Streets & Highways

Division Responsibilities


The Streets and Highways Division within the Department of Public Works performs and coordinates maintenance activities to ensure safe passage for vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the City of Portsmouth.

Administrative functions include the VDOT Highway Maintenance Expenditure Annual Report, and customer service, including citizen relations, risk management claims investigation, and liaison with regulatory bodies.
Streets Highway Division Workers laying out gravel or tar
Operational functions include street maintenance including pothole repair and patching, maintenance of shoulders and alleys, emergency operations including snow removal, deceased animal removal, and other various special projects.

Projects



Deceased Animal Removal


Personnel will remove a deceased animal from any City right of way in timely and respectful manner 24 hours a day. The Shop maintains a pathological incinerator daily. If you have an animal that has passed please place it in plastic bag and put in on the curb (right of way).

To report a deceased animal to be picked up, please call 757-393-8666 weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and our dispatcher will be glad to assist you. After 4 p.m. weekdays and on weekends, please contact the police non-emergency number (757-393-5300) and the Police dispatcher will contact our on-call personnel.

Did You Know - City Facts


  • It is illegal to place basketball goals on City streets and in the right of way.
  • By City Code, it is the responsibility of property owners and occupants to clear sidewalks of snow adjacent to their property. Property owners should not clear snow from parking lots and driveways onto City streets.
  • The City of Portsmouth does not routinely plow residential streets. Public Works does not take individual requests for snow removal.
Collage of Three Basketball Hoops