Fired Road contractor. Build it myself?

[WoodChuckDad]

Today I had a chance to time the work and see how much I could get done. I marked it off at 10 yd intervals and I was able to cut 30 yds in 2 hours with the excavator. . That included pushing pulling out the debris. IT's rough cut and I need to go back and tidy it up a bit, but I basically doubled the width of the road, cutting it level to the existing road. I also came up with a better solution for moving the dirt. Since I have to stump the field, and need fill dirt for the stump holes, I will simply put the dirt in piles about 10 yds from the road, and when I have need or fill dirt, I will take the excavator or the tractor over to the piles and get some. There is also a great deal of rock i the soil, ranging from softball sized to 3 feet long. This will make great riprap at the outlet of the culverts. Any that is left over will be used in landscaping, etc. If there is soil left that isn't used for dealing with stump holes and smoothing out the transition to the lower side of the hill, I will either rent or hire a dump truck and knock it out in a day, moving it to another location on the farm.
Once I get all the dirt moved to widen the road, I may still hire someone to come in with a grader to shape it quickly and more professionally. But if I can't find someone for that task, I am not terribly worried. This project is very doable.

 

[sixdogs]

Wish I could convince you to find a good bulldozer guy to crate gradual slopes (swales) and probably eliminate all culverts. You could bring him in after you're done moving dirt. I'm not there and haven't seen what you are working with so that's just free advice and can easily be discarded.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

There is approximately 1200 feet of road that needs to be addressed. Basically it wraps around and climbs the hill in a clockwise fashion with a switchback near the end. For a swale/ditch that directed the water flowing off the hill in a heavy rain, without the use of a culvert, the water would either have to cross the road, or go all the way to the the bottom, and then be fed into the head end of my bridge culvert. The volume and velocity of that amount of water would create problems over time. I'm taking the suggestions that come in and working them thru my head as I look at the lay of the land. What I end up with will be a bit different from any individual suggestion, but I think it will be a better end result than the first two contractors had suggested.

 

[ovrszd]

There is approximately 1200 feet of road that needs to be addressed. Basically it wraps around and climbs the hill in a clockwise fashion with a switchback near the end. For a swale/ditch that directed the water flowing off the hill in a heavy rain, without the use of a culvert, the water would either have to cross the road, or go all the way to the the bottom, and then be fed into the head end of my bridge culvert. The volume and velocity of that amount of water would create problems over time. I'm taking the suggestions that come in and working them thru my head as I look at the lay of the land. What I end up with will be a bit different from any individual suggestion, but I think it will be a better end result than the first two contractors had suggested.

Yes. Stay on track. Don't let us disturb your plan. You know what needs done. And you definitely have to control that much runoff. Anxious to see the finished product. Thank you very much for the updates!!!

 

[Citydude]

There is approximately 1200 feet of road that needs to be addressed. Basically it wraps around and climbs the hill in a clockwise fashion with a switchback near the end. For a swale/ditch that directed the water flowing off the hill in a heavy rain, without the use of a culvert, the water would either have to cross the road, or go all the way to the the bottom, and then be fed into the head end of my bridge culvert. The volume and velocity of that amount of water would create problems over time. I'm taking the suggestions that come in and working them thru my head as I look at the lay of the land. What I end up with will be a bit different from any individual suggestion, but I think it will be a better end result than the first two contractors had suggested.

Sounds like your gaining experience at a fast pace. It has to be satisfying, fun and at times head scratching. I agree with Over, your on the dirt pile, we're not. I was responsible for pit operations in an open pit coal mine moving 275000 yards of dirt a day and 80000 tons of coal a day. I always had someone giving me advise from their office while looking at an engineering map. My stock reply, let's go out and walk on the dirt pile. Conditions, materials and weather always vary and create different approaches to a plan. You've got this!

 

[sixdogs]

If I were doing it I would also peel away any topsoil and pile it to skim the surface later. Makes it easier to grow grass. Again, free advice so take it for what it's worth. Whatever it is, do it right.

 

[forgeblast]

Will you be using geo- textile?

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Will you be using geo- textile?

No. I don't think it is necessary. There is already 1/4 mile road on the property and it is holding up fine.

 

[ovrszd]

No. I don't think it is necessary. There is already 1/4 mile road on the property and it is holding up fine.

I would agree. In my area it simply becomes a nuisance later. Properly build the roadbed and it's unnecessary.

 

[CADplans]

Maybe this scraper, that is for sale in North Carolina, is the answer?

terratool 612 road scrapper

I like the single tooth in the center for "ripping"...

Terra Tool 12 foot Prototype - YouTube

I might have to add that ripper shank to my landplane!! :thumbsup: