Virginia City Highlands Property Owners Association
Road Management Guidelines
&
Road Maintenance Plan
Version 1.0 July, 2006
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Standards
1.2 Implementation and Prioritization
2.0 Gravel Road Basics & Current Inventory
2.1 Road System Evaluation
2.2 Road Inventory
2.3 Culvert Inventory
2.4 Ditch and Drainage Inventory
2.5 Road Signage Inventory
2.6 PASER Ratings
3.0 Maintenance and Management Practices
3.1 Maintenance Implementation
3.1.1 Road Grading
3.1.2 Ditches
3.1.3 Culverts and Drainages
3.1.4 Gravel
3.1.5 Road Markings, Postings and Designated Speeds
3.2 Equipment, Personnel and Labor
4.0 Proposed Road Maintenance Plan
4.1 Responsibilities
4.2 Proposed Non Binding Yearly Scope of Work
4.3 2006-2007 LARRRI
5.0 References
1.0 Introduction
The VCHPOA unpaved roads carry local traffic between rural lands, and provide connecting links between paved collector roads. More than 83 % of the VCHPOA roads have an unpaved surface. Most of these roadways consist of graveled surfaces, while the remainder consists of natural material (clay soils and rock) with perhaps some gravel placed at some time in the past. These roadway surfaces and ditches are subject to erosion and degradation which lead to sedimentation within ditches themselves, watercourses, and private property.
This document is the first working draft of the Virginia City Highlands Property Owners Association (VCHPOA) Road Management Plan. In order to maintain and manage our road system we must first apply the proper road maintenance procedures. The following information contained in this document has been taken from This document should be updated on a yearly basis or as often as needed when on the ground conditions change.
The cost involved in the maintenance of the unpaved roads is one of the most significant items in the budget of the VCHPOA. Erosion and deterioration of the unpaved roads and drainage system is the single most significant factor affecting maintenance needs and costs involved with the roadway system. The costs to the VCHPOA is not limited to direct costs associated with keeping these unpaved roads passable, but also includes additional costs due to increased flooding, impaired drainage, loss of wildlife habitat and other riparian zone natural resources, adverse effects on the natural food chain, and loss of aesthetics which can have profound effects on property values. Most of the latter-mentioned effects are considered in today’s social climate to be environmental issues, and they are; but rest assured, they are very real economic concerns as well.
The goal of the VCHPOA Road Management plan is to improve all roads by using sound and well established road maintenance and management practices. A particular road is only one of many in our road system. A road management plan is a common sense, step-by-step approach to scheduling and budgeting for all road maintenance work. The plan will consist of surveying the mileage and condition of all roads in the system, establishing short-term and long-term maintenance goals and tasks and prioritizing road projects according to budget constraints. The road management plan will help and allow the Board of the VCHPOA to develop a road budget. Through proper roadway management, the VCHPOA can determine the most cost-effective, long-term treatments for roads, control road maintenance costs, and spend dollars more wisely. If the VCHPOA sticks with the plan outlined herein we will all be rewarded with roads that are easier and less costly to maintain on a yearly basis. Pertinent information about all roads will be readily available for years to come instead of scattered among files or tucked away in someone’s head.
The Board of the VCHPOA recognizes that a commitment to effective road management is an attitude. It is a matter of making sure that association members’ money is well spent. It does not mean paving our roads with gold but it does mean using the best materials available. It does not mean taking short cuts resulting in a shoddy work but it does mean using correct construction techniques and quality control. A commitment to effective management means planning for 5 or even 10 years instead of putting a band-aid on today’s problem. It means taking the time to do things right the first time and constructing projects to last. The horse and buggy days are over. We are in an age of travelers’ demands, increasing traffic; declining revenues and taxpayer revolts. We are expected to do more with less. Building roads to last requires an attitude of excellence. Such an attitude helps to make better decisions, saves money in the long run, and results in a better overall road system.
1.1 Standards
The road maintenance and management outlined herein are the standards that will be implemented throughout our road system. Written standards in the areas of design, construction and maintenance will define the level of service we hope to achieve and provide. Without written standards there is no common understanding about what we are striving for in road design, construction and maintenance. Maintenance standards address the need for planned periodic maintenance. A good maintenance plan protects our roads, which represents many dollars of investment. It also is an excellent aid when it comes time to create a budget. Considerations include: How often shall new gravel be applied to the roads? Some roads require it more often than others do. How often are roads to be graded? How often and in what locations should road stabilizers be applied? What is our plan for installing and checking road signs? Because of legal liability, a missing sign can be very costly if not installed or replaced when needed. What is our plan for ditching and shouldering? The list goes on.
In order to maintain adopted standards the VCHPOA recognizes that limiting vehicle speed on our road system is vital for both community safety and for minimizing road maintenance costs. Because our road system does not included sidewalks many people in our community use our road system for walking, riding horses and riding bikes. Obviously since both pedestrians and motor vehicles use our road system safety is an issue and a concern. Safety is even more of an issue on our road system because of the limited traction that comes with driving on gravel roads. Therefore, in order to address this safety issue a maximum speed limit of 20 mph has been adopted for all unpaved roads. Should lower maximum speeds be necessary on certain roads or sections of roads they will be posted accordingly. As mentioned earlier, by setting the maximum speed limit at 20 mph our dirt road system will suffer less wear and tear resulting in lower yearly maintenance costs. Another benefit not mentioned in setting a maximum speed limit of 20 mph and perhaps not realized by the community is the reduction in particulate matter (aka “airborne dust”).
1.2 Implementation and Prioritization
The full implementation of this road management plan will be accomplished when all necessary road system information is collected and incorporated into the second working draft of this document. Collection of this information is the first step in implementing this plan. Information such as road inventory and condition, current roadway widths and surveying of roadway easements, drainage and ditch conditions needs to be collected in order to determine and schedule priority work for each year. Collecting this vital information will be done in a systematic approach using the following guidance documents:
Gravel Roads Maintenance and Design Manual, South Dakota Local Transportation Assistance Program November 2000
Unimproved Roads PASER Manual, Transportation Information Center University of Wisconsin-Madison 2001
Recommended Practices Manual, A Guideline for Maintenance and Service of Unpaved Roads (Choctawhatchee, Pea and Yellow Rivers Watershed Management Authority, February 2000)
2.0 Gravel Road Basics and Current Inventory
Everyone involved in gravel road maintenance must understand the correct shape of the entire area within the road’s right-of-way. Figure 3-1 shows a typical cross section of a gravel road.
Figure 3-1: Road cross section (from Gravel Roads and Maintenance and Design, SD LTAP Nov. 2000)
In order to maintain a gravel road properly, there needs to be an understanding of three basic road components: (1) a crowned driving surface, (2) a shoulder area that slopes directly away from the edge of the driving surface, and (3) a ditch. The shoulder area and the ditch of many of the VCHPOA gravel roads are minimal to nonexistent. Regardless of where the road is located it must have the basic shape of the cross section in Figure 3-1 or it will not perform well, even under very low traffic. Most paved roads are usually designed and then constructed with careful consideration given to correct shape of the cross section. Once paving is finished, the roadway keeps its shape for an indefinite period of time. Gravel roads are quite different. Unfortunately in our case, many of our gravel roads were not constructed well initially and subsequent road maintenance has not been performed correctly either.
2.1 Road System Evaluation
A determination of inspected VCHPOA gravel roads revealed that a majority, if not all, of our roads do not meet the minimum recommended design criteria outlined above. A majority of our gravel roads lacked both a crown and shoulder, and in some cases had no effective ditch system to take water away from the roads. Most collector roads (major) also have inconsistent widths along their entire distance. The inspection also revealed that some private driveway entrances impact the VCHPOA gravel roads causing damage during the wettest periods of the year. Some private driveways lack culverts, some have improperly sized culverts, and some have improperly installed culverts.
2.2 Road Inventory
The following is a list of the VCHPOA roadways and their approximate lengths:
|
Table 1: Main Paved Roads |
|
|
Name |
Length (ft) |
|
Cartwright |
13,300 |
|
Total |
13,300 |
|
Table 2: Main Gravel Roads |
|
|
Name |
Length (ft) |
|
Empire1 |
8,000 |
|
Sazarac |
4,700 |
|
Clemons |
2,200 |
|
Panhandle1 |
300 |
|
Agate |
900 |
|
Adobe1 |
3,200 |
|
Dortort |
3,300 |
|
Crestview |
3,200 |
|
Total |
25,800 ft |
|
Table 4: Secondary Gravel Roads |
|||
|
Name |
Length (ft) |
Name |
Length (ft) |
|
Grizzley |
1,800 |
Alpine |
900 |
|
Appaloosa |
900 |
Hermit |
900 |
|
Adobe (remaining length) |
900 |
Mustang |
1,100 |
|
Adobe Spur |
700 |
Conestoga |
600 |
|
Sullivan |
800 |
Delta |
3,500 |
|
Morgan |
1,400 |
Colt |
800 |
|
Harte |
1,900 |
Sutro |
600 |
|
Panhandle (remaining length) |
900 |
Goodman |
300 |
|
Clemons (remaining length) |
2,400 |
Graves |
2,000 |
|
Prospect |
400 |
Bowie |
900 |
|
Nugget |
1,300 |
Enterprise |
2,500 |
|
Bonanza |
5,400 |
Empire (remaining length) |
500 |
|
Highland VCHPOA |
2,300 |
Diablo |
600 |
|
Highland Spur |
300 |
Bulette |
800 |
|
Saddleback |
2,900 |
Calavaras VCHPOA |
1,100 |
|
Applegate |
1,500 |
Silverado |
2,800 |
|
Pine Crest |
400 |
Stallion |
400 |
|
Flint Ridge |
400 |
Palamino |
500 |
|
Total |
47,400 ft |
||
The VCHPOA is responsible for maintaining approximately 73,200 linear feet of dirt roads and 13,300 feet of paved surface. This equates to 13.9 miles of gravel roads and 2.5 miles of paved road, totaling 16.4 miles of roadway.
2.3 Culverts
|
Table 5: Culvert Inventory |
|||
|
Name |
Number of Culverts |
Name |
Number of Culverts |
|
Cartwright |
|
Mustang |
|
|
Empire |
|
Highland Spur |
|
|
Sazarac |
|
Conestoga |
|
|
Clemons |
|
Applegate |
|
|
Panhandle |
|
Pine Crest |
|
|
Agate |
|
Flint Ridge |
|
|
Adobe |
|
Silverado |
|
|
Enterprise |
|
Stallion |
|
|
Dortort |
|
Delta |
|
|
Saddleback |
|
Colt |
|
|
Grizzley |
|
Sutro |
|
|
Appaloosa |
|
Goodman |
|
|
Palamino |
|
Livery |
|
|
Adobe Spur |
|
Remington |
|
|
Sullivan |
|
Fey |
|
|
Morgan |
|
Graves |
|
|
Harte |
|
Bowie |
|
|
Alpine |
|
Diablo |
|
|
Hermit |
|
Bulette |
|
|
Prospect |
|
Crestview |
|
|
Nugget |
|
Calavaras |
|
|
Bonanza |
|
Highland |
|
2.4 Ditch Inventory
|
Table 5: Ditch Inventory |
|||
|
Name |
Number |
Name |
Number |
|
Cartwright |
|
Mustang |
|
|
Empire |
|
Highland Spur |
|
|
Sazarac |
|
Conestoga |
|
|
Clemons |
|
Applegate |
|
|
Panhandle |
|
Pine Crest |
|
|
Agate |
|
Flint Ridge |
|
|
Adobe |
|
Silverado |
|
|
Enterprise |
|
Stallion |
|
|
Dortort |
|
Delta |
|
|
Saddleback |
|
Colt |
|
|
Grizzley |
|
Sutro |
|
|
Appaloosa |
|
Goodman |
|
|
Palamino |
|
Livery |
|
|
Adobe Spur |
|
Remington |
|
|
Sullivan |
|
Fey |
|
|
Morgan |
|
Graves |
|
|
Harte |
|
Bowie |
|
|
Alpine |
|
Diablo |
|
|
Hermit |
|
Bulette |
|
|
Prospect |
|
Crestview |
|
|
Nugget |
|
Calavaras |
|
|
Bonanza |
|
Highland |
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
2.5 Road Signage Inventory
No signs except Road Name signs. Will need to install proper road signs (speed, dips, curve, yield, others) to address and satisfy liability.
2.6 PASER Ratings
|
Table 5: Gravel Roads |
|||
|
Name |
Rating |
Name |
Rating |
|
Cartwright |
N/A |
Mustang |
|
|
Empire |
|
Highland Spur |
|
|
Sazarac |
|
Conestoga |
|
|
Clemons |
|
Applegate |
|
|
Panhandle |
|
Pine Crest |
|
|
Agate |
|
Flint Ridge |
|
|
Adobe |
|
Silverado |
|
|
Enterprise |
|
Stallion |
|
|
Dortort |
|
Delta |
|
|
Saddleback |
|
Colt |
|
|
Grizzley |
|
Sutro |
|
|
Appaloosa |
|
Goodman |
|
|
Palamino |
|
Livery |
|
|
Adobe Spur |
|
Remington |
|
|
Sullivan |
|
Fey |
|
|
Morgan |
|
Graves |
|
|
Harte |
|
Bowie |
|
|
Alpine |
|
Diablo |
|
|
Hermit |
|
Bulette |
|
|
Prospect |
|
Crestview |
|
|
Nugget |
|
Calavaras |
|
|
Bonanza |
|
Highland |
|
The PASER Manual for Gravel Roads will be used to rate gravel roads.
3.0 Maintenance and Management Practices
3.1 Maintenance Implementation
3.1.1 Road Grading
Do not disturb roadway sections which do not need maintenance while repairing, blading, or grading those sections which do. When routine maintenance is being performed, the amount of disturbed areas will be limited to that which can be re-established to the desired final shape by the end of the work day. To minimize opportunity for degradation of the roadway, it is best not to blade, grade, or drag if rain or freezing temperatures are favorable within the 48 hour forecast. As much as possible, avoid non-essential or non-emergency work near streams or stream crossings during the “wet” months of the year. Save this work for drier seasons. It is best to limit roadway blading to times when there is enough moisture content to allow for immediate re-compaction. Often, an optimum time for this is soon after a rain while the surface materials are still moist but not too wet. Blading with little moisture content in the soil is futile, and is more often a causative factor in road surface degradation such as “washboarding” and other problems associated with loss of fines.
Proper crowning and compacting of the road surface quickens the removal of runoff, thus protecting the road surface from degradation.
Performance
Blading and Dragging Blading and dragging is a smoothing operation which pulls loose material from the side of the road or spreads wind-rowed aggregate to fill surface irregularities and restore the road crown. It is performed with the moldboard tilted forward with light down pressure on the motor grader blade as shown in Figure 3-1. The angle of the moldboard is adjusted to between 30 and 45 degrees, and in most cases, the front wheels are tilted slightly 10 to 15 degrees toward the direction the aggregate should roll. It is a challenge to recover loose aggregate from the shoulder of the roadway without spilling material around the leading edge (toe) of the moldboard. Operating the moldboard without enough angle is a primary cause of this spilling.
Moldboard Angle and Pitch
Along with correct angle, it is important to understand proper pitch or “tilt” of a moldboard. If the moldboard is pitched back too far, the material will tend to build up in front of the moldboard and will not fall forward and move along to the discharge end of the blade. This also causes excess material loss from the toe of the moldboard. It also reduces the mixing action that is desirable when recovering material from the shoulder and moving it across the roadway, leveling and smoothing it in the process. This mixing action is part of routine maintenance. Traffic tends to loosen material from the road surface and displace it to the shoulder area as well as between the wheel tracks. The stone will tend to separate from the sand and the fine sized material. At the same time, small potholes and an uneven surface will develop. It is the job of the maintenance operator to recover the material, mix it again as it rolls along the face of the moldboard and restore good surface shape.
Grader Stability
It can sometimes be hard to keep a machine stable, especially while carrying a light load of material. Counteracting machine bounce or “loping” requires experience in knowing the cause and then finding a solution. If a motorgrader begins to rock from side to side - often called “duck walking” in the field - it is usually caused by blade angle that closely matches the angle from corner to corner of the tires on the rear tandems. The solution is generally to stop, change angle slightly on the moldboard and slowly resume blading. Simply reducing speed will often eliminate the loping effect of a machine. Experimenting with different tire inflation pressures can also help stabilize a machine as well as leaning the front wheels in the direction that material is being moved. Filling tires with liquid ballast to about 70% capacity is sometimes done to increase traction, weight and stability of the grader. The ballast often used is a solution of calcium chloride and water. Stability problems that are constant and severe should be brought to the attention of your equipment dealer and/or tire supplier.
Articulation
Virtually all modern motorgraders are equipped with frame articulation. It can be an advantage to slightly articulate the machine to stabilize it even in a common maintenance operation.
Crown
Establishing proper crown in the gravel surface probably generates more controversy than any other aspect of good maintenance. How much crown is enough? Can one get too much? What is a recommended crown? First of all, problems develop quickly when a gravel road has no crown. Water will quickly collect on the road surface during a rain and will soften the crust. This will lead to rutting which can become severe if the subgrade also begins to soften. Even if the subgrade remains firm, traffic will quickly pound out smaller depressions in the road where water collects and the road will develop potholes. A properly drained gravel road should have