Paved -> Gravel roads in the country

[alexlazarevich]

I live in east-central Illinois. Every day I drive/sight-see around country roads, maintained by either the county or the state. Some roads that I frequent often have been changed from paved to gravel. Why does the county/state do that? I didn't see anything wrong with the paved roads. They weren't the best, but they also did not have pot-holes or anything bad like that. Seems like a step in the wrong direction. Unless I'm missing some benefit to farmers who use these roads more and for a better purpose than I do?

[glen87]

Originally Posted by alexlazarevich

I live in east-central Illinois. Every day I drive/sight-see around country roads, maintained by either the county or the state. Some roads that I frequent often have been changed from paved to gravel. Why does the county/state do that? I didn't see anything wrong with the paved roads. They weren't the best, but they also did not have pot-holes or anything bad like that. Seems like a step in the wrong direction. Unless I'm missing some benefit to farmers who use these roads more and for a better purpose than I do?

What are the benefits of gravel roads?
Gravel roads have the advantage of lower construction and sometimes lower maintenance costs. They may be easier to maintain, requiring less equipment and possibly lower operator skill levels. Potholes can be patched more effectively. Gravel roads generate lower speeds than paved surfaces.

[yoadrian49]

I actually work in the road repair business. I do not think they are tearing up the road and replacing with gravel or rock. I think what you are seeing is a pavement preservation technique that is called chip and seal. It is used on mainly country/county roads that are not as traveled on as much as main highways or arterial roads. They put a thin coat of tack/tar down then a coat of chips/rocks that make the road feel and act like a gravel road. It is a rather cheap alternative to a mill and overlay.

[Corporal Lance]

In my town, the roads are either owned and maintained by the state, or the town, not the county. All the town roads are dirt (the gravel lasts about one week) and all the state roads are paved. Both are full of potholes

[Jolten Joe]

I live on a country dirt/gravel road and i wouldn't change it for the world. Just something different about a old dirt/gravel road that brings me peace and as mentioned before it slows speeds down considerably and reduces the amount of traffic because city slickers don't want their paint jobs to get chipped by flying rocks.

When I moved to where I am now 4-5 yrs ago it was a peaceful serene area but sadly in the last 2 years the whole road has been developed and we now have a bunch of Millennials who want to do nothing but party all night and make insane noise. Sadly I can see them getting together and petition the county to eventually pave the road so their Electric Prius's don't get scratched. They just sold a 72 acre plot directly across the street from me and the day the trucks move in is the day I move out.

[alexlazarevich]

Originally Posted by yoadrian49

I actually work in the road repair business. I do not think they are tearing up the road and replacing with gravel or rock. I think what you are seeing is a pavement preservation technique that is called chip and seal. It is used on mainly country/county roads that are not as traveled on as much as main highways or arterial roads. They put a thin coat of tack/tar down then a coat of chips/rocks that make the road feel and act like a gravel road. It is a rather cheap alternative to a mill and overlay.

I think this is what I'm seeing. There is tar on the grass edges to the gravel. And the gravel is pretty light, and it seems like there is a thin layer of a rock/gravel type mixture under the light gravel that is covering the pavement. I'm fine with it, I drive very slow anyway.

Does anyone know anything about pond turtles? I often see them crossing roads. I stop and try to help them across the road. Should I move them towards the lake/water? Or in the direction they were going, even if that was away from the lake? Maybe they were going towards a nest or something?

[shrevecity]

Once turtles lay eggs they don't return. Just put them in the direction they are facing if you choose to move them out of roads.

[iluvfish2]

Most times turtles seeking heat from the asphalt.


Around here you are seeing some roads going back to gravel - cheaper to maintain and less maintaince

[shrevecity]

Here many of the low grade asphalt roads are being allowed to go back yo dirt as well. They are learning its cheaper. The summer heat destroys them. That same tar they call asphalt feels away in heavy rains and meltsvinv100 degree temps

[PoPCulture]

You guys have gravel and asphalt roads? My dirt roads are jealous.

[fordman]

Originally Posted by alexlazarevich

I think this is what I'm seeing. There is tar on the grass edges to the gravel. And the gravel is pretty light, and it seems like there is a thin layer of a rock/gravel type mixture under the light gravel that is covering the pavement. I'm fine with it, I drive very slow anyway.

Tar/Chip has been the way to go around here. If the road was gravel at one point, it's been tar & chipped at the least, by now. Tar is a thin but thick enough to hold chipped gravel (usually crushed lime stone). As car drive over it, it mashes the chips in to the tar, creating a paved like road after some time. The only issue with tar/chip, you can create wheel ruts easier, especially with very hot days and heavy trucks/machinery. The process is about 1/10th the cost of grind/repaving. Plus you only need a few workers and not a grinding crew, paving crew, roller crew and paint crew. Most tar chip roads around here have no edge or center lines.

Fordman

[ssilva872]

My dad used to live in the country so going to visit him required going on a dirt road. He's moved away from that farm house a while now thankfully. It was like some horror movie sh*t so I couldn't deal with it.

[shrevecity]

Originally Posted by fordman

Tar/Chip has been the way to go around here. If the road was gravel at one point, it's been tar & chipped at the least, by now. Tar is a thin but thick enough to hold chipped gravel (usually crushed lime stone). As car drive over it, it mashes the chips in to the tar, creating a paved like road after some time. The only issue with tar/chip, you can create wheel ruts easier, especially with very hot days and heavy trucks/machinery. The process is about 1/10th the cost of grind/repaving. Plus you only need a few workers and not a grinding crew, paving crew, roller crew and paint crew. Most tar chip roads around here have no edge or center lines.

Fordman

That is what we get here. After a typical summer some roads are trashed

[DontToewsMeBro]

They just re-gravelled our road! Yippeeeeee! Yes we live in the country about 10 min outside the closest town. Its been like 4 years.

[alexlazarevich]

Maybe it's different from state to state, or county to county, but how much of the sides of the county roads are public? For example, if you pull off to the side of the county road to change a tire - such that your left tires are off the road - so your right tires are 6 feet off the road, are you still on the public county road?

[techtre2003]

Originally Posted by alexlazarevich

Maybe it's different from state to state, or county to county, but how much of the sides of the county roads are public? For example, if you pull off to the side of the county road to change a tire - such that your left tires are off the road - so your right tires are 6 feet off the road, are you still on the public county road?

Here you go:
Typically, the width of a right of way is 66 feet wide, which means the right of way is approximately 33 feet on both sides of the center of the road. However, the width of the right of way on a rural road or larger highways varies. Thus, it is often difficult to determine the width a right of way established by easement because there is no standard width. However, Illinois cases have given us some guidance. For example, in Pilgrim v. Chamberlain, 91 Ill. App. 2d 233 (3d Dist. 1968) the Third District determined that the width of a gravel road extended "fence to fence." In Semmerling v. Hajek, 258 Ill. App. 3d 180 (2d Dist. 1994) the Second District determined the width of the right of way was the width of the pavement, plus six feet on either side. Finally, in Highland Park v. Driscoll, 24 Ill. 2d 281 (1962) the Illinois Supreme Court held that the right of way in that case extended the width of the pavement, plus the drainage ditches. Street signs and utility poles often serve as good indicators of right of way limits because they are typically located on the outer edge of a road's right of way, but further research is always recommended to learn as much about a road as possible. Your county highway engineer and local IDOT district office may have additional records that help you learn more about both the existence of right of way and its width.

[deansayso]

You just don't pay enough taxes in Illinois to keep roads up so they're tearing them up

[Corporal Lance]

My potholes were all filled yesterday. This will last a couple of weeks, and hopefully the snow will tamp them down. All it took was Al and Len, and a big truck, and a a steamroller.

[Jolten Joe]

I live in what most would consider the country although it's quickly changing to an outer suburb area with people moving further out from the big cities but wanting to bring the big city amenities with them such as shopping and restaurants without having to drive more than 10-15 min. . So in the next 3-5 years I will likely be moving even further out than I am now. Seems like 5 yrs is about the max you can peacefully live in an unpopulated area before the degenerates move in and take over and ruin it. I moved to where I am about 4 years ago and when I moved here it was a nice quiet dirt road with maybe 4 or 5 houses nicely spread out and now they have developed every square inch with cookie cutter houses. Now it's constant noise from all the Prius's driving up and down and people throwing parties at all times of the night. The only thing I want to hear are the crickets and the faint sound of a dog barking off in the distance.

[alexlazarevich]

I think Wyoming is a real nice area. According to the 2023 census, it is the least densely populated state behind Alaska. I daydream about moving there some day. I drove through the state once and I really liked it.