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stone below the surface course also lets any encroaching water go through freeze/thaw < cycles (water expands by nine . percent when frozen) without disrupting your driveway. ,
Obviously, the sides of your j driveway are pretty impor- • tant, as this is where all the water is going. In heavy rainstorms or with ..now melt, ; ditches fill up with running ; water that should be diverted • off into the woods or nearby . streams every 100-150 feet. Or ! a culvert might be used under | the roadway to carry off the ] water. ■ J
A good contractor, with . experience in constructing J driveways in the county, knows what size culvert to use based on the size of your drainage basin, expected water flow (cubic feet per second) and any accompanying debris, thickness of the driveway roadbed, etc. The culvert must also be able to handle the weight of the roadway above it plus the weight of the vehicles passing over it. The same for any bridge.
A few years ago, a bridge on private property collapsed after fire apparatus had passed over it. The fire apparatus was stuck on the far side for two days, putting it out of commission for that period of time.
As to maintenance, have someone knowledgeable scrape a gravel driveway in the fall and spring to get rid of . washboards and high places. Repair pot holes by digging them out and filling them with good stone, gravel, and “dust.” Provide drainage for “ponding” or mud hole sites. Bring ' in new gravel, an inch or two thickness at a time, as needed. Clean ditches and culverts of leaves and debris, and repair their inlets and outlets.
But most importantly, always drive slowly on your driveway so as not to kick gravel about. That is the main cause of wash boarding, high spots, and gravel thrown to the sides and into ditches. You don’t need speed to get up a steep grade; just a lower gear. Also, don’t speed out of your driveway onto the highway, as tires dig in, scatter gravel, and create “ponding” situations, • mud holes, or pot holes. Driving slowly on your driveway is the secret to driveway maintenance: It will save you very large sums of money in the long run.
Don Audette
Sperryville
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