Administrative Guidance Manual - Center for Dirt and Gravel Road ...

esponsibility of the municipality to obtain the Prevailing Wage Act scale for the area and
include it in any proposal to solicit bids for the contract. The Prevailing Wage scale can
be obtained from the Prevailing Wage Division of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor
and Industry. If the Prevailing Wage Act applies, the advertisement shall also note this
fact.
The Prevailing Wage Act does not apply to the following: maintenance work (as defined
in the Act), purchases, even if the purchased material is delivered in place, (such as
spread stone), and work performed by municipal employees on the municipality’s own
roads.
9. Trails
The Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance Program can only fund projects on roads that are
open to general motor vehicle traffic at least one day per year. For the purposes of the
Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance Program general motor vehicle traffic does not
include snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles (ATVs), dirt bikes, or other off road vehicles
that are not allowed to normally operate on a state highway.
Motorized Vehicle Trails
Some dirt and gravel roads may serve a dual purpose. In some instances roads may be
open to all terrain vehicles except during limited times when they are opened to general
motor vehicle traffic. In other cases during winter month’s public roads are closed to
normal vehicular traffic and opened to snowmobiles. In some instances the dirt and
gravel road may be opened to both general motor vehicle traffic and snowmobiles at the
same time. Municipalities that have these situations are encouraged to plan for
maintenance on these roads that allow for the multiple uses.
There are often areas developed for and used by ATVs and dirt bikes called “rip and tear”
areas. Rip and tear areas do not meet ESM principles and in fact are the antithesis to
ESM principles and cannot be funded. Normal ESM road maintenance may be funded
with Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance Program funds on dual use roads. Trails that
have been developed and maintained exclusively for off road vehicles cannot be
maintained with Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance Program funding.
Non-Motorized Trails
Every state now has a bicycle and pedestrian coordinator to help implement a trail
program as part of overall transportation route planning. The Federal Highway
Administration encourages this. As a result many miles of foot, bicycle and equestrian
trails are being established in the Commonwealth. In the winter these trails are often
used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. In most cases the trails are constructed
in such a manner that they could not support motor vehicle traffic or off road vehicle
traffic. Because the trails are not open to general motor vehicle traffic at least one day
per year they cannot be funded with Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance Funds.
48 Version 6.00 March 3, 2005