Dirt, Gravel & Low Volume Roads (DGLVR)

As of 2023, MCCD no longer participates in the dirt & gravel portion of the grant program. Funds are not available for gravel (unpaved) roads.

For more information: Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies

Grant money was available for environmental improvements to low volume roads (paved roads with 500 or fewer cars per day) throughout Montgomery County. Municipalities and other road-owning entities could apply to improve the quality of their local roads while delivering an environmental benefit. Projects included drainage improvements, stormwater management, swale improvements, stream crossing improvements, water quality improvements, and more.

Montgomery County Program Coordinator

Jessica Buck
jbuck@montgomeryconservation.org
(610) 489-4506 ext. 14

Project spotlights

Webber Road: before and after improvements

Church Road project along the Unami Creek: drainage regrading and 1,143 tons of DSA placed — Approximately 2,300 linear feet of Church Road in Marlborough Township along the Unami Creek was regraded to improve drainage and received 1,143 tons of driving surface aggregate to improve the road surface and reduce erosion.

King Road, Salford Township: before and after DSA placement — Pictures taken before and after DSA placement on King Road, Salford Township, Montgomery County.

In April 1997, the Pennsylvania Dirt and Gravel Road Program was enacted into law as Section 9106 of the PA Motor Vehicle Code, with $5 million in annual funding for “environmentally sensitive road maintenance.” The program funds safe, efficient, and environmentally sound maintenance of sections of dirt and gravel roads identified as sources of dust and sediment pollution.

Benefits include reduced road maintenance costs (blading, regrading, and regraveling), safer roads, and reduced sedimentation in water, which affects aquatic life and drinking water resources. This program is part of the Education, Assistance, and Funding Program provided by the State Conservation Commission in cooperation with Penn State University.