Woodland Road Project

[catvet]

We have started construction on a road through the wet area of our woods where my tractor got stuck last week. We orginally started working in the woods to put some sort of causeway across a low area which has been bugging us for the last 10 years. We can't get across it with the brushmower, or tractor, or even hiking. We then had the getting stuck problem. Here is a link to a website where I started posting pictures. Comments and suggestions are appreciated.
Woods Road Project

 

[beenthere]

That is a good temporary road bed, but the logs will decay and not remain as they are now (am sure you know that).

You indicated the logs help drain the water. Seems this is indication you need a culvert placed there. Maybe that will come, along with ditching to raise the roadbed above the low ground level, when you get your backhoe mounted again.

Getting water away from a roadbed is the key (IMO) to a solid place to travel. Raised beds stay dry and make good roads across swamps, in my experience.

Good pics. Looks like you are making good progress on your 'causeway'.

Enjoy the fun working in the woods, especially this time of year. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Toiyabe]

What you're making is called a "Corduroy Road". They can last a long time, provided the logs stay buried in wet muck - anaerobic environment. I've seen corduroy roads in the Albany area that were about a hundred years old. They are a bugger to rebuild, but otherwise hold up nicely.

Based on your photos, I think those logs will rot pretty quickly. For a more permanent solution, I would recommend using a geotextile in place of the logs.

 

[Egon]

Have you considered bolting old discarded tires together to make a path over the wet area. They would be covered with dirt.

Some time ago someone from Downunder posted a picture of such a project.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Farwell]

The tires are a good idea if you have them but may not be approved by the folks that watch over us, but of course I always do what the watchers want. The tires will be there for a few thousand generations and may work well as an energy source for future generations. Wish I had thought of using them when I did a little filling in a wet area.
Farwell

 

[Farwell]

Not sure about the log decay, I have heard several differing opinions on that. I do not know what would stop them from rotting. They used logs when they built the Alaska/Canada Highway but the cold ground temperature/Perma Frost pretty well stops the rotting.
Don't know if the old corduroy roads where I once lived in Michigan were rebuilt but the roads are still there and look pretty much the same.
Farwell

 

[Toiyabe]

Instead of tires, you can use a product called "Geocells". You can look at www.geogrids.com or google for "geocells" - there's several manufacturers.

It's a little hard to describe - it's plastic, several inches high, and accordions out into a bunch of hexagonal cells. You then fill those cells with gravel and it stays put. You may want to put some fabric underneath to keep the gravel from sinking into the mud, but I don't think it's strictly necessary.

I don't know how hard it would be for a individual to get a hold of this sort of stuff, but it's worth a try.

 

[cqaigy]

My Dad is from Michigan in the U.P. and he says those corduroy roads lasted very well. In your situation, they look to be a good building material because they're there and cheap!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[catvet]

Thanks for all the feedback so far. We are continuing to work on the road. We started adding an occasional stake to hold the logs from rolling. As far as how long they will last we'll see. there are still comparable size logs laying on the ground in the woods from when the property was logged before we bought it 10 years ago. They look in reasonable shape. Don't know if covered with gravel, and being in a wet spot will make them disappear more, or less quickly. For free it's tough to argue with. Ditching is in the plans at some point but that will have to wait until next year since there is just too much to do before the snow flys.

I'll keep you posted on progress.

 

[MikeD74T]

I've built several crossings like yours on snowmobile trails. Needed passage for summer maintenance. I always put a log on each side running parallel with the road and drive a few rebar pins thru it and the cross logs to keep things in place. The long logs hold the cross logs from 'floating" and need less cover to make a good road bed. we've got nearly 20 year old crossings that are still solid underneath. occasionally we replace a side log that rots away. All the logs definately last longer wet.