Road Construction

Nowhere is road construction more complicated, demanding and expensive than in mountainous terrain. A wide variety of factors must come into consideration if a road construction or driveway is to be a long-term success. These factors include, but are not limited to; grade (steepness), soil conditions (type), drainage features, compaction, erosion control (re-vegetation, mulch, silt fencing, etc.), and surfacing (gravel, etc.). Nearly all states and counties have individual guidelines that must be followed. These guidelines are not bureaucratic inconveniences meant to elevate road construction cost, they are common sense. They are generally available in simple abridged formats through the environment and natural resources departments of your particular state or county. They are required reading for anyone considering a road building project or driveway.

Road Construction is Costly, Do it Right the First Time

Nowhere is our belief that “doing it right the first time” more essential than with road construction. Nearly 50% of our road projects involve repairing and/or redesigning poorly constructed roads, including driveways. These re-dos are costly, time consuming and in some cases, unavoidably inferior to roads constructed correctly from the outset. It is simply not intelligent to take someone’s assurance that they know what they are doing and can “build you a good road for cheap.” Maintaining a poor road can quickly become more costly than the entire initial construction phase.

Planning is Key in Road Building Projects

Road construction involves planning. We have repeatedly found simple measures like soil assessments and digital contour mapping to be essential. These useful tools for pay for themselves many times over during construction phases while also providing landowners with valuable information about their properties. At V&V we believe it is imperative that landowners have a clear understanding of how and where their new road will be constructed before the grading begins. We also feel it is important that roads be constructed with a clear idea of a landowners long and short-term goals.

Minimize the Environmental Impact of your New Road Construction

Roads are not just costly, they have high environmental impacts. It is to the advantage of everyone for roads to be installed correctly from the start, with appropriate equipment, during appropriate weather conditions. If you are considering a road building project, do your homework, visit prospective contractors’ previous jobs, old and new, and become familiar with basic local guidelines. You will not only end up with a good road, you will save hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Please call us. We would love to discuss your road building needs.