Educate me- upgrading a double track to a driveway

[Bill]

We retired in Montana, and with all the projects since we moved in in 2021, we're getting to the driveway. Hopefully this is the last big home project before hunting season! I have around 300 yards of double track going from the gate to where we put 1' stone in front of the house. When we get heavy rain, it will collect in a few low spots on the double track, on the rest of the ground which has a slight pitch to one side and water runs off.

I have 2 'quotes'. One from the hardscape contractor who did a nice job installing a stone walkway for us ($10k). Another from a friend from church who has the local quarry, he estimated 10 loads of road base, I pay $250/ 10 yard truckload of material and he'll lay it level from the back of his 10-yard dump truck. He's done hundreds of these and didn't think I needed to prep the double track or compact it after.

- Do I need to borrow a skid steer and 'cut' the small hump in the middle before having the road base delivered? I'd push the material into the low spots.

- After he lays it down roadbase from his 10-yard truck, should I plan on dragging a piece of fencing behind my SxS to give it a final level?

- The fellow with the quarry does not have a big roller. Should I plan on running a plate compactor up and down the driveway? I realize there will be hours of walking behind one. Is it needed if he's driving a 10-ton dump truck over it doing some compaction?

- Can I leave the road base as-is and not put small stone on top?

[tps7742]

1 I would cut the middle hump down prior to having road base delivered. The lower spots you may want to put a harder base down in just these places..
2. I would plan on leveling it with whatever machinery you chose to perform this task with.
3. Depending on the type of road base and fines in it, how it packs down you may not need anything additional unless you want to dress it up with cosmetically aesthetic to the eye.

If you have access to a roller and/or a roller packer you can perform this task yourself. In my simple world I would think packing it would be better for long term. This is at least the driveways parking lots I have seen. Good luck.

[Bill]

Thank you

[Longhorn95]

No help for the question at hand, but I miss your blacktaill hunts that I believe kicked of about this time. However, I have thoroughly enjoyed your taking us along on the escape from the corporate world and more so CA.

[Drycreek3189]

1 I would cut the middle hump down prior to having road base delivered. The lower spots you may want to put a harder base down in just these places..
2. I would plan on leveling it with whatever machinery you chose to perform this task with.
3. Depending on the type of road base and fines in it, how it packs down you may not need anything additional unless you want to dress it up with cosmetically aesthetic to the eye.

If you have access to a roller and/or a roller packer you can perform this task yourself. In my simple world I would think packing it would be better for long term. This is at least the driveways parking lots I have seen. Good luck.

I agree with all of this Bill. You can also have him roll it with the dump truck after he’s through if it’s smooth enough, but if he can lay that base down smoothly just chaining his tailgate that would be a first for me. You can back drag it using a little dowward angle to the skid steer bucket too, that kinda prevents moving much material. I don’t know what your base material is gonna look like so I’m kinda handicapped on this end.

[Bill]

No help for the question at hand, but I miss your blacktaill hunts that I believe kicked of about this time. However, I have thoroughly enjoyed your taking us along on the escape from the corporate world and more so CA.

I’m glad I got out of Cali, but I miss the good donuts and hunting when I lived there- deer, pigs and ducks. I figure I’ve hunted 250 days in Montana and all I’ve shot was a small mulie with a rifle.

[BertramBass]

On our driveways we dump it from the tailgate on the low side. Then an overlapping load on the high side. Grade it with a skid steer with a slight crown. Add TONS of water and roll it. Add culverts even if slightly needed. Depending on the material, it will need to be touched up after heavy rains/run off.

[BertramBass]

Killed me a few coastal blacktail down by the Salinas river...

[tps7742]

What type of road base are you referring to Bill? As you probably are aware if you can get road base delivered in a dump trailer (18 wheeler) it should be cheaper in the long run. I think the per mile rate is the same or close to a tandem axle dump truck. Or at least this has been my experience. I hear more people talk of a per ton of rate other than yards these days. I still talk yards myself. I have seen some folks load their trucks down significantly more than others for the same price depending on the distance they have to travel. Keep us posted on your progress of this project.

[tps7742]

On our driveways we dump it from the tailgate on the low side. Then an overlapping load on the high side. Grade it with a skid steer with a slight crown. Add TONS of water and roll it. Add culverts even if slightly needed. Depending on the material, it will need to be touched up after heavy rains/run off.

Spot on here!

[Bill]

What type of road base are you referring to Bill? As you probably are aware if you can get road base delivered in a dump trailer (18 wheeler) it should be cheaper in the long run. I think the per mile rate is the same or close to a tandem axle dump truck. Or at least this has been my experience. I hear more people talk of a per ton of rate other than yards these days. I still talk yards myself. I have seen some folks load their trucks down significantly more than others for the same price depending on the distance they have to travel. Keep us posted on your progress of this project.

The local fellow who has the roadbase sifts it out of the tailings piles remaining from the massive gold dredging operation from 1890-1922 that is a couple of miles from our house. If you search Google for 'Conrey Placer Mining Alder Gulch' you can see pictures of the massive dredges that dug down to the bedrock for gold.

He removes 1" plus stones and the 3/4" minus and the dirt/sand becomes the roadbase. He delivers in a 10-yard truck, which costs $250 per truckload delivered, and spread.

I was walking our lab yesterday and took a couple of 'before' pictures of the project.

View of the 250+ yards towards the gate and road. Ramshorn Peak in the Tobacco Roots mountains in the distance, air quality is bad as the western fires blow into Montana.




View towards the house and the Ruby Mountains visible through the smoke. This area is incredibly rocky, with geologic bands of different compositions running left-to-right in the picture. I'm told this is a band of fractured granite gneiss that we drive over and dislodge more rocks as time passes.

[tps7742]

Thanks for the explanation of how this gentleman gets his road base. Good history lesson that I have never heard of in my 63 years. Thanks. You sure have some beautiful views no doubt and a lengthy driveway. Again thanks for sharing.
Terry

[Bill]

Killed me a few coastal blacktail down by the Salinas river...

I never hunted deer there, bit did duck hunt the Salinas River. I remember all of the crazy sea ducks that were foreign to me hinting puddle ducks primarily in the refuges.,

[Bill]

100 yards of road base later, we have a ‘driveway’. I’ve not run a roller or plate compactor over it, I’n trying to compress it with my pickup truck. We’ll see.

[Clint]

100 yards of road base later, we have a ‘driveway’. I’ve not run a roller or plate compactor over it, I’n trying to compress it with my pickup truck. We’ll see.

If you can get your hands on a roller and do the compaction during a rain, to get the moisture in it, that would be best.