6" of Rain - Gravel Driveway Catastrophe

[FTG-05]

Did some roadwork on my one mile gravel road the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I don't have any "Before" pics, sorry.

Here are the "Before the Rock" pics showing how I widened the road, increased the natural slope from right to left and dug a small "ditch" down the left side. I couldn't dig the "ditch" any deeper due to hitting a rock shelf.

Here's a pic from further down, looking up. All those rocks on the right side? All were put there by me - by hand!

#67 rock down and my contractor going back up:

From above:

This is Mud Hole #3. I spent quite bit of time regrading this section last year to increase the crown and by removing the "bathtub" sides along with the help of the neighbor on the right side (the neighbor on the left is a Know-It-All Dick). It got a load of #67 last year; it was time to refresh it. After Grading but Before Rock pics:

Looking back the other way. Note the fence posts (with barbed wire) on the right. This was put there by Mr. Dick after last year's work because he said I "was expanding the road onto his property". Note the hill off to the right.

My contractor does an excellent job of spreading gravel!!!

Thanks for looking!

 

[deezler]

NICE! I hope you have enough drainage to avoid losing that rock when the next 6-10" rain hits. BTW how many tons/yards of rock did you have to buy, and what are prices like down there? Is that all clean stone, or some fines? (looks pretty clean).

A good dump truck driver (tailgate spreader) is worth their weight in gold.

When you "widened" the road, did you do it by cutting down? Kinda looks like a bathtub, hence my worry about drainage. But pics are hard to judge by sometimes.

 

[FTG-05]

NICE! I hope you have enough drainage to avoid losing that rock when the next 6-10" rain hits. BTW how many tons/yards of rock did you have to buy, and what are prices like down there? Is that all clean stone, or some fines? (looks pretty clean).

A good dump truck driver (tailgate spreader) is worth their weight in gold.

When you "widened" the road, did you do it by cutting down? Kinda looks like a bathtub, hence my worry about drainage. But pics are hard to judge by sometimes.

I probably will lose most of that rock, but that's ok, it's still better than a) running over it in the road or b) working to put it somewhere else.

I bought two tamdem dump truck loads, one for the hill and one for MH#3, with about 20% of load #2 going to a neighbor's driveway to fix their mud hole (no, it wasn't for Mr. Dick). Each load was 16-17 tons of fairly clear #67 and each cost $400.

Agree about a good dump truck driver. i won't hire anyone else for gravel or dirt work than Steve. Anyone in the north AL area need his expertise, PM me.

I widened the road by using my LMC box blade with a special scarifier on the right outside to break up the hard pan. Then I used my EA grader blade to move the loose dirt and rock from the left to the right, looking down the hill (or the first pic). It is a bathtub with very high sides, especially on the uphill side and both have lots of mature trees. Read $$$$$$ to "Fix". The only real way to drain water is to help it move the way it wants and that's going left and down and out.

Thanks,