Rural roads being converted from asphalt to gravel

[Revive 755]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-02-03-gravel-roads_N.htm

[roadfro]

A suitable solution in extreme cases.

Not a good option if there's any meaningful amount of traffic (like over 200 vpd). There's air quality issues and other considerations that must be balanced when converting down like that.

[yakra]

Wonder if that "durable gravel-like surface that ... adequately prevents potholes and mud" prevents dust clouds too. Gaile Colby needs to hold onta her lopstahs: I think an AADT of 67 (highest in the town) would still be pretty manageable.

[Truvelo]

Gravel roads are almost unheard of over here as even the tiniest country lanes are paved. Gravel roads tend to be privately owned.

This narrow mountain road that serves a few villages is fully paved even through the level of traffic is low.

[froggie]

Not a good option if there's any meaningful amount of traffic (like over 200 vpd).

MnDOT typically uses 400 vpd as a threshold...

[vdeane]

How on earth do you even plow a gravel road?

[Bickendan]

I imagine that Yukon and Northwest Territories would have an answer for that.

[Stojko]

I can't even remember the last time I've been on a gravel road...

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

Folks, witness the regression of civilization.

[Chris]

Gravel roads are almost unheard of over here as even the tiniest country lanes are paved. Gravel roads tend to be privately owned.

Same for the Netherlands. I think virtually every house, farm or factory is connected by paved roads. There are unpaved roads, usually only used by forest services.

[cu2010]

How on earth do you even plow a gravel road?

With a giant truck with a snowplow attached to the front of it.

[papaT10932]

I think we've become so spoiled as a society. I don't mind gravel roads...as long as there isn't a brick wall half way. If we can save money and still get from point A to point B, then what's the problem? 

If the feds lower interstate standards to allow for gravel interstates... THEN we have a problem!   

[corco]

How on earth do you even plow a gravel road?

You don't lower the plow all the way, so you have to leave a thin layer of snow/ice on top in most situations.

Sometimes it will get cold enough that the road itself will freeze, and then you can just plow over it like normal

[3467]

It sounds like its between gravel and oil and chip surface The US only has 800,000 miles of roads over 400vpd(Road Ecology) so it is expensive to maintain a couple of million miles of empty rural roads in areas of declining population and traffic.
It reminds me of Reagan citing 80 in Illinois He said it was our first gravel interstate.Illinois reacted indignatly but there ideed was a 35mh spot near IL 78 . I recall it was in the context of allowing federal funds to be allowed for repaving not just buildling

[Michael]

How on earth do you even plow a gravel road?

With a giant truck with a snowplow attached to the front of it.

Or not at all.  We have some seasonal roads in CNY.

It sounds like its between gravel and oil and chip surface The US only has 800,000 miles of roads over 400vpd(Road Ecology) so it is expensive to maintain a couple of million miles of empty rural roads in areas of declining population and traffic.
It reminds me of Reagan citing 80 in Illinois He said it was our first gravel interstate.Illinois reacted indignatly but there ideed was a 35mh spot near IL 78 . I recall it was in the context of allowing federal funds to be allowed for repaving not just buildling

Oil and chip can become smooth after a while.  That's how most secondary roads are paved in CNY.

[usends]

Just off the top of my head, I can think of several roads that were once paved state highways, but when the alignment was changed, the asphalt was removed from the old segment, and the road was reverted to gravel.  For example, I have a few photos of old US 85 in South Dakota (which was paved until around 1970):
http://usends.com/Explore/GeoCenter_US50/index.html
Maybe that situation is peculiar to the western US - maybe the dry air, hot summers, and cold winters combine to make a pretty rough environment for asphalt.  (But then again, I would think more humid regions could be tough on asphalt as well.)  At any rate, it seems to be pretty common out here.  I can also think of a road that perhaps should be converted to gravel: old US 6/50 through eastern Utah, which I don't think has been maintained since I-70 was built.  There are sections with huge cracks and potholes and loose chunks of asphalt.  Seems like it might be better if they just chewed all that up and went back to a gravel surface.  But gravel surfaces still need to be maintained, or they will deteriorate too.  So I guess I can see where Grand County UT might not want to make any kind of investment in that road.

[agentsteel53]

old US 6/50 through eastern Utah, which I don't think has been maintained since I-70 was built.

It has, but not with much effort - occasional fills (sometimes dirt, sometimes asphalt) are added into the most egregious of potholes.  The asphalt fills are done in a very sloppy manner, and the resulting road is likely more rough than with just the potholes. 

[Android]

  I can also think of a road that perhaps should be converted to gravel: old US 6/50 through eastern Utah, which I don't think has been maintained since I-70 was built.  There are sections with huge cracks and potholes and loose chunks of asphalt. 

Yeah, I've been on that a couple of times, actually kind of fun if you're not in a hurry, and if your vehicle isn't fragile.   I've seen similar stetches of former US-Highway in similar shape - I've retraced as much of the old highways as possible adjacent to I-25 and I-80 over the years.   And one small stretch of former US87 I remember driving on it both before and after they took up the asphalt.  The piles of milled and chunked pavement along the road sat there for quite some time before they got hauled away.  

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

How on earth do you even plow a gravel road?

I let you know the results after the snowdrifts melt around my parents gravel driveway.

[thenetwork]

  I can also think of a road that perhaps should be converted to gravel: old US 6/50 through eastern Utah, which I don't think has been maintained since I-70 was built.  There are sections with huge cracks and potholes and loose chunks of asphalt. 

Yeah, I've been on that a couple of times, actually kind of fun if you're not in a hurry, and if your vehicle isn't fragile.     

That stretch of Old 6 & 50 is a piece of old history.  Drove the stretch 2 years ago, and you can still make out some of the striping from who knows how long ago -- we're talking double yellow lines with the white dotted lines in between.  The only stretch that was physically downgraded of note is from the Westwater exit to the CO/UT line in the beehive state. I have seen a lot of "vandalism" of the vintage Utah signs near the border as well as the historical state line marker in recent years.