converting a lightly used dirt road to gravel - how important is it to follow gravel road building best practices?

[mkendrix]

In SW Michigan, I built a 1/2 mile driveway around a corn field. Never removed any soil. Used pit run sand/gravel for a base and a few years later, topped with 2A processed gravel. As long as the road had crown to it, it lasted years without maintenance. Whenever I would plow snow, I removed a little of the crown until it lost the crown, (15 years??) then I started getting potholes requiring maintenance. That’s 2 vehicles in and out almost every day plus ups/Amazon deliveries. It’s worked for me.

 

[Mudfarmer]

3/4 down is too fine to lay down on grass. If your soil is clay use 3-inch down (pit run). It will be rough when you drive the Prius over it but just fine for the tractor. The grass will grow up through the rock and hold it in place for ohhh forty years and counting.

 

[John_Mc]

The only con is during the summer I need to spray it with glucosamine every 3 to 6 weeks to keep the weeds down.

Something tells me you meant Glyphosate. Glucosamine is something I feed our old dog to help his joints.

 

[bigtiller]

Something tells me you meant Glyphosate. Glucosamine is something I feed our old dog to help his joints.

Now that made me laugh outloud.

Yes I meant Glyphosate.

I think I'll leave it like that for the laughs.

I wonder how expensive Glucosamine is to buy by the square foot.

 

[beenthere]

Depending on what you want to spend, but regardless the bottom line will be to get good drainage along and across the ground you want to drive over. That means some crown to the dirt too.

If drained well, then I don't think you will need to do anything more.

Up to you if you want to spend the money on any fabric.