photo by: Elvyn Jones

The Douglas County Public Works facility, 3755 E. 25th St., is pictured Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2017.

Douglas County’s Public Works Department is now accepting applications for a yearly roadway dust control program, the county announced Thursday.

According to a release from the county, the program consists of applying liquid calcium chloride or magnesium chloride to rock roads, typically in front of houses, to reduce dust created by vehicles.

The cost to participate is $1.50 per linear foot of roadway treated, plus an administrative fee of $60 per location. The program is available to all Douglas County residents who live adjacent to public roadways. If the road is maintained by a township, then its corresponding township board will need to cooperate to prepare the road prior to application and protect it from balding for as long as possible after treatment.

Those products used for the program control dust by attracting moisture from the atmosphere, causing dust to clump together. That causes road surfaces to form a hard crust. The release notes that dust reduction through this method lasts about a year, depending on weather and road and traffic conditions.

Applications are available online or at the Public Works Department, 3755 E. 25th St. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, March 10, and pre-payment must be received by 5 p.m. by that date in order to participate in the program.

For more information, contact the Public Works Department at 785-832-5293.