Douglas County, Colorado, is slowly transitioning from dusty gravel roads to asphalt, making it safer and less expensive to maintain and more useful in emergencies. The county now has about 262 miles of gravel roads, down from 305 miles in 2010. This shift is seen as a sign that rural Douglas County is becoming increasingly suburban. The shift reflects who are moving into once-rural parts of the county, assistant director of public works Dan Roberts, and the county spends about $4 million annually replacing gravel. The paving of several roads, including Greenland Road, a critical east-west connection and Grigs Road near Highlands Ranch, is a long-term priority due to its importance for potential wildfire evacuations. The pace of paving will likely slow, but the county's road fund relies heavily on property taxes and local residents also control neighborhood paving.