard they were in when the ordinance was adopted. Other Class 4 roads are essentially not maintained by the town.
The amount of state aid the town receives for highway maintenance is related to the highway class. More money per mile is received for Class 2 than Class 3 roads. No state aid is available for Class 4 roads.
There is a legal process, including a public hearing, to change a road classification. If you have questions about Middlesex roads, contact the Road Commissioner.
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