Safer Utility Maintenance, Less Community Disruption: Millbrae Public Works Case Study

When managing routine water and sewer repairs, Millbrae Public Works faced an ongoing headache: traditional steel road plates. Moving and positioning steel covers required mobilizing heavy plant like backhoes, boom trucks, and cranes. This creates suspended load risks, logistical delays, and frequent community noise complaints from local residents.

To streamline maintenance, the department replaced heavy steel plates with Oxford Plastics’ modular LowPro® 23/05 composite road plate system. See full case study.

Key Features & Operational Benefits
• Manual, Two-Person Deployment: Lightweight and modular, the plates can be carried in standard utility vehicles and installed manually without heavy lifting machinery.
• Safer Field Conditions: Eliminates the hazards of suspended crane loads and drastically reduces crew manual-handling strain.
• Rapid Installation: Modular sections configure quickly to match trench dimensions and can be swiftly repositioned as excavation work progresses.
• Zero Rattle or Traffic Clatter: Flexible composite materials dampen tire impact noise, keeping roads quiet for local residents.

The Outcome
Since adopting the LowPro® 23/05 system across daily water and wastewater operations, Millbrae Public Works has eliminated the need for heavy equipment dispatch on routine excavations and resolved traffic disturbance entirely:

“From a safety perspective, they're lightweight, easy to handle and can be installed by just two people. We don't need a backhoe or dump truck, which makes the work much simpler and more efficient. These are the best thing we've ever bought.” Chris Junio, Public Works Supervisor, City of Millbrae.

The transition delivered immediate community impact as well: the department reported zero road plate noise complaints across eight months of daily field operations. By moving away from steel, Millbrae achieved a safer, quieter, and far more responsive utility workflow.

See full case study.