Culverts Cleaned after 20-30 years of Neglect
Oct 7, 2017 8:41:01 GMT -7
chris, dorothykeeler, and 1 more like this
Post by Admin on Oct 7, 2017 8:41:01 GMT -7
Culverts Cleaned after 20-30 years of Neglect
The new Road Committee tackled the issue of long neglected culverts in Glastonbury this past summer. Many of the culverts were installed when the Glastonbury road network was built back in the 1980's. Then they were forgotten. Slowly dirt, rocks and debris filled in the culverts and then the ditches that lead into them. Successive applications of gravel and grading widened the roads and in several cases finished entombing the culverts and ditches. No map existed of culvert locations and a metal detector was needed to find some.
Why is it important to find and unclog culverts? Ditches were carved on the side of many roads in Glastonbury for the first time in memory this summer. Ditches drain water away from the road surface and also aerate the road sub-surface. Dry roads last longer and assessment maintenance dollars go further.
Why is it important to find and unclog culverts? Ditches were carved on the side of many roads in Glastonbury for the first time in memory this summer. Ditches drain water away from the road surface and also aerate the road sub-surface. Dry roads last longer and assessment maintenance dollars go further.
If water drains down the road erosion washes away landowner's investment.
The top surface of Glastonbury gravel roads are a combination of angular gravel and fines. Fines bind the gravel and hold it in place. Water erosion washes away fines and the road starts to disintegrate. Vehicle speeds over 25 mph cause fines to billow up behind the vehicle and blow away.
This road lacks a ditch. One rain storm eroded a wide section that extends into the road driving surface.
Over the summer several landowner volunteers accepted the task of locating, staking and mapping all culverts in Glastonbury. Claudette Dirkers, Richard Johnson, Jeff Riederer, Ia Williams, Linda Ulrich and Tim Brockett worked on the project. Over the course of several weeks they studied natural drainage patterns and slowly determined where culverts were needed. Then they walked the roads, dug into embankments and one by one, discovered long buried culverts. Each was noted, staked and placed on aerial photo maps that Leo Keeler created.
Jeff Riederer stakes and marks a buried culvert in South Glastonbury
After 100 hours or more of volunteer time the culverts were located, staked and mapped. The information was presented to the Glastonbury Landowners Association (GLA) Road Committee chaired by Dennis Riley. Under his leadership the project was debated by the Road Committee and then presented to the GLA Board. Funding was approved, project costs were solicited and a contractor was chosen.
This culvert was buried, then gouged by a grader and now needs repair.
Every culvert located will be opened, flushed with water, connected to ditches and clearly marked with a T post. In November volunteers will mount yellow regulation reflectors on each culvert T post so drivers, grader operators and snow plow drivers will know where they are.
This culvert took almost 6 hours to uncover and clean.
In early October Chad Standish and his crew descended upon North Glastonbury and systematically started to dig out and clean the culvert network. Tens of thousands of gallons of water were required to flush decades of dirt and rocks from long buried culverts. Several problems were encountered. A poorly placed phone line that was buried just 6 inches down and directly in a culvert ditch was broken. Culverts that 30 years ago opened to rolling prairie were now in landowner's back yards. Some will have to be relocated. Some places were culverts should have been, none were found.
Culvert work in South Glastonbury will commence soon and should be completed by early November. Next spring all cross road culverts will be measured for steel grates to prevent inflow of rocks and debris. Culvert flushing should become a part of the spring gravel and grading routine.
Culvert work in South Glastonbury will commence soon and should be completed by early November. Next spring all cross road culverts will be measured for steel grates to prevent inflow of rocks and debris. Culvert flushing should become a part of the spring gravel and grading routine.
A long buried culvert sees the light of day - after 20 years.
Culvert cleaning is part of a long term plan to fix Glastonbury roads and maintain them at a reasonable price. Ditches now drain water away from the road surface and culverts allow the water to be safely guided into natural drainage channels. Once gravel roads are well drained and dry they can be considered for treating with Magnesium Chloride which hardens the surface, reduces dust and wash-boarding while increasing driver safety. Already the ambitious new Road Committee is working on that project. They expect to have a proposal for magnesium chloride treatment of 10,000 feet of North and South Glastonbury roads before the GLA Board at the October 9th, 2017 meeting.
Much work needs to be done to improve Glastonbury's road network. Heavily traveled gravel roads should be treated yearly with magnesium chloride. Ditches need to be dug alongside every Glastonbury road to insure proper road drainage. Landowners must cooperate by installing culverts under their driveways and private roads wherever there are ditches that carry water runoff. Everyone should slow down to 25 mph or less when driving on Glastonbury gravel roads. Speeds over 25 mph damage the road by raising dust and creating washboards.
Most important of all - landowners must recognize the candidates who support good roads and vote for them. In 2017 several candidates favor going back to old ways of running the community and adhering to an outdated Road Policy. The positive road changes we have seen in 2017 may cease in 2018.
Much work needs to be done to improve Glastonbury's road network. Heavily traveled gravel roads should be treated yearly with magnesium chloride. Ditches need to be dug alongside every Glastonbury road to insure proper road drainage. Landowners must cooperate by installing culverts under their driveways and private roads wherever there are ditches that carry water runoff. Everyone should slow down to 25 mph or less when driving on Glastonbury gravel roads. Speeds over 25 mph damage the road by raising dust and creating washboards.
Most important of all - landowners must recognize the candidates who support good roads and vote for them. In 2017 several candidates favor going back to old ways of running the community and adhering to an outdated Road Policy. The positive road changes we have seen in 2017 may cease in 2018.
